Cyclist killed at busy intersection in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood honoured with ghost bike

Hundreds of people gathered at the corner of Parc and Mont-Royal avenuesin Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood Sunday to commemorate the life of a cyclist killed in a hit-and-runlast week.

A white ghost bike, which is often placed at the scene of fatal collisions involving cyclists, was unveiled at the intersection where Andrea Rovere, 31, was struck and killed by a truck while riding his bike last Monday.

Several friends paid emotional tributesto the postdoctoral student and musicianin Italian, French, English and Spanish.

Described as empathetic, thoughtfuland generous, Rovereisremembered as a gifted scientist whocultivateda sense of togetherness within his friend groups and beyond.

"So many of us felt like we were his best friend with the amount of attention, kindness and presence he was able to give," said Rovere'sfriend,Piotr Roztocki.

Rovere was well versed in various instruments and isrememberedfor organizing jam sessions for anyone willing to join in. Friends said he would always beon the huntfor new, local music and sharehis findings.Theworkers' rights activist and volunteer was alsoalways willing to lend a helping hand, friends recalled.

"Each one of us who knew him knows that we are all that much the better for it," said another friend, Luca Zanotto.

Roverehad beenin the middle of a postdoctoral degree at Quebec'sInstitut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) when he was killed.

He was cycling southon Parc when he was hit by a truck as the driver turned right onto Mont-Royal. The driver thenfled the scene. A day later, a 25-year-old man was charged with failing to stop after acollision.

'He has to be the last one'

Rovere came to Montreal from Italy in 2015 to study.An online fundraising page has raisedmore than $47,000 in donations as of Sunday afternoonto send his body home to Italy for burial.

His death has reignitedcalls for the City of Montreal to better protect cyclists travelling in the area heavily used by both cyclists and pedestrians.

Severine Le Page, aspokesperson for Vlo Fantme, said the ParcandMont-Royalintersection is one of the most dangerous in the city.

"It'sbeen decades that there's been calls for this intersection to be secured because it's much too wide," she said. She pointed to speeding cars beingone of the biggest problems at that particular intersection, because most people don't abide by the speed limit.

This is the 15th ghostbike the organization has installed in the city since the group first formed in 2013.

That's the year Suzanne Chtelain,55,was killed onParc Avenue and Saint-ViateurStreet.Le Page saidit's telling that yet another death has occurred on Parc.

"It's horrible, we shouldn'teven have to install another [ghost bike], but yet on the same street?How can this happen still?"

Last week, borough and city officials said several steps will be taken in response to the collision, including theextension of the bike path on Cte-Sainte-Catherine Road to Parc Avenue and Rachel Street.

David Beitel lives up the road from where the fatal collision happened. He saidthe incident is a symptom of a bigger problem related to a cyclinginfrastructure shortage.

"I think it's important to keep in mind that this is not the only intersection of its ilk in the city and so a lot of work needs to be done to improve," he said.

Both Beitel and Le Pagearecalling on the municipal government to seriously implement new changes to busy intersections so as to avoid putting up another ghost bike.

"Things have to change, [Rovere] has to be the last one. And he should never have been one," said Le Page.