1.

The word BUS erased in white letters on this section of Côte-des-Neiges road heading south. noted :

(a) The lane is reserved for buses.

(b) It’s backwards – it’s actually an advertisement for a delicatessen.

(c) This is only a directive to the bus driver to be in this lane.

(d) This is a mistake.

(e) It is to make tourists feel welcome as it can be read in French or English.

Answer: (d) This is a mistake. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) claims that the marking was painted by the Metropolitan Transport Agency (AMT), abolished in 2017. The STM claims not to affix the white BUS symbol on the streets of the city where a lane reserved for buses. is only in effect during certain times of the day. So why was the one in Côte-des-Neiges repainted as recently as 2020? Insert rolling eyes emoji here.

2.

The circular symbol seen here, which is usually found in the West Island, means:

(a) Nuclear weapons are permitted in this pathway.

(b) Warning: this route is radioactive.

(c) The traffic light is controlled by a sensor located under the sidewalk.

(d) The vehicle must stop at this symbol to activate the traffic light.

(e) C and d are both correct.

Answer: (e) C and d are both correct. Many drivers will understand that the symbol indicates a sensor, but they may not necessarily know where it is or that they need to stop their vehicle over the symbol to activate it.

3.

The right arrow in the left lane of Boulevard de Maisonneuve heading west. at Décarie Boulevard. at Notre-Dame-de-Grâce means:

(a) No left turns.

(b) Use this lane to cross the intersection and enter the left lane of Upper Lachine Road.

(c) Use this lane to cross the intersection and enter the left or right lane of Upper Lachine.

(d) Use this lane to cross the intersection and enter de Maisonneuve, which is to the right of Upper Lachine.

(e) All of the above.

Answer: (e) All of the above. Yes, the left lane is for all possibilities except a left or right turn on Décarie Boulevard. Left turns are prohibited. And the right lane is reserved for right turns on Décarie. But the right arrow on the left lane sidewalk, which is also on the sign near the corner, is confusing because only the left lane of Upper Lachine is actually straight ahead. The other options in this strange five-way intersection require varying degrees of right turn.

4.

There are two parts to this question:

4.1 The large yellow triangles (pointing towards the pedestrian crossing in the photo) indicate:

a) The direction of traffic.

(b) Speed ​​bumps.

(c) Nothing. But it’s pretty, isn’t it?

(d) Pedestrian crossing ahead.

(e) None of the above.

Answer: (b) Speed ​​bumps. Many municipalities paint large yellow arrows on speed bumps to alert motorists. However, this is not uniform in Montreal. The Outremont district, for example, paints the entire speed bump yellow.

4.2 The small yellow equilateral triangles (pointing left and right in the photo) are intended to:

(a) Show public works crews where the sewer is located.

(b) Show motorists where the sidewalks are.

(c) Report an obstacle.

(d) Cover a pothole.

(e) None of the above.

Answer: (a) Show public works crews where the sewer is located. This symbol is used in some communities, such as Westmount, Montreal West and the borough of Verdun. In winter, snow is pushed onto the sides of the roads, hiding – and blocking – the sewers. Yellow triangles tell municipal employees where they are. Other communities paint a yellow line along the sidewalk to indicate the location of sewers.

And all these yellow triangles should not be confused with the yellow triangles described in the Quebec driver’s manual. The manual states that large yellow equilateral triangles indicate that the road is subject to aerial surveillance.

5.

Bonus points for this stunner:

This curved arrow on the new cycle path on St-Antoine Street West at the intersection of Atwater Avenue indicates that bicycles should:

(a) Zig, then zag.

(b) Move sideways.

(c) This is really aimed at cyclists heading north on Atwater.

(d) This is a mistake.

(e) It actually points upward and instructs cyclists to fly over the intersection.

Answer: (c) This is really aimed at cyclists heading north on Atwater. Believe it or not, the green box with the curved arrow inside the bike path on St-Antoine is for cyclists traveling north on Atwater who want to turn left onto St-Antoine. The green box is called a “storage area” or “bicycle hook turn storage area” and cyclists congregate here as part of a two-stage turn at a busy intersection. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that the green box with the arrow is nestled on the corner of Atwater, on the St-Antoine bike path, with no accompanying signage. Indeed, a post at the corner partially blocks the view of the box from Atwater. Additionally, there is no bike path or bike lane on Atwater, so no markings to guide cyclists to the box.

6.

A cyclist arriving at a yellow zigzag must:

(a) Continue on the zigzag.

(b) Press the “raise” button on their bike and hover over the zigzag.

(c) Change lanes as motorists and cyclists must avoid zigzags.

(d) No one can agree on its meaning.

(e) All of the above.

Answer: (a) Continue zigzag… if there is no bus on the way. Yellow zigzags are painted in front of bus stops on streets with a cycle path. The STM says the lines are only informative, to inform cyclists of the presence of a bus stop.

7.

The yellow grids in front of Montreal fire stations indicate:

(a) Motorists cannot travel on the network.

(b) Motorists may not park on the grid.

(c) Motorists may not stop on the grid.

(d) Motorists and cyclists may not drive, ride, stop or park on the grid.

(e) Motorists may not stop near a fire station, regardless of where the grill is painted.

Answer: (e) Motorists may not stop next to a fire station, regardless of where the grill is painted. The Road Safety Code prohibits stopping a road vehicle within five or eight meters of a fire station (or police station). Firefighters say their vehicles need plenty of room to reverse into the station garage. The yellow-painted gate is intended to emphasize that this is a no-stop zone for cars, even if a driver only stops “for one minute” with their four-way lights flashing.

8.

Many of the island’s cycle paths are painted with a single solid white line. The double solid white lines along this cycle path in NDG mean:

(a) Cars may not cross the path to park at the curb.

(b) This is an additional buffer zone between the cycle path and the vehicle lane.

(c) Nothing – white paint was on sale, so they had leftovers to paint an extra line.

(d) Dogs may run alongside their cyclists between the double white lines.

(e) None of the above.

Answer: (b) This is an additional buffer zone between the cycle path and the vehicle lane. The Côte-des-Neiges—NDG borough says that it is for safety wherever a road is wide enough for a double line.

9.

The broken white line off-center in the cycle path on either side of Laurier Avenue in Outremont indicates:

(a) Adult cyclists should ride on the wide side and children should ride on the narrow side.

(b) Cyclists may ride side by side on the wide side.

(c) The door of a parked car may open to the broken line.

(d) Cars are allowed to cross the cycle path to park near the sidewalk.

(e) This is a mistake.

Answer: (c) The door of a parked car may open to the broken line. The broken line was painted on the cycle paths in this section of Laurier as part of a City of Montreal pilot project in 2019. The line was supposed to show cyclists where it was safe to travel on the cycle path to avoid to be “door”. But municipal teams continue to repaint the lines.

10.

The white bicycle symbol with two chevrons but without a solid white line means:

(a) The road is shared by cars and bicycles.

(b) This is where bicycles must circulate, with or without a solid white line.

(c) The direction of the cycle path changes.

(d) All of the above.

(e) None of the above.

Answer: (d) All of the above. Chevron cycling, without a solid white line – called a “sharrow” in some places – indicates that motorists and cyclists share the road. Chevrons and cycling without the solid white line are also used to indicate that a cycle path is changing direction. But outside Quebec, a “sharrow” painted in the center of the road indicates that cyclists and motorists must travel in single file; Quebec has no such reserve. Simple, right?

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