Cyclist's death in Rosemont renews calls for crackdown on trucks
A new ghost bike honouring Valérie Bertrand Desrochers, the 30-year-old cyclist struck by a truck last June, was installed Sunday during a gathering commemorating her death.
Cycling advocates, local residents and friends and family of Desrochers congregated at the corner of St-Zotique Street and 19th Avenue in the borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, where the cyclist was hit.
Desrochers's death renewed calls for a crackdown on trucks circulating in residential areas. The truck was driving in a no-truck zone and was turning right when it struck Desrochers.
She worked as an ambulance dispatcher for Urgences-Santé.
"Our wish is to raise awareness about, again, about road violence, which to us is preventable," said Hélène Lefranc, the spokesperson for Vélo fantôme, a cycling advocacy organization.
"We want better infrastructure and for the mentality of sharing the road to change."
Ghost bikes are bicycles that are often painted white, decorated with flowers and notes and placed near the site of a fatal collision to commemorate the killed cyclist.
A first ghost bike was installed in honour of Desrochers, but has since disappeared and it's unclear why.
This time, the bike was fixed to a utility pole, high off the ground.
The ceremony was held as the City of Montreal's public security commission prepares to host a discussion on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists Monday evening.
Members of the public are being invited to share their concerns at the meeting, which is at 7 p.m. in the council chamber of city hall.
The city promised to look into the matter earlier this month after a deadly string of collisions with pedestrians, and as the number of pedestrian deaths has risen above average this year.
