1.

The faded word BUS in white letters on this stretch of Côte-des-Neiges Rd. indicate:

(a) The lane is for buses only.

(b) It’s upside down – it’s actually an ad for a delicacy.

(c) It is only an instruction to the bus driver to be in that lane.

(d) It is an error.

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

Response: (d) It is an error. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) says the marking was painted by the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT), which was disbanded in 2017. The STM says it does not put the white bus symbol on city streets where there is a bus reserve lane. it is only in effect during certain hours of the day. So why was this one from Côte-des-Neiges repainted in 2020 itself? Insert a round eyes emoji here.

2.

The circular symbol seen here, usually found around the West Island, means:

(a) Nuclear weapons are permitted in this lane.

(b) Caution: This tape is radioactive.

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

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

(e) Both c and d are correct.

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

3.

Right arrow on the left lane of Boulevard de Maisonneuve westbound. at Décarie Blvd. in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce means:

(a) No left turn.

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

(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 on the right of Upper Lachine.

(e) All of the above.

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

4.

There are two parts to this question:

4.1 The large yellow triangles (pointing to the crosswalk in the photo) indicate:

(a) Traffic direction.

(b) Bumps.

(c) Nothing. It’s nice though, isn’t it?

(d) Pedestrian Crossing Ahead.

(e) None of the above.

Answer: (b) Interest. Many municipalities paint large yellow arrows on speed bumps to indicate them to drivers. However, it is not consistent in Montreal. The Outremont neighborhood, for example, paints the entire speed bar yellow.

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

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

(b) Show drivers where the sidewalks are.

(c) Point out an obstacle.

(d) Cover a pit.

(e) None of the above.

Response: (a) Show public works crews where the sewer is located. This symbol is used in a few communities such as Westmount, Montreal West and the Verdun neighborhood. In winter, snow is pushed to the sides of roads, hiding – and blocking – drains. Yellow triangles show municipal workers where they are. Other communities paint a yellow line along the edge of the sidewalk to indicate where sewers are.

And all these yellow triangles are not to be confused with the yellow triangles described in the Quebec drivers’ manual. The manual says that large yellow equilateral triangles indicate that the road is subject to aircraft surveillance.

5.

Bonus points for this stumper:

This bent arrow on the new St-Antoine St. cycle path. W. from the intersection of Atwater Ave. indicates that bicycles should:

(a) Zig, then zag.

(b) Advance laterally.

(c) It is really intended for bicyclists heading north on Atwater.

(d) It is an error.

(e) Actually points up and tells cyclists to fly over the intersection.

Response: (c) It is really intended for bicyclists heading north on Atwater. Believe it or not, the green box with the curved arrow inside the bike lane on St-Antoine is for bicyclists traveling north on Atwater who want to turn left onto St-Antoine. The green box is called a “storage area” or a “bike hook storage area” and cyclists gather here as part of a two-step turn at a busy intersection. Part of the confusion is that the green box with the arrow is hidden around the corner from Atwater on the St-Antoine bike path, with no accompanying signage. In fact, a pillar in the corner partially blocks the view of the box from Atwater. Also, there is no bike lane or bike lane on Atwater, so there are no markings to direct cyclists to the pit.

6.

A cyclist arriving at a yellow zigzag should:

(a) Continue over the zigzag.

(b) Press the “Lift” button on their bike and fly over the zigzag.

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

(d) No one can agree on its meaning.

(e) All of the above.

Response: (a) Continue zigzagging… if there is no bus on the way. Yellow zigzags are painted in front of bus stops on streets with cycle paths. The STM says the lines are informational only, to let cyclists know there is a bus stop.

7.

Yellow grills in front of Montreal fire stations indicate:

(a) Motorists may not drive on the grid.

(b) Motorists may not park on grid.

(c) Drivers may not stop on grid.

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

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

Response: (e) Motorists may not stop near a fire station, regardless of where the grid is painted. The road safety code prohibits the immobilization of a road vehicle within five or eight meters of a fire (or police) station. The fire department says its vehicles need a lot of space to go back and forth in the station garage. The yellow-painted grid is meant to emphasize that it is a no-stop zone for cars, even if a driver is only stopping “for a minute” with their four-way lights.

8.

Many bike lanes on the island are painted with a single solid white line. The double solid white lines along this cycle path in the NDG mean:

(a) Cars may not cross the road to park at the kerb.

(b) It is an additional buffer between the cycle lane and the vehicle lane.

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

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

(e) None of the above.

Response: (b) It is an additional buffer between the cycle lane and the vehicle lane. The neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges—NDG says it is for safety wherever a road is wide enough for a double lane.

9.

The off-center dashed white line on the bike lane on both sides of Laurier Boulevard in Outremont indicates:

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

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

(c) The door of a parked car may swing up to the dashed line.

(d) Cars are allowed to cross the bike lane to park at the curb.

(e) It is an error.

Response: (c) The door of a parked car may swing up to the dashed line. The dashed line was painted on bike lanes in this section of Laurier as a pilot project for the City of Montreal in 2019. The line was meant to show cyclists where it is safe to ride on the bike lane to avoid being “closed”. But city crews continue to repaint the lines.

10.

The white bicycle symbol with two chevrons but no solid white line means:

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

(b) This is where bicycles should ride, 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.

Response: (d) All of the above. The chevron bike, without a solid white line – called a “split” in some places – indicates that drivers and cyclists are sharing the road. Chevrons and the bike without the solid white line are also used to indicate that a bike lane is changing direction. But outside of Quebec, a “willow” painted in the center of the road indicates that cyclists and drivers must travel in single file; Quebec has no such warning. Simple, right?

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