Part One: The City of Montreal

Montreal is not only one of Canada's oldest cities, it is now also one of its most eco-friendly! Labelled the most bicycle-friendly city in the nation, Montrealers are rolling through their streets with ease.

The city currently has 400 kilometers of bike lanes and is in the works of expanding it to 800. Maisonneuve Boulevard even boasts two-way bike lanes that are separated from traffic. Another new addition to Montreal's awesome bike culture is the Bixi program. Run by the city's transportation department, Bixi is a user-pay program where city dwellers can rent a bike, take it for a spin, and drop it off at another Bixi stand at their destination.

At only <8 a month, Bixi is an affordable and carbon clean alternative to a car. Plus, the bike rental stands themselves are solar powered.

Other Canadian cities need to look at Montreal's loving embrace of the bicycle when they are considering their urban restructuring.

By Allison Smith

Allison Smith
		About the author:
		Allison is a graduate student at Ryerson University in Toronto and the Green Editor for WOMAN.ca. She is a sometimes journalist who digs music and adventures. Her weaknesses include vegetarian food, men with beards and Ontario wines. She can be seen cruising the city on her bicycle, sipping organic coffee and dining at restaurants she can't afford. To Allison, the green movement has everything to do with moving towards a more natural way of life.
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