Traffic, taxes still on list of Montrealers’ gripes
Many residents say they are ready for change, just a year after voting it
The only sure things in life are death and taxes, or so the saying goes. To that list, Montrealers might also add traffic. Traffic is hell in this city and has been for years. The congestion caused by the volume of cars on the road is routinely exacerbated by the scourge of construction. Orange cones are so ubiquitous, they have become an ironic symbol of Montreal, emblazoned on T-shirts and even showing up as the stuff of Halloween horror scenes. Shutdowns and detours from massive construction work like the Turcot Interchange, the new Champlain Bridge and now the Réseau express métropolitain, are so major that project managers have to advertise in the media to warn the public to steer clear. Into this context, Valérie Plante was elected mayor of Montreal a year ago on a promise to make mobility her focus. This was, and still is, the issue closest to Montrealers’ hearts; the matter that unites people, even though it also divides them, depending on whether they drive, cycle, walk or take public transit to get around. Understanding this propelled Plante to a come-from-behind win over incumbent Denis Coderre. But as Plante’s Projet Montréal administration marks its first anniversary in office, many Montrealers are just as frustrated about the daily headaches and delays today as they were a year ago. And, fairly or unfairly, they’re inclined to blame the mayor. A new Léger-Journal de Montréal poll found 44 per cent of voters are already hankering for change, though 42 per cent still back Plante. And traffic and taxes, not surprisingly, top their list of grievances. After scoring an early win in securing funding for 300 hybrid buses, Plante’s empathy and authenticity haven’t helped her put much of a dent in citizen’s mobility woes. Yet. The new buses won’t hit the road until 2020. Plante’s signature promise, a new Pink Line of the Montreal métro, was always on a distant horizon. And the weekly chaos of highway, bridge, ramp and road closures linked to the Turcot, Champlain and REM construction work will eventually subside when those projects reach completion, between 2019 and 2023. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say. And Montrealers have to be realistic about what one person can accomplish in a short time to solve an intractable problem that will require the co-operation of many levels of government as well as major behavioural changes by the public. That said, a number of irritants are sure to stick in the craw of Montreal voters long into the future. The decision to close through traffic over Mount Royal in a summer-long pilot project fit with the Projet Montréal ethos of protecting the mountain and limiting cars. But adding insult to injury for motorists upset at the loss of Camillien-Houde Rd. as a crosstown shortcut, was the tearing up of Dr. Penfield Ave. at the same time. So much for pledging better co-ordination of road closures. Likewise, the announcement that the access road to the new REM station in Kirkland will be reserved for buses, bikes and pedestrians — and off limits to cars — has raised the ire of many West Islanders. Eager to hop aboard the new train, but not sure how they will get to it in a part of the city where bus service is inefficient, this is the kind of move that makes perfect sense to residents of the dense inner boroughs, but defies logic for car-dependent suburb dwellers. And those roving mobility squads Plante set up to tackle minor incidents that make jams worse during rush hour — like double-parked trucks and fender benders — aren’t making their presence felt. At least not in the eyes of the average commuter. Voters have long memories when it comes to the unfulfilled promises, perceived inaction, and changes they disagree with. Which brings us to taxes. Plante’s decision last January to hike the bill of the average Montreal residential property taxpayer by 3.3 per cent, well above the rate of inflation, was her first foul-up as mayor and certainly her worst. It broke citizens’ trust, but worse, trying to argue the water tax should be considered separately was seen as sneaky and disingenuous. Plante has acknowledged the error of her ways and expressed regret. But will Montrealers forgive her for this early misstep? More tax hikes are expected in her second budget, set for Thursday, although a chastened Plante vowed they won’t exceed inflation this time. Montreal is, after all, dependent on property taxes for almost 70 per cent of all its revenue. It’s not like there are a lot of other options when it comes to funding the municipal services citizens want, expect and deserve. Still, many Montrealers say they are ready for change, just a year after voting for change. It’s an indicator, perhaps, that the desire for change is itself as inevitable as death, taxes and hellish traffic.