The Réseau Express Vélo (REV) will be enriched with 10 new sections over the next five years, the city of Montreal announced on Tuesday morning.
Updated yesterday at 5:54pm.
Isabelle Ducas The press
The administration of Valérie Plante plans to invest 30 million per year in the expansion of the REV over 60 kilometers and in 30 other projects of cycle paths, in particular to better serve remote districts, announced Sophie Mauzerolle, responsible for transport and mobility, on the board .
A total of 200 kilometers of bike lanes will be added to Montreal’s network in 17 of the 19 boroughs, Ms Mauzerolle revealed at a press conference.
“Our cycling plan has four goals: safe travel anywhere on the island, better connections to remote parts of the city, better predictability for the population and better security for our construction sites,” she emphasized.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Sophie Mauzerolle, Head of Transport and Mobility on the Executive Board
In view of the fact that the popularity of this means of transport has increased by 20% since the beginning of the year, the city believes that it is necessary to make cycling trips safer.
City Bike Vision 2023-2027 flagship projects include:
- Development of REV Jean-Talon, REV Henri-Bourassa and REV Lacordaire;
- Development and upgrading of the Côte-Sainte-Catherine cycle path, which will make it possible to secure the intersection of the avenues du Parc and Mont-Royal;
- The redevelopment of the municipal road between Berri and Saint-Laurent to better coexist with pedestrians;
- The creation of a cycle path on rue Hochelaga that will connect Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Ville-Marie;
- The addition of bike lanes on Prieur and Charleroi that will connect Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Montreal North;
- The development of the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue branch and the Deux-Montagnes branch of the West Island cycle path in line with the REM de l’Ouest.
Reach vulnerable populations
“By choosing to be active, on foot or by bike, the population can make a big difference, not only in favor of the ecological transition, but also in favor of their health, their finances and their autonomy. As a city, we have a duty to provide the population with quality facilities that facilitate these decisions,” said Marianne Giguère, Associate Advisor for Active Transportation to the Executive Committee.
dr An impact assessment by REV presented last April suggested investing more in neighborhoods less well served by the current cycling network in order to reach more vulnerable populations.
“This is what we need, a secure infrastructure that allows people to feel safe,” responded Jean-François Rheault, CEO of Vélo Québec. “For sectors where there is no cycling infrastructure, such as Parc-Extension, Saint-Michel, Montreal-Nord, Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, today’s plan restores and improves territorial equity coverage of the territory. »
Few protected tracks
However, the Montreal Active Mobility Coalition notes with concern that less than a third of the bike lanes featured will be part of the REV, i.e. protected lanes. In a press release, the group also stated that it feared delays in the expansion of the cycling infrastructure.
The city has announced its five-year plan to give people greater “predictability” in areas where change is imminent.
But Sophie Mauzerolle was unable to specify whether the planned cycle paths would lead to the elimination of parking spaces or lanes. It was also not known in which order the projects would be carried out.
For merchants who fear the arrival of part of the REV in front of their store, Marianne Giguère recalled that since the arrival of the REV, rue Saint-Denis has seen fewer vacancies and an increase in sales in stores.
The bicycle is relevant to the economy, both for street trade and for companies to improve the mobility of goods. A cyclist is a customer who buys more, the statistics show that.
Marianne Giguère, Associate Active Transportation Advisor to the Executive Committee
Ms. Giguère also ensures that consultations take place in the affected neighborhoods. “We gained a lot of experience,” she noted, adding that the city can listen carefully and adjust projects based on the comments received.
Official opposition at City Hall recalled that in a 2020 report, the Montréal Ombudsman had criticized the lack of consultation in the development of the REV and Active Safe Lanes (VAS), which were introduced in the midst of the pandemic.
“We reiterate the need for clear communication with citizens during the design and construction of bicycle development projects,” commented Alba Zuniga Ramos, opposition spokeswoman for active transport, welcoming the new bicycle routes announced by the Plante administration.
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889 kilometers of bicycle lanes in Montreal
Source: City of Montreal
214 kilometers of cycle paths protected by physical elements (concrete walls, posts)
Source: City of Montreal