Montreal will add bike path along Christophe-Colomb Avenue this summer

Construction of Montreal's planned bike path along Christophe-Colomb Avenue will begin this summer, according to city officials.

The 7 km path between Gouin Boulevard and St-Grégoire Street will connect the Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Plateau-Mont-Royal boroughs.

One bike lane will be installed on both sides of the street by removing one car lane in each direction. This means each side of the avenue will have one lane for bikes, one for cars, and one for parking.

"The first year, in 2023, it's going to be temporary things put in place," such as new street lines, explained city councillor Marianne Giguère.

This will give the city time to consult merchants and residents and make any necessary adjustments in 2024.

To goal is to have the lane usable by the fall of 2023, Giguère said.

The City of Montreal will add a 7 km bike path to Christophe-Colomb Avenue in the summer of 2023. (CTV News)

Montreal mayor Valerie Plante made the announcement Wednesday morning at an executive committee meeting.

She said the bike path is inspired by that which runs along St-Denis Street, where the average speed of motorists has reduced by 8 km, according to the city.

"People across Quebec are mobilizing to demand more courage to make travel safer for the most vulnerable and we are answering the call," Plante stated in a press release.

While constructing the new bike lanes, the city will implement safety measures in the area, such as adding crosswalks and adjusting crossing times.

"Having this cyclist infrastructure on Christophe-Colomb is a good way to make a street a lot safer, because by doing it, we're working on every intersection, we're making it safer to cross for everyone," Giguère told CTV News.

Between 2018 and 2022, 95 collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians took place on Christophe-Colomb Avenue, the city says.