Tour la Nuit and Tour de l’Île to be held this weekend in Montreal, impact on traffic

MONTREAL – Cyclists will be in the spotlight in Montreal this weekend. Thousands of them will take part in the Tour la Nuit on Friday and the Tour de l’Île on Sunday, to officially launch the cycling season. Motorists, meanwhile, will have to plan their trips accordingly.

“The Festival Go Vélo is really a celebration where cycling is front and center,” says Jean-François Rheault, President and CEO of Vélo Québec, which organizes the festival.

The Tour la Nuit is “really a party”, continues Rheault. The event takes place as of 8 p.m. on Friday. Cyclists will be invited to pedal 24 kilometers through streets closed to traffic for the occasion, dressed in their finest luminous accessories.

“There’s a happy feeling of being able to ride in the city without interaction with cars. There’s a real sense of security and freedom. There’s a hyper-peaceful side to the idea of just being able to discover the city,” says Rheault.

The Tour la Nuit route will start in Maisonneuve Park, at the corner of Rosemont Boulevard. Cyclists will pass through the boroughs of Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, Saint-Michel, Montréal-Nord and Saint-Léonard.

Ron Scardacchi from Connecticut, USA has taken part in seven Tour La Nuit’s so far, excited to be back after the height of the pandemic. Scardacchi says he feels a connection with those that participate “they speak French, I speak English,” he jokes.

“I’ve been talking about this at work for the past three or four weeks. No kidding. I’ve told them, I’m leaving early. on Friday, I’m leaving early. It is something that kind of brings in positive vibes and a good way to start the summer as well,” says Nora, this year’s Tour La Nuit being her second.

This year’s event, broke record’s as Rheault says they are expecting over 19,000 participants and on Sunday, they expect 17,000.

For families there, it’s an event that allows them to be together. One mother telling City News “We have fun, we are together, the weather is nice, it’s hot, so we have a lot of fun.”

For Jamie Lavoie, his third year being part of the event, he says it’s one for all, “I’m here to have fun with everybody. It doesn’t matter who you are, what colour you are, what language you speak doesn’t matter.”

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The Festival Go Vélo routes used to start at Parc La Fontaine, in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. The organization has decided to move the event this year, due to heavy traffic around the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, caused by work on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel.

Vélo Québec expects some 20,000 people to take part in the Tour la Nuit, and some 18,000 in the Tour de l’Île.

Click here for a complete list of street closures.

Tour de l’Île de Montréal on Sunday

The Tour de l’Île de Montréal will take place on Sunday, June 4. The event offers cyclists a 47-kilometer ride through the streets of the metropolis, which will be inaccessible to motorists. The activity will also start at Maisonneuve Park, at 9:15 a.m.

Tour de l’Île participants will cross seven Montreal boroughs: Rosemont_La-Petite-Patrie, Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Montreal-North, Rivières-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles, Anjou and Saint-Léonard.

For the more athletic, alternative routes of 53, 75 or 99 kilometers will be offered. However, these routes will include streets open to vehicular traffic. There will be no official start for these “discovery” routes, and cyclists will set off at their own pace as of 7 a.m.

“It’s a party, yes, but it allows people to experience the city from a different point of view, and then sometimes to surpass themselves,” says the president of Vélo Québec.

Both activities will also end in Maisonneuve Park. DJs, inflatable games and other activities will entertain young and old alike.

“There will be a return of the Ferris wheel, which we left out during the pandemic. It’s really going to be a festive site,” promises Rheault.

Cyclists wishing to take part in these events can still register on the Vélo Québec website, or complete their on-site registration on the day of the event. Children aged 12 and under can take part free of charge.

Restrictions for motorists

Motorists will need to plan ahead if they intend to travel on the north side of the island of Montreal on Friday evening or Sunday. Vélo Québec invites citizens to consult the map of the cyclists’ route, or to use the Waze application, where the cyclists’ route will be indicated.

During both events, Highway 40 and Sherbrooke Street will be open to vehicular traffic, as will Saint-Michel Boulevard, Highway 25 and Highway 15.

“There really are options for getting around, you just have to be a little better prepared,” says Rheault.

For a complete list of street closures as of 6 a.m. on Sunday, click here. The map can be found here. Cyclists start at 9:15 a.m.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 2, 2023. 

– With files from Felisha Adam