MONTREAL – The intersection at St-Laurent and Bellechasse is an eclectic mix of bikes, cars and people.
The St-Laurent side of the intersection has a divided bike path that ends abruptly as bikers head north on the Main.
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Westbound cyclists on Bellechasse frequently end up on the sidewalk as they turn south.
In the mind of Zvi Leve, of the Montreal Bike Coalition, it’s the result of poor execution.
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The city improved the intersection recently, but none of the traffic lights currently operate and it often becomes a jumbled crossroads of cyclists, cars and pedestrians all vying for space.
This is not the only problem area, either.
“The city has a lot of bike lanes, and it needs to start looking much more seriously at intersections themselves,” he said.
“Cyclists do turn.”
Part of the problem involves a gradual change in how city planners are viewing bike lanes.
When they were first drawn up in the 1980s, Leve said they were originally designed for recreation.
Officials initially created the bike path at Rachel, one of the city’s oldest, with an eye toward creating an exercise corridor.
“It goes from Mont-Royal to LaFontaine to the Olympic Stadium. So it connects the parks,” he said.
Problem is, most people on a bike these days are now trying to get to work.
“Most people don’t work in parks.”
Recently The Montreal Gazette published a list of the five worst intersections for cyclists in the city.
In addition to the one on St-Laurent, it included St-Denis and Carriere as well as de Maisonneuve and St-Urbain, which were both the site of recent accidents last year.
It also included the corners of des Erables and Rachel and Vendome and de Maisonneuve.
The last one has been a bone of contention for years as construction on the MUHC super hospital project has snarled traffic and frustrated commuters.
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Area residents have been concerned that the block of de Masonneuve in front of the Vendome metro station doesn’t have a divided bike path and could be dangerous with all the bus traffic that rolls through.
“It’s a very busy street. It’s really not safe,” said Anna Symon, who rides her bike in the area.
“Especially during rush hour. I just get off my bike and walk.”
Another resident who cycles in the area, Charles Protheroe, agreed.
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“There are tons of times when I feel like it’s super-dangerous,” he told Global News.
“The paint’s worn off [the path] or there are no markings.”
He repeated Leve’s pointe – the admixture of bike traffic with pedestrians and cars is creating a dangerous element there.
“I mean, right here,” he said, pointing to the section of the de Maisonneuve path where the divider ends.
“When the bike path ends all of a sudden you’re in incoming traffic.”
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