As Easter approaches and as announced last summer, Saint-Laurent will be equipped with nine BIXI self-service bicycle stations. These will be up and running from April 15 until November 15, 2019 for the first season. The locations were chosen by BIXI Montreal in consultation with the Borough’s Section circulation et transport, based on strict criteria identifying areas with a high probability of travel.
The nine stations will be situated at the following locations:
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(Place Rodolphe Rousseau) |
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(rue de L’Église / rue Saint-Germain) |
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(rue Cartier / boulevard Decarie) |
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(boulevard Cavendish / boulevard Thimens) |
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(rue Tasse / avenue O’Brien) |
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(boulevard Thimens / boulevard Alexis-Nihon) |
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(avenue O’ Brien / rue Poirier) |
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(boulevard Cavendish / rue Poirier) |
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(boulevard Marcel-Laurin / rue Beaudet) |
These stations will offer a total of 254 bike docks. Some of the bicycles made available, about 125 at the time of their launch, are part of a new generation, as they have seven speeds, unlike traditional BIXIs, which have only three. As a reminder, it might be mentioned that this rollout is part of the expansion of the BIXI network in five new boroughs: Anjou, Lachine, Saint-Leonard, Montreal-Nord and Saint-Laurent. Ville de Montreal has acquired 1,000 brand-new, new-generation bicycles for this expansion.
Users will be able to benefit from Saint-Laurent’s bicycle network, which has grown from 2 to 55 km in 10 years. Since 2004, in collaboration with Mobilite alternative, Saint-Laurent has also provided its employees with access to self-service bicycles through the AccèsVelo program.
Ensuring cyclists’ safety is one of the Borough’s priorities and a permanent objective. Since 2017, a poster campaign has been encouraging people to keep a safe distance from cyclists. Safety has been increased at the Sainte-Croix overpass and the Montpellier crossing.
In 2016, Saint-Laurent also launched the development of a bicycle route and plans to set up a bicycle path along the Deux-Montagnes commuter train line over a distance of nearly 10 km, improving access to the Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and the Town of Mount Royal. And lastly, Saint-Laurent participated in the electric BIXI pilot project in 2018, with a view to a possible larger-scale rollout of power bikes.
These measures have developed a true cycling culture in Saint-Laurent, and this is why the Borough is taking part in the VÉLOSYMPATHIQUE movement launched in 2015 by Velo Quebec. In fact, five Saint-Laurent establishments have already been certified.
