Meet drivers halfway with parking at REM stations
George Monbiot recently wrote in The Guardian that the advantages of cars are now outweighed by their negative consequences.
Between ruining our planet, polluting our air, clogging our streets, mowing down pedestrians and cyclists and dominating so many aspects of our lives, cars, Monbiot argues, are killing us. He makes a compelling case for phasing them out within the decade.
It’s a radical prescription for our vehicle-dependent, fossil-fuel-guzzling society. And it’s one I tend to agree with — in principle.
But in practice, we are a long, long way from being able to achieve this — even if there was a strong consensus that it’s the right way to go. (Which, sadly, there is not in Montreal.)
Of course, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to wean ourselves from our reliance on cars. Our lives, our futures and the health of our planet depend on it. But getting there is unlikely to happen in one giant leap or bound. Realistically, it’s going to take many baby steps. It’s going to require pragmatism, creativity and compromise along the way — even though we’re running out of time.
Which brings me to the matter at hand. A Radio-Canada analysis last week revealed that plans for Réseau express métropolitain stations have shed more than 5,000 parking spots. The original blueprints for the commuter rail line being piloted by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec called for about 15,000 spaces along the 26-station network that extends from the South Shore, West Island, Laval and Deux Montagnes. But the latest version contains only about 10,000.
Many residents and mayors are up in arms wondering how they’re supposed to get to the train once it enters into service between 2021 and 2023. For suburbanites who live in sprawling bedroom communities with meandering streets, or who are dropping young children at daycare or school on their way to work, this is a fair question.
Let’s face it: the ’burbs aren’t made for walking and biking. Some neighbourhoods don’t have sidewalks, let alone cycling paths. And those on major thoroughfares often seem like an afterthought. Bus service is, frankly, a joke.
Plus, as Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Mayor Paola Hawa asked, what about riders from off-island towns like Vaudreuil-Dorion and Valleyfield who will drive across the bridge to board the REM? (Plans to extend the REM westward are still fuzzy and the redo of the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge does not include a railway corridor).
CDP Infra, the infrastructure arm of the Caisse, said its plans are still evolving. It is exploring arrangements with nearby shopping centres to use existing parking lots. And it is working on the premise that transit service will improve when the REM opens because express buses now heading downtown will be redeployed.
Besides, many have argued, the point is to design infrastructure that will transform our transit network and serve our needs in the future, not cater to the status quo.
There are many valid reasons for nixing acres of parking around REM stations, from the heat island effect of all that asphalt, to the fact we never seem to put a price on parking commensurate with its cost, to favouring the personal vehicle over biking, walking, taking transit, using taxis, carpooling and car-sharing.
But the $6.3-billion REM network is the biggest public transit investment Montreal has seen in decades. It is essential that people get on board in great number — not only for its viability, but to relieve the pressure on our highways, improve air quality, reduce our carbon emissions, better our health and hopefully minimize traffic in the congested city core.
As Quebec’s most recent inventory shows, transportation accounts for a significant and growing source of our emissions. Over the past decade, Quebecers have bought more cars, larger cars and driven them longer distances. So if we want to do our part to fight climate change, we must curb our car habit.
But at this point, the best way to get those who drive the most to leave their cars behind is to ensure they have somewhere to park when they take transit. Otherwise they’ll just keep driving until they reach their destination. Sure, it would be great if vehicles were simply left in driveways. But until there is good transit, proper sidewalks and safe bike lanes in the ’burbs — until we have the conditions that will make phasing out the car viable — vehicles will remain a necessity for many.
The REM is an important step in this direction, and getting suburbanites to use it is essential. But let’s meet drivers halfway by offering parking.