Streetcars and bus lanes and tolls - oh my!
(Thanks to Catchfire on babble for catching this.) Anyone from Montreal reading this? I'd love to hear some reactions if so.
One thing that I find particularly interesting is the fact that they include bike paths as part of their public transit solution. I think many of us think transit vehicles, tracks, subway lines, and other transit vehicle infrastructure when we think about public transit. I really like it that they're incorporating cyclists into their transit plan.
The plan includes measures to increase public transit ridership by introducing streetcar tracks on several of Montreal’s busiest streets, including Mont Royal and Parc Avenue, Côte-des-Neiges Street.
The city also proposes introducing tolls on some Montreal-South Shore bridges to generate revenue to pay for the expansion plan.
The plan also proposes further expanding Montreal’s subway lines. Three new stations in Laval, north of the city, opened to the public earlier this spring.
A rail shuttle is also in the works to connect the downtown core to the Montreal Trudeau International Airport. Several reserved bus lanes will be added to north-south streets including Papineau Street and Pie IX Boulevard.
Montreal’s bicycle path network will be extended as well – the city plans to double the current 380 kilometres of bicycle paths in the next seven years, and will add more bike parking.
I have been to Montreal exactly once, on a day trip, so I have no idea what kind of transit improvements have been needed, or whether this is a good plan for the money. It sure sounds great, though.
2 comments:
Yeah, that is interesting about the inclusion of the cyclists...perhaps not surprising, though...I'm not sure where things are at these days, but I know for many years Montreal had a real tradition of radical cyclist organizing.
It's something we need in Toronto! I'm not much of a cyclist myself, but I totally support bike lanes, etc. Partially because I think bikes are fantastic and environmentally-friendly, and partially so they'll stop being a pedestrian hazard on sidewalks!
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