Regular service for some express buses over Easter
Bus routes to industrial parks to be maintained during holiday
Q With Easter approaching I would like to know how the Société de transport de Montréal can justify declaring both Good Friday and Easter Monday as holidays and therefore reduce or eliminate bus and métro service on both days. Most people including myself do not have both days off.
This means that with no express bus service on Easter Monday, we are scrambling to find alternatives to get to and from work.
Farlan Gray, Pierrefonds
A In fact, the STM has 11 days over the year that are considered holidays, and both Easter Monday and Good Friday are on that list. The STM’s network also runs on a holiday schedule on New Year’s Day, Jan. 2, National Patriots’ Day ( May 18, 2015), Fête nationale du Québec ( June 24), Canada Day ( July 1), Labour Day ( Sept. 7), Canadian Thanksgiving Day ( Oct. 12), Christmas Day ( Dec. 25) and Boxing Day ( Dec. 26). On those days, buses and métros offer service at a reduced level because there are generally fewer people accessing the transit network. Amélie Régis, a spokesperson for the STM said on those days, express buses generally do not run because there is not enough demand. However, there is an exception for Easter, she said. The STM continues to maintain regular service on the bus routes that serve industrial parks both on Good Friday and Easter Monday. The agency has noted that demand for those buses is about the same on both of those days.
Q The exit from downtown to the 15 south was closed again last night. It was closed off- andon all last year. Why are they still closing it? What are they working on that it takes over a year to work on it? And why aren’t they working 24 hours on these projects. Is it because there are not enough workers, or are they trying to save money?
Warren Linds, Montreal
A The access to Highway 15 South is closed for now all day and all night and will remain so for about three months. The Transport Department is completing the reinforcement work of the access ramp. It’s part of a $ 9.9 million project that began last August and also includes reinforcing the Décarie Expressway access ramp from Highway 20 eastbound. The work is being done to ensure the structures stay standing long enough to be replaced by the reconstructed Turcot, set to be completed in 2020. The work began again last week because crews were not able to work on the roadway during the winter months. According to the website for the Turcot project, the work is set to last for another 13 weeks altogether. The work is actually being done at the highest priority possible, with crews on site 24 hours per day, seven days per week. This is one of several major closures in the sector. St- Jacques St. between Girouard Ave. and Décarie Blvd. was also closed last week for work to divert a collector sewer. The street will remain closed for two and a half years, because after the sewer is diverted, crews will demolish the roadway that crosses over the Décarie Expressway and rebuild it in line with the new Turcot Interchange reconfiguration. The second part of the $ 64.9 million project, to demolish and rebuild the overpass, will only begin sometime next year, said Transport Quebec spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun. While the work on the sewer is being done around the clock, Bensadoun said it is not known at this time if the crew doing the work to demolish and rebuild the roadway will be able to work 24 hours. That will only be known during the process to award the contract. Bensadoun said if the work can be done on a 24- hour basis, it could significantly shorten the project’s total time frame.