Thanks to a reader, parking spots freed up

Q St-Jacques St. in Old Montreal has had reserved signs on all its parking meters between St-Laurent Blvd. and Place D’Armes for several weeks. Why? Hershie Frankel, Montreal

A Well, it seems you are a modern-day hero, Hershie. Because of you, more people will soon be able to park in one of the most difficult areas of the city to find a spot.

The parking meters had reserved signs on them because there was work scheduled for the street and the contractor asked the city to reserve those spots so trucks could use them, said VilleMarie borough spokesperson Anik de Repentigny.

However, the work that was planned has been delayed and the meters were never freed up.

A request was made for the reserved signs to be removed and that should happen in the next few days, de Repentigny said.

Q On the Green Line of the métro, travelling between Guy to Peel stations (direction Honoré-Beaugrand), there is frequent, heavy braking. This jostles many passengers, especially those who are unaware, not paying attention, or not holding on to anything for support. It seems to me this is an accident waiting to happen, especially now summer holidays are over and métro cars are increasingly full. Why do the métro cars have to brake so strongly between these stations? Could conductors simply maintain a slower speed between the stations and eliminate the need for this? Kevin Dobie, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

A After making a few checks, there doesn’t seem to be a particular reason you are feeling sudden braking on the Green Line between Guy and Peel stations, said Amélie Régis, a spokesperson for the Société de transport de Montréal. One possibility is the trains you were on had new brakes, which tend to be more sensitive when engaged, she said. When trains approach areas of the underground where work is being done, they tend to slow down for security reasons. However, there is no work going on between those two stations, Régis said.

It should be noted the trains on the Green Line are the oldest in the métro system and are due to be replaced in the next few years by the new AZUR trains.

Approaching 50 years in age, the MR-63 cars have their share of mechanical problems, much more so than the MR-73 models, which are about 10 years younger, but are expected to last another 20 years, until at least 2036, according to the STM.

The MR-63s were built by Canadian Vickers using technology that was outdated by the time the MR-73s were built. As such, the STM says the MR63s break down at a rate that is 50-per-cent higher than their younger counterparts.

Q I have a question about Highway 25 southbound toward the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel: what is going on in this area? I see lots of construction, but no indication of what is happening. This area can become gridlocked any time of the day. Hector Talarico, Montreal

A Transport Quebec is working to improve the intersection of Highway 25 near Sherbrooke St. in order to give cars and trucks better access to the Port of Montreal. The project began in May, and is only due to be completed in 2018. The goal is to divert trucks off local roads by giving them more direct access to the port from the highway. The transport department also wants to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety in the area by revamping the intersection and adding a bike path.

There will be some road closings in place and detours put up while the work is underway.