Event Hosted by: NDG Cyclist and Pedestrian Association Date/Place: 3pm Nov 19th Dcarie Blvd and

de Maisonneuve blvd Now that the intersection at de Maisonneuve and Dcarie Blvd is going to be completely transformed due to the MUHC work, the NDG Cyclist and Pedestrian Association are asking the city take cyclist interests to heart, and build a cyclist bridge over Dcarie Blvd next to the current train bridge. Cyclists need a path separate from traffic to connect the two segments of the de Maisonneuve path, and due to the bus traffic in front of Vendome metro, the cycle bridge is the best option to safely connect the two segments of the path. The reasons the proposal for a cycle bridge is the best proposal are the following: - It is the safest option for cyclists. If the cycle path can turn behind Vendome metro, then follow next to the train tracks across a bridge (1), it would mean cyclists would never have to negotiate any intersections, nor would they have to switch sides of the street at any point. Any other proposal (such as a bike path on the south side of de Maisonneuve descending down into the valley) would have to mix with car and bus traffic, and multiple bus stops. - It is the least complicated for cyclists and pedestrians. If the cycle path stays on de Maisonneuve, cyclists have to contend with people disembarking from buses, the metro users, train users, and the expected 10,000 hospital users and staff. The current situation of a bike path that switches sides of the street, disappears and reappears, merges with bus stops and crosses over itself, is an obstacle for cyclists rather than an improvement. - The de Maisonneuve bike path is the most important path for NDG. Due to the mountain, cyclists in NDG wishing to go downtown disproportionally take de Maisonneuve or Sherbrooke to get downtown. It is known that Sherbrooke is quite a dangerous place for cyclists to ride (2), and that quite a number of them ride on Sherbrooke (3) even if there is a dedicated path on de Maisonneuve. We see this partly as a failure of the present cyclist infrastructure in front of Vendome. - NDG has congestion problems (4), as we have seen exacerbated by work on the hospital, and Turcot lane closures. The hospital will only make traffic worse unless we take steps to give people a safe alternative to driving. With work on Turcot set to begin shortly, which will have a large impact on traffic patterns, and the fact that the city is redoing the infrastructure surrounding the area in question, we believe the current situation is the perfect time to implement a bike path that is straightforward, safe, and separate. We are asking the city to follow its own policies of promoting active lifestyles, by making the right decision giving cyclists the infrastructure they deserve.

NDG Cyclist and Pedestrian Association ndgcycle@gmail.com, or 514-442-3865 (1) Study: A bike path over Decarie Boulevard and Behind Vendome Metro? http://en.projetmontreal.org/en.php/document/173 (2) Ville de Montreal - http://bit.ly/vTAnDe (3) Plan du quartier vert NDG sud-est page 46 http://www.ecologieurbaine.net/sites/www.ecologieurbaine.net/files/documents/plan_qua rtier_vert_de_ndg_sud-est_complet.pdf (4) Shebrooke St Merchants Association calls for inquiry into incremental traffic increases - http://www.ocpm.qc.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/P05/16f.pdf