A study that Quebec commissioned from a business accounting firm claims that transit commissions in Quebec could squeeze out $350 million (yearly?) without affecting services.
Curiously, one suggestion is to outsource driving. That sounds nuts to me, unless it’s considered good business practice to thwart the transit union. Another suggestion is to reduce preventive maintenance.
I get the strong sense none of these business accounting people actually take public transit.
Protesters blocked access to Ray‑Mont Logistics early Thursday. The group Mobilisation 6600 Parc‑Nature MHM is angry that Ray‑Mont is gradually turning their lot into a high‑throughput shipping terminal, with the attendant noise and destruction of natural land in the area.
It’s a contaminated former/current industrial site wedged in between a rail line (on two sides), Notre Dame and some industrial buildings fronting Dickson. We’re a major city, major cities have industrial activity, and we have to place it somewhere. I’m sure the residents who live in c. 2004 apartments on the other side of the rail line aren’t happy they moved next to an industrial area and there is industrial activity, but this isn’t a park or a bird sanctuary (yes there’s a small woods just south of the apartments, across the rail line from the new site), this is the main port for two-thirds of the country (plus some of the Northeast US), we have lots of container traffic, a transshipment centre has to be near the port and a rail line or major road, and this seems like as good a place as any.
Nicholas
A significant number of us folks, question or disapprove of this privatisation of public lands plan. We are living in an era where it is obvious that unfetterred economic growth cannot continue. Yes, the inconvenient natural constraints are now upon us. We need to reduce and end exponential consumption and come up with a viable economic model now.
Our port is a locale where this is playing out. The term “endstage capitalism ” is often used to describe this era. As you know, the Port of Montreal is massively expanding at Contrecoeur. Over the past 45 years, the port has grown from handling 750 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) to more than 6,000 TEUs. The new container terminal will have a capacity of 1.15 million TEUs and allow the port to generate up to $140 million per year in activity across the country. Over the past 45 years, the port has grown from handling 750 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) to more than 6,000 TEUs ! The new container terminal will have a capacity of 1.15 million TEUs ! and allow the port to generate up to $140 million per year in activity across the country.
The city has closed the Falaise St‑Jacques path from concern about landslides and rock falls, although local people insist that it’s safe.
I walk my dog there several times per week and this is a tempest in a teapot, the paths are completely safe. No doubt some city lawyer is overly concerned about liability issues. Also Chris, the guy quoted in the article, deserves a medal for the work he puts in.
Kate: the link seems not to work.
There was a landslide a few weeks ago and one of the “home made” paths in the woods was closed (just a sign). The main path is totally open and has zero danger. In previous years the city put up a concrete divider at either end of the path. Didn’t stop walkers/runners/cyclists to use the park. Will have to go and check if a new barrier has been installed.
Has the park actually been transfered from the MTQ to the city? There is no sign that says it is a Montreal park.
kate: link works from mobile.
The article says that the main path is unaffected. Only the path in the woods is closed – like I said in previous reply.
Link works for me on my PC using Chrome. Just returned from a beautiful walk on the falaise, all is good. A couple of months ago the city tried putting padlocks on the three gates that lead to the forest path which was useless because it’s possible to bypass the gates by walking a few metres. At any rate people cut the locks or chains to be able to continue using the space. The city tried blocking the path with caution tape and putting up signs saying the area was closed. Caution tape got removed and signs disappeared. People quietly resist and persist.
A man was assaulted Wednesday evening just outside Côte Ste‑Catherine metro station – CTV says the assailant used a blunt object while TVA says the victim was stabbed in the headline, although later mentioning an “objet contondant”. A suspect has already been arrested.
CBC talks to one of the Park Ex residents annoyed about the bike path in a “balance” piece about why bike paths are not always a good thing.
An interesting bit of trivia that Plante has added only the same distance of bike lanes as Coderre did. I bet that would surprise a lot of her critics.
GC, do you have a cite on that? I may want to mention that fact in future.
Be careful to define “bike lane” to compare apples to apples here. Something wide and protected like the REV Plante did is a different animal than a narrow lane of paint in the ‘door zone’ like Coderre did. The former takes away more space from motorists than the latter, and so annoys motorists more.
Ah yes, the bike lane is at fault for people parking illegally in handicapped spots, an issue that has never otherwise occurred.
I think Chris has a point—the furor over the Terrebonne bike path was two-fold: it was the addition of bike paths on both sides and, because that takes up more room, the street was made one-way. That said, a lot of people have calmed down about it, and in fact some residents actually like that the street is now quieter, despite the loss of parking spots.
Mark
There are two side-effects of Terrebonne.
First, in August the borough imposed no-parking areas about 10 metres from many intersections, which is supposed to improve visibility but has really cut down on parking. The poor signage has led to lots and lots of parking tickets, which is not impressing school teachers.
Second, multiple cyclists have told me it’s become a more dangerous route because other cyclists are turning across intersections without looking for cars or other riders. (I spotted this myself 2 nights ago while walking my dog, and honestly it’s a credit to one driver’s reflexes that a cyclist wasn’t injured when they turned directly in front of a car).
It was mentioned in the article above, Kate. Unless I read it too quickly at breakfast… 220 km during each tenure. And, yes, not necessarily the standard of bike lanes but the article also goes into that so I didn’t feel the need to repeat it.
Terrebonne cyclist here, the street is 1000% safer for cyclists and pedestrians, especially for kids during the Willingdon school rush in mornings and afternoons. Night and day.
Thanks, GC.
Kevin 17:35 on 2024-11-07 Permalink
Skipping preventive maintenance is something that people only recommend if they’re not the ones who have to fix stuff when it breaks.
MarcG 17:41 on 2024-11-07 Permalink
Yeah that’s a stupid suggestion. Fixing shit is way more expensive than maintaining it. But it fits with the short-sightedness plaguing our times.
steph 18:31 on 2024-11-07 Permalink
“That’s the standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital” – Noam Chomsky
This is straight out of the NeoLiberalism handbook
Joey 18:55 on 2024-11-07 Permalink
The gist of it seems to be to throw out a bunch of collectively bargained work clauses – total non-starter, unless the province wants a bunch of new labour wars.
DeWolf 23:23 on 2024-11-07 Permalink
Sounds like the 1990s have risen back from the dead.
Seriously though, none of these recommendations are surprising, and they’re the kind of lazy cost-cutting strategy that got us into this mess into the first place. Naturally they don’t take into account any negative externalities like reduced reliability that pushes away riders, leading to lower revenue, and thus the need for more cost-cutting…