‘How many other people have to die?’ Cyclists demonstrate for safer roads

CTV Montreal: Ghost bikes tour Cyclists toured Montreal’s ghost bike installations to promote safer streets.

More than 200 cyclists demonstrated on Montreal streets Saturday afternoon to highlight the need for safer roads.

They toured the city, stopping in front of ‘ghost bikes’ - white painted bicycles installed around the city to commemorate cyclists who died on the roads.

Participants also lay down on Parc Ave. near the intersection of Saint-Viateur St., where the first ghost bike was installed four years ago. It’s the site where Suzanne Iswari was struck by a bus and killed in 2013.

“At that very same spot someone could die in the same way,” said organizer Gabrielle Anctil. “It's four years later, what are we waiting for?”

The goal of the 'die-in' was to mimic the death of cyclists on the roads.

“It's an election and everyone is making promises,” Anctil said. “We want to remind the candidates that whoever is in place needs to keep their promises.”

Four cyclists have died on Montreal’s roads in the past three months.

The latest, 18-year-old Clement Ouimet, died when a driver performed an illegal u-turn on Camillian Houde.

For Anctil, the situation in Montreal is dire.

“People have died and we're not learning from our mistakes,” she said. “How many other people have to die before do something?”

The Ghost Bikes organization has installed eight bikes in the past four years, including one for Ouimet. However, this was the group’s first preventative ride.