Mayor Valérie Plante Directs $85 Million to Expand Montreal REV Bike Expressway Network

MONTRÉAL — Mayor Valérie Plante and Executive Committee Member responsible for transportation and mobility Sophie Mauzerolle announced on Monday the approval of an $85 million municipal capital allocation to expand Montreal's flagship Réseau Express Vélo (REV) protected cycling expressway network by forty-five kilometers and construct five permanent pedestrian plazas across six boroughs including Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, and Ahuntsic-Cartierville.

The expansion focuses on major arterial cross-town corridors—specifically Boulevard Henri-Bourassa, Rue Jean-Talon, and Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges—connecting dense residential neighborhoods directly to Montreal's central business district, university campuses, and metro stations.

Designing All-Weather Active Mobility Corridors The $85 million municipal package finances:

• 45 Kilometers of Physically Separated Bike Expressways: $50 million constructing wide, uni-directional and bi-directional asphalt lanes separated from vehicular traffic by raised concrete curbs, bollards, and bioswales.
• Dedicated Bicycle Traffic Signals & Intersection Safety: $20 million installing synchronized bike traffic lights providing early green-light phases and eliminating right-turn vehicle conflict points.
• Year-Round Snow Clearing Infrastructure & Plazas: $15 million purchasing specialized narrow broom snowplows and creating five landscaped pedestrian plazas with permeable stone pavers and urban greenery.

"Montreal is recognized internationally as North America's cycling capital, and our vision is to make sure every resident, from young children to seniors, can move around our city safely and efficiently all year long," Mayor Valérie Plante said during a press conference on Boulevard Henri-Bourassa. "By investing $85 million to expand our REV network and build vibrant pedestrian plazas, we are creating a greener, safer, and more accessible city for all Montrealers."

Urban mobility associations, public health professionals, and neighborhood community groups praised the expansion, pointing out that existing REV corridors on Rue Saint-Denis have logged over 2 million trips annually while revitalizing street-level retail vitality.