Quebec city & Montreal Getting LRT, Why Is Vancouver Sticking With The Dated SkyTrain?
Strange world isn’t it.
Both Montreal and Quebec city are getting new tram lines, yet Vancouver’s politico’s still want the hugely expensive, yet dated ART Movia Light-metro, which one one else around the world wants?
Contrary to what the mayor and councils from Vancouver and Surrey claim, it seems the good mayor of Lachine, Mayor Maja Vodanovic has done her homework well.
By building a tramway, both the cities of Montreal and Quebec city will learn the value of affordable transit and with extension costs, again affordable, both Montreal and Quebec City will have future extension build, way before a subway is completed to UBC or the Expo line completed to Langley.
Memo to The mayor’s Council on Transit: It is not to late to put the breaks on future SkyTrain expansion, either in Surrey or a subway under Broadway. Failure to do so, will lead metro Vancouver to a ruinous LA style freeway region, complete with endemic congestion and pollution.
This is what Montreral is getting, should Vancouver be getting it too?
Montreal, Quebec City to get new tramway systems
By Rachel Lau Online Producer – Quebec Global News
Montreal will get a tramway system linking the downtown area to the west-end borough of Lachine, Mayor Valérie Plante announced on Wednesday.
The mayor was all smiles, calling the tramway a first step to her proposed Pink line on the Montreal Metro and pointing out reporters wearing shades of pink at the press conference.
“The Pink line from downtown to Lachine was always supposed to be above ground,” she said.
“This was taken into consideration by the Quebec government. A big tramway in the west — wow.”
The government of Quebec has agreed to invest $800 million in public transit in Montreal. It had previously transferred that same amount of federal money to fund projects in Quebec City.
“The breakthrough was let’s agree on three principles: Quebec is ready, it needs to complete the financing, and we want the federal government to commit,” said Treasury Board president Christian Dubé.
“She [Plante] said: ‘OK, but what do you give me in return?’”
The Montreal mayor said her main concern remains addressing problems of overcrowding.
Whether or not the project will be called the Pink line is yet to be determined.
“It’s not a question of colour, it’s a question of giving service to the people of Montreal,” said junior transport minister Chantal Rouleau.
Lachine Mayor Maja Vodanovic is ecstatic about the plan.
“It is a dream come true,” she said.
The borough had already started feasibility studies to come up with the best form of transportation for the area which is not linked to the metro line and is not part of the REM light rail stops.
Vodanovic says a tramway is better for Lachine than either the metro or the REM, since they don’t have to expropriate land, build underground or build train viaducts.
“Tramways around the world are known to build good quality living. They are accessible, no sound and you can walk to it,” said Vodonavic.
Officials were not able to say where the exact stations would be. As of yet, there is no timeline for the project.
The agreement will be part of the Quebec Infrastructure Plan for 2020 to 2030.
