Montreal bike lanes deemed unsafe could be removed, mayoral candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada says
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Montreal's bike network has expanded too quickly in some areas and without proper consultation, mayoral candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Monday, pledging to audit the existing network and remove cycling lanes deemed unsafe.
The Ensemble Montréal leader accused the Plante administration of pressing ahead 'without any consultation to merchants and citizens,' creating hazards for some shop owners, drivers and cyclists.
Speaking in an industrial sector of Ahuntsic-Cartierville alongside merchants, Martinez Ferrada said the goal is to audit all of Montreal's bike paths to ensure they are in the right place and designed in consultation with residents and merchants.
Expanding Montreal's cycling network had been a major focus of Mayor Valérie Plante's administration since she took office in 2017. Her administration has introduced a 184-kilometre network of separated bike lanes, added 200 kilometres more for the express network, and invested millions in the process.
Over this time, the Plante administration has faced criticism — and even legal challenges — over what some groups call a lack of citizen consultation in its bike-path projects.
But Martinez Ferrada said Monday she wants to move past the polarization surrounding bike lanes. She noted that many Montrealers are not opposed to cycling lanes, but to the way they have been implemented.
Some business owners, she added, also worry about the risk of accidents when vehicles exit garages onto bike paths, particularly in industrial areas where sightlines are limited.
'We have to take away the anxiety of somebody working in a garage, worried that a car pulling out will hit a cyclist they can't see,' she said.
If elected, she vowed to order an audit of all cycling facilities within her first 100 days in office. Once the audit is completed, they would 'review and secure' bike lanes where necessary, or, if necessary, abandon dangerous ones altogether.
This process would take place in consultation with the neighbourhood, she stressed.
To fund the safety upgrades, she pledged to redirect part of the city's cycling budget toward bringing existing lanes up to standard.
Earlier in the summer, Projet Montréal's new mayoral candidate, Luc Rabouin, outlined his transportation priorities. Yet, this time, bicycles were not at the top of the list. Rabouin said buses, not bikes, would be central to his party's 2025 pitch to voters, promising an expanded express bus network with new dedicated lanes on Montreal streets.
Still, he defended his party's record on cycling, saying he was 'proud' of the expansion spearheaded by Plante over her two terms.
He added that he now intends to put 'as much love and energy and passion into the bus network as we did for bikes.'
Rabouin, Martinez Ferrada and Transition Montréal Leader Craig Sauvé will face each other in the municipal election on Nov. 2.
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Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
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Montreal bike lanes deemed unsafe could be removed, mayoral candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada says
Montreal Politics By Montreal's bike network has expanded too quickly in some areas and without proper consultation, mayoral candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Monday, pledging to audit the existing network and remove cycling lanes deemed unsafe. The Ensemble Montréal leader accused the Plante administration of pressing ahead 'without any consultation to merchants and citizens,' creating hazards for some shop owners, drivers and cyclists. Speaking in an industrial sector of Ahuntsic-Cartierville alongside merchants, Martinez Ferrada said the goal is to audit all of Montreal's bike paths to ensure they are in the right place and designed in consultation with residents and merchants. Expanding Montreal's cycling network had been a major focus of Mayor Valérie Plante's administration since she took office in 2017. Her administration has introduced a 184-kilometre network of separated bike lanes, added 200 kilometres more for the express network, and invested millions in the process. Over this time, the Plante administration has faced criticism — and even legal challenges — over what some groups call a lack of citizen consultation in its bike-path projects. But Martinez Ferrada said Monday she wants to move past the polarization surrounding bike lanes. She noted that many Montrealers are not opposed to cycling lanes, but to the way they have been implemented. Some business owners, she added, also worry about the risk of accidents when vehicles exit garages onto bike paths, particularly in industrial areas where sightlines are limited. 'We have to take away the anxiety of somebody working in a garage, worried that a car pulling out will hit a cyclist they can't see,' she said. If elected, she vowed to order an audit of all cycling facilities within her first 100 days in office. Once the audit is completed, they would 'review and secure' bike lanes where necessary, or, if necessary, abandon dangerous ones altogether. This process would take place in consultation with the neighbourhood, she stressed. To fund the safety upgrades, she pledged to redirect part of the city's cycling budget toward bringing existing lanes up to standard. Earlier in the summer, Projet Montréal's new mayoral candidate, Luc Rabouin, outlined his transportation priorities. Yet, this time, bicycles were not at the top of the list. Rabouin said buses, not bikes, would be central to his party's 2025 pitch to voters, promising an expanded express bus network with new dedicated lanes on Montreal streets. Still, he defended his party's record on cycling, saying he was 'proud' of the expansion spearheaded by Plante over her two terms. He added that he now intends to put 'as much love and energy and passion into the bus network as we did for bikes.' Rabouin, Martinez Ferrada and Transition Montréal Leader Craig Sauvé will face each other in the municipal election on Nov. 2.
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