More people are cycling than ever
Despite grumbling on social media, Metro reports that a lot of folks like the new Bellechasse bike path; Le Devoir reports on the surge in cycling’s popularity even among folks who’d never used a bike before.
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Kate
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Ian 16:13 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
One inaccuracy worth noting – “Les axes est-ouest cyclables étant peu nombreux à Montréal, Mme Lareau considère que la rue de Bellechasse était «toute désignée» pour être aménagée ainsi.” This is patently untrue, the van Horne bike path is only one block from Bellechasse for a good portion of its route, and goes almost the entire length of the Plateau from St. Laurent to Iberville. While the Bellechassse route is indeed very nice it is hardly the only lengthy east-west route in the area – and the Van Horne path is completely protected from any other traffic besides joggers.
That said, I ride that particular path regularly, it’s great, but honestly – and I say this as a bicyclist that is also a driver – the bike paths take up so much of the street that I don’t see why the city doesn’t just close down the street to car traffic altogether. Bellechasse, if I recall correctly used to to be two ways with parking on both sides and is down to one lane headed west, no parking. I don’t see the point. Making Bellechasse bikes-only would allow them to get rid of all the extra road hardware, too, to improve access for emergency vehicles.
All that aside, free vignettes for people with with reduced mobility sounds like a great idea in ALL vignette neighbourhoods, TBH – as does resident-only parking on residential streets. If you want to park on a residential street with vignettes, you should have to buy a vignette. I’ve got NY, NJ, & CT plates all up & down my street even though the border is closed to all but dual citizens.
walkerp 16:50 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
When you say Van Horne, do you mean the path that goes along the railroad tracks? Because Van Horne stops at St-Laurent. Does everybody call that path the Van Horne?
Ian 16:54 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
I’ve always heard it described as the Van Horne bike path because that was the old Van Horne rail line. Does it have another name?
Alex 17:04 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
I have heard it referred to as the Chemin des Carrieres
Ian 17:09 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
Ah interesting, that would make sense too given the route the street takes.
I guess this is as good a place as any to ask – does anyone know of a good app for navigating Montreal’s bike paths? I know Google Maps has the option to show bike paths but I don’t think there’s any way to prioritize bike paths…
EmilyG 17:27 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
You mean the Réseau Vert?
Ian 17:29 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
Clearly there is a lack in consensus 😀
But yes
EmilyG 17:41 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
Ah, okay. I guess I was just looking for clarification.
It’s a nice path. I walk along it sometimes (watching out for cyclists and others.) It’s the fastest and safest way for me to get to the grocery store.
Benoit 21:01 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
@Ian ; yes, Google Maps does prioritize bike paths if you chose the cycling option when searching for an itinerary
Ian 21:22 on 2020-07-27 Permalink
hm I must be doing it wrong, I can’t seem to specify that. I’ll figure it out. That said, are there any apps that are specifically based on the Montreal bike path network?
Benoit 00:17 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
Ian, try this bike itinerary, for example, from Marché Jean-Talon to Marché Atwater :
https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/March%C3%A9+Jean-Talon,+Avenue+Henri-Julien,+Montr%C3%A9al,+QC/March%C3%A9+Atwater,+138+Avenue+Atwater,+Montr%C3%A9al,+QC+H4C+2H6/@45.510196,-73.6174824,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x4cc919136130849d:0x5c1098d838d87981!2m2!1d-73.6148902!2d45.5361095!1m5!1m1!1s0x4cc91a7858a4d60f:0x90bc8afed83bdfcb!2m2!1d-73.576477!2d45.4794197!3e1
Dhomas 03:51 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
Years ago, I used a separate app for bike routing. I don’t know if it still exists since it was in the days before Android and iOS completely took over the smartphone market (I was using Windows Mobile and BlackBerry at the time). But Google Maps has greatly improved since then, and I no longer need a separate app. You can even set up your profile (on Android, not sure about iPhone) to make your commute default to routing by bike and all other routing by car (or vice versa). Google Maps will even now tell you the elevation of different routes so you can avoid one that has too much uphill, for example. The only problem is that it has not always been up to date with new paths.
Ian 08:03 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
I see what you mean – though I’d be more inclined to take Guy to the deMaisonneuve bike path then City Councillors to Sherbrooke as those are the least steep inclines …I’m no lycra warrior seeking out the hills haha 🙂
Ian 08:08 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
// addendum for clarification – I read that map as going form Atwater to Jean-Talon, that route does make good sense going downhill.
@Dhomas I had noticed the elevation, that’s a nice touch. I know Google is great for remembering routes. As far as navigational apps go, Waze is very good at being up to date – but is only for cars, sadly. If I’m just charting my own routes I think I’ll probably stick with a more bike-specific app like Strava.
mare 10:25 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
In general Google Map for bikes it pretty good, and tries to keep elevation change at a minimum. But it doesn’t take in account roadwork closures, and its pretty frustrating to use our confusing and not wel connected, and terrible indicated bike path network. If you haven’t been somewhere before expect surprises.
Case in point: I searched a few week ago for the best way to go from downtown to the South shore and then to the Champlain bridge. It sent me over the islands to the Victoria St-Lambert locks. Unfortunately those were closed so I had to go all the way to the Jacques Cartier bridge. After scaling the very steep Jacques Cartier bridge entrance and arriving in Longueuil it sent me through St Lambert (Not wrong, but when I searched again to find a connection to the bike path along the river it sent me all the way back to Boulevard Thimens. I carried my bike down the stairs and I didn’t go that far East, but found a pedestrian bridge over the 20 near the police station. Not ideal but better than nothing. (Longueuil really needs to connect some bike paths and put up signage.). Anyway, a bit later I got hopelessly lost again at the North Side of the Champlain where the perfectly indicated multi-use path abruptly stopped at a roundabout on Nun’s Island without any further signage. Google Maps didn’t know where to go either. It was dark by then but thankfully there was another electric scooter that wizzed by and that I followed, and after having to take some big detours and loop backs, I ended up at the other side of the old part of the Champlain bridge where the bike path continued. (Why didn’t they put the multi-use path also on the West side? Detours are very frustrating for cyclists, especially bike commuters.)
Then into Griffintown along the canal, and then into old Montreal where the bike path was blocked by condo- and road construction (without any indication) at least twice, and I had to find my way to find the bike path again.
I alerted Google Maps about the closed St-Lambert connection at the time, and I included a few links to newspaper articles about the closure. I didn’t have time and energy (in more than one way; all that looking for directions uses a lot of phone battery charge) to let them know about all the other pitfalls. Just checked, it *still* get the route over the islands, almost a month later, Unless it’s openend again (anyone here knows?) that’s quite disheartening.
mare 10:36 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
BTW, the Bellechasse bike path is great, but the also new super-wide bike path on both sides of rue Christophe-Colomb is amazing. It goes all the way from the underpass near Parc Laurier to the 40, without any detours. Not very well known is that if you go South the bike path continues on Christophe-Colomb below Laurier park in the South direction, all the way to Cherrier. Combined with St-André for going North, it’s a viable alternative to the overcrowded and narrow Brebeuf bike path.
nau 16:36 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
The Victoria bridge locks had people cycling over them this weekend. Reading online looks like they’ve given over one of the car lanes to bikes until the rebuild is done. Also, if you do Pont Champlain again, the shortest route towards the island of Montreal from that roundabout on Nun’s Island is to go left once you’ve crossed Rene Levesque Blvd. (the road at the end of the Pont Champlain path). Go left along the sidewalk and then for a short while on the street (Rue Jacques-Le-Ber) until you get to Chemin de la Pointe Nord (about 150 m from the roundabout). There is a bike path on the northwest corner of that intersection that will take you under the 10 to Nun’s Island Bridge. I imagine the signage will get better once all the condo construction in the area is done.
mare 22:57 on 2020-07-28 Permalink
Thanks nau! Glad the locks passage is open again.