The reality of active travel has changed significantly over the past few years. The biking season is getting longer and more and more of us are pedalling year-round. This reality is directly linked to the creation of favourable environments and the development of quality cycling infrastructures. There have been many changes in this regard as well. Unprotected two-way bike lanes leading nowhere are now extremely rare – and so much the better! One-way bike paths are gradually appearing and the concepts of road sharing and “vélorues” (bicycle friendly streets) are even included in the latest draft of the Highway Safety Code.
Vélo Québec is working to highlight the importance of quality cycling infrastructures in two ways: firstly, by making different levels of government aware of the importance of investing in these infrastructures; and secondly, by developing technical tools to help professionals and technicians clearly understand the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, so that they can design and produce the best facilities. In a few days, we will be releasing our fifth technical work on the subject, the first of which was published in 1990. This new revised and expanded edition features new concepts and a new title: Aménager pour les piétons et les cyclistes.
This document will become the new reference work for professionals in the mobility, public highway, urban development and recreation sectors. It will also be of great interest to elected officials and citizen associations advocating for active mobility. It will provide a new perspective on roads, highways and urban space, obviously from a cyclist’s point of view, but also aimed at creating a more harmonious coexistence with pedestrians of all ages, as well as people with disabilities.
Knowing how much passion and energy our team put into writing this manual, I can assure you of the quality of this publication.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy holiday season biking, skiing or snowshoeing with your loved ones. Let’s all go and play in the great outdoors!
Suzanne Lareau,
President and CEO