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(Français) La STM parmi les leaders mondiaux du transport collectif d’ici 2020? May 8, 2013 

Chairman says

What will Montréal’s urban mobility needs be in 20 years? April 16, 2013 

Chairman says

What will Montréal look like in 20 years, in 2033? What will people’s mobility needs be? As a transit corporation, the STM has to think not only of its day-to-day operations and services, but also of what’s to come. It needs to consider future needs and trends, so it can start building the foundations for tomorrow’s mobility needs today.

Recently, we have seen several large cities, including Paris (Grand Paris: 205 km of métro lines, 4 new lines, 72 stations, $35.9B, all for 2030), Moscow and Toronto, with the Big Move (a 50 B $ plan) begin enormous urban planning and mobility projects to ensure their vitality and development. What about Montréal? Mobility and public transit are known to drive a city’s economic and urban development, which are crucial for its vitality.

How can mobility be improved in Montréal, now and in the future?
Montréal’s density is growing. New neighbourhoods, including Griffintown and Saint-Henri, will need to have public transit services. For a greener, more sustainable city and better quality of life, public transit use around the city needs to increase. However, cars, which are increasingly smaller and more energy efficient, remain stiff competition. Recent data show that from 2006 to 2011, the number of vehicles in Montréal grew by 10.9% (Source).

And let’s not forget the repair and maintenance of current infrastructure and systems, after decades of underfunding.
With all this in mind, I invite you to look into the future with me, through a discussion that will take place on this blog, next Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Let’s talk about the issues affecting the future of mobility in Montréal:
• Integrated urban planning;
• Transit systems;
• Intermodality;
• Transit/mobility cocktail;
• Electrification;
• New mobility needs;
• Funding.

I’m interested in your vision—whether utopian, realistic or pessimistic—of what mobility will be in the Montréal of tomorrow. I want to hear what you have to say, so we can start building a plan for the future of urban mobility.

Be there next Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The discussion will take place live in the comments section of this post.

Are tramways coming back to Montréal? October 25, 2012 

Chairman says

From 1861 to 1959, the STM operated and maintained a fleet of more than 939 electric tramways that travelled the streets of Montréal. At its height, in 1933, the tramway network extended over 510 kilometres of tracks. Remnants can still be found, for example, under the pavement along René-Lévesque Boulevard. Decades after the network was dismantled to make way for the new king of the road, the car, the possibility of once again seeing tramways in the streets of Montréal is closer than ever.

A few days ago, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal made public a report by a think tank on the subject of financing tramways.  I took part in the group’s work, to defend the interests of STM customers who want better public transit services and an improved offer of service. Tramways are indeed included in our 2020 Strategic Plan, as it seeks to increase public transportation’s modal share by 5% over solo car use and to grow our ridership by 40% over 10 years.


Proposed route
As a first step, the initial network would cover 13.4 kilometres along the Côte-des-Neiges corridor, starting from Jean-Talon and De la Savane, with a downtown loop at Peel and René-Lévesque, and feature 32 stops. By then, we expect some 70,000 people would use it each day, compared with the 40,000 passengers who currently travel by bus along that corridor. To maximize its benefits, changes were made to the initial route, extending it westward to the Hippodrome and eastward to the Radio-Canada building. Total cost was revised to $1.2 billion.


Other projects on the drawing board
Such considerations are occurring just when the replacement of the Champlain Bridge is high on the agenda. And deciding which public transit mode will best serve the needs of thousands of commuters from the South Shore is a hotly debated topic. At the same time, a commuter train for the West Island and an airport shuttle are being discussed. Does this not present us with a perfect opportunity for building an integrated urban tramway and light-rail system along exclusive right-of-way lanes using the same technologies and the same rolling stock?


The issue of funding
Just repairing the métro and replacing buses and métro cars in operation since 1966 represents huge funding requirements. The purpose of the study was to explore the various financing modes commonly used in Europe and North America and to propose a number of scenarios, including the classic way, with the Québec government, the city of Montréal and the STM paying for these expenditures through taxes, but other options were also analyzed. Among them, the idea of co-opting the added value in property taxes generated by the tramway’s construction is generating a lot of interest, because the presence of a tramway has been shown to promote urban development. It is well-known that any company or real estate promoter doing business next to a station benefit from the métro’s power of attraction and added revenues (through higher rents, for example). The same will happen with tramways, which is why the study recognized that a tax could be imposed and be used to finance the project.
Comparaison_modes_transport
Beyond financing issues, other questions are worth asking. In order to fuel the debate, I invite you to review the above chart and to tell me what YOU think of the tramway.
Will tramways be back in the foreseeable future?
Which route holds the most promise?
How do we finance such a major project? Should the priority be given to the tramway or to an extended métro line?
Are tramways the best transportation mode to ensure the mobility of Montrealers?
What do you think of tramways being used to revitalize a neighbourhood or former industrial sector?
Would you be willing to pay a special tramway tax?
Do you know of any tramway systems in the world that could serve as a model for Montréal?

Send me your ideas, your reactions, your questions.

I will respond to them, one by one, during our live conversation, next October 30, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Public transit: the time to choose is now June 11, 2012 

Chairman says

We have already had the opportunity to talk about electrifying the STM bus network, the 2020 Strategic Plan and, finally, possible sources of funding to ensure public transit’s growth.

To maintain or to develop?

There are currently for $23 billion of projects slated for Montréal. Tramways, métro extensions, tram-train, skytrain, a commuter train for the West Island, a light-rail system for the South Shore, ferry shuttle, aerial tram…. A number of different projects in all !

All the while, we must maintain and repair our infrastructure, replace older buses and métro cars. We are preparing for the future by building new, performance-driven transit systems, by extending the métro, increasing our bus fleet, deploying more transit priority measures, and more. We know you want cleaner buses, running more often and on time, extended hours of service, more courtesy from employees and information in real-time…

For the STM alone, the 2020 Strategic Plan calls for overall investments of $11.5 billions for bus, métro and tramway projects, with $6.2 billions for asset maintenance, $3.7 billions for transit development and $1.6 billions for métro extensions.

We must choose our priorities

It is becoming increasingly clear that transit authorities must establish a list of priorities, more than just a shopping list, regarding major projects for public transit. We cannot do everything, everywhere, all at the same time.

The STM already presented a list of priorities :

Asset Maintenance Optimisation and development
Priority Project Cost ($ M) Priority Project Cost ($ M)
1 Replacement of 342 MR-63 métro cars 1 513 8 Additional métro cars 557
2 Modification of the MPM-10 workshops 262 9 Bus infrastructure (new transport centre) 278
3 Réno-Systèmes Program (Phase 2) 122 10 Bus purchase 565
4 Réno-Systèmes Program (Phase 3 & 4) 995 11 Transit priority measures 153
5 Renewal of bus fleet 717 13 Modification of the MR-73 workshops 654
6 Berri-UQAM construction work 86 16 Henri-Bourrassa BRT (Bus rapid transit) 307
7 Réno-Infrastructures Métro (Phase 1 & 2) 500 17 Métro extensions 1 610
12 Replacement of the MR-73 métro cars 917 18 Tramway (Downtown – Côte-des-Neiges) 1 122
14 iBus Project 199 19 Other projects 40
15 Bus infrastructure maintenance (St-Denis and Crémazie) 444
20 Other projects 443
Total by category : 6 198 Total by category : 5 286

But some other major projects are planned:

  • Trains: Replacement of rolling stock, garages and maintenance shops: $ 1 Billion
  • “Train de l’Est” (East Train): $ 700 Millions
  • Pie-IX BRT (bus rapid transit): $ 300 Millions
  • Various customer service improvements : $ 500 Millions
  • “Train de l’Ouest” (West Train) and AMT planification: $ 1.4 Billions
  • Light-rail system for the South Shore : $ 1.5 Billions $
  • Sky-Train (shuttle from the airport to downtown) : $ 700 Millions to $ 1 Billion

What do you think? I want to hear from you!

Does the STM’s list of priorities seem adequate? What comes first? If we don’t have the money for all of the above, what would you spend it on? Considering their costs and benefits, which are the best options for expanding our services and meeting the growing needs of Montrealers in terms of mobility?

You are welcome to ask your questions or send in your comments. I’ll answer them as they come in during the public activity on June 14, from 9 AM till noon.

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