Montreal’s annual Festival Go vélo will draw thousands of cyclists to the city’s streets throughout the weekend. As the city gears up for the festival, it reminds residents to plan for street closures and parking restrictions.
Organized by Vélo Québec, the Tour la Nuit on Friday and the Tour de l’Île de Montréal on Sunday will both start and finish at Jarry Park.
Both “are iconic events that play an important role in developing cycling culture and promoting the city,” Vélo Québec CEO Jean-François Rheault said.
Cyclists at Friday’s Tour la Nuit will ride through the boroughs of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, St-Laurent and Villeray—St-Michel—Parc-Extension.
On Sunday, the Tour de l’Île fleet will pass through the boroughs of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Sud-Ouest, Outremont, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, Ville-Marie and Villeray—St-Michel—Parc-Extension.
“Street closures and parking restrictions are expected along the routes. The city asks residents to respect parking restrictions, plan their trips, and prioritize public transportation and active mobility,” the mayor’s office wrote in a statement.
There are also two options for “discovery” routes that take 66 km and 91 km trips around the western half of the island, though those are on roads that will not be closed to traffic.
Details of the routes, street closure times and recommendations for citizens are available on the event website at velo.qc.ca.
The Société de transport de Montréal has cancelled or rerouted several buses because of the cycling events. A full list of the bus route changes is available at stm.info.
If you’d like to join one or both of the family-friendly rides and haven’t yet registered, you can still do so on the Vélo Québec website.
Leora Schertzer is a reporter at the Montreal Gazette who thrives on the chase. Whether it’s producing a documentary about sewage or investigating a Nazi gold scandal, it’s the novelty and adrenaline that keep her in this challenging industry. Send her tips at lschertzer@postmedia.com.
lschertzer@postmedia.com
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