Tag: STM

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Opinions

Public transport is a must

Lionel Groulx metro station where hundreds of thousands of Montrealers come and go everyday. Photo by Dalia Nardolillo/ The Concordian

The proposed plan to stop metro service at 11 p.m. could have detrimental effects on citizens.

Almost every Montrealer can relate to the feeling of sprinting to catch the last metro of the night… only to watch those blue doors close and see it drive away at the very last moment, leaving you stranded. If the rumours are true, that situation will be even more common, as the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) may soon cease operation even earlier—at 11 p.m., to be exact. 

This past week, there has been talk of major reductions in public transportation. Beyond ending metro service early, inter-city bus routes may end at 9 p.m. and some routes could be halted entirely. If the plan is put into action, the cuts will have significant impacts on the city’s population, particularly workers. 

What is the reason for this proposition? This hypothetical plan was put forth in response to a large deficit of funding from the province. According to Quebec’s transport minister, Genviève Guilbault, the government is unable to absorb the transportation systems’ funding deficits—which could be a shortfall of $2.5 billion over the next five years. Their first offer was a 20% coverage of deficits, which was quickly rejected as not nearly enough. 

Laval’s Mayor Stéphane Boyer and Montreal’s Mayor Valerie Plante have both been vocal about how detrimental reducing transport would be. Boyer stated that reductions are “unthinkable,” as countless Laval workers rely on the metro, while Plante expressed the sentiment that Montreal needs a powerful public transport system in order to compete with other cities. 

Student responses to the possibility range in severity: for some, the issue would be a mild hindrance whereas others could be completely disadvantaged. Michael McDonald, a second-year engineering student at Concordia, expressed his disappointment at the possibility of ending his nights out early, and remarked that there will likely be more alcohol-related BIXI accidents. 

Beyond personal setbacks, the change could hinder workers who work night shifts, such as healthcare workers. “Most healthcare workers rely on public transportation, and if they don’t have access to it, they might just quit,” said Chloe Kim, a John Abbott College nursing student. “And there’s already a huge worker shortage crisis.” 

In addition, a lack of viable public transport would mean countless more cars on the road, which would cause a substantial increase in traffic jams and accidents. And of course, women and minority groups who feel uncomfortable on the streets at night could find themselves in unsafe situations without proper means to get somewhere secure. 

Public transportation is more than a convenience: it is a key facet of any area, and an essential element in countless lives. Though the reductions may not seem massive, they could have enormous repercussions.  

Overall, however, it seems like the public transport system is safe for now. A spokesperson for the STM called these plans “hypothetical scenarios,” and meetings are to be held between the Greater Montreal Mayors and Guilbault to discuss alternatives. Let’s hope they come to an agreement: you can only run so fast for that last metro. 

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News

Uncertainty as the imminent shutdown of the Deux-Montagnes train line looms

A state-of-the-art light-rail system will replace the train line

In April of 2016, Quebec’s pension fund manager, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), announced its plans to build a state-of-the-art light-rail system — linking Deux-Montagnes, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Montréal-Trudeau Airport, downtown Montreal, and the South Shore.

This plan involved slowly but surely shutting down Exo 6, a train line running from Gare Centrale in downtown Montreal to Deux-Montagnes on the North Shore, which carries nearly 31,000 passengers per day.

Construction began in 2018 with service being stopped on Friday evenings and only resuming on Monday mornings. According to a report by the Montreal Gazette, this shutdown of weekend services affected nearly 3,000 riders.

In order to completely rework the line, plans were drawn to shut down all train services between Gare Centrale and Deux-Montagnes in mid-2021, for approximately two years.

Fast-forward to September of 2020 and the plans to shut down the line have been moved up by six months to Dec. 31 after ridership has drastically dropped due to the pandemic. This comes after services were already halted between Gare Centrale and Gare Bois-Franc back in May.

Alternative modes of transport have been funded, most notably the shuttle buses taking passengers from the Deux-Montagnes station to Côte-Vertu metro and from Terminus Saint-Eustache directly to Montreal’s downtown area, as well as reserved bus lanes. However, not all commuters are sure this will be enough.

“I’m more frustrated than anything,” said Reyanne Desir, a Concordia student. “I don’t have my driver’s license. Therefore, the only way I can travel is by train or bus. The bus can be unreliable. The train is the best option that I don’t have access to right now.”

With tens of thousands of commuters now having to choose between taking a bus with reduced capacity because of the pandemic, or driving on already-congested roads, Desir is not alone in doubting the alternative’s efficiency.

“I would probably take my car because going with the bus and metro would take me a good hour-and-a-half, maybe two. I would be heavily affected, because by train, I was there in one-hour max. It would be kind of a big deal for me,” said Concordia student Simon Riopel.

Of course, with the uncertainty of the pandemic, which has only worsened in recent weeks, safety is also of great concern for commuters that may now have to take the bus or metro.

“With the pandemic, it’s just constant uncertainty and I don’t know if I should get my own apartment in Montreal or just wait,” added Desir.

The Concordian reached out to the Deux-Montagnes User’s Committee, a group dedicated towards demanding suitable mitigation measures from the REM, for comments on the matter. One spokesperson stated that the “CDPQ is lucky to have the COVID [because] without the lockdown, the service would be a disaster.”

The Réseau express métropolitain has not responded to a request for comment.

The Mount-Royal tunnel portion of the line is expected to be finished in late 2023 and the entire network by late 2024.

 

Graphic by @the.beta.lab

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Opinions

Editorial: STM inspectors don’t need more power

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

You’ve all probably heard the running joke about STM inspectors being failed police officers. It’s hard not to believe this when we see some of them strolling around metro stations, holding their batons and glaring at innocent travellers intimidatingly. Even though this joke implies that STM inspectors hold powers similar to SPVM officers, it’s important to note they don’t. And we at The Concordian think they shouldn’t be given more power than they already have.

On April 3, the STM board of directors passed a resolution saying it wants STM inspectors to be special constables, according to CBC. This means they’d need more than their current 14-week training. They’d also be allowed to access data that is kept for police officers, and they would become accountable to the Bureau of Independent Investigations.

As of now, STM inspectors have the power to ask for identification, issue fines for not paying the metro fare and restrain those who break the law until police officers arrive, according to the same source. But, funnily enough, one of the powers they don’t have is the power to use brutal violence to subdue someone who’s allegedly broken the law. We’d think otherwise, though, by looking at some STM inspectors’ history of unnecessary violence against alleged law-breakers.

Just last month, a video circulated in which two STM inspectors aggressively attempted to detain a black man, 21-year-old Juliano Gray, who didn’t pay his metro fare. The video shows the inspectors on top of Gray at the Villa-Maria station. They swing their metal batons several times while Gray screams, “That hurts!” and “I stop!” in French. At one point, Gray’s head is near the oncoming train, and the officers still don’t let him get up. Gray eventually ran away from the inspectors and is now seeking justice with Montreal’s Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR).

Because of the violent incident, Gray said he sustained injuries that stopped him from continuing his job as a part-time dishwasher, and that he is suffering from post-traumatic stress, according to the same source. CRARR is calling for an independent external inquiry into the situation, and for officials to possibly press charges against the inspectors.

We at The Concordian are shocked and disturbed by the STM inspectors’ use of violence to detain Gray. Just because someone doesn’t pay a $3.25 metro fare, doesn’t mean they deserve to be brutally beaten. It was unnecessary, excessive and damaging. We believe the inspectors must be held accountable for their actions.

There is already a history of abuse of power when it comes to STM inspectors—this video just proves how dangerous it could be to grant STM inspectors more police-like powers.

The STM Chairman of the Board of Directors Philippe Schnobb has said the goal of giving inspectors more power is to provide a “better customer experience” according to CBC. While the board doesn’t want to arm the inspectors, giving them more power would let them intervene when people complain about bothersome passengers.

We at The Concordian don’t think STM inspectors need to be given more power to provide a “better customer experience”—the metro is not a shopping mall, nor are we there for the sake of the experience. We just want to know that we are safe, and that our metro rides won’t be hindered by unnecessarily dangerous situations.

If one takes a look at other cases where STM inspectors have abused their authority, it’s hard to support the idea of giving them more power. Instead, perhaps their 14-week training should be extended, and the idea of de-escalating dangerous situations should be promoted. We at The Concordian support the idea of STM inspectors using their voices before violence when it comes to dealing with problems.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

 

 

Categories
News

Bishop Street business owners want peace

Bishop Street business owners say construction on their street caused by renovations of the STM’s green line may put them out of business. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Construction on downtown street has caused some to consider closing up shop

Restaurant and bar owners on Bishop Street want financial compensation from the city of Montreal for lost revenue due to the construction of a new metro ventilation station that’s driving customers away.

According to the the Société de transport de Montréal, the station will replace an aging one on De la Montagne Street and provide fresh air to the green line between the Peel and Guy-Concordia stations. The STM said work on the station began in October 2016 and should be finished by mid-2020.

That’s too long for Carlo Zahabi, the owner of Le Gourmet Burger, a restaurant on Bishop Street that’s been hit hard by the construction. He said sales have dropped by as much as 60 per cent since the work began.

“I’m three to four months behind on my rent,” Zahabi said. “It’s a real possibility that I’ll have to close down.”

In April, Zahabi and a coalition of Bishop Street business owners filed a lawsuit against the city of Montreal and the STM requesting $2,500 compensation for every month of construction, and $25,000 to commision a private engineering firm to inspect the project and see if it could be done faster. The coalition also wants free advertising for their businesses in the nearby Peel and Guy-Concordia metro stations.

Last week, a judge denied the coalition’s request for temporary compensation—which would have given the businesses financial aid before the case went to trial. It’s a decision that seriously hurts the businesses’ ability to stay open even up until the trial date which will likely only take place in 2019, according to Legal Logik, the firm representing the merchants.

“We tried to show [the judge] that it was urgent,” said Gaby Nassar, the owner of Kafein, a café-bar on Bishop Street affected by the construction. “Now the delays will be substantial.”

The construction turned a usually busy street into a tangle of concrete barriers and metal fences. On their website, the STM urged pedestrians and cyclists to avoid the section of Bishop Street where the work is taking place.

“They’re blocking access to my restaurant with a fence,” Zahabi said. “It’s a dead end sidewalk, and they put up a sign that says ‘Trottoir Barré.’ Who’s going to come down there?”

Both Nassar and Zahabi said they’re unhappy with the way the STM notified them the work was going to start.

“[The STM] said they sent fliers,” Zahabi claimed. “That’s not any way to notify a business of construction in front of their place. They should have prepared a plan to save us before they started the work.”

Nassar agreed: “They could have approached us months in advance to talk instead of letting us cry for help.”

In February, the city of Montreal unveiled a plan to reconstruct a large part of St-Hubert Street. The work is slated to begin in the summer of 2018 and continue until 2021. The city announced it will be offering financial compensation to St-Hubert Street merchants who lose business as a result of the construction.

The city did not offer any compensation to the merchants on Bishop Street.

“[The city] told us [they have many] resources for financial programs to help businesses out when there’s construction, but for some reason we’re an exception,” Zahabi said. “I don’t see any exception. It’s all work.”

According to Zahabi, the construction has already forced two restaurants on Bishop Street to close and another to file for bankruptcy.

The coalition of Bishop Street merchants is determined to continue their legal battle against the STM and the city of Montreal. The STM refused to comment on the Bishop Street construction, noting that information about the project is available on their website.

“It’s a situation that needs a bit of attention,” Nassar said. “The city is being slow and not active. We’re not going to give up. My business has been here 15 years. We’re going to keep fighting.”

Photo by Alex Hutchins

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News

Better road planning through crowdsourcing

Concordia professor Zachary Patterson’s inventive app, MTL Trajet, allows the city of Montreal to better plan road networks, construction detours and bike paths. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Concordia professor inventive app helps city of Montreal organize construction

This month, the city of Montreal is using an innovative smartphone app, called MTL Trajet, to track Montrealers’ trips through the city in an effort to better plan road networks, construction detours and bike paths.  

It’s the second time the city is running the project. Last fall, more than 11,000 Montreal residents downloaded the app.

MTL Trajet is a version of the Itinerum app, both developed by Zachary Patterson, a geography professor and director of the Transportation Research for Integrated Planning (TRIP) Lab at Concordia University. He developed the app in 2014 as a way to collect travel behaviour data around the Concordia community.

Patterson said the MTL Trajet project has the potential to serve as a new way to collect data that can be used to plan transportation networks. According to the Société de transport métropolitain (STM), their main source of transportation data is Origin Montreal—a phone survey that is conducted every five years.

“Young people are being left out of these surveys,” Patterson said. “[MTL Trajet] is a method by which you can hopefully have more detailed information on people’s trips and be able to capture segments of the population that are being less and less captured in these traditional surveys.”

According to Patterson, the project is one of the first of its kind. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority pioneered crowdsourced data collection in 2013 through the use of an app called Cycletracks. Cycletracks used GPS data collected by cyclists in San Francisco to help plan bike paths, but according to user reviews, it didn’t always map routes accurately.

“These cycling apps, in order to record your trips, you had to open the app and say you’re taking a bike trip,” Patterson said. “What’s different with what we do is that MTL Trajet automatically detects when you’re taking a trip.”

In 2015, Patterson was asked by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to use a version of the Itinerum app to map out bus routes in Accra, Ghana. Accra’s transportation network was a semi-formal network of buses called trotros, operated by independent contractors. Patterson said the inexpensive nature of the Itinerum app allowed them to accurately map out Accra’s public transit system.

What he and his team found was that many of the listed routes taken by the buses in Ghana weren’t actually in use at all.

Patterson cited battery life as one of biggest challenges in creating a data-mapping app.

“Our goal was to be able to collect data every block so we could identify people’s itineraries accurately but not change their [phone] charging schedule,” he said. “That was the hardest thing.”

Patterson sees a future for crowdsourcing apps like Itinerum and MTL Trajet as an easy-to-use and inexpensive tool for researchers. “My hope is that it will be available to be used not just by people who have a deep understanding of programming, but also by students,” he said.

The more people who use the MTL Trajet app, he said, the more useful and accurate the data will be.

MTL Trajet is available for download on the App Store or Google Play Store.

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Opinions

Is groping on the metro really “a big deal?”

Photo by Marie-Pierre Savard

Discussing the issue of safety regarding Montreal’s public transport system

There are thousands of people who use the Montreal metro system every single day. It’s a means of getting from home, to school, to work. But for some women, a metro ride can take an unpleasant turn when, suddenly, you feel you’re trapped in a room with no way out.

A conversation I overheard recently angered me. A man was discussing sexual harassment complaints while on the metro with his friend. He ignorantly asked: “Is it really such a big deal to be groped on the metro? It’s a damn compliment!” I cringed as he guffawed with his friend, and couldn’t help but think that this is why victims don’t always talk about their experiences. They’re afraid of being asked, “Is it really a big deal?”

Isha Sheikh, 20, was headed home from school one day during rush hour. Needless to say, the metro car was crowded.

“I sat down and saw an old man get on the metro. He sat across me on the other side — but suddenly, he was next to me on the empty seat. I noticed how he took up a lot of space. Suddenly, I felt something on my thigh, and I looked down to see his hand placed there,” Sheikh said.

“Initially, I was confused and tried to make sense out of what was happening. I told myself that this old man probably didn’t realize that his hand was on my thigh. But then his hand started creeping upwards, and his grip became tight. It was my first time in this kind of situation and I didn’t know what to do,” Sheikh said, furrowing her eyebrows and shrugging.

“So I decided to roughly move his hand off my thigh, but then he put his arm around me and smiled at me,” she said. “He smiled at me! His grip tightened, and I sat there debating what to do because I didn’t want to make a scene. So I got up to leave — but, as I left, he grabbed my bum. I went to the end of the car where one man who witnessed it all asked me if I was okay, and walked away once I nodded,” she said.

Less than one in ten individuals report incidents of sexual harassment and assault to the police, according to Statistics Canada. This shows survivors aren’t willing to come forward. One of the reasons for that is the stigma associated with this very serious issue. Questions arise: What was she wearing? Did she ‘lead’ him on?

It’s upsetting when the police don’t seem to be there when you need them the most.

It’s upsetting to not see a stronger police presence on our metro cars, and even more disturbing to see the STM security ticketing the innocent public instead of actually catching criminals.

You’d think that bystanders would reach out and try to acknowledge the situation, but most people just avoid eye contact and turn their heads.

It’s unfortunate that not everyone understands the severity and seriousness of sexual harassment, especially in a public place—you’re surrounded by people, but it’s rare that anyone tries to help. You’re just trying to get somewhere, and the last thing you want is an old man’s tight grip on your thigh and his creepy smile in your face. It’s upsetting and enraging and it certainly is a big deal.

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Arts

Bring me shelter and bring me art

The STM plans to change transit shelters into miniature art galleries, leaving it to the public to decide which of Montreal’s artists will see their art in the city. Voting on the Expo+ competition submissions continues until March 16. Photo by Alex Caban

The STM’s Expo+ contest is letting the public vote on the art gracing bus shelters next winter

Navigating Montreal’s public transportation system in winter comes with its own unique challenges, such as slippery sidewalks, relative bus scheduling, and crammed bus shelters.

The STM plans to change transit shelters into miniature art galleries, leaving it to the public to decide which of Montreal’s artists will see their art in the city. Voting on the Expo+ competition submissions continues until March 16. Photo by Alex Caban

In response to the last issue, the Societé de Transport de Montréal (STM) wants to make a change. With last year’s decision to implement new stylized bus shelters, the STM has initiated another move — art appreciation.

Quebecor Media, in collaboration with the STM, aims to bring about this change. The Expo+ contest, launched in January of this year, seeks to find 20 artistic works to adorn the newly designed bus shelters. According to the organizers, the art itself will serve to enhance the appreciation of these new installations.

In its first phase, the contest was open to all Quebec artists and marketing firms. During this time, over 1100 artworks were put forth for consideration. The organizers themselves have little say in the end result and have turned the decision over to public voting.

The selection of the finalists is ongoing. Voting will be open to the public until March 16 through the contest webpage. It is possible to view all of the entries, divided into general public applications and those submitted by advertising groups. After voting is closed, the four most popular works will be awarded cash prizes totaling $10,000.

As there is no general theme to the contest, the submissions themselves vary greatly. Among these are images of horses, Montreal cityscapes, Hollywood celebrities and abstract concepts, just to name a few.

This large diversity demonstrates what a wide range of artistic ventures Quebecers are engaged in. The variety points to the richness of Quebec’s artistic scene, where not all artists are looking at the same subjects in the same way. This divergence is found, not only in the public offerings but also in the corporate ones.

Surprisingly, none of the advertising company entries feel like promotional material or even focus on merchandise. One must wonder then if the category was made more on the basis of group contributions versus individual productions, instead of the message to be transmitted. Regardless of this division, company-generated art is just as diverse and interesting as the individual submissions.

Arguably, the diversity presented is slightly disappointing as well. It is unlikely that the finalists will share any cohesive element in their material at all. An opportunity was missed to define the new bus shelters as a part of Montreal’s cultural environment. Had there been a defined theme, such as ‘chez nous’ for example, the final product would have had some focus and cultural resonance yet still retain the diversity already present.

It is a rare occurrence when the public is given a say concerning anything to do with  collective transport. Given the opportunity now, everyone should vote — whether it be for their favourite artwork, or the for the one they would find the least objectionable to see every day on the morning commute.

Voting will continue until March 16. The top 20 finalists will be announced on March 24. The top four entries will be revealed on Friday, April 4 on the Salut Bonjour! television program and in Le Journal de Montreal and 24 Heures newspapers. For more information and to vote on the art submissions, visit: abribus.ca/en/contest/expo-plus/

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU demands equality for reduced STM fare

Photo by Keith Race

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) and seven other Montreal-based student associations are in the midst of requesting price reductions for all full-time students, regardless of their age, when it comes to Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) public transportation fares.

Photo by Keith Race

After joining forces with several student associations around Montreal, the CSU released a collective statement containing its goals.

“The CSU supports equal access to resources for all students. While we have been proud to partner with the STM in encouraging sustainable travel methods, we cannot support the inequality contained within its policy on student pricing. While a reduced rate for full-time students is important, limiting who may be considered full-time based on age does not reflect the reality of university life. Resources for students should be available to all students.”

According to the STM website, in order to obtain student privileges for a monthly pass on one’s Opus card, the individual must be a full-time student at an institution recognized by Quebec’s Ministere de l’Education, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), and be 25 or less by October 31 of that year.

“We expect the STM to offer the same reduced fee to all full-time students, regardless of their age,” said CSU president Melissa Kate Wheeler. “So far we’ve been [promoting our demand] through social media and by speaking to the press, [but] we intend on increasing our support for this cause in the coming weeks through posters around the school, and by discussing it at our next council meeting.”

With bus and train passes getting more expensive each year, the significance of this demand is pertinent for the students in question.

STM fares have increased nearly $10 in the last five years. In 2008, a student discount monthly bus pass cost $36, whereas now it costs $45.50, an increase of 26.4 per cent. As for a regular bus pass, in 2008 it cost $66.25 and now is $77.75, an increase of 17.4 per cent. For those who take the train, the most expensive mode of transport, fares range between $69 to $121 for students, and regular fares between $87 and $151, depending on the zone.

The CSU’s current demands for reduced student fares are not their first attempt.

Back in February of 2010, the CSU made the same demand and created a petition which received 330 signatures online to allow students regardless of their age or enrollment status to be eligible to receive student fares.

The petition, which was directed at the City Council of Montreal, highlighted several areas concerning the STM student discount requirements and its unfairness to certain students, specifically to fares applying only to those aged 25 or less; not to part-time students but only full-time; STM being the only Canadian public transportation company to place an age restriction on which students qualify for the student discounts; that the average age of Concordia’s student population is 26; that those who continue their studies past the age of 25 often have greater debt; and that the city of Montreal has pledged its commitment to accessibility for both public transportation and higher education on several occasions.

Unfortunately, after approaching the STM with the petition in 2010, the CSU was unable to successfully negotiate an agreement. This time, however, the CSU hopes the STM will recognize the severity of the demand by publicizing more extensively in and around the school.

The Concordia Student Unions’ next council meeting will take place Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. where the situation will be discussed further.

Categories
Opinions

If you take public transport, you better speak French

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan.

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan.

Living in Quebec, for better or worse we have become used to seeing ridiculous posters on walls that say “In Quebec, we speak only French,” hearing people say, “go back to your country” or even seeing services being refused to English-speaking civilians.

However, when all of these things were done jointly by employees of one specific public company, it raises concern about our society; especially when that company is the the Société de transport de Montréal.

The STM has been under some intense public scrutiny in the past few months. Not because of their slow service or growing prices, but for abusing a certain nonexistent power they think they have as a French public company.

Now, it is true that under Quebec’s controversial Bill 101, companies aren’t required to insist their employees know any language other than French. But as a public company in a bilingual country, it is absolutely preposterous that we have heard of so many cases in which people in Montreal can’t be served in English.

As a trilingual Montrealer of Greek origin reading about such incidents at the STM, I can’t help but shudder at what our society has come to. In a free and democratic society like Canada’s, people still frown on each other over the language they speak. An STM worker allegedly went as far as allegedly flipping off 23-year-old commuter Mina Barak when she spoke to the employee in English.

These incidents, especially in the STM, have the older generations buzzing, saying how it reminds them of when the Parti Québécois first emerged into Quebec politics.

“I feel like it’s the René Lévesque era all over again,” said Jacqueline Corbie, a 69-year-old retiree. “It’s saddening to hear about these incidents weekly.”

“The STM is a joke,” said Helen Merkouris, a 45-year-old also born in Quebec. “It’s so frustrating to see this happening and not be able to do anything about it.”

Quebec has come a long way since then. These incidents, however, have been frequent in the STM for quite some time now.

Marvin Rotrand, vice-president of the STM, has been speaking to many news agencies about these incidents. He said that the STM would look at these incidents and investigate further and told Global news that the incident involving violence “will be discussed at the board meeting next month.” Similarly, when an unofficial sign was put up in Villa-Maria metro last month by a teller that roughly translates to “In Quebec, we do things in French,” STM spokesperson Marianne Rouette told The Gazette that the employee “will be met [with] and if necessary, appropriate measures will be taken.” Needless to say, no measures have been taken, despite the STM saying that “by posting the sign, the [employee] expresses his personal political opinion, which is not acceptable to the STM.”

What does this all mean? It means that the STM is a public embarrassment. It means that these employees will continue working at the STM as if nothing happened. It’s sad to say that in a company like the STM, ignorant acts, acts of violence, and even potential racism, go unpunished. There’s only one word to describe what’s happening: disappointing.

It personally makes me sick to my stomach to think about it and until they start taking legitimate punitive actions against ignorant, politically-ignorant employees, incidents like these will keep surfacing, and the STM will keep making idiotic excuses for itself.

Categories
Opinions

What exactly am I paying for?

Photo via Flickr

Photo via Flickr

It’s our favourite time of year. The leaves are changing colours, midterms have just ended and winter break is in view. Last but not least, it’s time for the increase of public transit prices for Montreal commuters.

The Société de transport de Montréal recently announced the increase of monthly fees from $75.50 to $77.75. From this perspective, a $2.25 increase isn’t a big deal, but when you consider that this is its 12th time in the past decade that they’ve raised prices, it’s something to question.

Although the prices for regular separate tickets will remain the same, all the other options (which include monthly passes, week-long passes, etc.) will increase. Here is my concern: why should Montreal commuters pay more if we’re essentially getting the same poor service?

Marvin Rotrand, vice-chair of the STM, told CTV that riders can expect more service on some bus routes, hybrid buses, more bus lanes and “more priority signals where buses go through busy intersections.” Rotrand also said that we should expect more “real-time information” that passengers can access on their smartphones and an increase in capacity from 405 million in 2011 to 540 million in 2020.

The thing is, the STM has been promising things with every increase. Has the majority of that happened yet? No. The STM promised that there would be more buses and especially, buses on time, yet I end up waiting for a bus that never shows up or is 15 minutes late. I do understand that certain changes take time, but after a decade, you shouldn’t make promises if you can’t follow through.

Another good example is the Agence métropolitaine de transport, which I’m particularly familiar with. The Deux-Montagnes train line I take to school is the busiest train line of all. That train holds 900 seats, but according to AMT, during rush hour there are usually more than 1,800 people on board.

Every other train line has double-decker trains, and these lines aren’t even close to being as busy as the Deux-Montagnes line. It’s been years that the AMT has promised double-decker trains on this line, and none have arrived.

Customer service spokesperson of the AMT, Marianne Racine-Laberge, confirmed that the Deux-Montagnes line is the only one without double-decker trains. Laberge said that it’s because Deux-Montagnes is the only self-propelled electric train whereas the newly purchased double-decker trains can only be used with the new dual-mode (diesel/electric) locomotives.

So, why did they purchase new trains, knowing that the Deux-Montagnes train line wouldn’t be able to use them?
Similar to the STM, the AMT continually increases its fees. When I first started taking the train, my monthly pass was $77, now, less than 10 years later, I pay $118 monthly for the same exact service.

I’m pretty sure the service I get from the AMT doesn’t deserve $118. I can’t even begin to count the amount of times my train was late or never showed up, and I always stand because there’s never room.

If the STM and the AMT can start living up to their promises, I won’t have a problem with paying my fair share. If problems continue to be neglected and I’m still wondering if my train, metro or bus will ever show up, you better believe I’ll continue to complain.

Categories
News

You’re not welcome aboard

Photo by Madelayne Hajek

Photo by Madelayne Hajek

Amanda Lenko was scared to walk far unaccompanied in the middle of the night.

Lenko, a third-year graphic design student at Dawson College, says she was refused service by a bus driver for the Société de transport de Montréal when she spoke English to him.

The STM provides a service for women who travel alone at night on buses in Montreal called ‘Between Stops.’ The service is offered on all bus lines, including all-night buses, to allow women who travel alone to ask to be let off in between certain stops. From Aug. 30 to April 30 the service starts from 7:30 p.m. and from May 1 to Aug. 29 beginning at 9:00 p.m..

In May, Lenko was on the 376 bus travelling alone at 1 a.m. when she asked in English to be let off in between stops. According to Lenko, the bus driver replied in French “No madame, here we speak French,” and refused to listen to her.

“Every time I talk to employees I always speak French,” said Lenko. “But it was this one time I spoke English and he didn’t listen to me.”

The bus driver dismissed Lenko’s request, letting her off instead at a designated bus stop that was out of her way.
Lenko says she was too shocked and afraid to argue with the employee.

She went on to say that every time she did speak French, she didn’t encounter problems with STM employees and while she didn’t file a complaint to the STM because she felt “it wasn’t a big deal at the time,” she now admits that she regrets not doing so.

The STM has been under fire recently for a slew of language-related incidents, including one from 23-year-old Mina Barak, who claims she was attacked by an employee at De La Savane Métro station. The incident began when an Opus machine accepted Barak’s money but did not issue her transit tickets in return.

In an interview with Global News, Barak said she was told to “go back to your country” and “in Quebec we only speak French” by the employee she approached for help.

Afterwards, Barak called the STM on her phone to file a complaint. When she spoke with the teller again, Barak claims that the STM worker gave her the middle finger. After Barak told the worker she was going to ensure her dismissal, the employee allegedly left the booth and forced Barak into a headlock.

In early October, a poster taped to the ticket booth at Villa Maria métro station garnered city-wide attention for its slogan that read: “In Quebec, we do things in French.”

In accordance with the Office de la langue française, the agency that administers the provisions of the provincial language law, customers or clients may ask in English for a service but under Bill 101, companies are not allowed to require employees to know a language other than French. While there are exceptions to this law, Montreal’s public transit authority is not required to offer bilingual services.

However due to the violent nature of Barak’s encounter with an employee, the STM Vice-chair Marvin Rotrand told Global News that “the issue will be discussed at the STM’s board meeting next month.”

For some, unilingual services create an unnecessary divide for residents of Montreal.

Léonard Leprince, a first-year political sciences student at Concordia University, said that it was disappointing that “jobs in the field of customer service aren’t encouraged to have bilingual employees.”

Emma Ronai, a first-year International development and African studies student at McGill University, said that she chooses to speak French because “she didn’t want to hear the STM’s drama” and due to the fact she knows English friends who have been harassed.

Furthermore, Ronai emphasized that the Agence métropolitaine de transport also possess language barriers. One line in particular, the Deux-Montagnes train line announces important messages on their intercoms solely in French. Many commuters have complained that they don’t understand what is being said, similar to when the STM announcements are solely issued in French.

“If you’re paying for the service, you should know what is going on. We’re not talking about learning Chinese, Spanish or Swahili to please a tiny percent of users, we’re talking about an official language, which has been recognized by law,” Ronai said.

With files from Kalina Laframboise

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Public transetiquette

As a person who is vertically challenged, I often find myself in the armpit of society. I mean this literally, not figuratively.

Due to global warming, traffic, economy, and a variety of other reasons, more and more people have been opting to get from point A to point B using Montreal’s public transit system, currently in its 151st year of existence. Although it has been around for a long time, the number of people riding trains and buses in Montreal is greater than ever, according to the Société du Transport de Montréal. Last year, the ridership hit 404.8 million, a 4.2 per cent increase from the year prior.

In the past few months we’ve seen a lot of media attention given to the city’s public transit workers and their customer relations – but what about our own civility? It seems almost every regular public transit user has a story about etiquette.

“One time when I was standing on the bus, there was a guy next to me who was also standing,” said Chana Myschkowski, a third-year therapeutic recreation student at Concordia University. “A lady was getting off the bus, and as she got off, she dropped something on the ground. As she bent down to pick it up, the guy grabbed her butt and then just got off the bus. It was really weird.”

Alexandra Huard Nicholls, who just began her first year of human relations studies at the university, was recently riding a crowded bus when a woman boarded with a stroller. Naturally, she presumed that there was a child inside. Instead, she had to do a double take. “It was a little dog in the stroller. She was blocking the whole aisle of the bus, and everyone was looking at her like, ‘Are you serious? You really bring your dog around in a stroller?’ It was ridiculous.”

Although these specific incidences are isolated events, other riders have shared feelings about the lack of etiquette on public transit.

Not long ago, CBC News posted the results of a poll listing the top 10 public transit etiquette rules where the number one rule was “When a parent with a small child, a pregnant woman, and elderly person, or someone with a physical disability is boarding, give up your seat!” Other notable behaviours that made the list include covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, minimizing conversational obscenities, and not sitting beside someone else if a free seat is available.

The STM has taken notice, too.

“We use public awareness campaigns to remind people that they have to be polite,” said Marianne Rouette, an STM spokesperson.  There are postings in the metro and on buses that remind people of things they can do to make transport a better experience for everyone, such as carrying a backpack in your hands, rather than on your back, which can be dangerous for other passengers, especially when metro cars and buses are full of people.

“We analyze the situation, and then we prioritize,” said Rouette. “We like to keep our awareness campaigns positive.”

This summer I was riding at the back of the 162 bus going down Monkland Avenue when an elderly woman with a walker boarded the bus. She walked halfway through the bus before a boy of no more than eight-years-old got up to offer her his seat. Maybe we should all learn from this kid and have a little bit more awareness when it comes to “public transetiquette.”

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan.

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