Montreal transit strike leads to record numbers on city bike paths

By Canadian Press on June 11, 2025.

MONTREAL — The head of a cycling advocacy group says Montreal’s public transit strike has spurred record numbers on the city’s bike paths.

Jean-François Rheault, CEO of Vélo Québec, says devices installed by the city to count the number of passing bicycles are showing record or near-record levels since the strike began Monday.

The strike by 2,400 transit maintenance workers has limited bus and metro service to morning and afternoon rush hours and late at night.

Rheault says one bicycle counter on the corner of St-Denis and Rachel streets recorded more than 11,000 trips on Tuesday for the first time.

He says some bicycle paths are so crowded that riders are having to wait for more than one traffic light cycle to cross the street.

Information from the bicycle counters is uploaded to the City of Montreal’s open data portal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.

The Canadian Press