Two more Montreal cyclists in hospital after vehicle collisions

Two cyclists were sent to hospital Saturday morning after separate collisions involving vehicles on Montreal roads.

In the first incident, a 25-year-old woman was struck by city street-cleaning truck around 8 a.m.

Police say the truck was making its way north on St-Laurent Boulevard when it manoeuvred to clean the intersection at Mozart Avenue.

It was as the truck was turning that it collided with the cyclist, said Const. Caroline Chevrefils.

The woman was transported to hospital with lower-body injuries. Her life isn't thought to be in danger.

The second incident occurredaround 8:30 a.m., near the intersection of St-ZotiqueStreet East and 15thAvenue. A cyclist there was struck by a car as it changed lanes(police had initiallyidentifiedthe vehicle as a truck).

Chevrefils said that cyclist only suffered minor injuries, but was still taken to hospital.

• Coderre accused of inaction on bike safety

Cyclist safety a political issue

The safety of cyclists has become a hot-button political issue in recent days.

Mayor Denis Coderre, on Friday, proposed a series of changes to the Highway Safety Code after being criticized for inactionbyProjetMontral.

Coderre saidhe would like to see cyclists be able to cross on the pedestrian light. He also proposedimplementing photo radar in certain high-riskareas.

MagaliBebronne, a cycling activist with Vlo Qubec, says the roads in the cityaresimplynot made for sharing.

"The roads are built either for people to see each other or not," Bebronne said.

Bebronne says the city should consider options like advanced stop lines for cyclists as a way to make intersections safer.

In 2015,there were three deaths and a total of760cyclistsinjured. That's a 16.6 per cent increase from the number of cyclists injured in 2014.

• Mayor seeks better safety measures for cyclists after latest Montreal accident