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Well, will all its bike paths
Montréal is seen as a good spot for cyclists,
some even call it the best biking city in North America.
But there's a renewed push this weekend to make our streets
safer for cyclists. Our Pierre-Luc Gagnon has the story of
one group getting together to make a difference.
Today might have been the perfect day for ice cream and bicycles,
But these avid bikers decided to lock themselves in a basement.
They're thinking of ways to improve cycling in the city.
The good news : things are much better than they used to be
Derek Robertson moved to Montréal twenty years ago:
"There was really nothing. There was no safe, secure infrastructure setup..."
"... and I think in the last 15 to 20 years but particularly in the last 4 or 5 ..."
" ... there's been a profound, positive impact."
But much more could be done, he says, while Bixi brought more bikes
onto the roads, the high numbers of accidents have many pedaling in fear.
"It's not really safe, honestly. I think with ..."
"...all the cars and the traffic there's not a lot of place for me..."
"...or for other cyclists."
The city had been adding bike paths
but they don't always connect well:
"At this point I think it's important that the City steps back a little bit and look..."
"...comprehensively at what we have, how we can make it better, paying particular..."
"...attention at what is happening at intersections."
On the corner of Park and Mont-Royal, the bike path just stops.
Cyclists are suddenly forced to compete with cars and traffic.
"There's absolutely no place to go with your bike and you..."
"...just hope everything's fine."
People at the Coalition hope to be heard by the City.
Already, they have a spot on the new cycling advisory committee setup last month.
"Cyclists are no different than drivers, they just want to get from point A to point B..."
"...safely and securely."
Their plan is to make Montréal a biking city
not just in the summer but all year long.
Pierre-Luc Gagnon, CBC News, Montréal.