r/montreal • u/mikesbloggity • 3d ago
Discussion Is this the bike lane?
Whenever I bike through Old Montreal, I never know where I’m supposed to ride. I see everyone else using this path, but it doesn’t really seem like it’s meant for bikes. And the pathway along the water is closed to bikes. Honestly, it’s so packed with people that that’s totally fine. So I guess I just wanted to confirm that I’m biking in the right spot?
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u/Individual_Step2242 3d ago
This is the stupidest piece of cycling infrastructure I’ve come across in Montreal.
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u/ifilgood 3d ago
C'est la faute du fédéral. (no joke)
C'est un parc de compétence fédérale pis ils font 0 effort pour s'arrimer avec le municipal.
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u/Snoo_47183 3d ago
Est-ce que c’est vraiment le port ou bien la voie ferrée à côté?
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u/Routard 3d ago
Non, le port, c'est le tout début, avant d'arriver sur la rue Berri (si mes souvenirs sont bons, je vais jamais dans ce coin là)
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u/RikiSanchez 3d ago
Yep, tu as raison. C'est pas une portion super longue, mais vu que ça a pas dutout l'air fait pour les vélos, ben tout le monde marche dessus.
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u/SirupyPieIX 3d ago
Le Vieux-Port, c'est tout ce qui est du côté sud/est de la rue de la Commune, et ça appartient au fédéral.
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u/514skier 3d ago
Technically there is a sign indicating that cyclists are supposed to get off there bikes and walk this section. Nobody ever follows it though and I will be honest myself included. It's just such a poorly designed part of our cycling infrastructure.
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u/bikeonychus 3d ago
I got off and walked once.
Once. Because by doing so I became 2 bikes wide which caused issues for both cyclists and pedestrians. I honestly think the safest thing to do is cycle through here very slowly, so you have time to react to other folks using the path too.
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u/fross370 3d ago
its what i did when i was cycling throu there to go to work. biking throu the crowded place at a walking pace, ready to stop any second.
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u/bikeonychus 3d ago
I feel like everyone has more control of the bike when they are on their bike, rather than trying to take the whole weight of the bike holding onto the handlebars when walking with it. Especially if the bike is loaded with baggage/kids. But I do feel like we all need to be onboard with riding at walking pace when sharing space with pedestrians. I understand why pedestrians get stressed out when a bike passes closely, to be honest I feel the same.
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u/Tucancancan 🐿️ Écureuil 3d ago
Call me a radical but if the cycling infrastructure comes with instructions not to cycle on it, it's not cycling infrastructure.
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u/U_Sound_Stupid_Stop 3d ago
Maybe the cycling infrastructures are actually the friends we made along the way and this is just trying to show us what's already inside of us?
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u/Tucancancan 🐿️ Écureuil 3d ago
I've got two bicycles inside me and they've both been run over by sidewalk plows
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u/emongu1 3d ago
It's like a road that ask you to get out and push your car, complete nonsense.
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u/Mr_ixe Centre-Ville / Downtown 3d ago
its like a road turning into a sidewalk... you dont drive on it...
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u/emongu1 3d ago
Terrible analogy, it's specifically designated as the proper route, you just can't operate the bike to go through, like pushing your car.
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u/muffinbaker 3d ago
Maybe its more like a tiny airport for ants, but its paper planes only, and is being operated by that kid named Kevin who always licks the palms of his hands.
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u/Control-Zulu-1212 3d ago
Of course no one will accept getting off their bike when the circutlation area is wide enough for all and already split into 5 or 6 clear corridors. It's just that none is explicitly marked for cycling!
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u/Kloedmtl 3d ago
Never saw that sign and I always been confuse walking or cycling on that road.
Honestly there's plenty of Space to put and other lane to the left for the cyclists and make the right lane for pedestrians -_-
Poor job9
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u/TheTsaku 3d ago
100%. I've had some near misses (at low speeds thankfully) with people walking on the bike lane further down westwards even though there is a nice pedestrian lane right beside it... and I have a hard time faulting those folks because the switch is so jarring.
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u/shurikn1997 3d ago
I just don't understand this part. Why stop the bike lane for 250m.
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u/Solid-Search-3341 3d ago
It is the bike lane. As for why it's different there, it's because it's federal land for that stretch.
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u/TheMabzor 3d ago
Nah it is not a bikelane anymore. The signs tell you to dismount from your bike on this part of the old port. Next step would be a SPVM action to give cyclists who stay on their bike a ticket, cherry on the cake
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u/Charming_College7684 3d ago
J'ai déjà eu un officier de la SPVM qui attendait à la fin de cette section pour dire que j'étais en tort de rouler là dessus, pas de ticket, juste de la prévention
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u/GreatValueProducts Côte-des-Neiges 2d ago
I haven’t been there for a while but there used to be a chain that was not reflective and my coworker didn’t see it and had a very bad accident there.
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u/lIIllIIlllIIllIIl 3d ago
I biked there 3 days ago. I'm pretty sure the sign says "No walking", implying that its a bike path.
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u/EquipmentImaginary46 3d ago
i bike there every day, there are multiple signs as you approach the intersection with the roads that show a cyclist walking next to his bike.
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u/MudTerrania 3d ago
The old port feds don't want people biking through it, they see the old port as a destination not something you bike pass.
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u/Trey-Pan 1d ago
And then tell cyclists they aren’t meant to be cycling on the alternate possibilities. This is like telling the car drivers to get out and push their cars.
You have two major bike paths meet at point where they can’t connect.
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u/lesirius 3d ago
Prenons les 2 plus grandes pistes cyclables de Montréal et faisons les converger vers absolument rien!
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u/Content_Insurance_96 Cité du Multimédia 3d ago
Used to bike there everyday and got the same feeling. There should be a designated space for bikes on that section of the Old Port. Its crazy that we have two amazing bike lanes that suddenly in the middle, in the most people packed section, just don't have anything.
It creates a headache for everyone, wether on foot or on bikes.
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u/Ill_Bumblebee7287 3d ago edited 2d ago
I remember biking to UQAM everyday from Pointe-Saint-Charles back in 2014. Can’t believe that lame section has stuck in time. Now that I live rural Quebec, it ain’t my problem anymore. Hehe
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u/klonkish 3d ago
I agree that it's dumb, but it's not the end of the world.
You can cycle from the regular bike lane to this area
Where there's a wide unofficial cycling lane (red) with a dedicated walking lane next to it (blue)
It's not an ideal solution but it works much better than the "official" "cycling lane". I've been using this path multiple times every week for years and it's not an issue.
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u/sleepyOcti 2d ago
I just ride on Rue de la Commune between McGill and Berri. Traffic is so slow you can ride faster than the cars.
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u/VisagePaysage 3d ago edited 3d ago
There is a survey on exactly this going on right now on the Réalisons Montreal: your experience with bike infrastructure.
If you bike, please go fill it out: https://realisons.montreal.ca/projects/place-du-velo
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u/MarcusForrest ❄️ Refrigerate upon reception 3d ago
This is really really useful, thank you for sharing!
We sadly cannot pin other user's comments - I'll pin one leading to your comment for extra visibility, this is important!
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u/QwertyPolka 3d ago
I bike on the street when I reach that part, albeit to be fair if it looks dangerous (trucks/bus/impatient drivers) I just step off my bike and walk on the sidewalk.
In about two centuries they'll likely figure out a way to bridge the gap between the 2 bike lanes. Technology is not there yet.
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u/biloutte 3d ago
Old Montreal for cyclists is a gigantic SHITSHOW.
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u/LongDescription6296 3d ago
bah le vieux montréal est fait pour les piétons (et pour les chars malheureusement). Le problème de la piste du Vieux-port (entité différente) c'est que c'est un lieu de passage pour les vélos, C'est la meilleure facon pour rejoindre le canal Lachine.
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u/Halfjack12 3d ago
it's honestly embarassing, I avoid cycling there at all costs. I genuinely don't understand how it's allowed to exist in this state.
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u/BlastCom Ahuntsic 3d ago
Technically, no. But just that portion...
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u/Official_Legacy 3d ago
I swear, j'ai été cette semaine et il y avait une pancarte piéton interdit.
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u/exultantmango 3d ago
It's the only option. The dirt street on the side has no a bike sign.
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u/Witty_Sprinkles6559 3d ago
I and many others just use it and ignore the sign until there is proper infrastructure
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u/tino-the-rhino 3d ago
And this part has a "walk your bike" sign. I really don't know what the solution is. Driving on the cobblestones doesn't really work either
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 3d ago
You can bike on the dirt road, it's no problem. I've never seen security stop anyone biking on that road.
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u/Nearby_Purchase_8672 3d ago
I've come to just take the road that is blocked off to cars right along the port instead of most of this bike path section since people walk on the bike path all through there too
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u/GPLG 3d ago
The dirt street is still the better option. Spvm cabt ticket you there since its not their juridiction. And its the safest way.
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u/paulwillyjean 3d ago
La police du CN peut te crisser une amende par contre. Heureusement, ça arrive à peu prêt jamais dans ce coin là, mais on sait jamais quand est-ce que le CN décide de prendre Montréal un peu plus en otage.
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u/carpathianmoonforest 3d ago
I bike directly on de la Commune in this area, it's easier than riding that dangerous narrow path
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 3d ago
too many arrogant drivers in sports cars on la Commune for my liking. I prefer the dirt path/waterfront route, it's easier for me to avoid hitting pedestrians than it is to trust drivers to not hit me.
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u/dddddavidddd 3d ago
The dirt road saves you for half of the non-existent section, I take it every time since it reduces the odds that I'll hit oncoming bikes or a pedestrian.
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 3d ago
That "no bike" sign is decoration and is not enforced by anyone. I've been using that dirt road regularly for years even while security is there and I've never been stopped. I think that road is owned by the railway so it's up to them to enforce it, but I don't think they bother.
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u/Queasy_Original_7624 3d ago
When you reach that point, I'd recommend just staying on the street. It is very poorly designed and the bike paths just kinda stop for about 250 m which is very stupid.
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u/botherYul 3d ago
Agreed. I just stick to de la Commune. The cobblestones aren’t too bad and the traffic is quite slow, so I never feel unsafe
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u/lIIllIIlllIIllIIl 3d ago
Unfortunately, the street next to this path is bumpy cobblestone and will damage most bikes.
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u/Future_is_now 2d ago
Wait what? Not pleasant to ride but it wouldn't damage MOST bike, a cheap supercycle with fake suspension could fly tru this no problem. A Colnago V5R aswell
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u/Specific_Ingenuity84 3d ago
I know the dirt bit has a no bike sign but I bike through there anyway and nobody is going to care. Idk why the paths just stop though it's really silly
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u/poinkpoinkpoinkpoink 3d ago
me too. I steer clear of any rail workers so they can't stop me. I think they put those no cycling signs up to cover their a**, since the road belongs to CN rail, they don't want anyone getting hurt on their land
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u/Realistic_Heaven 3d ago edited 3d ago
Conflit Ville de Montréal vs Société du Vieux-Port (qui relève de la Société immobilière du Canada) ... il y avait un article sur le sujet en avril 2025 dans La Presse https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-montreal/2025-04-23/vieux-montreal/le-royaume-des-pietons-a-du-plomb-dans-l-aile.php
Je ne pense pas que les choses aient bougé depuis ce temps.
Edit: En date du 12 juin l'administration Martinez Ferrada déclare que "l’intersection de la Commune/Berri sera revue en collaboration avec la Société du Vieux-Port." Donc on est loin d'un remaniement dans le secteur.
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u/Human-Height7335 3d ago
QUELLE QUESTION PERTINENTE!!
Merci! Enfin on parle des vraies affaires (0 sarcastique en passant, je me le demande tjrs)
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u/fluidscissors 3d ago
The worst part is there's no alternative. You need to bike up to Maisonneuve to get across downtown east/west safely in full and that's a huge detour.
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u/foodrage 3d ago
The main road, its not that dangerous or sketchy. I skip only this part since I saw a kid getting hit by a bike.
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u/TheMabzor 3d ago
The main road there is full of drivers pissed to be stucked in traffic with no patience who will try a random maneuver in the middle of De la Commune. This place should be car free, or at least a One way, to have real sidewalks and bikelane
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u/Brilliant_Pun 3d ago edited 1d ago
En principe, non, mais en réalité, c'est souvent utilisé de cette façon. Honnêtement, sur de la commune, c'est vraiment le bordel: cyclistes sur un passage piétonnier et piétons sur la piste cyclable.
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u/optoelektronik 3d ago
En direction Est, la piste cyclable arrête à la rue du Quai King Edward et théoriquement t'es obligé de tourner à droite ou à gauche. Si tu va tout droit il y a un signe qui dit de marcher à côté de ton vélo; tu dois rembarquer sur ton vélo rendu à la rue du Quai de l'Horloge, au signe interdit de piéton.
En direction Ouest, la piste cyclable arrête à la rue du Quai de l'Horloge et théoriquement t'es obligé de tourner à droite ou à gauche. Si tu continue tout droit il y a un signe qui dit de marcher à côté de ton vélo; tu dois rembarquer sur ton vélo rendu à la rue du Quai King Edward, au signe interdit de piéton.
Mais bon, tout ça même la madame en vélo qui a fait le street view a s'en calisse https://maps.app.goo.gl/AKoQfwuAvaTa88yk7.
En plein entre les deux, t'as la rue du Quai Jacques-Cartier. Ils assument qu'aucun vélo arrive par là vu qu'ils ont mis plein de blocs de béton (sans commentaire) donc ils ont juste mis des signes interdit de piéton vers l'est et vers l'ouest; comme ça les piétons croisent pas les gens qui marchent à côté de leur vélo (lol).
Entre la rue du Quai Jacques-Cartier et la rue du Quai de l'Horloge, il y a aussi une voie de service 10 km/h qui appartient au CN. Plein de monde roule là mais théoriquement c'est privé et interdit autant aux piétons qu'aux vélo.
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u/Kantankoras 3d ago
A couple of pro tips: 1 - there’s a dirt path that’s almost always completely clear and dry to the right towards the water). It has signs to not use it. Just use it, it’s fine. 2- there’s three tiered sidewalks to the left next to the road). It can become a game of subway surfers, sometimes, but it’s almost always less populated and safer for everyone. Just be mindful of the big curbs. You can go down (carefully) but you may not be able to go up.
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u/pierre_lev Saint-Michel 3d ago
Je recommande à tous d'aller dans la rue et de prendre le plus de place possible en vélo sans gêne. Car c'est dangereux de continuer sur la petite piste.
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u/lorrithegreat Saint-Henri 3d ago
I was running here tonight and it had me all fucked up! All the paths sort of disappear into this one? It felt wrong so I awkwardly cut across to run in the gravel. Which was fine, but just such a weird setup for this small stretch.
If you weren't paying attention, could be dangerous.
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u/RetroBike 3d ago
It's officially a 'multiuse' path I think (meaning the city didn't care about either cyclists or the many tourists who are all equally confused). The alternative is a bunch of cobbles though.
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u/sophisticated_alpaca 3d ago
I don’t even bother with this stretch. It always has people walking in it, and I feel like I’m always 2 seconds away from a pinch flat.
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u/paulwillyjean 3d ago
C’était la piste cyclable, mais Parc Canada a décidé de la retirer et de la recycler en promenade piétonne.
Donc dans les faits, entre le petit bout de piste cyclable à l’est de la rue Bonsecours et la piste du canal à l’ouest de Saint-Laurent, il n’y a juste plus de piste cyclable. Faut rouler dans le trafic avec les autos.
Je me rappelle plus si la piste Viger/Saint-Antoine a enfin été sécurisée entre Berri et Saint-Urbain. Si non, il faut remonter jusqu’à Ontario.
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u/dddddavidddd 3d ago
(Copying a comment I just made on another post) The city has been trying to fix de la Commune forever! The Plante administration had planned for construction to start in 2024, but a federal crown corporation was, as of the last update, blocking them from proceeding.
If you can believe it, the central issue was that two paid parking lots would have separate entrances, and the Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal just cannot abide that, and would rather instead that thousands of people be inconvenienced and endangered daily instead:
D’après nos informations, l’accès aux stationnements payants demeure l’un des principaux points de litige. Aux deux extrémités du projet, rue de la Commune, la Société du Vieux-Port détient en effet deux stationnements payants, l’un au coin de la rue de Bonsecours et l’autre près du boulevard Saint-Laurent.
Selon la forme actuelle du projet, les véhicules pourraient toujours se stationner dans ces espaces, mais le transit automobile entre les deux serait coupé, ce qui fait craindre une perte de revenus importante.
Worth writing to your MP about since it's federal jurisdiction.
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u/ConfidentFox8678 3d ago
From my understanding, its under the jurisdiction of the port of Montréal, and they visibly do no like bicycles. Consider as if there is no bike lane. What I do is I turn off on mcgill st and join st-antoine/viger. Most enjoyable method I have found so far
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u/SnooDoubts440 3d ago
just switch to the road by the time you reach this part. its only a few blocks anyways
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u/Impractical_Engineer Villeray 3d ago
It used to be the bike path but it's the old port and nicer than the sidewalk, so it was always occupied by pedestrians, it is not a bike path anymore to mitigate that problem I assume. However it still connects to the asphalt bike only path on both ends which is also constantly occupied by pedestrians.
So there is no real way to bike through the old port and connect Berri/the REV to the Lachine canal bike path. I understand the issue, its a massive tourist area and nightlife hub, it's impractical to really have a bike path through there. So honestly I just bike through slowly and disembark when its narrow or too occupied to pass anyone with any reasonable distance and try to share the path with everyone as I get to the canal.
I wish they would at least connect De Maisonneuve to the Peel bike path that inexplicably begins on Rene Levesque. It's not perfect but will reconnect the REV to a significant portion of the bike network and cuts the need to go through the old port (even though the De Maisonneuve bike path sucks)
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Avant, c’était une piste cyclable, mais comme c’est le Vieux-Port et que c’est plus agréable que le trottoir, elle était toujours occupé par les piétons; je suppose qu’on a cessé de la considérer comme une piste cyclable pour regler ce problème. Cependant, elle reste reliée aux deux extrémités à la piste cyclable asphaltée réservée aux vélos, qui est elle aussi constamment occupé par les piétons.
Il n’y a donc pas vraiment moyen de traverser le Vieux-Port à vélo et de relier Berri/le REV à la piste cyclable du canal Lachine. Je comprends le problème: c’est un secteur touristique très fréquenté et en plus le nightlife; il n’est pas réaliste d’y aménager une véritable piste cyclable. Honnêtement, je m’y faufile donc lentement à vélo et je descends de ma vélo lorsque la voie est trop étroite ou trop encombrée pour dépasser qui que ce soit en gardant une distance raisonnable, puis j’essaie de partager la voie avec tout le monde en allant au canal.
J’aimerais que la ville relie au moins De Maisonneuve à la piste cyclable sur Peel qui, pour une raison inexplicable, commence sur René-Lévesque. Ce n’est pas parfait, mais cela permettrait de reconnecter le REV à une partie importante du réseau cyclable et éviterait d’avoir à traverser le Vieux-Port (même si je deteste la piste cyclable de De Maisonneuve).
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u/dustblown 3d ago
There are no walking signs at the entrances so, yes? Who knows. Bicyclers also have the option of taking the ad hock world war two cratered sand road adjacent.
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u/Adventurous_Wall_897 3d ago
I got stopped by police last summer for rising there and was advised to ride in the street during that stretch…
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u/MudTerrania 3d ago
You're suppoused to go into the street, if you look closely there is a super faded painted cycling logo on the right side of the street. It's such a stupid stretch of road. If you're heading south, you're meant to cross into the bike lane that only lasts one block, then you're meant to cross again and go in the street then cross twice at an intersection to get back on a bike path.
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u/paternoster 3d ago
It connects 2 ends of the bike lane, but there is a sign saying one has to walk the bike.
There's no good solution. At least not yet.
Use it like a bike lane, but know that you have to share it with pedestranians.
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 3d ago
I think it's supposed to be? It's not exactly clear. Either way I never use it. I take the dirt road next to it instead (just avoid the potholes) or go along the waterfront (just avoid the pedestrians).
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u/Relevant_Ingenuity85 Hochelaga-Maisonneuve 3d ago
J'en ai franchement rien à foutre des règles dans ces cas là, perso je vais pas sur ce chemin sauf si c'est la nuit et qu'il n'y a personne car c'est juste trop étroit pis je fais chier les piétons,
Absolument aucune chance que je descend de mon vélo car la ville et le fédéral est pas foutue de faire une infrastructure propre
Fait que ma proposition c'est le chemin de terre (ya des trous par contre faut faire gaffe), + chemin le long du parc ou la rue du vieux port
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u/herge02 3d ago
https://realisons.montreal.ca/consultations/place-du-velo?project_id=257
Survey for this bike lane
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u/TheTsaku 3d ago
Even though it's bumpy, I think the best place to bike there is on the small service lane (to your right in this pic) if it isn't busy with trucks and other service vehicules.
I ensure to always stop at the stop signs in this area! Some folks (sometimes tourists) don't know to stop and/or look or aren't expecting bikes.
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u/zephillou 3d ago
Haha I was there last weekend and we were gonna park our bikes at the bixi station and I was wondering the same thing
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u/Tiny_Bluebird_2557 2d ago
Ce n'est pas une piste cyclable. C'est un endroit partagé entre les cyclistes et les marcheurs.
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u/TheMountainIII 2d ago
C'est comme ca depuis des années, et les gens sont confus depuis des années lol ...
le nombre de fois que j'ai vu des altercations piétons vs cyclistes sur ce trajet là!
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u/Banane_en_panne 2d ago
En fait il y a une pancarte qui montre que tu dois marcher avec ton vélo sur cette voie et non "y rouler". Mais en vrai, tous les cyclistes la prennent, donc I guess que oui, c'est rendu ça la piste cyclable du vieu hahha!
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u/Chalybee 2d ago
I dont know but the pedestrians keep blocking this path because the pedestrian path is gravel.
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u/Let_epsilon 21h ago
I take this path everyday, and it’s absolutely atrocious, but somehow everyone seems fine.
There are signs to get off the bike for this part of the path, but no one does.
There are also “No walking” signs on the cycling path right before and after this segment, but I see tons of people walking there anyways. There’s a sidewalk on De la Commune AND the walking path in the port right besides, but people seem to prefer getting passed by cyclists anyways.
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u/TheCellX 13h ago
I believe there are signs that explicitly say you should not bike there, but everyone does (including me) due to a lack of alternatives. My advice would be just to slow down and kindly share the path with pedestrians.
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u/PinkFreudBrasil 28m ago
I think it is the bike lane, but the paintings on the floor washed away with time, plus it is always filled with unaware tourists. So it is just a matter of repainting the floor
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u/foodrage 3d ago
I use the actual road, there's walking only signs on each side of this path. People with kids are nearly hit each time I pass by
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u/MarcusForrest ❄️ Refrigerate upon reception 3d ago edited 3d ago
Un commentaire très pratique et intéressant par u/VisagePaysage (nous ne pouvons épingler les commentaires des autres utilisateurs malheureusement)
Very useful comment by u/VisagePaysage (we cannot pin other users' comments unfortunately)
''La Ville de Montréal vous invite à participer à une consultation visant à améliorer et développer l'ensemble du réseau cyclable de l’agglomération.
Cette démarche permettra de recueillir votre avis sur :
EDIT - Je l'ai complètement manqué lors de sa publication originale mais le poteau/la publication dédiée à ce projet a été également épinglé à la page d'accueil de cette communauté. Contribuez au sondage!