The 18.6 billion tramway scenario of the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM) is “too optimistic” in terms of speed, deplores an international expert in public transport, who would bet more on an extension of existing metro lines. According to him, the cost is also “much higher” than similar projects built in Europe.
“At the moment, ARTM estimates speak of 50 km/h as a cruising speed. This is too optimistic compared to the performance of similar systems in operation around the world,” says guest researcher at the Marron Institute for Urban Management at New York University, Marco Chitti, who invited the media to a technical briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the reality remains that in the east of Montreal, “most of the route will run on a very porous path, with an intersection every 80 or 100 metres.”
Also read “A more expensive, but larger tramway”
IMAGE PROVIDED BY ARTM
The current route of the future PSE, as presented last May. This is the third version of the project.
“Most intersections like Sherbrooke, for example, have turns allowed in all directions. […] “A tramway would therefore require rethinking the layout, or even removing many of these intersections,” says Mr. Chitti, who is also concerned that the local reorganization of bus networks required with the arrival of the PSE has not been discussed until now.
In reality, the speed of the tramway could be 15 to 25% lower, believes the specialist. Thus, the cruising speed would rather oscillate around 37 or 38 km/h. At intersections, it would go from 30 km/h, as estimated by the ARTM, to approximately 22 km/h, while in tunnels and along Highway 40, it would decrease from 100 to 75 km/h.
From a strictly financial point of view, the problem is also real. “At 18.6 billion, we are at around 250 or 300 million per kilometer for a tramway, while this is something that is built at 50, 60 or 70 million per kilometer maximum in France, Italy and Europe,” notes Mr. Chitti.
The latter deplores the “generalized problem in Canada” of costs “much higher than the average” in terms of transportation. “If we do not tackle this issue […] “We will no longer be able to build anything. We are heading towards a wall at an incredible speed on construction costs.”
An extension of the metro first?
Acknowledging that such a scenario could cost more, Marco Chitti believes that an extension of the green and blue metro lines to the east could potentially be more judicious. “With an improved bus network, we would attract ridership from the suburbs, especially since the train is faster and more efficient,” says the man who is also a lecturer at the Université de Montréal.
“As the PSE does not have an extreme speed gain, all the trips that will be made for example towards the Bell Centre, yes we will gain a few minutes, but we will lose it in connection with the metro,” he adds.
However, on a more local basis, “the tramway mode has its place in Montreal,” the expert acknowledges. “It is a type of very efficient and high-capacity bus. It serves the local area well and travel that begins with the tramway, but then falls back on the metro, regional train or bus.”
We are creating a mode that is intended to be local, but which will in fact always require a replay to be able to complete its journey and go to where the population is.
Marco Chitti
According to him, “the question is not to redo everything.” “I am simply saying that before settling on this version, we should take a step back and evaluate different scenarios, try to see if other modes and other projects would allow us to respond satisfactorily.”
ARTM defends its project
At the ARTM, spokesperson Simon Charbonneau assures that his group will take note of Mr. Chitti’s report. “It is quite normal that questions and topics remain to be explored in more depth. Network integration is the basis of the process. The next step is precisely to deepen our analyses, in collaboration with municipal stakeholders in the area, to ensure that we optimize commercial speed, detail network integration and more detailed urban integration,” notes Mr. Charbonneau.
The latter nevertheless reiterates that his group is “certain that this is a proposal for an efficient, attractive, financially responsible and unifying project that is part of an ambitious and coherent vision for the future of public transport” in the east of the metropolis.