Montreal to revamp bike paths on Christophe-Colomb Ave.

A major overhaul to one of the only north-south bike paths in the city will reduce the speed of cars and be a boon for pedestrian and cyclists in the area, the city says.

The executive committee approved a call for tenders Wednesday to revamp the bike paths on Christophe-Colomb Ave. and incorporate them into the Réseau express vélo (REV).

A signature of the Plante administration, the REV’s goal is to create a network of protected bike paths on major arteries where the cyclists are separated from cars by physical barriers like posts or concrete separators. The first of such paths was installed on St-Denis St. in 2020.

The configuration of Christophe-Colomb Ave. will probably look similar to that of St-Denis St., said Marianne Giguère, an associate councillor on the executive committee who handles cycling issues. That means there will be one lane in each direction for motorists, one lane in each direction for parked cars and one lane in each direction for cyclists. Turning lanes will be added at most intersections, and about 30 traffic lights will be reconfigured.

Giguère said in addition to securing one of the major routes for cyclists in the city, the project will also improve safety around the three elementary schools on the seven-kilometre stretch from Gouin Blvd. on the northern tip of the island to where the avenue ends at Parc Laurier at the intersection with St-Grégoire St., in the middle of the city.

Dedicated bus quays will be built around schools with crosswalks, and the bike paths will be narrowed in those areas and raised to sidewalk level to improve the safety of students boarding school buses. The project will also improve one of the only paths for cyclists crossing under the Metropolitan Expressway.

“It’s located in a very dense residential neighbourhood, and it is now an artery for cars that doesn’t at all fit with the way of life of the residents in the area,” Giguère said.

She said while this artery is used by many motorists, there aren’t very many safe north-south routes in the area for cyclists.

“Drivers will find their way,” she said. “They will get to their destination, but it could be a little slower.”

The city has determined that since the REV St-Denis was rolled out, the speed of cars was reduced on average by eight kilometres per hour from a speed of about 50 km/h. It’s hoping the Christophe-Colomb path will yield similar results.

“We know that the risk of severe injury reduces exponentially with every kilometre that cars slow down,” she said.

There were 95 accidents involving cyclists in the area between 2018 and 2022, and one person died on Christophe-Colomb, corner Mistral St., in 2012 after a collision with a truck.

Giguère said a version of this path was put in place at the height of the pandemic and a report from the city’s ombudsperson outlined recommendations based on input from citizens if the city were to make it  permanent.

While the city will follow the recommendations, Giguère said it will also consult with the residents, merchants and other stakeholders in the months leading up to the construction. Major work on the project will begin in early fall or late summer, and it’s expected that the path will be in place by the end of the year with temporary barriers consisting of plastic posts.

Permanent structures, like concrete barriers, will be added next year.

Speaking for the city’s opposition Ensemble Montréal, Alba Zuniga Ramos welcomed the news about the protected bike paths.

“We hope the Plante administration shows that it can be open to the concerns of residents during public consultations,” Ramos said. “We also hope the administration has heeded the lessons of the ombudsperson from the summer of 2020 about the co-ordination of the work around bike lanes and the REV on Bellechasse St.”

jmagder@postmedia.com

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