Cyclist dies a week after downtown Montreal crash, marking city’s 10th traffic fatality

A 65-year-old cyclist has died from injuries he sustained after being struck by a vehicle in downtown Montreal last week.

His death marks the city’s 10th fatal traffic collision of the year.

“Ten is already too many and there are things that could be done to prevent these collisions, and it comes with road design and street design,” said Jean-François Rheault, the CEO of Vélo Québec.

The man was one of two cyclists hit shortly after 5 p.m. on July 16 at the intersection of Sainte-Catherine Street East and Frontenac Street, according to the Montreal Police Service (SPVM). He died Thursday.

The second cyclist, a 61-year-old man, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Investigators say a vehicle struck both cyclists at the intersection. The 41-year-old driver was not injured and was arrested following the crash before being questioned by investigators.

The SPVM’s collision investigation unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision. Police are reviewing witness statements and surveillance footage to determine whether any charges or fines will be issued.

“If we look here at Frontenac and Sainte-Catherine, both streets have multiple lanes going quickly,” said Mathieu Murphy-Perron, a member of Souliers et vélos fantômes Québec. “Cars by the two lanes of parking as well. So if you’re trying to avoid, you might get doored. This is exactly the type of infrastructure that we’ve been denouncing for years as not cycling-friendly and not pedestrian-friendly.”

“In the context where we talk about bicycle infrastructure, we certainly don’t need less bicycle infrastructure,” added Rheault. “We need more bicycle infrastructure to protect cyclists and all your road users from being killed.”

In 2019, Montreal launched its first “Vision Zero” action plan aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2040.

But Murphy-Perron says progress was already too slow under the previous administration and worries current plans to scale back road safety measures could delay it even further.

“Now the present administration has mentioned their intention to slow things down,” said Murphy-Perron. “They’ve cancelled some projects. They’re definitely putting everything on ice.”

“In the last few months we’ve been talking a lot about fluidity and making sure cars can go fast and everywhere,” added Rheault. “This comes with a cost and some people lose their lives because of the poor traffic design that we have.”

CityNews reached out to the City of Montreal but did not immediately hear back.

CityNews also spoke to several Montreal bikers who expressed feeling a varying degree of safety.

“I’ve been biking in Montreal for years but generally I don’t feel the roads are safe,” one person said.

“You have to be safe,” added another. “I mean it’s dangerous all the time. I almost got hit yesterday.”

“Overall I do feel fairly safe in the dedicated separated bike lanes,” said a third. “I do feel better than on a street when there’s merely just paint.”

Regarding a possible ghost bike at the intersection where the 65-year-old cyclist died, Murphy-Perron says the collective only installs them at the request of a victim’s loved ones.

“Nobody has reached out to us yet, but if they do reach out, we will absolutely install a ghost bike,” he said.