Montreal is stepping up efforts to make the metro system accessible to people with limited mobility.

The city of Montreal and the STM are expanding the plan to add elevators to metro stations, and now want 31 metro stations to have elevators six years from now.

The STM has been slow to upgrade stations.

Only ten of the 68 metro stations have elevators, which prompted the limited mobility group RAPLIQ to seek approval for a class-action lawsuit against the STM.

That $1.5 billion lawsuit against the STM and AMT on behalf of 20,000 people with limited mobility is just a pressure tactic, because their real goal is to have accessible stations.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said he is putting his money where his mouth is, and helping all citizens get access to the metro as quickly as possible.

"We're adding 14, plus all of those announced in the last months. That will bring us to 31, almost half of the stations in the network will be accessible," said Coderre.

The plan is take money from Ottawa's public transit infrastructure budget and get funding from the provincial government as well.

Coderre said those in wheelchairs and with limited mobility have waited too long.

"What I think is an injustice is that people feel like they're treated like second class citizens because they don't have access," said Coderre.

Right now the Jean Talon station's elevator only goes to the Orange Line

The STM's first step will be making the elevator at Jean Talon run to the Blue Line level as well, then adding elevator access to Jean Drapeau.

However, Jean Drapeau will be the only point on the Yellow Line that has elevator access. 

Rosemont metro is in the process of getting elevators, and should be ready by the end of the month.

The stations on the revised list for elevators will be upgraded as the budget permits, with the least expensive renovations taking place first.

Those other stations are:

  • Place d'Armes, 
  • Honoré Beaugrand
  • Du College
  • Bonaventure
  • Viau
  • Vendome
  • Berri-UQAM (access to the Green line)
  • Mont Royal
  • Angrignon
  • Jolicoeur
  • Place des Arts
  • Namur
  • Outremont
  • Université de Montreal
  • Radisson
  • Place Saint Henri
  • Prefontaine
  • McGill
  • Villa Maria
  • D'Iberville

Marie Turcotte, who uses a wheelchair, said it's a great start. 

"They're picking up the pace and that will eventually give us more choices and more freedom," said Turcotte.

The city says it hopes to make every station wheelchair-accessible by 2038.

That is not good enough for RAPLIQ, which is pushing ahead with its lawsuit.

Steven Laperriere, vice-president of RAPLIQ, wants a guarantee.

"A commitment in time.If you say 2030, 2035, 2040, that would be great, but to have a commitment and to stick to it, that would be the next step," said Laperriere.

Meanwhile another group of people with limited mobility will be protesting during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Metro.

Those celebrations take place Friday at Place des Arts, a station that is not wheelchair-accessible.