In the wake of a report by coroner Marilynn Morin, Montreal is promising to secure the intersection of Berri and Ontario streets where a collision between two cyclists caused the death of Robert Leblanc in June 2021. And the City is not ruling out the possibility of redeveloping the cycle path on rue Berri in order to install two one-way lanes on either side of the artery.
On June 7, 2021, around 4:30 p.m., Robert Leblanc was driving eastbound on a Bixi, on the north side of Ontario Street. As he turned left to take the Berri Street bike path north, the 62-year-old was hit by another cyclist traveling south for whom the traffic light was green. Mr. Leblanc fell to the ground, suffered serious head injuries and was taken to hospital. He will die on June 23.
Despite the improvements made to the intersection of Berri and Ontario streets over the years, it remains “problematic and dangerous,” said the coroner who examined the circumstances of Mr. Leblanc’s death. Between 2016 and 2021, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) recorded 19 accidents with injuries.
In her report, Marilynn Morin recommends that the City of Montreal carry out an “in-depth analysis” of the configuration of this intersection and make the modifications deemed necessary to improve safety for cyclists.
Popularity of active transportation
The coroner also makes recommendations concerning the collision investigations conducted by the SPVM. Currently, an SPVM policy stipulates that a report to the Collision Investigations Module is required following accidents “with death or imminent risk of death” involving bicycles, scooters or other active means of transport, even if no road vehicle is involved. This Collision Investigation Module then determines whether to investigate the situation.
Instead, the coroner recommends that a collision investigation be carried out systematically for any accident that occurs on public roads. According to her, this measure would allow the City to carry out an in-depth analysis of the file and to take the necessary corrective measures to make its infrastructures safer. “For several years, alternative means of transport have diversified and become popular and their rate of use has greatly increased. In this context, a reflection on the management of accidents involving other types of vehicles should be brought to the fore,” notes Marilynn Morin in her report.
The coroner also considers that certain terms used, such as “death or imminent risk of death” are too restrictive and that the SPVM directive should include accidents resulting in “serious injuries”.
Robert Leblanc was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, which led the coroner to say that the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) should continue and intensify its efforts to raise awareness and educate cyclists on the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet.
Rethinking the Berri track
Should we also reconfigure the bidirectional track on rue Berri? Vélo Québec believes so. The organization believes that, like the Réseau express vélo (REV) on rue Saint-Denis, the Berri trail should include unidirectional lanes for bicycles on either side of the artery. “In addition, we have an aggravating factor which is the speed due to the descent”, notes Magali Bebronne, director of programs at Vélo Québec.
The lanes being narrow, face-to-face encounters between cyclists also occasionally occur during overtaking maneuvers or when a bicycle deviates from its route, she points out: “The consequences can be serious. »
Still, developing one-way tracks on each side of the street could be complex given the presence of the bus station south of the Berri coast, recognizes Ms. Bebronne.
For its part, the City promises to intervene to secure the movements of “all users” in the axis of rue Berri. An airlock for bicycles has already been set up at the intersection, but a more extensive plan is being planned, says Alicia Dufour, press officer in Mayor Plante’s office. “All scenarios are considered, including [pistes] unidirectional,” says Ms. Dufour.
However, the City must wait until the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has completed its work related to the repair of the waterproofing membrane of the Berri-UQAM station before making any changes to the facilities.
Systematic surveys
Vélo Québec also welcomes the coroner’s recommendation for systematic collision investigations. “We have to face the facts: collisions that do not involve motorized vehicles, it seems that nobody is interested, as if these victims did not deserve the same attention as the others”, explains Magali Bebronne .
She also points out that in the spring, during the parliamentary committee on the bill to amend the Automobile Insurance Act, Vélo Québec asked the SAAQ to expand compensation for road victims to include pedestrians and cyclists injured in collisions that do not involve motor vehicles.
The SPVM says it welcomes the coroner’s proposals “with openness”, but points out that collisions between cyclists resulting in death are rare. However, after Mr. Leblanc’s tragic accident, the SPVM adjusted its policy so that this type of collision without a road vehicle would be handled by collision investigators.