Montreal mayor feels Quebec budget will lead to cuts in public transit services
Some are criticizing the CAQ's 2024 budget over the lack of support for public transit.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said it's a big mistake and could lead to cuts in services.
"Right now, I'm disappointed, but I'm not going to leave it at that," said Plante. "There's no way. We're going to fight."
The mayor is not the only one disappointed.
The budget will cut $400 million in provincial aid for public transportation and does not include any new investment for future projects.
Public transit agencies have been calling for more financing to help with fewer riders and less revenue since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The Montreal regional transportation authority (ARTM) said in a statement: "For us, the impasse remains regarding sharing the shortfall of $561 million from public transit for the year 2025. Faced with this situation, we may have to recommend difficult choices."
Plante worries that service cuts may result.
"Cutting services to me would be such a failure for our society," she said. "We need to create more option, not less, more services, more frequency at a good price."
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante speaks during a press conference for Montreal International to discuss last year's investments and results in Montreal, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. (Christinne Muschi, The Canadian Press)
Alliance TRANSIT, which advocates for collective transportation, said the government is moving backward.
"We're continuing to invest and prioritize the road system above the public transit, whereas we're facing a growing population," said Francis Garnier of the Alliance. "We're facing a growing, much faster amount of cars across the province, and we need public transit to answer that."
The mayor said she can't see how the government will meet its emissions targets or its urban planning objectives if it doesn't invest in the future.
"There's articles about cities that want to create more density, build more, be higher, of course, and that's in Montreal," she said. "But if you talk to mayors also in the suburbs, I'll say we want to have more density, but what about the public transit options?"
Plante is calling on Finance Minister Éric Girard to meet with the province's cities as soon as possible.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.