Montreal's All-Season Cycling Ambition

The Vision: A Four-Season Cycling City

For decades, Montreal has been recognized as one of North America's best cycling cities. However, its network was often fragmented, and the usability of its infrastructure dropped dramatically during its long, snowy winters. The city's vision was to transcend this limitation by creating a core network of high-quality, protected, and reliably maintained cycling highways that would be safe and attractive for users of all ages and abilities, 365 days a year. This vision materialized as the Réseau Express Vélo (REV), a planned 184-kilometer network of wide, uni-directional, and physically separated bike lanes forming the backbone of the city's active transportation system.

The goal was not just to build more bike lanes, but to build better ones—lanes that felt as safe as a sidewalk and as efficient as a road. This required a paradigm shift in street design, prioritizing the safety of vulnerable road users over vehicle throughput. By creating a high-comfort network, the city aimed to significantly increase the cycling modal share, reduce traffic congestion, improve public health, and make cycling a viable primary mode of transport for daily commutes, not just a recreational activity. Over 16 distinct axes were planned for the REV, connecting key residential areas, employment hubs, and metro stations.

Infrastructure Deep Dive: The REV Standard

The REV is defined by its rigorous design standards, which are a clear departure from the painted-on bike lanes of the past. Key features include:

• Physical Separation: Most REV lanes are separated from vehicle traffic by concrete curbs, planters, or a buffer zone, virtually eliminating the risk of dooring and close passes.
• Uni-directional Flow: Each side of the street typically features a one-way bike lane, which simplifies intersection crossings and improves traffic flow for both cyclists and drivers.
• Generous Width: Lanes are generally 2.5 to 3 meters wide, allowing for comfortable side-by-side riding and overtaking.
• Prioritized Winter Maintenance: The REV routes are designated for high-priority snow clearing, often cleared with smaller, specialized equipment at the same time as major arterial roads, ensuring they remain passable even after heavy snowfall.
• Signalized Intersections: Many intersections along the REV feature dedicated traffic signals for cyclists, including leading intervals that give them a head start on turning vehicles.

Impact and Growth: By the Numbers

The rollout of the REV has had a dramatic and measurable impact. Since the first axes were completed in 2020, cycling counts on these corridors have surged. On the Saint-Denis Street axis, for example, ridership increased by over 60% in the first year, with winter cycling numbers nearly tripling. Eco-Counter data from multiple REV locations confirm this trend, showing that while summer usage sees the biggest raw increase, the most significant proportional growth has been in the shoulder seasons and winter. This indicates the high-quality infrastructure is successfully extending the cycling season for many Montrealers.

This growth in ridership has contributed to a notable shift in modal split in adjacent neighborhoods. The city's data suggests a reduction in short-distance car trips along these corridors, aligning with the project's goals of reducing congestion and emissions. The BIXI bike-share system has also integrated with the REV, placing stations at key access points and seeing increased usage, further democratizing access to cycling. The network's success has spurred over 15 other smaller projects to connect local streets to the main REV arteries, creating a true city-wide network effect.

Challenges and The Path Forward

The implementation of the REV has not been without challenges. The reallocation of road space, particularly the removal of on-street parking and vehicle travel lanes, has faced opposition from some local businesses and residents. The city has worked to mitigate these concerns through extensive public consultations and by providing data demonstrating the positive economic impact that increased foot and bike traffic can bring to commercial streets.

As Montreal continues to build out the full 184-kilometer network, the focus remains on closing key gaps and ensuring equitable distribution of high-quality infrastructure across all boroughs. The REV project stands as a bold testament to the idea that with political will and world-class design, cycling can become a safe, convenient, and joyful mode of transport for everyone, in any season.