Like many cities Montreal has its share of underpasses. The one pictured above gives motorists, cyclists and pedestrians safe access from one side to the other of a fairly busy rail line. The poor lighting and narrow passage, with no road shoulder for refuge make these underpasses dangerous for cyclists. Just last year a 33-year old woman was killed while biking through one.
Needless to say a solution was required. In an effort to keep cyclists out of harm's way, the city decided that they should share the sidewalk with pedestrians for the length of the underpass. That's a fine idea, but as the signage indicates the notion of having cyclists walk their bikes was almost an afterthought. Whenever cyclists and pedestrians share the same turf, unless the bike is being walked, it is dangerous - for both. I can assure you that, having passed this way countless times, I have yet to see a cyclist walking his or her bike through the dark tunnel, but have on several occasions had to dodge a bike.
Is it too much to ask cyclists to walk their bikes when on a dark sidewalk through an underpass?
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