Montreal, June 28, 2018 - On June 20, at a special meeting of the Laval City Council, a resolution was passed calling on city departments to review the configuration of the bike lanes recently installed on Saint-Martin, Saint-Elzéar and Dagenais boulevards.
Vélo Québec and the Regional Environmental Council of Laval understand this decision, which runs counter to the city's Sustainable Mobility Plan and Active Mobility Plan, as well as the measures already deployed to promote active mobility in daily commuting.
«With the recent developments, the City of Laval has been able to move forward with innovative and quality practices," emphasizes Suzanne Lareau, president and CEO of Vélo Québec. It's normal for new street or boulevard configurations to require a period of acclimatization on the part of users. But it makes no sense to go back to the way things were. These developments will make Lavallois want to change their habits in favor of active transportation, and ensure greater safety for pedestrians and cyclists.»
For Guy Garand, General Manager of the Conseil régional de l'environnement de Laval, «the recent developments carried out by the city of Laval on major travel routes are essential in the development of a city less focused on the individual car and more on active and public transport. The improvements made on Saint-Martin, Saint-Elzéar and Dagenais boulevards put Laval in the ranks of Quebec cities now working to make more room for pedestrians and cyclists: Montreal, Longueuil, Quebec City, Gatineau, to name but a few. It's a start, and Laval must go even further! We call on Laval's elected officials to work together for the well-being of the population, healthy lifestyles and the quality of the environment.
Cycling at Laval in figures (from The state of cycling at Laval in 2015, Vélo Québec):
- There are 229,000 cyclists aged 3 to 74 at Laval
- 99,000 Laval adults pedal every week, representing 62% of the adult cycling population
- 47% of adult cyclists use bicycles as a means of transportation (Quebec average: 40%)
- The rate of cyclists in the Laval population (55%) is slightly higher than the Quebec average (52%).
- For 80% of Lavallois, cycling is a means of transport that should be encouraged, and 84% of them say that the network of cycle paths should be more developed.
