The Côte-des-Neiges–NDG borough plans to remove one side of the controversial Terrebonne Street bike lanes during the winter months.
The change is intended to accommodate residents who rely on street parking, the borough said, while maintaining cycling access.
Borough officials estimate the move could free up around 60 parking spaces.
The proposal was put back on the agenda at a borough council meeting on Nov. 3, where residents also presented a petition with more than 1,400 signatures calling for the bike lane to remain in place.
Borough mayor Stephanie Valenzuela said the latest proposal is an attempt to strike a compromise between the different needs of residents in the area, including people with reduced mobility who “don’t necessarily have the capacity to walk a few blocks and need the parking in front of their home.”
“We want to make sure it responds to the needs of all residents in the borough,” Valenzuela added.
City councillor Alexandre Teodoresco said that the decision was made after the borough considered all other options, adding that city trackers show a large reduction in biking traffic during the winter.
“We can keep the same capacity, the same level of safety for our kids and bring back what is really, really important for a lot of our residents in Loyola and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce around the bike path: more parking,” Teodoresco said at the council meeting.
The bike paths were first installed on Terrebonne Street in 2020, but were later removed following public backlash. They were reinstalled in 2024.
Advocates CityNews spoke to say they’re concerned about the potential impact on cyclist safety, particularly for children who use the route to get to school.
Anita Berthier, a parent who regularly uses the bike lane and volunteer with the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists NDG, is among those who want the infrastructure to remain unchanged.
“Since when is safety seasonal?” she said.
According to data from the borough’s bicycle counter, the Terrebonne Street route recorded an average of 55 rides per day between November 2025 and the end of March 2026.
Berthier said the figures show that the route continues to be used throughout the colder months, although ridership can vary depending on weather conditions.
City councillor Peter McQueen, who is in opposition to the decision, said he questions whether the remaining space would be wide enough to safely accommodate cyclists travelling in both directions.
“The vote in November on Monday was just to bring the responsibility in-house to the borough from the usual civil servant experts who plan the bike path,” McQueen said.
The borough has not yet released a detailed timeline or final configuration for the seasonal changes. Those details are expected to be discussed at the borough council meeting in December.
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