12 December 2022 A Smorgasbord of Montreal Green Transit Alternatives
A.T. set off for an early morning smorgasbord of public transit in Montreal, accompanied only by his folding bicycle.
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Meeting his companion, in the hallway across from the elevator, he took it down to the garage and unfolded it to its full glory.
Soon they were off enjoying the local sights in the pre-dawn crisp (-10 C) morning air.
First stop was Vendome Station, in time for the 7:02 train headed towards St Jerome.
Once on board the train, the bike could relax while A.T. surveyed his empty early morning car and the passing scenery. I would be disloyal to Louis Rubinstein if I did not mention that this line lacks a station in Cote St Luc.
Soon they were at Bois-de-Boulogne, the start of the next leg of the journey, biking to the new Rapid Bus Transit line on Pie IX Boulevard. A.T wanted to see this street, which has recently been upgraded to include a Bus Rapid Transit line. Along with St Denis, which offers a REV bike path, these recently modified streets offer alternative visions of how the main arteries of Montreal could be changed. In both cases they have been modified from a car only mono-culture to something more diverse.
An earlier Blog post specifically about the REV (6 Nov 2020) can be viewed here:
Parts of this leg were along the Rivière des Prairies, which offer a more pleasant views than most of the trip.
Along the way they passed over Avenue Papineau. Along with Sherbrooke Street, this thoroughfare is another candidate for a street upgrade.
Soon they were back by the Back River, and beautiful scenery at Parc Île de la visitation.
At last, they came to there first Bus Rapid Transit Station, Boulevard Pie IX near Henri Bourassa.
Wanting to take a few more pictures of these stations, A.T and his bike got off at another stop along the way.
A.T. decided to get off the bus at Laurier then bike over to one of his favorite cafes at the Angus Yards.
After some refreshment, it was a short bike ride over to the Metro Green Line. Then off at Atwater station for another short ride home.
Conclusions
One of the best ways for cities to reduce their GHG emissions and make for a more attractive livable public spaces would be to discourage driving private cars, and encourage public transit or even better, cycling or walking. Montreal has greatly expanded their bike system in recent years, the most ambitious part of which is the REV network. The Pie IX Bus Rapid Transit line also provides an alternative direction the city can employ to discourage a car mono culture.
Are Electric cars a Green Alternative?
Letter to Westmount Independent on including Sherbrooke Street in REV network
1. Buses vs Streetcars
The Pie IX Bus Rapid Transit line is similar to a Streetcar line with dedicated lanes. It probably costs less to build but offers an inferior ride that the steel on steel wheels can provide. Even if the buses are eventually converted to electric batteries they will be less green than the low friction wheels, electric overhead cables driven streetcars. In choosing buses, Montreal has taken a lower cost, less effective alternative.
It is interesting to see how large the Montreal streetcar system was in 1948. Maybe it will have similar network again in the future.
2. REV Bicycle Paths vs Public Transit dedicated lanes
Montreal is often faced with a choice of upgrading an arterial street with bicycle paths or public transit. I believe that the best choice depends on what whether the artery is primarily a thoroughfare (road) or a destination (street). If it is primarily used as a corridor to quickly transport large numbers of people then dedicating lanes to public transit rather than bicycles makes sense. If the artery is primarily a destination (street) then the emphasis should be on making it as livable as possible rather than the transport capacity and speed.
Both public transit and bicycles work best in dense urban environments that were designed before the car dominated thinking that prevailed in the late 20th century. This mid century street car map of Montreal gives a guide as to which its arteries should be prioritized for upgrades, repurposing car lanes for public transit or bicycles.
Very interesting report and day-out. It gives a wider perspective to the problem of a city of people in motion.
ReplyDeleteVery clever Malcolm, well done. Jay
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