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The N.D.G. Cycling and Pedestrian Association is asking for 14 seconds.

That’s all it wants for cyclists and pedestrians to get across what they say is the treacherous intersection of Décarie and de Maisonneuve Blvds.

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“Right now, there are six seconds of priority for pedestrians and cyclists to get through that intersection; we’re asking for it to be increased to 20 seconds,” said Daniel Lambert, a spokesperson for the coalition. “We think that would be enough time for cyclists to be able to cross diagonally through the intersection.”

Why only 20 seconds?

“Because we know if we ask for 25 seconds, the city will say no,” Lambert said.

If Lambert sounds like a defeatist, that’s because his countless pleas to make the intersection safer during the last few years have gone unheeded. A redesign of the intersection, which is nearly complete — to allow for two-way car traffic between the Décarie Expressway and the new MUHC superhospital — has actually made the area less safe for cyclists, he said.