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The intersections considered by cyclists to be the most dangerous in Montreal are located on some of its most popular bike paths, which were meant to alleviate fears, a new survey suggests.

Included among the worst are the corner where the de Maisonneuve bike path intersects with Berri St., the confluence of Park and Pine Aves., and most of the intersections located along the Rachel St. bike path, one of the busiest in the city.

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“It is notable that the most dangerous intersections identified by current cyclists closely follow existing cycling infrastructure — especially the de Maisonneuve and Rachel bike paths,” said head researcher Nick Chaloux, a masters student at McGill University’s school of urban planning. “This suggests that the designs we are currently using to facilitate cycling in the city are not working to reduce safety fears.”

Normally, intersections with bike-path lanes that are heavily used tend to be safer, Chaloux said, because the masses of people using them create more visibility and awareness on the part of users and drivers, a concept referred to as safety in numbers. Instead, at some of the city’s busiest bike intersections, the opposite effect is occurring.