Orange line better bang for buck?
The Journal says it’s seen a study demonstrating it would be more beneficial to extend the orange line to Bois-Franc than to pursue the everlasting blue line extension that already has 200 people working on it.
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Kate
Reply
Faiz imam 14:25 on 2019-12-16 Permalink
Obviously the real answer is both.
We are in a climate emergency here, which is a statement all levels of government in theory agree with. That should mean we can engage in more than a couple transit projects simultaneously, especially given how straightforward the orange line extension is.
Not to mention, the width of Boul Marcel Laurin and its surrounding parking lots means the project is compatible with “cut and cover” building methods, which are substantially cheaper than the cost of tunneling.
Especially with the Royal-mount project coming online, connecting the orange line to the west island is of huge importance.
Myles 15:58 on 2019-12-16 Permalink
Has the CAQ ever acknowledged the climate emergency? Their actions certainly don’t suggest they have.
Brett 19:42 on 2019-12-16 Permalink
That’s because there is no climate emergency here. The maps from the NOAA for the past three months actually show our temperatures to be BELOW average (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/service/global/map-blended-mntp/201909-201911.png). In fact, all of NOAA’s maps from this year show a similar trend of below average (colder) temperatures in our corner of the globe. So, no climate emergency here.
Kate 20:33 on 2019-12-16 Permalink
Myles, François Legault talks, but like most politicians he’s putting off serious changes till 2030 or so, and in particular he’s giving an easy ride to industrial greenhouse gas giants. Of course he will say he’s acting, or going to act, but watch what he actually does.
Brett, you’re making a funny. Think about the “hundred year” flooding we’ve seen twice this decade. And colder temperatures are an effect of the weakening polar vortex, part of the overall climate change picture. There is a climate emergency.
ant6n 20:36 on 2019-12-16 Permalink
@Brett
Oh puleaze. Pick some random weather data subset, say there’s no problem here and done. True climate change denialism.
But, okay let’s assume Quebec won’t have any significant impact as far as its climate is concerned, I think we all can agree that the rest of the world won’t be so lucky. And that will result in refugees. Many refugees. As in, on the order of 500 million refugees. And that is a problem that will eventually wash up ashore even here in Quebec as well, and incidentally this kind of problem is one of the primary missions of the KAK, so they should perhaps do something about that before it’s too late.
Brett 21:36 on 2019-12-16 Permalink
Kate, the polar vortex doesn’t exist in the summer, and if you look at our August temperatures, they were pretty much bang on normal (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201908).
And this isn’t a random subset. Look at data for the whole year, for Quebec, since we’re talking about Legault. The data says that in Quebec, there’s no climate emergency.
And you’re all missing the point. François Legault isn’t going to be around in 100 years, much less 10, when 500 million refugees (where did this figure come from??) will arrive. Using climate change as a reason to beef up transit in Montreal has to be the worst argument ever from a political point of view. Think of something that impacts voters now – lost productivity due to time lost in traffic jams, for instance. Or overcrowding on the orange line. Pedestrian deaths, anyone?
I’m all for fewer cars on the road, but just like the “starving children in Ethiopia” argument didn’t do anything to eliminate food wastage, so will the “forest fires in Australia” argument unfortunately be equally as ineffective at demanding change in the way we get around on the island.
Kate 22:24 on 2019-12-16 Permalink
Brett, what a fool I’ve been! Of course there’s no emergency here. I was blandished by the left-wing doomsayers, obviously. The weather’s chilly – we’re not in any danger, and we never will be!!
Hamza 00:18 on 2019-12-17 Permalink
certainly the atmosphere and levels of CO2 being emitted in Alberta , China and the States will obey international law and not cross the border to affect Quebec.
Kevin 00:35 on 2019-12-17 Permalink
It’s not unusual for parts Quebec to be colder than the rest of the planet: that is projected as part of several climate change scenarios.
And of course that has a huge impact; less time to harvest crops and more energy burned drying them, just to pick one local major climate story from the past three months.
MarcG 10:44 on 2019-12-17 Permalink
Farmers will tell you all about how the weird weather is messing with them (gets warm early in the spring and then frosts once everything is sprouted, long dry spells in the summer and then too much rain, etc), which causes the prices of basic foods to go up, not a good scenario.
Meezly 13:46 on 2019-12-17 Permalink
Brett has a point – the article was simply looking at the practicality of extending the orange line instead of the blue line, but somehow the topic got derailed with whether or not Qc has a climate emergency. Nevertheless, I do think that reducing carbon emissions/air pollution should be one factor of many for improving transit, and Quebec has certainly been impacted by climate change with the recent extreme spring/autumn floods.
qatzelok 14:20 on 2019-12-17 Permalink
Like Faiz imam said, we need both. And many more metro lines and REM lines.
But notice how Car company media suggests that we must choose one or the other?
It’s similar to how Car company media pits plowed bike paths against plowed sidewalks. The idea is to have all non-car transporation at war with one another while giant SUVS glide on by with their passengers smiling at all the manufactured discord.