Feds promise money for public transit
The federal government is promising billions of dollars to cities for public transit. But after reading the item below about the REM, can Montreal even accept and use this money? Quebec holds complete sway over transit here. The city has no jurisdiction, if I understand the situation correctly.
Taylor Noakes 14:56 on 2021-02-10 Permalink
This demonstrates the disconnect between Fed policy and muni reality.
My reading of the REM documents and Prov gov’t limitations on infrastructure construction is that Montreal could maybe use this money to build the Pie-IX SRB or buy new buses for existing lines, or maybe throw the money back to the province to complete the Blue Line.
It could not, AFAIK, use this money to buy new buses to run parallel to the REM, unless it could demonstrate that the REM was over-saturated and needed relief. It could maybe be used to build Metro tunnels to places not currently served by the REM, but only if the city got the province’s permission first.
I think Montreal could accept it and renovate Metro stations or hire more transit employees, but not much else.
Important point: Montreal is legally prohibited from developing transit infrastructure by itself. So when Coderre or Plante or whoever talks about building a REM to here or a Metro to there, the caveat is that they absolutely must get provincial permission first.
Even if we had $10 billion of our own money lying around, we are prohibited from building the Pink Line.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Montreal needs to be ‘sovereign’ from Quebec, at least in terms of being able to do what’s best for the people who actually live here.
steph 16:01 on 2021-02-10 Permalink
We are a distinct population and it’s clear that the rest of Quebec abhors our way of life. IF ONLY they understood what it was like to be a minority group.
Kevin 16:34 on 2021-02-10 Permalink
The regions want nothing from Montreal except its money.
ant6n 06:38 on 2021-02-11 Permalink
Montreal could push the REM2, like Coderre did the REM1, and the federal money could be used for that. After all, it´s not what´s getting built, and what the repercussions are down the line, but that something gets built at all… right?