Exo customers reject “let them eat cake” response
Customers of Exo trains are angry about the “let them eat cake” response of one honcho in the organization, who suggested such things as hiring domestic help or bringing children to work, to offset the time loss that will follow the closure of the Mount Royal tunnel for hundreds of commuters. They’d like to see her fired.
Stoic 13:48 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
Maybe they can pay for the extra help by borrowing against the future increase in the value of their property because of the REM. People choose to live out in the middle of nowhere and whine about disruptions cause by bringing in a service that will benefit them most.
Kate 14:01 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
“Whine” is a prohibited word on this blog. It’s always used to dismiss the complaints or difficulties of people the writer doesn’t care about.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable for people who chose to live near a convenient commuter train line, were told the tunnel would close for a few days for REM construction, and are now facing a closure that will disrupt their lives for a long time, to be angry about this.
Jonathan 14:39 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
Hmm. I watched the video. I don’t think it’s too condescending. I think she’s just asking people to be creative. There are measures in place to accomodate the displaced train riders, and people may need to drive to work more often or carpool or ask employers to be more flexible (what Josée mentions), or push for some daycare facilities at workplaces, etc. We can’t expect it to be as direct or timely as the train… I think I have a problem with people who move into the suburbs and feel entitled. Whining maybe isn’t the right word, but I think we shouldn’t try and dismiss the idea that it’s unfair to make costly accommodations to people in deux montagne when there are more pressing transit needs (like people who bus into town from Montreal Nord for their badly paid retail jobs that nobody else would want.
I’m unfairly categorizing people from both MTL Nord and Deux Montagne, but to prove what is hopefully seen as a valid point.
Blork 14:42 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
All this hate on people who “move to the suburbs” ignores the fact that many of those people were born and raised there. It’s home for them; their community. It’s not just a cheap bedroom.
Blork 14:48 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
…particularly ironic given the thread below this about the STM bus shortages. Well heck, as a former Plateau resident I have no sympathy for people who move out to ParkEx or NDG or Rosemont and now feel “entitled” to have buses available to take them to work in the morning. [sarcasm]
Jonathan 17:33 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
I was born and raised in the suburbs, and on the rive nord next to Deux Montagnes. I want to see better transit to those areas, as I experienced how isolating it can be to lack mobility. I just want people to put the money where their mouth is. I literally LOLed reading Blork’s bit about suburban community. My extended family, and some high school friends all still live in the suburbs, and I can attest that they have almost no clue who their neighbours are, don’t care, and would never call their neighbourhood a ‘community’. This is anecdotal of course.
Blork, your sarcasm actually makes a great segue into the idea of governance. The people in Park Ex, NDG and RPP do have an entitlement to good public transit because they pay taxes to the City of Montreal. That city pays for a majority of the operating budget of the STM. Unfortunately the high cost of providing transit to (mostly) low density and commuter areas, and the resistance of these municipalities to raise property taxes to pay for improved transit means that the residents of the City of Montreal are disportionately paying for transit that people living in suburban communities use. Let’s not even talk about the roads, social services, etc. The current system of municipal governance is a governance failure… and it isn’t likely to be fixed because the political system benefits from this, as does the majority of people who hold the power and have the voice in Quebec.
I would suggest, Blork, for you to take a deep look at the municipal governance system. Rather than feel entitled, people in RPP, NDG, Montreal Nord and Park Ex actually have entitlements that they would like to cash in on…
Tim S. 17:47 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
Nah, the video is pretty bad. It’s “we all have to come up with solutions”, meaning you have to change your lives because we broke something, which may or may not benefit you. Let’s remember that most people don’t work for fun, but because they have to, and unaccountable organizations throwing obstacles in their way while they try to get to their jobs, while lecturing them on their responsibility for overcoming the obstacle, well, I have a hunch that it’s stuff like this that leads to them voting for populist, anti-elite blowhards.
Uatu 18:01 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
Anything (homes and businesses alike) within 1km of REM stations will pay an increase in property tax so they’re already paying for the increase in property values. Also let’s call the REM what it is: a haphazardly planned means of daisy chaining real estate developments. If it were a properly planned transport system then no one would be spitballing ideas like they’re onstage at improv night and there would be a link to the airport like they have at O’Hare. Instead it’s all about new condo cities around the dix30 etc.
Filp 18:11 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
Uatu, the REM already has a connection to the airport. It’s one of the project’s selling points. Unless you mean a better connection. Is there something particular about the blue line to O’Hare?
Uatu 18:35 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
Oops. I got mixed up with the airport train station and it not being connected to the Dorval train station. The image of O’Hare was just the 1st thing that came to mind
Faiz Imam 18:52 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
@Jonathan or anyone else, do you have a feeling as to how much time getting off bois franc and taking a bus to côte Vertu will take?
Because I’ve traced the route on a map and it seems like a pretty inoffensive detour. Maybe 15-20 mins?
Not nothing and people will have to expect congestion, but the link is still there.
I think the real trouble will be after 2022(Ish) when the REM opens till bois franc and the end of the line shuts down.
That’s probably going to Suck, but that’s not what people are talking about now I think.
Leaving aside the broken promises by cdpq, Are the current alternatives not adequate?
Kevin 19:59 on 2019-12-13 Permalink
My favourite suggestion from the REM about dealing with the tunnel closure has to be: renegotiate union contracts so employees can stagger their hours or work from home.
It has the virtue of admitting there is no way around several years of absolute disruption and pain.
Jonathan 15:05 on 2019-12-14 Permalink
@Faiz, i haven’t. But 20 minutes is about the amount of time my own travel to work is extended because the orange line train at Jarry is filled with Laval people.
ps @Uatu, the current tax levy is a development tax. So it’s only realized when there is a permit for construction. And it doesn’t go to the operations but is given to CDPQ as profit. It’s very different, and also really a big problem for a whole other discussion!