Montreal cyclists will be cruising along 70 new kilometres of bicycle routes by next fall if the city follows through on a promise to invest another $10 million in its cycling network this summer.
Michel Bissonnet, the city official responsible for bike paths, on Thursday unveiled the city's 2011-12 plan for expanding and improving the cycling network, which already offers 530 kilometres of lanes and paths.
"We want our network of bike routes to keep getting better, more accessible and better-integrated, so that the bicycle becomes a real alternative to car use," Bissonnet said.
The city has pledged the network will measure 800 km by 2015, but achievements over the last two years have fallen short because of bad weather and a change in the contracting process.
Last year, the city completed 23.4 km of the 50 km that had been planned. In 2009, it was 42 km of 60.
Nonetheless, cycling advocates welcomed Thursday's blueprint for summer, noting it includes many small extensions that connect gaps in the network, and a couple of promising pilot projects to improve safety at busy intersections.
"Improvements can't always be measured in kilometres," said Jean-François Pronovost, who heads Vélo Québec.
The city will try the "bike box" concept, popular in many European cities, at the corner of Milton and University Sts. A painted green box across the width of the road in front of the white line where cars must stop will allow cyclists to wait in front of cars and proceed through the intersection first.
Also, new concrete medians will separate bike lanes from car traffic at three intersections along the busy St. Urbain St. bike lane (at Pine Ave., St. Cuthbert St. and Duluth Ave.)
Other highlights:
--The de Maisonneuve Blvd. bike path will be extended east from Berri St. to Dorion St. to give cyclists safer access to the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
--Bicycle commuters from Laval will be able to take advantage of new bike lanes that link to the downtown bike path network, from the Viau Bridge down along Berri, Lajeunesse, Émile Journault, Henri-Julien, De Castelnau and St. Dominique Sts.
--In LaSalle, cyclists will be able get from the Lachine Canal bike path to the path along the river by taking a new route down Senkus St. to Cordner St., then west along Cordner, Hardy, and Bédard Sts. to 90th Ave.
ner St., then west along Cordner, Hardy, and Bédard Sts. to 90th Ave.
An updated map of the bike path network, including Bixi stops, will be available by the end of May at Accès Montréal offices, libraries, and bike shops.
Information on the new projects, as well as the bike network map, are posted on the city's website: www. ville.montreal.qc.ca
mlalonde@ montrealgazette.com