A shuttle bus service just for cyclists now runs between Montreal and Longueuil

There's a new way for cyclists to travel between Montreal and the South Shore.

The Longueuil transit authority (RTL) has created a shuttle bus for cyclists whose usual route, the Jacques Cartier Bridge bike path, is closed for the winter.

The VéloBus Jacques-Cartier will run every 20 minutes between the Longueuil and Papineau Metro stations, on weekdays.

The service isn't free — passengers will have to pay the RTL fare rates in order to catch a ride.

The first departure bound for Montreal is at 6 a.m. and the last departure heading to Longueuil is at 6:40 p.m.

Up to 10 cyclists can take the bus at a time. They will have to bring bungee cords or other elastic straps in order to secure their bike while riding the bus.

The service will be offered until April 13.

• Consult the schedule here

The project is being done in partnership with the federal bridge authority, The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), which oversees the bike path and closes it every year in the winter right before the first snowfall.

Many cycling advocates say the path should stay open year round, but the bridge authority says it first has to find a way to remove the snow from the path.

The JCCBI is spending $1.67 million this winter to test out different ways to remove the snow and ice.

A bumpy ride

François Démontagne, president of the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists on Jacques Cartier Bridge, said he tried to take the shuttle this morning from Papineau Metro but couldn't figure out which bus to take.

He waiting for two shuttles before he decided to take the Metro to Longueuil station instead.

He said STM staff at Papineau didn't seem to know about the project when he asked for help. He was able to get hold of RTL customer service once he got to Longueuil station, where he says he was told the RTL forgot to put a sign on the Vélobus to indicate which one it was.

Alicia Lymburner, a spokesperson for the the RTL, told CBC said that roadwork hindered access at the intersection outside Papineau Metro, so the service was temporally moved to the intersection of Dorion Street and de Maisonneuve Boulevard.

She also said that it is possible that STM field operators aren't aware of the shuttle service since it has no impact on Papineau Metro station's service.

She said the shuttle will be identified by the word "Navette" on the front display and a small sign on the lower right-hand side of the windshield.

"Cyclists who used the service this morning were happy about this pilot project," Lymburner said in an email, although she didn't say just how many people took the shuttle. 

Démontagne, for his part, said he thinks the shuttle service will only be enticing to a small number of cyclists.

And the association only found out about the shuttle Tuesday: Démontagne said they could have helped promote the service had they known about it.

Another spokesperson for the group, Mike Muchnik, said while it's good the bridge authority is making an effort to find solutions, he doesn't think this was the right one. What cyclists want is to be able to ride their bikes, he said.

"They are diverting attention from the fact that the bike path is the safest place for cyclists on the bridge," he said.

• Montreal cyclists gear up for cold and 'lovely' winter weather