‘Is it worth it?’ Proposed bike lane to future REM station raises questions

The mayor of Beaconsfield is concerned about a proposed bike path that would link the Beaurepaire exo commuter train station with the future REM station in Kirkland.

Georges Bourelle says surveys need to be done to determine the number of cyclists that would use it and justify the cost of building the path.

“If we have very few bikes using this bike lane all the way from the Woodland to the REM station in Kirkland, well, you know, is it worth it?” Bourelle told Global News.

He says the proposal is being made by Montreal’s executive committee and would have to pass the agglomeration council, which oversees decision-making on the entire island.

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“We don’t know what the utilization is going to be. If I look at the bike racks here at Beaurepaire, there are three bikes,” Bourelle said.

One cyclist riding in the area Global News spoke to supports the plan.

“I think it’s an excellent idea. Especially, it’s more secure than taking all the roads,” said Michel St-Pierre, a Pointe-Claire resident.

An urban planner at McGill University says a future bike path connecting the exo train station to the REM station would be strategic.

“This connection is really needed because there is no other connection to this area now and you definitively need to connect these people to both the commuter train and the REM,” Hisham Negm told Global News.

But Negm says more than a bike path, more parking is needed at the Kirkland station.

Only 200 spaces are being created for residents of Kirkland. That’s a mistake, according to Negm, who says limited parking will dissuade the park-and-ride concept.

“You can do underground parking. You can do multi-storied parking, you have to change the zoning,” Negm said.

The argument will likely intensify as the REM station in Kirkland is scheduled for next year.