MINUTES — PUBLIC – COMMISSION ON TRANSPORT, SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY AND SAFETY

8. 4-Season Network — Analysis, Reflection, and Recommendation

The document Plan directeur du réseau cyclable — Réseau cyclable 4 saisons 2025-2026 (Master Plan for the Cycling Network — 4-Season Cycling Network 2025-2026) is presented. Members received this document prior to the meeting. The objective is to: provide a summary report of the 2024-2025 4-season cycling network; present the links analyzed for the extension of this network in 2025-2026; and make a recommendation to the municipal council for the 2025-2026 4-season network.

Cybelle Morin joins the meeting at 5:10 p.m. The 4-season cycling network includes 101 km of maintained cycling links. 50 km are bike lanes and 16 km are groomed trails. It is the longest winter network in Quebec after that of the City of Montreal. In general, the reception has been very good from the cycling community during the 2024-2025 year; more and more members are taking advantage of the network. A counter made it possible to collect data indicating a retention rate¹ of 70% for pedestrians and 10% for cyclists. The links analyzed for the 2025-2026 season are reviewed, both for the west and east of the city. Snow removal could be possible for certain links (3.72 km) while others are still under analysis (18.8 km). In winter 2025-2026, the 4-season network could potentially include between 3.72 km and 22.2 km of new dedicated cycling links. It could therefore total 123 km of dedicated links.

At the end of the presentation, the discussions highlight the following main elements:

¹ Derived from a comparison of the average daily flow between the summer and winter seasons over the last two years.

• The land for the section of the sentier des Voyageurs presented belongs to Hydro-Québec and is leased to the City of Gatineau. Validation will have to be done to see if authorization from Hydro-Québec will be necessary if it is ever considered for snow removal.
• Since winter 2024-2025, the City has been responsible for snow removal on the sentier du Vallon, which it entrusts to a contractor. Although there is no formal agreement, the Association des résidents de Limbour could perform the work on the section that is not cleared by the City.
• The trail around lac Leamy is groomed by the City of Gatineau following an agreement with the National Capital Commission (NCC). This includes the section of the trail along boulevard Fournier. Cycling there is problematic if one does not own a fat-tire bike. The addition of traffic lights or signage could possibly facilitate cycling on boulevard Fournier when the trail is closed.
• The bike lane on rue Saint-Antoine is cited as an example of snow removal that does not yield convincing results in terms of accessibility or user-friendly use. This raises the question of the performance evaluation of snow removal or grooming operations. Do these operations allow for the expected use or conviviality of the winter cycling network? Furthermore, it would be good to prohibit automobile parking year-round in order to truly consider bike lanes as being cleared. It is specified that there is no evaluation process linked to trails groomed by the City since they are the responsibility of the NCC.
• Snow removal from bike lanes is affected by several factors, including the need to provide space for snow banks before blowing operations. The layout of bike lanes leaves more and more room for buffer zones where snow can be stored.
• It is recalled that requests made to 311 allow for tracking issues with a view to future improvement of the winter cycling network.
• It is suggested to modify the Politique de viabilité hivernale (Winter Viability Policy) so as to include the default snow removal of multi-use paths when there is a path on one side of the street and a sidewalk on the other. This suggestion can be analyzed and followed up on subsequently with the CTDDS.
• The Public Works Department also mentions that at present, multi-use paths are not automatically cleared of snow during new construction.
• The process that led to the choice of the cycling links analyzed takes into account requests as well as missing links in the 4-season network.
• To the question of modifying the term "bike paths" to make it more inclusive, it is answered that the only bike path in Gatineau is located on rue Laurier. The other links are called "multi-use trails". These trails are not reserved solely for cyclists; they are accessible to users of various active modes of transport. The issue of cohabitation between different uses is frequent there.
• The spreading of other types of de-icers or materials can constitute an alternative and limit the impacts on the environment for certain sections of trails. It is recalled that other types of de-icers are under analysis with the Public Works Department, notably brine. Some already used have not yielded convincing results (for example, beet juice). A follow-up was done with the officials of the Commission on the Environment and Climate Change aimed at inviting them to also reflect on these questions. Concerns related to snow removal on the sentier des Pionniers and the one along boulevard Fournier were also shared with NCC officials and federal members of parliament. The chair will continue the follow-up with them.
• It is asked if strategies are being considered to increase users and make the sums invested in the winter cycling network more profitable. It is indicated that greater connectivity of sectors allows for the development of a continuous, reliable, and predictable network, contributing to encouraging people to make their trips by bike. Work is continuing to resolve issues related to bike lanes and counter certain weather hazards.

At the end of the discussions, the members express themselves in favor of the recommendation.

Recommendation CTDDS-2025-02

The Commission on Transport, Sustainable Travel, and Safety, during its regular meeting of April 3, 2025, recommends the adoption by the municipal council of the new cycling links to the 4-season cycling network for winter 2025-2026, subject to available budgets and analyses conducted jointly between the Mobility Department and the Public Works Department.

Proposed by Émilie Rachiele-Tremblay Seconded by Joël Éric Olinga Mebada Adopted

10. Regulation on Electric-Assist Bicycles and Other Micromobility Equipment — Recommendation

The document Réglementation sur les vélos à assistance électrique et autres équipements de micromobilité (Regulation on Electric-Assist Bicycles and Other Micromobility Equipment) is presented for recommendation purposes. Members received this document prior to the meeting. The objective of the presentation is to propose modifications to Règlement 300-2006 regarding the use of different micromobility devices on the territory of the City of Gatineau, with the goal, notably, of eliminating discrepancies between municipal and provincial regulations. This is the second presentation in 2025 on this subject.

The previous presentation highlighted the discrepancies between municipal and provincial regulations regarding the use of different micromobility devices on the territory of the City of Gatineau, and thus provided the opportunity to collect comments from CTDDS members. A context setting is the opportunity to recall definitions and a typology of electric-assist bicycles and micromobility equipment. Three scenarios are presented to members, namely:

1. Application of provincial regulation to the entire City, both on public roads and recreational trails.
2. Application of provincial regulation to the entire City, with the exception of recreational trails, where among personal motorized transport devices (PMTDs), only electric scooters are permitted.
3. Application of provincial regulation to the entire City, with the exception of certain sections of recreational trails leading to NCC trails where all PMTDs are currently prohibited.

The Mobility Department favors the third scenario. This presents fewer disparities with provincial regulation while maintaining logic with the current NCC regulation. Only a few small segments of trails will be affected. The NCC has been notified that the City is revising its bylaw and that this revision aligns with provincial regulation. In summary, the changes propose:

• An addition and update of certain definitions;
• Standardization with provincial regulation;
• An incentive for active modes of transport;
• Consideration of issues related to the new regulation and the civil liabilities that result from it (opinion of the Legal Affairs Department);
• Support from the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG).

At the end of the presentation, the discussions highlight the following elements:

• All options leave aside the increasingly noticeable presence of three-wheeled mobility scooters on multi-use trails. Their use does not always seem to be linked to mobility assistance. The regulation must govern more problematic uses and surveillance must allow for the issuance of tickets to people who do not respect it. It is specified that an article prohibiting any speed or action likely to jeopardize the life or safety of people or property is part of the proposed scenario. Any other use falls outside the municipal framework. Furthermore, it is noted that the Code de la sécurité routière (Highway Safety Code) regulates the device as such and not the person using it.
• The issue of cohabitation is dependent on the width of the trails. These must be designed in a way to allow use by all types of users. Scenario 1 is preferred, which advocates alignment with provincial regulation and which could encourage the NCC to move in a similar direction.
• It is recalled that the results of the revision of the NCC regulation are not yet known, so alignment with it is currently not possible. As things stand, certain assisted vehicles can circulate on streets and not on bike lanes. The revision carried out by the City must ensure a more logical alignment with provincial regulation.
• The revision of the bylaw aims to take into account, notably, the evolution of various devices. Four-wheeled mobility scooters with cabins are prohibited on the road network. These cabins are not considered safe since they are not subject to standardization. The creation of standards could regulate their eventual authorization.

Members agree with a modification of the recommendation initially proposed in the presentation document. The new wording takes into account the fact that alignment will be done as soon as the NCC has unveiled the revised content of its regulation. In the meantime, the City aligns with provincial regulation and maintains a temporary prohibition on sections of trails leading to those of the NCC.

Recommendation

CONSIDERING THAT:

• It is necessary to review certain definitions of our Règlement 300-2006 in order to take into account various micromobility devices on the market;
• It is complex for citizens to know precisely where they are permitted to circulate when there is a lack of uniformity in federal, provincial, and municipal regulations;
• It is difficult for peace officers to enforce municipal bylaws that go against the Code de la sécurité routière;
• In order to encourage the use of micromobility devices on the city's territory, it appears relevant to us to permit the same devices on recreational trails as on public roads;
• The NCC does not permit the circulation of personal motorized transport devices (PMTDs) on its recreational trails;
• The City's and the NCC's recreational trail networks are interconnected;
• It is necessary to avoid a citizen circulating on the City's recreational trails finding themselves in a situation of prohibition once they reach the NCC network;
• The City could easily adjust its regulation in the event of a modification of federal regulation after the revision process currently underway by the NCC;
• A pilot project is underway at the provincial level that governs the use of electric scooters and other personal motorized transport devices in bike lanes as well as on public roads;
• Provincial regulation prohibits the circulation of assisted vehicles with the appearance of a motorcycle or moped on public roads;
• Provincial regulation does not permit the circulation of motorized mobility assistance devices possessing a cabin;
• The Legal Affairs Department has been notified of the proposed modifications and a return is expected as to whether issues related to regulation and civil liability are anticipated;
• The Police Department has collaborated actively in the identification of issues, the search for information, and the analysis of scenarios and is in favor of the formulated recommendation.

CTDDS-2025-03

Recommend the adoption, by the municipal council, and subject to a favorable opinion from the Legal Affairs Department, of an update to Règlement 300-2006 according to scenario 3 on a transitional basis to migrate to scenario 1 if the NCC modifies its regulation so as to harmonize with that of the City of Gatineau. This regulatory modification could be summarized as:

• Adding the definitions "Assisted bicycle", "Electric scooters", and "Personal motorized transport device (PMTD)";
• Replacing the definition of "Wheelchair" with "Motorized mobility aid" in order to take into account restrictions concerning the presence of a cabin in provincial regulation;
• Modifying the definition of "Assisted vehicle" in order to take into account the new definitions;
• Permitting the circulation of assisted bicycles (including cargo assisted bicycles), electric scooters, and PMTDs on the City's bike lanes and recreational trails, with the exception of those leading to NCC trails;
• Prohibiting the circulation of assisted vehicles with the appearance of a motorcycle/moped on the City's recreational trails, as stipulated by provincial regulation;
• Adding an article prohibiting any speed or action likely to jeopardize the life or safety of people or property in order to facilitate the work of peace officers on recreational trails.

Proposed by Joël Éric Olinga Mebada Seconded by Edmond Leclerc Adopted