Wildcard

I noticed that using highways on many of my commutes would greatly reduce my commute time (more direct route, no stop signs/lights). However, I have no idea if riding on highways is actually legal in Canada (more specifically Montréal). I know of the dangers that await me, but I am willing to take the risk, especially on days when I leave late.

Does anyone know of cycling-specific highway laws in Canada, or have any highway riding experience to share?

g3ck0

i'm wondering the same thing, what about in NY?

oboeguy

Can't do it in NY. My officemate was "caught" riding on the Taconic Parkway and told to turn around. The funny thing is that he was more than halfway through that stretch, yet the police officer wouldn't let him continue (where's the logic in that?). Lucky for me, the only highway stretch I need to cover has a bike/foot path alongside it. Now if they'd only clean all that bleeping glass and gravel off of the little bridge on that path...

Hal Hardy

If you mean the equivelant of an interstate limited access freeway in the U.S., it's probably illegal, at least in populated areas. The only exceptions in the U.S. is if there is no convenient regular road to take. In the East, I95 is paralleled by US1, so you're expected to take it. In places like Wyoming it is legal, at least out in the boondocks since the interstate is probably the only road for hundreds of miles.
Three ways to find out is to call the nonemergency number for the police and ask them, look for signs prohibiting bicycles (they are at the beginning of the on-ramps for interstates), and remember if you've have ever seen other bicyclists on that road. If not, there's a good reason, you're probably not the first one to realize how convenient that road is.

Da Tinker

Try the Mass Bike site: https://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/
Lots of links to US & Canadian bike laws.

Bart5657

Down here in NYC we have a little strech of road known as the BQE. I always woundered what it would be like if all of a sudden people statred to use it for cycling. Probably a lot of evil.

originalbart

Here's a good link to a site with links to of US, Canadian and European cycling laws:Cycling Laws

Here's what I found on the Quebec site from the Highway Safety Code :

Limited access highway.
479. No person may drive a motorcycle equipped with a motor having a piston displacement of not over 125 cc or a moped or ride a bicycle or any other non-motorized vehicle on a limited access highway or on an entrance or exit ramps.
1986, c. 91, s. 479.

Ganesha

Here in Arizona, bicycling is allowed on most highways. The exception being ones in the Tucson/Phoenix area and the I-10 corridor between Tucson and Phoenix.

https://tpd.az.gov/gis/maps/ if you want a map.

supcom

Wrong. Most states in the US make Interstate riding illegal. I believe that in five states it is legal. Texas is one of the five.

There are some exceptions in some states for things like Mississippi bridges.