The theatrical release of Mme Danielle Fleury, Deputy CEO of the CHUM, as well as the formal notice to the City of Montreal concerning the Réseau Express Vélo (REV) on Viger Avenue left us all stunned.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
How does the management of a hospital centre, which promotes health and prevention, which encourages its employees to use active transportation to come to work, which also conducts fundraising campaigns during cycling activities (which incidentally pass in avenue Viger), can she oppose the securing of the cycle path on this street?
Let’s look at the facts: as things stand, there is a 6′ wide bike lane occupied by ambulances, forcing bike users to fall back on the first of three lanes reserved for cars and trucks. They are thus stuck between ambulances and cars often traveling well beyond the speed limit in this sector. It goes without saying that the current configuration is accident-prone.
Let’s now compare with the City of Montreal’s proposal: a bike lane physically separated from car and truck lanes, hinged entrances, audible and visual signaling when ambulances exit, a different finish on the ground to slow down bike users as well as spaces reserved for ambulances in rue Sanguinet. In short, this kind of development, which works wonderfully, is partially implemented (visual alert only) around the fire station at the corner of Rachel and Christophe-Colomb, where a two-way track accounting for 6,000 to 7,000 daily passages also runs alongside a northern track. -south.
How is it that the management of the CHUM never cared about pedestrians passing on the sidewalk of Avenue Viger? Or even cars that drive at high speed and which prevent the rapid exit of ambulances, or even the unsafe passage for five years of bicycle users?
Isn’t the fear of an increase in bicycle transit an admission of the need for this development?
Like the imaginary patient, the management of the CHUM shows us from scratch a series of evils for which the REV will be responsible: increase in automobile traffic and reduction in access to the hospital by motorized vehicle, increase in the time for ambulances to leave, reduction of car lanes.
It must be remembered that the cars and taxis that go to the hospital reach it mainly by rue Sanguinet and rue Saint-Denis (two north-south streets), but never by avenue Viger. In addition, unless a patient needs to be transferred to another hospital, the exit from the emergency room is normally smooth, since the paramedics must free up space to quietly complete the paperwork outside. Finally, no automobile lane is cut off.
And like the imaginary patient, hypochondriac permanently fearing illness and death, the behavior of the management of the CHUM vis-à-vis the REV Viger is only the fruit of his pure imagination, fueled by a cognitive bias so widespread vis-à-vis -towards bicycle users.