A LEGAL SIDEWALK RIDE?
The city of Montreal has proposed major changes to Quebec’s laws governing cyclists, including allowing rolling stops at stop signs and riding on sidewalks in some cases. Jason Magder reports
If the city has its way, cyclists won’t have to stop at stop signs.
It’s one of several new measures the city is recommending as the province revises its Highway Safety Code to improve cyclist safety. Transport Minister Robert Poëti is expected to outline the new measures in the fall session of the National Assembly.
On Monday, the City of Montreal unveiled its recommendations for how the code should be changed.
The general thrust of its suggestions would give cyclists greater mobility, while working to prevent serious accidents, like dooring, when a driver opens a car door and hits a cyclist.
Dooring is a serious problem, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said, accounting for about one fifth of all major injuries to cyclists in the last year.
While Ontario has upped the fine for dooring to $1,000 plus three demerit points, the penalty in this province is $30.
“We need to protect the most vulnerable,” Coderre said. “When one fifth of accidents are because people open their doors, and there’s only a $30 fine, do you think that’s enough?”
He said even if the city’s requested changes would legitimize common illegal behaviour among cyclists, such as going through stop signs, they will have to be responsible.
“We have to be sensitive to the reality, but cyclists also have to follow the rules,” Coderre said, adding that cyclists will have to watch out for pedestrians.
The new proposed rules were welcomed by Montreal Bike Coalition spokesperson Daniel Lambert.
“We made a few recommendations to the transport minister, and these support our position, so we’re happy about that,” Lambert said.
Marianne Giguère, the Projet Montréal spokesperson for cycling issues, also welcomed the city’s position, but said along with new rules, the city must improve markings on the streets and signs on the road to give more place for cyclists. She said more bike boxes should be painted on the roads, so cyclists have a safe place to stop at intersections.