Metro police are busy enforcing the new no‑loitering rule, and a protest was held Friday against the new ruling.
Yes, they’re chivvying people out of the metro who have nowhere else to go, but it’s naive of Ted Rutland to label this simply as the Plante administration turning their backs on the vulnerable. The metro is not a homeless shelter. The people who clean the metro and the stations should not be expected to deal with constant biohazards, and passengers should not have to cope with incivility.
More help is needed – permanent housing, more day shelters, and support from social workers and medics. Those would ideally have been in place before the metro sweep, but the sweep couldn’t wait. It’s sad and unfair but it isn’t the city being cruel.
Tim S. 13:43 on 2025-03-29 Permalink
Thank you Kate.
Incidentally, I got an STM survey this morning, but was disqualified when I said I hadn’t been in the metro in the last 7 days. I guess they’re really trying to see if passengers have noticed the effects of the new policy.
Uatu 16:09 on 2025-03-29 Permalink
I have. Bonaventure has been a little more clean and there’s less homeless around. Before the initiative there were homeless camped out in the tunnel between the metro and the REM and it smelled like pot, urine, sometimes feces and food. There’s more metro cops and I also see exo staff with social workers at vendome. It’s a sad situation, but there were times especially during the holidays when transit use is lower when there were homeless people everywhere- on stairs, halls, sleeping on the platform, wandering on metros yelling or begging for money. Even had to dodge a fight between two men to get to the fare gate. I use it because I hate driving, but I fully understand why my coworkers tell me they don’t feel safe so they drive instead. I hope it continues but with recent budget news concerning public transport I doubt it.