The standoff between the cities and the Legault government over the management of the deficit of transport companies recently concluded with a setback for the mayors of the largest cities in Quebec. The climate of false urgency that they maintained, on the eve of the preparation of municipal budgets, as well as their weak recognition for the renewal of the fiscal pact left some hints of discord.
Quebec has agreed to take charge of 70% of the deficit of transport companies ($265 million), mainly attributable to the drop in ridership. Cities were hoping for more, but they didn’t seem inclined to cut corners on their own spending. It’s a bit as if they had asked Quebec to assume the costs and consequences of their own political choices. It was unrealistic to imagine that the Legault government would be willing to increase the tax burden on Quebecers to allow Valérie Plante to contain the increase in municipal taxes and continue her expansionist policies.
The shameless threats from Mayor Plante, who talked about closing the metro at 11 p.m., did not materialize. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) instead announced a reduction of 120 positions and a reduction in its expenses of $50 million to balance its budget without reducing the service offering. The president of the STM, Éric Alan Caldwell, affirms that the organization has “saved the furniture”, although it will find itself “facing a wall” next year.
The protagonists of this story have rediscovered the luxury of time. They now have a year to study the issue and find lasting solutions to financing public transportation. Although the strategy of municipal elected officials has backfired, the problems they raise are no less real. The traffic of transport companies is showing the impact of teleworking. Rolling stock maintenance is expensive. The gas tax is expected to decrease as a source of revenue with the electrification of the automobile fleet. Funding for public transportation in an urban area like Montreal or central cities must be based on all road users. This is all the more important since the automobile fleet is increasing faster than the population in the Montreal region. The electrification of transportation will not solve congestion if we keep our foot on the accelerator of urban sprawl and solo driving. For these reasons, and in the name of the fight against climate change, it will be necessary to invest in the expansion of the public transport offer. Looking back on the tramway project in Quebec, transferred to CDPQ-Infra by the Legault government, the suspension by Quebec of consultations on the pink line project in Montreal, the delays in the extension of the blue line, our transport ambitions collective looks more and more like a mission impossible.
The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD), Geneviève Guilbault, recently affirmed that her ministry lacked competence and expertise in public transport projects. “It’s long, it’s expensive, it’s complicated,” she told Radio-Canada. The comments were harsh, but the organization has long had a reputation as the ministry of asphalt and concrete. Moreover, four former Ministers of Transport confirmed to Duty that Geneviève Guilbault is not inventing anything. The PQ members Sylvain Gaudreault and Serge Ménard, the liberal Robert Poëti and a fourth who requested anonymity paint the same picture. In the spirit and priorities of the MTMD, the tank is king. Road projects take up 70% of the funds available in the 2023-2033 Quebec Infrastructure Plan, compared to 30% for public transportation. The ministry is profoundly out of step with the requirements of the energy transition and the fight against climate change.
Minister Guilbault and Prime Minister François Legault discussed the creation of a transport agency to remedy the situation. We are good in Quebec at playing within structures. The experience of the defunct Metropolitan Transport Agency (AMT) and that of its reincarnation, the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM), demonstrate that the governance structure is no match for the politicization of projects.
These days, the CAQ government is passionate about the battery sector and the resumption of large hydroelectric projects, even if it means investing billions in public funds and removing environmental and legislative obstacles to accelerate the projects. If public transport remains on the sidelines, this famous energetic transition will not fulfill its promises. The first condition for success is that the government takes up the cause of the bus, the tramway, the metro and the densification of the territory. Leadership must come from the top to make public transportation sustainable.