October 25, 2007 (Montreal, QC) – Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) released the results of a poll on Monday showing that Montrealers overwhelmingly support increasing the bike path infrastructure reports in La Presse and CNW Telbec. The survey was conducted by Angus Reid Strategies on behalf of MEC and its notable findings are that:

– 82% of Montrealers believe that commuting to work by bike is an effective way to counter greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to fight climate change
– 90% of Montrealers are in favour of expanding bike infrastructure
– 55% of Montrealers believe that this expansion should be the City of Montreal’s responsibility
– 57% of residents of Montreal its suburbs (Laval and the south shore) claim they would commute to work if there were a proper network of bike paths
– 66% of Montrealers favour a special carbon tax on vehicles to pay for bike path infrastructure. This option was preferred over special levies on people who commute alone to work by car and over special car parking taxes

Peter Robinson, CEO of MEC spoke in Montreal Monday, claiming that the poll results send a clear message to those involved in urban planning. Robinson will be leaving the top post at MEC to head the David Suzuki Foundation.

The survey queried 938 residents of Montreal, aged 18 years or older. MEC plans to commission similar surveys in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver according to a separate report in La Presse.

Mountain Equipment Coop, established in 1971, is Canada’s largest retailer of outdoor equipment and has more than 2.6 million members throughout Canada and around the world, including 350,000 in Quebec. MEC is part of One Percent for The Planet, an alliance of some 500 companies worldwide committed to allocating one percent of their total revenues towards environmental initiatives.

Meanwhile, Montreal claims that the new de Maisonneuve bike path traversing downtown will be “technically open” on October 31 according to a La Presse report on October 21. Pedal recently asked Mayor Gerald Tremblay if the new bike path will be named after Claire Morissette, a notable bicycle advocate who died in July. Tremblay, who has publicly praised Morissette, replied that a decision on this will be made in 2008.