Photo taken Aug 14th, 2008 on De Maisonneuve near Vendome Metro.
It seems that the city has realized that white paint and good intentions alone do not guarantee cyclists’ safety on the streets.
The bike chevrons indicating cyclists’ right of way been blacked out along de Maisonneuve between Décarie Blvd and Claremont Ave. I’m hoping that those dotted lines are the first sign of a more enlightened plan for the hundreds of cyclists who commute downtown along this path each day.
Cyclists heading downtown the West side of town will find themselves suddenly chucked into oncoming traffic just before a tricky corner where De Maisonneuve, Upper Lachine Road and Décarie Blvd intersect. One disconnected bike stencil appears alongside a traffic island in the middle of this intersection. The next few stencils, which guide cyclists to pedal pedal through 2 busy bus terminals, are lost under parked buses more often than not. The whole ordeal is daily dose of near-death experience that I could do without.
8 comments
That is insane – just westwards of the Claire-Morrissette bicycle path along de Maisonneuve from Berri to Greene. We were counting on it being extended both ways – east and west.
Despite the progress in bicycle paths, there are a lot of such dead ends – look at the path along the old railway between the Plateau and Petite-Patrie. Its western end just stops at Clark – when the path would be a godsend travelling to northwestern Montréal and parts of Laval – and the east ends in a rather lumpy industrial road just before Masson in Rosemont.
Looking on the map of bicycle paths in Montréal and surrounding areas, one will find many more such missing links.
More positively, (and a photo-op), the official inauguration of la “Piste cyclable Claire-Morrissette” is set for this Sunday, 24 August, at 2 pm between Berri and St-Denis, along de Maisonneuve.
The mayor and many other dignitaries will be present, as of course will be many veteran vélorutionaries…
The “old railway line” ends at beaubien beside Home Depot, not clark. At clark this path forks and connects to the clark bike path and it’s underpass.
Future bike network maps show this path continuing to the Pont Perry/CP rail bridge to laval.
So… remain optimistic, and call the mayor while you’re waiting.
The true Railway bike path really does end at Clark. I live next to it.
West of Clark there’s a narrow gravel trail that continues on for a few metres, to outlet on Beaubien near Home Depot, but it doesn’t amount to much and isn’t as bikeable. It takes you behind the Petit Patrie branch of the Old Brewery Mission, BTW.
Yes, minor description confusion there – Home Depot is perhaps a few metres further west of Beaubien and Clark (past St-Urbain).
I knew the path’s intended route to Laval – very convenient between the two poles and in-between – but it has been “intended” for a long time!
Addie, would you know the exact name of that line, so I can look up more specific info about it?
I know of another phantom cycling chevron, except it hasn’t been painted over, it’s just got no neighbours — on St-Laurent at Arcade, just under the Van Horne overpass, and positioned southbound. I’ve long been trying to figure out what the intention was there, since it’s against traffic. Anyone know?
Not sure what Arcade is, but you must be seeing the old route of Clark bike path fork that addie was referring to?
Initially, it had put you onto the sidewalk of Saint Laurent around Bellechase and you biked south. Now the route takes you down Saint Urban, before looping around the kiddie park to hook up with the Clark.
Any chevrons on Saint Laurent near the Van Horne underpass would have been part of the old route, I should think.
… and it WAS a near death experience. Pretty dangerous, the way it fed you onto Saint Laurent, going the wrong way, with cars making very fast turns right at your fender.
I’d argue the worst part about the ndg section of the path is debris. It can get dangerous to go fast out there. Still with designation or without the mais path can get a biker from mtl west to the plateau in great time.