Plateau residents say new bike lane makes street too narrow for emergency vehicles

Residents of the Plateau-Mont-Royal say the city has botched the construction of a permanent bike lane on Clark Street because the road is now too narrow for emergency vehicles to drive down.

Running north-south, the path on Clark Street is used by many cycliststo get downtown.

The city recently built a protected bike lane with a wide concrete median along a section ofClark between St-ViateurStreet and LaurierAvenue, with parking on either side of the one-way road.

People who live on Clark Street say the concrete median built to separate the bikes from cars is too broad, and as a result, largervehicles can't squeeze past the parked cars on either side of the lane left to them.

Claude Girard, a ClarkStreet resident, told CBC that several weeks ago his neighbour asked the fire department to try and drive a fire truck down the street while it was lined with parked cars.

"The fire truck couldn't go through," saidGirard.

Another local resident, Caroline Alexander, said she's concerned about what might happen in an emergency.

"If someone in a fragile health condition, it may be difficult for fire trucks and first responders to be able to have easy access," said Alexander.

She's also worried about whether there's enough space for anadapted transport van.

Alexander's mother uses a wheelchair and relies on the transport service to get from place to place.

"The fear is real,"she toldCBCMontreal'sDaybreak.

In response to complaints, the city said it is prepared to reduce the median from1.8 metres to 1.5 metres in order to widen the street for vehicular traffic.

The median will also have a five-metre gap every 60 metres to facilitatesnow removal.