City to invest $300K to make section of de Maisonneuve bike path safer

From 2012 to 2016, there were 166 collisions involving a vehicle and either a pedestrian or a cyclist on the stretch of de Maisonneuve Boulevard between Atwater and McGill College avenues.

The City of Montreal has come up with a plan to reduce this collision rate, by investing $300,000 in additional signage and traffic lights to the stretch of bike path in this area known as the Claire-Morissette path. 

The city said in a news release that thousands of cyclists and pedestrians use this stretch every hour during peak commuting times.

The biggest problem, according to the city, is when drivers heading west along de Maisonneuve try to make a left turn, crossing into the bike lane.

Pedestrians and cyclists also travelling west can be caught in the blind spot of drivers, leading to accidents.

In an effort to make the section safer, the city will install special traffic lights at 11 intersections indicating when it's safe for cyclists to proceed. 

"We are going to make it very easy to understand where and when everyone has to go," ​​said Marianne Giguère, the city councillor responsible for active transport.

She said that the city will be adding left turn only lanes in order to manage traffic in the sector as smoothly as possible.

The city will also be adding ground-level signage and painted arrows on the street to remind users to share the road.

"When Montrealers use a bike or when they walk, I want them to feel safe," said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante in a statement.

She described this measures as a "concrete action" taken to further the city's Vision Zero plan.