Quebec Highway Safety Code bike-friendly changes delayed, cycling groups complain

Cyclinggroups in Quebec say they're worriedtheprovincehas relegated to the backburner"badlyneeded" legislative changes toimprove the safety of cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

The Montreal Bike Coalition, along withAccstransportsviablesand the Universit de Lavalbike co-operativeRoue-Libre,said the Quebec government promised two years ago to modernizethe Highway Safety Code,but it has yet to deliver.

"The Highway Safety Code was passed many years ago when there weren't very many people using their bikes to getaround in the city as a means of transportation," Montreal Bike Coalition spokesman Daniel Lambert told CBC.

The code"is it's not really designed for cyclists," Lambert said.

• Montreal proposes changes to improve bike safety
• Quebec coroner issues 3 recommendations after 2014 cyclist death
• Cyclists still at risk a year after Mathilde Blais' death, Projet Montral says

Lambert said the government consulted with several cycling organizations a few years ago to come up witha list of recommended revisions to improve cyclists' safety. The revisionswere initially promisedfor the spring of 2015.

Still working on a draft, bike groups told

"Unfortunately, with the change of [transport] minister and change of legislative priorities, that whole modernization has been delayed and appears to have been put on the backburner," said Lambert.

Lambert said the government told cycling groups months ago that it was still working on a draft of the new law, and it hasn't given them a progress report since.

Cycling groups are now urging the government to complete the revisions by summer 2016.

Therecommended improvementsinclude:

• Introducing an overall precautionary principle for motoriststo watch out for more vulnerable forms of transportation, including cyclists.
• No longer requiring cyclists to stay to the far right of a lane,to reduce cases of "dooring" when the door of a parked vehicle is opened in the path of a passingcyclist.
• Lowering speed limits for cars and introducing heftier fines for surpassing speed limits.
• Requiringpassing cars to give cyclists at leastonemetre's berth.
• Allowing cyclists to proceedwhen an advanced light forpedestriansturns green (where safe).

Outdated safety code

Lambert said the current Highway Safety Codedoes not reflect thegrowing trend of urban cycling nor meet cyclists' needs.

"The biggest concern for somebody wanting to get on their bike is getting hit by a motor vehicle that's where they risk serious injury or death," Lambert said.

Lambert said Montreal is transitioning towards becoming amore bike-friendly city, but the share of people cycling as a mode of transportation is only2.5 to threeper cent.

• Cycling safety recommendations: What the city wants

"That compares with up to 40per centin cities which fully embrace cycling and offer a complete, thorough network of protected bike paths separated from motor vehicles," Lambert said.

"If the city and if the province wantmore people to be using active transportationor bikes in particularto get around to reduce congestion, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, [improve]public health...then they have to put a safe infrastructure in place," he added.

The City of Montreal has already expressed support for about 20 of the key proposed revisions to the Highway Safety Code.