Analysis of missing links in Montréal’s cycling network

This report analyzes the Montréal cycling network to identify missing links and high-risk areas. It evaluates network discontinuities, collision frequencies and rates, and proposes 24 strategic north-south and east-west connections to improve safety and connectivity across the island.

• As of 2015, Montréal had a cycling network of 748 km, but only 82 km (approximately 11%) consisted of protected on-street cycle tracks. The remainder of the network was composed of 271 km of off-street bike trails, 214 km of painted bike lanes, and 181 km of roadways with painted bike stencils (sharrows).
• Analysis of cyclist collisions between 2010 and 2014 shows that while the highest frequency of collisions occurs at intersections along cycle tracks in central boroughs, the highest collision rates (collisions per million trips) are primarily located in the West Island, specifically in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Dorval, Beaconsfield, Pointe-Claire, and Kirkland.
• The Montréal cycling network suffers from significant discontinuities. As of April 2014, the network (excluding sharrows) was 503 km long with 387 discontinuities, averaging one discontinuity every 1.3 km. The bicycle network coverage represents only 8.5% of the total road network length.
• The report proposes 24 new strategic connections totaling 175 km of cycling facilities to address desire lines and safety gaps. This includes 12 north-south connections (61 km) and 12 east-west connections (114 km). Examples of high-flow desire lines include Boulevard Saint-Laurent, where intersections see between 1,000 and 6,000 average daily cycling trips despite a lack of infrastructure.
• The report recommends that the City of Montréal increase its infrastructure goals from 50 km of new facilities per year to 100 km per year. It notes that segregated cycle tracks are significantly more expensive ($500,000 to $2,000,000 per km) than parking protected or bollard delineated facilities (approximately $30,000 per km).

APA

Notebaert, E., Beitel, D., Ledezma-Navarro, B., Strauss, J., Niaki, M. N., & Miranda-Moreno, L. (2017). Analysis of missing links in Montréal’s cycling network. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ACME.CAPE_.Montreal_Active_Transport.Report-for-CAPE-Beitel-Oct-19FINAL-.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Notebaert, Eric, David Beitel, Bismarck Ledezma-Navarro, Jillian Strauss, Matin Nabavi Niaki, and Luis Miranda-Moreno. Analysis of missing links in Montréal’s cycling network. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2017. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ACME.CAPE_.Montreal_Active_Transport.Report-for-CAPE-Beitel-Oct-19FINAL-.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{notebaert2017analysis, author = {Notebaert, Eric and Beitel, David and Ledezma-Navarro, Bismarck and Strauss, Jillian and Niaki, Matin Nabavi and Miranda-Moreno, Luis}, title = {{Analysis of missing links in Montréal’s cycling network}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ACME.CAPE_.Montreal_Active_Transport.Report-for-CAPE-Beitel-Oct-19FINAL-.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }