Mayoral hopeful Soraya Martinez Ferrada has promised a full audit of the city’s cycling infrastructure within her first 100 days in office. She is pledging to overhaul or remove bike lanes she has deemed unsafe.

Martinez Ferrada, leader of Ensemble Montréal, said Monday the city’s bike network has grown too rapidly in some areas without sufficient consultation with merchants and residents. Speaking in the industrial Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough alongside local business owners, she highlighted safety concerns around certain bike lanes, particularly where visibility is limited.

The bike lane polemic, part 1456

“We have to take away the anxiety of somebody working in a garage, worried that a car pulling out will hit a cyclist they can’t see,” she said, according to the Montreal Gazette.

Since 2017, the administration of Mayor Valérie Plante has expanded Montreal’s separated cycling network by more than 180 km and added an express network of 200 km. The project has drawn praise for promoting active transportation but also criticism from some quarters for inadequate community engagement and safety issues.

Martinez Ferrada accused the Plante administration of pushing bike lanes “without any consultation to merchants and citizens,” leading to hazards for both cyclists and local businesses.

Despite the debate, many Montrealers support cycling infrastructure but want better planning and implementation, she noted. Her proposed audit would involve neighbourhood consultations to identify and fix problematic bike paths, with the option to remove lanes that remain unsafe.

Montréal and cycling

Montréal has also been praised for its commitment to cycling. They have been leaders in several initiatives for cyclists. Things like all-year round bike shares–even in the winter–or more recently, bike shares with trailers. The city has also been praised for its quick plowing of bike lanes after a storm.

For the city’s efforts, the world has noticed. Cycling’s international body named the city as a UCI Bike City. It was also named as the best major city for cycling in North America
But anyway, it seems not all of the locals are as stoked.

To fund these changes, Martinez Ferrada said she would redirect part of the cycling budget to upgrade existing lanes rather than build new ones.

Projet Montréal’s mayoral candidate Luc Rabouin defended the current network, calling it a source of pride. However, he signalled a shift in priorities, focusing on expanding Montreal’s express bus system in the coming election campaign.

The municipal election is set for Nov. 2, with Martinez Ferrada, Rabouin, and Transition Montréal leader Craig Sauvé vying for the mayor’s seat.

Oh, and by the way, in 2026 Montréal will be hosting the biggest race in the world—the UCI Road World Championships.