Montreal cycling advocates call for more restrictions on heavy trucks following fatal collision

MONTREAL -

There are more calls for restrictions on heavy trucks in Montreal following the death of a 66-year-old cyclist who was pinned under a dump truck.

He is the fifth cyclist killed in the city this year.

Police say the crash happened as the truck was turning from Saint-Laurent Boulevard onto de Liège Street in Montreal's Villeray neighbourhood on Tuesday afternoon.

“Our first reaction is 'Oh no, not again'. Not another cyclist,” said Severine Le Page of Ghost Bikes Montreal, a group that marks the places cyclists have been killed with ghost bikes.

Cycling advocates say his death was likely preventable. Le Page is calling for Montreal to follow London's example and add safety measures based on the size and weight of a truck.

“You have to have bigger windows. You have to have a better view so you don't have blind spots with more mirrors. You have to have lateral sides on your trucks,” said Le Page.

According to Velo Quebec, since 2011, as many as 47 per cent of all cyclist deaths in Montreal involved a heavy truck.

The city should re-think what kind of vehicles it allows on the streets, said Magalie Bebronne of Velo Quebec.

“These trucks are only 4 per cent of the vehicles on the road and cause one in two deaths of cyclists, and when we're talking pedestrians, it's one in three. This really tells us where we should focus our efforts,” she said.

The mayor's office responded on Wednesday saying, “Each death is one too many. Our priority is to ensure the safety of all the users of the road network so that these incidents stop. It is a big project that we have already started and will continue to pursue over the course of the next four years."

Cycling advocates are pushing for more separated bike lanes, like the express lane on St-Denis Street, saying it makes it safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.

“That goes for people who have to use their vehicles as well, when you don't have to compete for speed and space. It gives a sense of safety,” said Le Page.