Réseau Blanc: lots of blanc, less of réseau

[Oyez Oyez]

Réseau Blanc: lots of blanc, less of réseau

par Oyez Oyez » Dim Déc 28, 2008 6:00 pm

Last weekend Jack and I set off to test out the Réseau Blanc. In the process we lost daylight, camera battery life, and some of the feeling in our toes, but we did get around to some of the main tracks of the winter bike network to see exactly what the city has been doing to keep these roads clear.

[img:512:484]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfgzxcNyMI/AAAAAAAAAEA/WF3Sl7095X8/s512/2009_reseau_blanc_r.jpg[/img]

 

[img:300:400]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfb6AbkS9I/AAAAAAAAACA/JtIymEqdJ0U/s400/100_5413.JPG[/img]

We started off at St. Urbain and Laurier, which, according to the
City's map of the RB, is where the clear road should have started.

What we found: parked cars and piles of snow and slush on the path, with patches of ice underneath.

It is cyclable, but cyclists have to flirt with the flow of traffic to get safely down the hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[img:300:400]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfb6RRLgxI/AAAAAAAAACI/LFBLxXV11TA/s400/100_5415.JPG[/img] Next we cut over to Parc and Pins. Even though this is my route home, I have been avoiding the "bike path" alongside Jeanne-Mance, and have been riding on the pavement, since the path has been poorly cleared from the street and has often been icy.

We found the path in better shape than usual, but after a snowstorm we'd still recommend riding on the street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, toward downtown.

[img:640:480]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfb7QBANVI/AAAAAAAAACY/4Tmm3ZlEtsM/s640/100_5419.JPG[/img] According to the Réseau Blanc map, the stretch of path between Parc and Hutchison is supposed to be clear.

Not exactly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We struggled over the slippery snow toward the Hutchison path connecting to Prince Arthur. Oddly, this one block is NOT marked on the RB network, though it would be easy enough to keep clear, and would make for a network that was actually, well, connected. (That is, provided the city were to actually plow the bike path through the intersection, as the map indicates.)

But for now it is a nightmarish combination of snow and lots, of, ice.

[img:640:480]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfccwgwCiI/AAAAAAAAACs/CIi0NflB8nE/s640/100_5423.JPG[/img][img:640:480]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfcdakPaJI/AAAAAAAAAC0/bZlW9Tnad6A/s640/100_5424.JPG[/img]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[img:300:400]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfcdiiJDmI/AAAAAAAAAC8/NKTWck4BNb0/s400/100_5425.JPG[/img]

Between Parc and University streets, all of Prince Arthur and Milton are theoretically in the Réseau.

But to us it didn't seem like either street was getting
any special treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went through McGill -- decently clear roads across lower campus, actually, but of course it would never be on any city bike trail -- and then cut down to Maisonneuve, stopping for a bit of hot tea and some toe-warming.

The Maisonneuve path has been well-maintained this winter -- that is, until you get to the detour between St-Urbain and St-Laurent. There, following the bike trail detour means you get stuck in a foot-high snowbank, where there is, literally, no path at all.

[img:640:480]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfdfHI7xCI/AAAAAAAAADU/c-J-HLuFrxI/s640/100_5430.JPG[/img]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson learned: cut over to the road.

The Maisonneuve path picks up again east of St-L, and we took it east to Berri and turned north.

[img:640:480]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfdg6S27fI/AAAAAAAAAD0/jkPScqlA_tY/s640/100_5437.JPG[/img]

Berri has also been fairly well-cleared. But, with soft snow on the road and a steep incline, be sure to take this path uphill only with some good tread on your tires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[img:640:480]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TVey1zSxcwc/SVfdgp6AEJI/AAAAAAAAADs/PPwdrbNovZQ/s640/100_5436.JPG[/img]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took brief shelter under the cover of the overpass before continuing north.

Cycling up through Parc Lafontaine was lovely, but to be expected; Parc Lafontaine is Montreal treasure in the wintertime, with lovely sledding hills sinking around into the very-popular skating rink. It's in the city's interest to keep those paths well-cleard. The problem, with both with the Parc path and the Parc Lafontaine path, as well as the Maisonneuve detour, is that these routes are shared by cyclists and pedestrians.

Indeed, the Réaseau Blanc has a too-fitting name. Even where these paths are cyclable, they are rarely, if ever, actually clear. Further, the network doesn't connect in crucial spots -- like, for example, Rachel between Parc and Lafonataine is not cyclable at all. 

But if you've cycled in Montreal before, you know not to depend on the Reseau Blanc, and instead to use good judgment, caution, and knowledge of the most decent roads as your guide. But until Montreal steps things up, we'd hardly call this a réseau.

 

 

There will be more exploring of the rest of the Reseau Blanc soon. Has anybody been down to see what the three-blocks of the Wellington path looks like?

 

 

 

 

 

 


Author: kelabells
Category: winterRéseau Blanc
Publish Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:18:00 GMT

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