Metro closed after 11 p.m., fewer buses, driver layoffs: without increased government assistance, the public transportation industry will suffer heavy losses, warn five mayors of Greater Montreal. These cuts would “damage the economic reputation” of the metropolis, worries Valérie Plante.
“Deep down, it’s a cry from the heart that we’re making today. I’m thinking of the Montreal Canadian games at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. What do we do if all these people don’t have service available after 11 a.m.? », insisted Mme Plante Thursday, during a press scrum held at Victoria Square, at the end of the day.
She thus referred to information first reported by Radio-Canada, that The Press was able to confirm, according to which the proposal of the Minister of Transport Geneviève Guilbault to absorb only 20% of the deficits of transport companies – with aid of 502.8 million over five years – would have the impact of limiting the hours of opening in the metro.
The latter should in fact close after 11 p.m. each day and only open from 9 a.m. on weekends. This would also have the effect of reducing the number of trains available on the yellow, green and orange lines.
In the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) bus network, the number of trips would also drop by around 15% on weekdays and weekends, increasing crowding and the “sardine class” effect, especially rush hour.
Everywhere in Greater Montreal, in Laval and Longueuil among others, this impact would be felt in the same way. On the North Shore, the Société de transport de Laval (STL) risks losing more than a hundred employees within a few years, which would also force it to reduce service. Same story for the Longueuil Transport Network (RTL) and exo, on the South Shore, which should also reduce the frequency of their trips as well as their workforce.
A counter-offer at 75% for 2024
All this comes as earlier this week, on Tuesday, the municipalities of Greater Montreal officially submitted a counter-offer to Minister Guilbault. In a letter obtained by The Pressthey propose that Quebec assume in the short term 75% of the deficit for the year 2024 estimated at 532 million.
The rest of the 25% would be paid by municipalities, ideally “without affecting the level of service”. As reported earlier The Pressthe cities of the metropolitan region have already agreed not to exceed by 4% the increase in the contribution of municipalities to the ARTM for the year 2024.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Mayor Valérie Plante
Here, there is no mayor who will tell you that we want to cut services. […] We hope that the minister will send the same message. It’s midnight -2, we’re finalizing our budget in two weeks. It is not serious to hold a negotiation at this time.
Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal
Mme Plante was accompanied Thursday by the mayor of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, the mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer, the mayor of Mercier, Lise Michaud, and the mayor of Repentigny, Nicolas Dufour, municipal elected officials also all involved with the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM).
“20% is not up to the needs,” argued Catherine Fournier. “With the government’s offer currently on the table, we will not succeed. This offer is not serious. That’s enough. You have to sit more rigorously. It’s not just the responsibility of cities,” she insisted.
Towards “more congestion”
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer
Stéphane Boyer maintains that it is a social choice. “Is our vision less buses and therefore more congestion? Because that’s where we’re heading if we accept the government’s proposal,” he worried, saying he feared a “very harmful turnaround” for the future of mobility.
“We can find an agreement, but the government will have to water its wine. Citizens can no longer absorb the bill alone,” said Nicolas Dufour, recalling that in Repentigny, the government’s proposal would increase the population’s tax bill by 5%.
Mayor Michaud still believes that it is possible to “negotiate in good faith” with Quebec, but deplores that “in the crowns, it is starving, we lack public transport”.
“Now is really not the time to ask citizens to pay more. We all want public transportation that will allow us to achieve our densification objectives and, precisely, also achieve the government’s objectives to avoid urban sprawl,” she concluded.
Called to react, the office of Minister Geneviève Guilbault did not wish to comment on the exit of the five municipal elected officials on Thursday. Mme Guilbault will be in the metropolis on Friday, for the first meeting of the Mobilité Montréal steering committee in almost four years. She is expected to meet several municipal elected officials on the sidelines of this activity.