“The more cycle paths you sow, the more cyclists you harvest. Here is, summarized in a few words, the simplest method to increase the modal share of cycling and make cities more attractive, resilient and improve the health of those who live in them.
This quote is taken from Why not the bike?, an essay written by Stein van Oosteren and published last year by Écosociété. It is reminiscent of the expression “If you build it, they will come”inspired by an American film and appropriated by the world of cycling.
In interview at To have to, Stein van Oosteren is inexhaustible when he talks about cycling. This economical, reliable and efficient mode of transport is on the way to transforming many cities around the world, after decades of automobile rule.
French by adoption and spokesperson for the Collectif Vélo Île-de-France, Stein van Oosteren was born in the Netherlands, the “cycling paradise”. If, today, riding a bicycle is anchored in the customs in the Netherlands, it was not always the case. The rise of the automobile in the 1930s brought down the practice of cycling there, just like in France, he recalls. In the 1970s, however, road insecurity and the oil crisis of 1973 prompted the Dutch government to relaunch the development of bicycles on a national scale.
The same phenomenon is happening in France, in the wake of the 2018 energy crisis and sustained citizen mobilization. That year, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced the implementation of a national bicycle plan. The pandemic has accelerated the transition. Overnight, temporary arrangements to facilitate social distancing boosted cycling. “Today it has become politically incorrect to be against cycling,” explains Stein van Oosteren.
According to him, cycling is not a cultural issue. “It’s not the cycling culture that makes a city cycle-friendly, it’s the opposite. It is the cycle paths that make a city cycle-friendly and allow the cycling culture to emerge. »
Visit to Montreal
Stein van Oosteren will be in Montreal this week to deliver a conference on Thursday at the Maison du développement durable at the invitation of Vélo Québec. He intends to take advantage of his stay to participate in the Tour de l’île (June 3) and the Tour de nuit (June 5), and take the pulse of Montreal cycling.
According to him, the traffic observed on the Réseau express vélo (REV) on rue Saint-Denis is not insignificant. “There have been a million cyclists on rue Saint-Denis in one year whereas before, it was just the reckless people who were there, despite the absence of a cycling infrastructure. I can promise you it will be a hit! he says.
The controversy that preceded the establishment of the REV Saint-Denis does not surprise him. There are many similar examples around the world. Human beings fear change, and the idea that cycling kills commerce is tenacious. “But all the studies show that cycling helps to make the streets more attractive, socially and commercially,” he says. The human spirit is not made to project itself into the new world. »
This will be his first visit to Montreal, but he has taken great care to prepare for his trip to North America. “I hope to meet Valérie Plante to publicize her bicycle policy because I think this policy is not well enough known and really deserves to be disseminated. This is a very fine example, unique to my knowledge, in North America. »
Go faster
Jean-François Rheault tempers his enthusiasm a little. The CEO of Vélo Québec does not hide his disappointment following the announcement made last Thursday by the Plante administration. In 2022, Montreal will allocate $17 million to develop and upgrade 35.8 kilometers of bike paths. “At this rate, it will take 40 years to complete the Cycling Plan. There is something that is incompatible with the targets of the Climate Plan of the City of Montreal, which wants to reduce solo car travel by 25% by 2030 and the modal share targets for cycling. The City must find solutions to go faster,” he believes.
At the present time, he laments, the development of the cycling network is essentially done in an “opportunistic” way by aligning itself with the schedule of underground infrastructure sites. According to him, the City should make transitional arrangements while waiting for permanent infrastructure.
He nevertheless welcomes the administration’s desire to establish territorial equity in order to develop the cycling network in outlying neighborhoods and attract new enthusiasts who have been reluctant to ride their bikes until now.
The advisor responsible for active transportation on the executive committee, Marianne Giguère, assures that other announcements will be made in the fall concerning the cycling plan. She also insists on the role that will be played in the coming months by the cycling committee responsible for supporting the City in the development of the network. A number of organizations, such as the Regional Public Health Department, Cyclo Nord-Sud and Vélophantom, have joined this committee to integrate a more inclusive vision of cycling, she argues.
The elected official points out that the City intends to favor safe cycling facilities, separated from automobile traffic, rather than simple lines painted on the ground. She cites the case of the particularly dangerous bike lane on rue Saint-Urbain, which the City intends to upgrade as soon as possible. “We would never do something like that today,” says Mme Giguere. “Cyclists are really in traffic. Saint-Urbain, you go there when you want a little adrenaline, but not everyone likes it. »
And what about cycling outside Montreal? Jean-François Rheault is pinning a lot of hope on the arrival of a new generation of elected municipal officials in several Quebec cities. “I am thinking of Councilor Marjolaine Mercier, in Longueuil, who embodies a beautiful vision of active transportation, of the Mayor of Chambly [Alexandra Labbé] who really understands the challenges of mobility, and to the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, who probably has the most complete vision of the role of the bicycle in a city. »