Ile-Notre-Dame bike paths to reopen this weekend, though with distancing rules

MONTREAL -- The bike path network on Île Notre-Dame will reopen this Saturday, May 23, the Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau just announced, though cyclists must maintain a two-metre distance from each other at all times.

The island has been closed since April 5 due to the pandemic, but notmally it sees an average of almost 125,000 cyclists each year, the park society said in a news release.

The reopening means that an “integral” link in the Route Verte and Trans-Canada Trail will be restored, namely the Sainte Catherine / Estacade / Jean-Drapeau link.

For South Shore cyclists, there’s less good news—the bicycle bridge from Victoria Bridge to Saint-Lambert will remain closed for safety reasons connected to ongoing work.

“Cyclists from Saint-Lambert who wish to cross to Montreal must take the multi-use trails of the Jacques-Cartier and Samuel-de-Champlain bridges,” said the release.

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  A cyclist pedals on P'tit Train du Nord, a rail trail running through Quebec's Laurentian region outside Montreal, Aug. 11, 2013. The "little train of the north" trail offers well-spaced amenities, intriguing inns and a shuttle service to drop cyclists and their bikes at the northern end or places along the way. It's part of Quebec's vast Route Verte cycling network. (AP Photo/R.M. Green)