Montréal, May 7, 2020 - The weather's nice and warm, and more and more Quebecers are out walking or cycling. In a context of social distancing, it's hard to avoid bumping into other people, and that can get in the way of our enjoyment of the great outdoors! That's why Rando Québec, Vélo Québec and Piétons Québec are joining forces to remind us of the rules of good conduct on foot, by bike and... in the car.
In the street
In these special times, courtesy, flexibility and adaptation are required. «To respect the two-metre distance from others, walkers frequently have to use the street. We therefore appeal to motorists to be more vigilant, to adapt their speed in living environments, and to go around pedestrians keeping a distance of at least one metre. If this is not possible, please wait before overtaking. - Jeanne Robin, spokesperson for Piétons Québec.
To make the route more interesting and limit crowd management, Grégory Flayol, assistant manager at Rando Québec, has a few tips for walkers: «Plan your route, choose less popular streets or sectors, and get out during the lulls: early in the morning, during mealtimes, at the end of the day, even in the evening, and on rainy days!»
All three organizations agree, however, that it's tricky to talk about user behavior without addressing the issue of available space. They call on municipalities to allocate more street space to accommodate the increase in pedestrians and cyclists, in parallel with a reduction in car traffic, which would reduce the challenges of cohabitation between these types of users.
On bicycle paths and multi-purpose trails
With the precautions of physical distancing that everyone strives to respect, it can be more difficult for walkers and cyclists to cohabit on multi-use paths. As for cycle paths, although they are theoretically reserved for bicycles, you can expect to see pedestrians encroaching on them to avoid other pedestrians. So everyone needs to be vigilant. «In busy areas, cyclists should adapt their speed and be ready to react to unexpected manoeuvres by walkers, especially in the vicinity of young children. It's also a good idea to signal your presence courteously, using your bell or voice. Finally, more experienced cyclists may be tempted to leave the bike lanes and ride in the street,» advises Annick St-Denis, General Manager of Vélo Québec Association.
With this in mind, Vélo Québec, supported by the other two authors of this text, is asking cities to maintain and extend the bicycle network, by creating new temporary paths where cyclists can ride with all the space they need.
On the trails
Trails across the province should reopen in the coming weeks. Rando Québec is actively working with the outdoor community to define specific measures for hiking in times of pandemic. The code of practice will be presented as soon as the opening of the parks is announced.
For those fortunate enough to live near a hiking trail with authorized access, it is recommended to follow the health and physical distance instructions issued by the government.
Adapting to other people's limits
In closing, Rando Québec, Vélo Québec and Piétons Québec would like to remind you to be patient, especially with vulnerable or disabled people. On April 20, in an interview on Radio-Canada's «Tout un matin» program, Pascale Dussault, from the Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Montréal métropolitain, raised awareness of the situation of visually impaired people. It's difficult for them to respect the two-metre requirement. So let's adapt to others, go around people with reduced mobility, and be kind to each other.
