The bikes are out, the streets are changing and Montreal is preparing for a stretch of days when some of its busiest roads will make room for the world’s top cyclists.
But as the UCI Road World Championships get underway, the city is also facing possible labour disruptions and major changes to school schedules and transportation.
Saturday’s Rando Vélo, a recreational cycling event open to people of different ages and abilities, will put more than 6,000 participants on official routes for the UCI Road World Championships.
The ride offers four distances — 10, 20, 40 and 70 kilometres. The 10- and 20-kilometre routes are designed for families, young cyclists and those who want to take part in the official parade. The 40-kilometre route covers the entire elite time-trial course, while the 70-kilometre route offers a longer challenge through Montreal.
For some Montrealers, the cycling spectacle will also mean adjusting to a changing road network. Closures, parking restrictions, detours and traffic controls will affect parts of the city as the championships get underway.
Road closures will change from day to day
The UCI Road World Championships run from Sept. 20 to 27, with nearly 1,000 athletes from 100 nations competing for 13 world titles.
The championships are expected to draw nearly 500,000 spectators along the race routes.
The 13 events will take place across streets in several Montreal boroughs and Westmount, with routes changing depending on the event.
Traffic and parking will be significantly affected.
Barriers along the daily race routes are scheduled to be installed starting at 7 a.m., with streets expected to reopen to vehicle traffic in the early evening after each event, except at the championship’s main site.
The affected areas include Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Le Sud-Ouest, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Outremont, Verdun, Ville-Marie and Westmount.
Verdun, Outremont and Île-des-Sœurs will be particularly affected, with street closures and significant restrictions. The Bonaventure Expressway will close, access to Île-des-Sœurs will be limited at certain times, and sections of Park Avenue and Côte-Sainte-Catherine Street will also close.
Parking restrictions begin before the races
For some drivers, the changes begin before the cyclists arrive.
In areas affected from Sept. 19 to 22, no-parking restrictions take effect at midnight on Sept. 18. In areas affected from Sept. 23 to 27, the restrictions begin at midnight on Sept. 22.
Vehicles parked in restricted areas will be towed before street closures begin.
People are being encouraged to plan their journeys in advance and favour public transit and active transportation.
The main site is already changing the landscape
The main event site is at the foot of Mount Royal, on Park Avenue between Pine Avenue and Mount Royal Avenue.
It will serve as the starting point for most races and the finish line for all of them, while also hosting the Fan Village.
The area has already been closed to vehicle traffic, with the closure running from Sept. 4 to Oct. 4 to allow for the installation and dismantling of the site.
Public transit expected to play a bigger role
Numerous road closures will affect traffic around the main site, with some bus routes near the race courses expected to be detoured or suspended.
Organizers are strongly encouraging people to use the metro.
Mont-Royal station on the Orange Line and Place-des-Arts station on the Green Line are both near Parc Jeanne-Mance, while increased traffic is expected at those stations and at REM stations serving the South Shore.
People who choose to drive are being encouraged to check the road-closure map, plan parking in advance and consider carpooling.
Schools adjust to road conditions
The road changes are also affecting school schedules in some neighbourhoods.
The Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Service Centre (CSSMB) said schools in Verdun, Outremont and Île-des-Sœurs will be particularly affected by the closures and restrictions.
In a statement to CityNews, CSSMB spokesperson Mélanie Simard said the changes are necessary.
“Given the schedule of planned cycling events, the extent of the disruptions, the need to ensure the safety of students and staff, and the smooth operation of the schools, adjustments to the school calendar are necessary for these schools. These adjustments will allow the 180 school days scheduled in the school calendar to be maintained,” she said.
For schools in Verdun, except École des Coquelicots, the professional development day originally scheduled for Sept. 25 will be moved to Monday, Sept. 21.
Tuesday, Sept. 22, will become a professional development day, with another professional development day removed from the calendar at a later date.
Regular classes will resume Sept. 23 to 25.
At École des Coquelicots, the professional development day scheduled for Sept. 25 will also be moved to Sept. 21. Students will attend classes as usual from Sept. 22 to 25.
In Outremont, students will attend classes as usual from Sept. 21 to 23.
Thursday, Sept. 24, will become a professional development day, with another professional development day removed later.
Friday, Sept. 25, will remain a professional development day.
“We are aware of the inconvenience that this exceptional situation—which is beyond our control—may cause families. Every effort is being made to ensure the smooth operation of the schools, as well as the safety of students and staff members,” added Simard.
Transportation delays expected
The Montreal School Services Centre (CCSDM) does not anticipate school closures during the championships but said transportation delays are expected.
The centre said it has been working with the City of Montreal since April to identify schools near cycling routes and anticipate traffic restrictions.
As one mitigation measure, school transportation providers using cars and buses will be able to use reserved lanes on Sherbrooke Street from Sept. 19 to 27.
School transportation providers and suppliers making deliveries to schools have been informed of the restrictions.
The CSSDM said most students walk to school, while STM services will remain in operation during the competitions and several schools are located near metro stations.
Parents and staff have been asked to plan their trips during the championship period.
The centre said it remains concerned about the effect of road closures and traffic restrictions on travel times.
“We anticipate significant delays in some areas and are particularly concerned about how long some school transportation trips could take,” said Alain Perron, responsible for media relations at the CSSDM.
He said the days could be comparable to storm days, when traffic conditions make it impossible to know exactly how long a trip will take and require a high degree of adaptability.
“For the CSSDM, safety remains at the heart of our priority,” Perron said. “If adjustments are needed, we will take care of them.”
Blue-collar workers rally ahead of possible strike
Adding another potential disruption to the championship period, Montreal’s blue-collar workers are holding a major union rally Saturday as a possible strike approaches.
The Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal, or CUPE Local 301, says its members and allies will gather at noon behind Montreal city hall at Champ-de-Mars.
The union says that by the time of the rally, only 36 hours will remain for the municipal administration to prevent a strike by the city’s blue-collar employees.
More than 6,000 blue-collar workers have been without a collective agreement since Jan. 1, 2025, according to the union.
The workers provide a wide range of services needed for the city’s daily operations.
The union says the offer currently being proposed by Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada’s administration would impoverish workers and reduce their purchasing power when inflation and the cost of living are taken into account.
CUPE Local 301 also says its members have received support in recent days from more than a dozen unions representing municipal employees elsewhere in the world.
Blue-collar strike adds another potential disruption
Adding to the potential disruptions, blue-collar workers at Parc Jean-Drapeau are set to walk off the job for one day on Monday.
The workers, who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), rejected their employer’s offer, with 95.9 per cent voting against it. They had also voted in August for a strike mandate that could extend to an unlimited general strike.
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