MONTREAL — Cyclists and dog owners can now bring their pets and pedals on the Montreal metro more easily.
The city's transit authority extended the hours that bicycles and dogs can come aboard as of April 15, with weekday access available except during rush hour — 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The subway doors are open all day long on weekends and holidays.
Bikes and canines are also welcome all day, every day from May 20 until Aug. 20, except for occasional restrictions for high-traffic events such as summer parades or festivals.
Bikes are now allowed in all metro train cars — rather than just the front car — with a limit of two per car, said the Société de transport de Montréal. Dogs must continue to be leashed and muzzled.
The changes are part of a new pilot project offering greater flexibility to cyclists and the extension of an earlier pilot project for dog owners.
“This pilot project is just one way that we intend to remove barriers to using public transit, promote sustainable, integrated mobility and make the métro into a space that can be shared peacefully by cyclists, wheelchair users and dog owners alike," said STM chairman Éric Alan Caldwell in a release.
“Nothing beats a bike for travelling those first or last few kilometres between your start or end point and the nearest métro station," added Jean-François Rheault, who heads the non-profit Vélo Québec.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2023.
The Canadian Press
