Montreal introduces its first bike box

Montreal has its first bike box - a space designed to give cyclists priority over cars at intersections.

The bike box is designated by bright-green painted concrete with a white bicycle symbol. It is located at the intersection of Milton and University Streets.

Yannick Roy with the City of Montreal explained the bike box is like an advanced stop line that allows cyclists to move ahead of cars when crossing an intersection.

"When the light goes green they can continue in front of the car, so they have priority in front of the cars at the intersection."

Roy said the city plans to add two or three more bike boxes next year, once officials assess how the first one is received by cyclists, drivers and pedestrians.

Bike boxes already exist in other Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Toronto, which added its first one last year.