Montreal’s mayoral hopefuls squared off Tuesday night in a town hall debate that put bike lanes at the heart of an often-heated discussion.
The “Citizen Dialogue,” organized by Transition en commun and the Institut du nouveau monde, brought together Soraya Martinez Ferrada of Ensemble Montréal, Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal and Craig Sauvé of Transition Montréal. The three fielded questions from residents at the BAnQ auditorium on issues ranging from housing to representation.
But it was cycling infrastructure that cut to the core of the city’s polarized political climate.
“I find democratic dialogue to be extremely polarized at the moment,” Martinez Ferrada said, as reported by CityNews. “The best example I can give you, and I’ve been a victim of this myself, is the issue of bicycles. You can’t have a conversation about bicycles without being called anti-bicycle.”
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Rabouin pushed back, arguing that Martinez Ferrada herself made bike lanes an election issue. “It’s interesting because she raised the question. It’s not me or anybody else. And this is her first electoral commitment — she said she would revise all the bike paths,” he said, according to CityNews.
The comments highlighted how bike lanes have become a flashpoint in Montreal politics. Expanding cycling infrastructure has been a signature policy for the city. Critics however, argue the network has been rolled out too aggressively and without enough consultation.
Other topics — from proportional representation to housing affordability — also surfaced during the debate. Still, it was cycling policy that drew the sharpest exchanges, signalling how central it could be to the campaign. The city has become known as being extremely bike-friendly. The bike share program continues to expand, and it also hosts one of two WorldTour professional bike races. In 2026, Montrea will also host the world cycling championships.
Montrealers head to the polls on Nov. 2. Recent surveys suggest a large portion of voters remain undecided.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…