[TAS]

The Economist reports on bicycle boom in the winter city of Montreal.

"In Montreal, Madeleine Giey, a 37-year-old mother of three, is a good example. “I never, ever biked as an adult in the city or as a kid,” she says. But since the city started building bike lanes, she and her husband sold their second car. Now Ms Giey rides her bike each day to drop off her children at school. Then she cycles to work."

But even with the success, it is also an election issue there in their upcoming municipal election.

"Though bike lanes take up less than 2% of road space in Montreal (cars get 80% and pedestrians the balance), they are a hot issue in its mayoral election on November 2nd."
(Bike lanes in Edmonton take up less than 1% )

https://www.economist.com/international/2025/10/09/forget-evs-cycling-is-revolutionising-transport

 

[constance_chlore]

The Economist reports on bicycle boom in the winter city of Montreal.

"In Montreal, Madeleine Giey, a 37-year-old mother of three, is a good example. “I never, ever biked as an adult in the city or as a kid,” she says. But since the city started building bike lanes, she and her husband sold their second car. Now Ms Giey rides her bike each day to drop off her children at school. Then she cycles to work."

But even with the success, it is also an election issue there in their upcoming municipal election.

"Though bike lanes take up less than 2% of road space in Montreal (cars get 80% and pedestrians the balance), they are a hot issue in its mayoral election on November 2nd."
(Bike lanes in Edmonton take up less than 1% )

https://www.economist.com/international/2025/10/09/forget-evs-cycling-is-revolutionising-transport

I don't think there's any place, anywhere that's establishing new bike lanes where there isn't some very loud opposition. In 2021, Denis Coderre threatened to scale back the (very well-used) bike path on Bellechasse to reinstate more parking. Now Soraya Martinez Ferrada is saying we need to audit all the bike lanes and remove the ones that aren't safe for cyclists. (As opposed to, you know, making them safe.)

 

[thommyjo]

I don't think there's any place, anywhere that's establishing new bike lanes where there isn't some very loud opposition. In 2021, Denis Coderre threatened to scale back the (very well-used) bike path on Bellechasse to reinstate more parking. Now Soraya Martinez Ferrada is saying we need to audit all the bike lanes and remove the ones that aren't safe for cyclists. (As opposed to, you know, making them safe.)

I think we need to update the basic design standards for roads as well to help make bike infrastructure less unique or like rail projects (tons of consultation, seen as a big thing, contentious) and more like sidewalks (never really discussed, assumed, standardized).

We obviously need to get some stuff added in to get a minimum grid, which can involve reallocating road space. But going forward we need all renewals to have an active mode lens standardized.

 

[fromyeg]

I think we need to update the basic design standards for roads as well to help make bike infrastructure less unique or like rail projects (tons of consultation, seen as a big thing, contentious) and more like sidewalks (never really discussed, assumed, standardized).

We obviously need to get some stuff added in to get a minimum grid, which can involve reallocating road space. But going forward we need all renewals to have an active mode lens standardized.

This happened this summer.^

The City updated its Complete Streets Design and Construction Standards.

Last year I got a chance to look at the proposed updated design guide and I was impressed. For instance, they specifically mentioned building all active transportation infrastructure so that it is large enough to accommodate cargo bikes.

Improvements to pedestrian and active transportation infrastructure will continue to happen as it will be baked into all future projects. (Barring a hostile council leading a big change in direction.)

Excuse the ChatGPT cut and paste:

Link to blog post from YEGBike:

Complete Streets and You

Support safer, more inclusive streets in Edmonton. Learn about the updated Complete Streets Standards and how you can help create a more active, accessible city.

yegbike.info

Link to 2023 standards (I can’t find the updated one):

https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/COE-IM-GUIDE-0011_DSOPEGPWP.pdf?cb=1760543452

 

[cloney]

Bike lanes going in on 103ave. Was this part of the 100M active transportation accelerated fund?

 

[stensby]

The 103rd lanes are part of the detour when 102 is closed for Valley Line West construction

 

[CplKlinger]

The 103rd lanes are part of the detour when 102 is closed for Valley Line West construction

I really hope they'll be protected.

 

[cloney]

I really hope they'll be protected.

Talked to one of the workers, he said they will be

 

[cloney]

The 103rd lanes are part of the detour when 102 is closed for Valley Line West construction

Is there a plan in place of what this will revert to when VLW is finished? It would be a wasted oppprtunity to have it return to a 4 lane road with parking on both sides…

 

[Gronk!]

I hope the 103 Ave bike lanes are somewhat permanent as long as they are upgraded to what the 102 Ave bike lanes are like.

 

[CplKlinger]

Is there a plan in place of what this will revert to when VLW is finished? It would be a wasted oppprtunity to have it return to a 4 lane road with parking on both sides…

The construction notice said that they'll be there until the end of 2027, when the 102 Ave lane reopens.

 

[thommyjo]

I’d rather see proper boulevards and trees and expanded sidewalks than bike lanes on 103ave. 100ave, 102ave, 105ave is great.

 

[TAS]

I’d rather see proper boulevards and trees and expanded sidewalks than bike lanes on 103ave. 100ave, 102ave, 105ave is great.

We definitely need to make our downtown streets look and feel urban and walkable and 103Ave is not it at present.

 

[cloney]

It’s a pipe dream but I would love to see an extension/continuation of the linear park that currently exists between 109 &110st. Dream scenario would be having current parks (beaver hills, warehouse, Ezio Faraone) linked together by linear parks. Even if we could design some of these streets to make for a transition to this in the future, would be incredible

 

[BrettB]

We definitely need to make our downtown streets look and feel urban and walkable and 103Ave is not it at present.

102 and 103 Ave are legacies from the 70s (60s?) when they were converted to one-way streets to facilitate the rapid movement of vehicles in and out of downtown. It killed any street life that existed there and we're still living with that legacy.