The freshly-painted bike path configuration on Grand Boulevard in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough was improperly placed by city workers, borough officials admitted Thursday.
The new bike lanes seemingly take over the narrow one-way boulevard as signs were painted on both the left and right of the road.
Both ends of the 400-metre stretch contradict each other, directing bikers in both the north and southbound directions from the same lane.
Residents say improper signage has created a dangerous environment for both cyclists and motorists.
Cyclist Karolina Kamga says the configuration left her scratching her head.
“I’m quite confused. I don’t know where I can cycle and where I cannot,” Kamga said.
“I’m just trying to follow the rules.”
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Colin Durocher, who lives on Grand Blvd., said he got a good chuckle out of the blunder, but says the street configuration has been an issue for years.
Cars are allowed to park on either side of the street while heavy cycling traffic flows in both direction. Durocher says it’s a “recipe for disaster.”
“I have had those close calls,” he said. “I think it’s a matter of time before there is a real accident there.”
The southbound path is clearly marked with white lines, while the northbound path is faded and marked only with a bike symbol.
The borough says they are committed to building a comprehensive and safe network of bike paths.
Borough council voted in favour of a major bike path initiative in June that would see new cycling corridors on Notre-Dame-de-Grace Avenue, as well as on Grand Boulevard between Monkland Avenue and Cote-Saint-Luc Road.
They are aware of the errors and said city technical crews will evaluate the situation.
City workers will be redoing the painted signs, but they did not say when.