Editorial: Maybe I Ride, Maybe You Walk, Maybe I Drive...

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It seems sad that we have to write about safety — or the lack of it — when we’re supposedly just a month away from the May 18th opening of the western REM spur, and pedestrian and cyclist access appears to have been largely overlooked.

One purpose of the REM is to encourage more mass transit use. This is something we want to do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but if the train is made too difficult to access, are we really ahead?

The STM did change some routes to better serve REM stations, although not the West Island as a whole. The STM has a long history of being inaccessible and unreliable on the West Island, so alternate means of access to the stations and around the area would make sense.

If you're running late or the bus isn't showing up again, don't bother taking your car to the REM since parking is pretty much non-existent. Spring is upon us, and you’d like to take your bike? Very noble of you, but you’ll be taking your life into your hands. The West Island stations do not have any proper bike paths leading to them. The closest one in Pointe-Claire is the hodgepodge from Belmont and Sources up to Hymus, which is a joke. 

There is also the issue of crossing Highway 40 to the Sources station or the Fairview and Kirkland stations. Here lies the biggest danger! There are no safe, dedicated crossings for pedestrians or cyclists. Mind you, this isn’t new; the West Island was built around cars. Yet it seems there is not much will on the part of various levels of government to improve the situation.

Transport Quebec plans to redo the Saint-Jean overpass with the “brilliant” idea of reducing the size of the median by six inches with the goal of adding this small amount of space to the west side and converting the sidewalk to an unprotected bike path; pedestrians would be restricted to the not-very-protected sidewalk on the east side. The requirements for a bidirectional bike lane should be at least 3.9 metres wide to accommodate passing, and an absolute minimum width of 2.7 metres should be avoided except on short segments of roads. That's not including the recommended buffer zone.

Anyone staying at either of the two hotels south of the 40, as well as everyone living or shopping in the area, will likely have to cross Saint-Jean twice to get to Fairview or the REM! How does this encourage active mobility or make things safer?

Why is everything always so complicated in Quebec? Other cities use covered prefab pedestrian overpasses. The one that was installed for the Royalmount shopping complex was done over a weekend. Yes, it was paid for with private money, but the point is it can be done and should be done at least on the three major north-south routes.

Enough is enough! Speak to your councillors, mayors, and provincial MNAs. Demand better before we sadly mourn the loss of a life taken too soon.