Segacs's World I Know

Posts Tagged ‘transit’

Our roads, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, heck, pretty much all of our infrastructure is coming apart at the seams. This weekend’s collapse of part of the Ville-Marie Expressway was only the latest incident in a long list of signs that our road system is literally falling apart.

Cartoonist Yvon Roy has proposed three new designs to Transport Quebec for road signs:

The critical problems with the Ville-Marie were known about as early as 2008. And, as with the Turcot, the Champlain Bridge, the Mercier Bridge, and – tragically, the De La Concorde Overpass that collapsed in 2006, city and provincial officials are long on finger-pointing and blame, and short on solutions.

The best example of a picture saying a thousand words might have come from the Catholic Church, which, last April, posted a billboard urging people to pray before driving across the Champlain Bridge.

Looks like when Josh Freed predicted that we might soon be prisoners on the island of Montreal, he was a little too close to the mark.

Dear Bixi,

I wanted to like you. I really really did.

I’d heard such great things about you in your first two years of operations. How your system was innovative. Green. How it was encouraging more people to cycle, reducing traffic congestion, and promoting healthy habits. How convenient and easy and affordable it was. How nice it was to be able to take a bike whenever you want, without having to worry about getting it home, locking it up, maintaining it, or having it stolen.

I didn’t sign up for the first two years, because I lived walking distance from my office. Now, I’m just far enough to have to take public transit, but I thought that Bixi would be a superb solution for 4 or 5 months of the year. This summer, I decided, was the year I would Bixi.

I had some concerns, to be sure. The ride home from my office includes some relatively steep uphill, and I wasn’t sure how much fun that would be on the clunky, heavy Bixi. I’d heard that it was occasionally hard to find a docking station or a bike. A city built on a hill, like Montreal, is inevitably going to end up with a bunch of bikes at the bottom of the hill — especially when Bixi so conveniently gives you the lazy option of biking down and metroing back up. I was a little nervous about biking in downtown city traffic, after being so out of practice on two wheels. But the network of bicycle paths, well maintained by the city and conveniently linking home to office, encouraged me to give it a try.

A first test

It was early May and after weeks of cold and rainy weather, the sun had finally come out. I left the office on one of those perfect spring days, and I just couldn’t bring myself to face the dark tunnel of the metro when it was so beautiful outside. So, on a whim, I entered my credit card at the Bixi station nearest to my office (in Vieux-Montreal, near Square-Victoria) and paid $5 for a 24-hour membership. I punched in the code, wheeled a bike out of the dock, and off I went.

It was a bit wobbly for the first few minutes, and I found the frame to be a bit big for my height and size, making the handlebars awkwardly far from the seat. Still, I got used to it pretty quickly, figuring out how to use the gear shift and controls and even the built-in bell. Not bad. Just like riding a bike.

The path along the waterfront was great. The uphill along the Berri bike path was a bit of a challenge, and I was huffing and puffing by the time I got to the top of Sherbrooke. Still, that just encouraged me even further; surely, biking that route daily would be a great way to get back into shape. And I couldn’t wait to try it downhill the next morning.

When I got to the Bixi station nearest to my apartment in the Plateau, I was at about 27 minutes out of the free 30 that you get with the one-off membership. (Annual subscribers get 45 minutes for free). Unfortunately, there were no free docks available, but I was able to enter my credit card and obtain credit for an extra 15 minutes. The next station over had free docks, so I headed a couple of blocks away and parked it, no problem. I was high on Bixi at that point, ready to sign up on the spot.

The next morning, however, didn’t go so well.

Before leaving the house, I checked the Bixi website, and saw that all three stations near my apartment were listed as having several bikes available. I set out and walked to the nearest one, entered my credit card to get an unlock code and… nothing. There were bikes there, but the ability to rent one was greyed out on the terminal. I thought it was just me at first, and tried it again, but nothing. Nada. Zip.

So I walked two blocks away to the next station. Once again, there were a half-dozen bikes available, but there didn’t seem to be any way of renting them. Frustrated now, I walked over to a third station, where the exact same thing happened.

I dug out my cell phone and called the customer service number, and was placed on hold for nearly 15 minutes (at 20 cents a minute on my PAYG, I might add). I started walking toward the metro, since I was nearing a half-hour late for work and I couldn’t keep standing around by the bikes like some kind of loser. When I finally got through to an agent, I reported the problem. Apparently there was a system-wide problem where all the stations in Montreal were experiencing technical difficulties that morning, and nobody was able to rent bikes.

The whole system is down, I argued. I can’t use the 24-hour membership that I paid for. Surely I’m entitled to a refund.

We’ll request it, he said. But there’s no telling if you’ll get it or when it will be. And no, I can’t give you any way to follow up on that request.

At this point, the wasted time was far more valuable than the wasted $5. I hung up.

So far, a 50% failure rate wasn’t looking too encouraging, and was making me reconsider the whole endeavour.

Second test

Flash forward three weeks. By this point, I’d decided that I would give Bixi another chance. In the last week of May, I signed up for an annual membership online. Come June 1st, I didn’t renew my STM monthly pass, figuring I’d buy individual tickets for those days when I couldn’t Bixi, and rely on biking the rest of the time. I even went out and picked up a snazzy new helmet.

A week later and it was June already and my key still hadn’t arrived in the mail. This was compounded by Canada Post’s strike – not Bixi’s fault, of course, but just an added frustration. Still, the weather was nice, and I’d already used far too many individual STM tickets, so I decided to take out another 24-hour membership while I waited for the key to show up.

This time, the problems started almost immediately. The station nearest to my house had 4 bikes (out of 9 spots), but every single one of them was broken – 3 flat tires and one broken chain. I’d been hearing about an increase in defective bikes, speculated to be caused at least partly by vandalism. Apparently the rumours were true. Anyway, I dutifully went to the next station a couple of blocks down and picked up a bike and was off.

My ride to work that morning – all downhill – took exactly 11 minutes. It was fun, coasting downhill in the summer breeze. I could really get used to this as my primary means of commuting, I thought.

Before I’d left the house, I’d checked the site to see if there would be any docks available near my office. There appeared to be a significant number available at the nearby stations,  so I figured I’d find one by the time I got there.

Unfortunately. that was not to be. I went to five different Bixi stations to try to park the bike. Each one of them thought it had available docks, but the docks were broken and didn’t recognize the parked Bixi. To make matters worse, the stations – assuming they had available spots – didn’t allow for a time credit for an extra 15 minutes of time.  I tried using the tool on the station to find spots at nearby docks, but none were found other than the broken ones. Another hapless Bixi-er who I met at one of the stations had his iPhone app loaded, and was looking for parking. He said it indicated that there were no available docks anywhere in the neighbourhood, or anyplace close by.

Once again, out came the cell phone and I called the customer service line. Once again, I was put on hold for nearly 15 minutes. This may not seem like a lot, but when you’re being charged by the minute for your phone, by Bixi for your overtime, when you’ve already wasted 20 minutes going station to station, and when you’re late for work on top of everything else, it’s a serious hassle.

When the agent came on the line, I explained the issue and he checked the system. He suggested two nearby stations that he said had docks available, but I’d just come from both of them and knew those docks were broken – which I reported as such. His next suggestion was for me to stay with the bike while he called dispatch to send a technician out. But when he put me on hold to check how long that would take, he said that nobody could come anytime soon. Instead, he wanted me to keep the bike – bring it into my office or whatever – and he said that I would be refunded for the extra usage charge later.

Yeah, right. I explained I’d requeted a refund nearly a month earlier for the last time I tried Bixi and had problems. That had never arrived. Why should I trust him? Besides, I had nowhere to store the Bixi. That’s the whole reason I was using Bixi in the first place, so I wouldn’t have to lock it and store it and be responsible for it.

Three strikes, you’re out

I explained that I’d signed up for an annual subscription but the key still hadn’t arrived. Cancel it, I said, Cancel it and refund me my money, as well as today’s money, since after this experience, it’s obvious that Bixi is just more trouble than it’s worth. There’s no way I will be able to rely on it as any kind of daily means of transportation.

As of right now, that refund is still pending. Not to mention, the hapless bike, which I left at the broken dock, and half expect to be charged for, despite clearly letting the agent on the phone know that I’d already spent nearly an hour with him and if he couldn’t offer any kind of solution for me, then it was no longer my responsibility. If they try to charge me for it, I’ll fight it, of course.

Bixi, you were a great idea in theory. But you have too many problems this year. Ridership is up, sure, but you have far too many broken bikes and broken docks. There are no bikes available in the Plateau in the mornings or downtown in the afternoons, and vice-versa for the docking stations. The redistribution of bikes from one station to the next, which from what I understand was relatively efficient last year, seems nonexistent this year. There don’t seem to be enough employees or resources to cope with the multitude of problems. And Bixi is getting into PR problems regarding its financial viability, the ads on the bikes, and its business model.

In short, it’s a great idea that is being poorly executed. And in the meantime, I have unfortunately gone back to public transit. the STM may have frequent metro breakdowns, bus re-routings, and all kinds of other issues, but it now has a claim to fame, too: More reliable than Bixi.

And how sad is that?

Once again, it’s that time of year when Montreal pays lip service to being green with the AMT’s annual Car-Free Day.

This event is touted as a great chance to change people’s habits. In fact, it’s anything but. It’s just a stunt, designed to get some media attention while changing exactly nothing. This is the seventh year that this event is being held, and in that time, car usage has gone up, not down. The small closure zone and the fact that it takes place at off-peak hours will mean that most people probably won’t even notice it. And those who do notice were either already part of the converted, or will just be further put off by the ongoing attack on car users without providing viable alternatives.

Hey, anti-car activists, here’s a novel idea: Instead of focusing endlessly on disincentives to car usage – of which there are already plenty – how about focusing on some incentives to alternative modes of transport?

Commando Trad in Papineau metro station:

(Hat tip: Rae.)

On the way home today, the STM bus driver on my route not only greeted every passenger with a friendly “bonjour”, but he proceeded to announce the direction and terminus of the bus, as well as every stop along the route.

What city is this and what have they done with Montreal? What’s next, roads without potholes?

If this was the initiative of one lone bus driver, kudos to him. If this reflects some sort of new STM policy – and I highly doubt that it does – then it’s about damn time.

Now if only they could get the buses to show up on schedule…

• The new Montreal transit chief – get this – actually uses public transit! What a concept! He’s even promised to ride the bus out to the west island to see for himself what a disaster the system is out there. Will it lead to improvements? Stay tuned.
• Meanwhile in Ottawa, citizens who’ve been held hostage by the OC Transpo strike, now in its 51st day, might get a reprieve in the form of back to work legislation. For their sake, here’s hoping.
• Back in Montreal, the snow removal crews walked off the job in the middle of a blizzard just in time for afternoon rush hour yesterday. They’re upset because of a payment dispute, and, as is typical for union workers, they believe that gives them the right to endanger people’s lives.
• In more union news, York University students head back in class this week after the government passed legislation forcing striking CUPE members back to work after nearly three months. But, as new blogger Chris reports, this may be only the tip of the iceberg.
• More strikes in France? So what else is new?

Looks like there will be a transit strike in Ottawa. Barring a last-minute deal, workers are set to walk off the job at midnight. In the middle of snowy, blizzardy weather. With no alternate means of transport for the thousands of people who will be left stranded.

The union workers are being offered a 7% raise over three years. Most of the people who rely on public transit for their livelihood would kill for that kind of cushy deal. The people hit hardest by transit strikes are the poor, the elderly, students, and those who have the fewest options. Many of them won’t be able to get to work. Many of them will likely lose pay or even their jobs. But the OC Transpo union still sees fit to hold the public hostage in its attempts to negotiate for more.

Once again, this only illustrates how incompatible unions are with public monopolies. A strike in the private sector targets the employer; a strike in the public sector targets the public. Whatever your stance on labour issues, it’s obvious that the system is broken.

To those of you in Ottawa: Good luck.

Colleen Newvine Tebeau of the Associated Press writes about her experience moving from the car culture of Michigan to the walk and subway culture of the Big Apple, and adapting to not having a car. Among her tips: Grocery shop for fewer items more often, wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and learn to multi-task.

Montreal, like New York City, is a great place to be vehicle-free. Getting rid of the car is greener, cheaper, healthier and less stressful overall. Of course, there are some drawbacks, most notably our much harsher winters, but it can still be done.

For Montrealers looking to eschew the car in favour of the old BMW (bus, metro, walk) methods, I’ll add the following pointers:

• Consider car-sharing. CommunAuto is a great option for urban dwellers who only occasionally need a car for things like road trips, suburban excursions, or Ikea shopping trips. CommunAuto has cars available in convenient parking lots all over the city, and for a small fee and a bit of advance planning, you can take advantage of the conveniences for a fraction of the price and headaches.
• Learn the underground routes. For a good part of the winter, when the weather is less-than-pleasant, learning the maze of the Underground City is a great way to make your walks more pleasant… and even get some shopping done on the way. The STM site provides a helpful map of the underground networks around downtown.
• Invest in good winter boots. In the winter, nothing matters more than having the right boots. They should be high enough to protect your clothing from slush and snowbanks, give you enough traction to navigate icy sidewalks, and be comfortable enough to walk distances, all while keeping you warm. The right pair of boots can be worn daily, so it’s worth spending a bit extra. I like La Canadienne boots a lot.
• Get a backpack. A small backpack is more practical than a purse or a shoulder bag for walking around a lot. You can also carry home purchases and groceries more easily, and reduce waste by cutting back on plastic bags. For when you want to be a bit more stylish, stash the purse inside the backpack, and change it over at the same time as you’re changing your shoes.
• Discover specialty shops. Forget the big supermarkets; the best fruits, veggies, meat and condiments can be found local neighbourhood specialty stores. Shopping at smaller stores means you’ll buy less at each stop, making it easier to transport home on foot. And the quality is much higher, too. One of my favourite spots for food splurges is La Vieille Europe. The markets – Atwater and Jean-Talon – are great options, too.
• Have a Plan B. Giving up your car means giving up some freedom and some control. With service outages, strikes and general stoppages, the metro and the bus can sometimes be horribly inconvenient. Have a usual route and an alternate route to get where you need to be, just in case you’re left stranded.

There is a lot that the city could do to improve the quality of public transportation, and to make walking and cycling easier options. But that’s the subject of another post altogether.

It’s the middle of September, which means that the city’s traffic woes are back in full swing. It seems that, regardless of the transportation method you choose, you’re pretty much SOL these days. We’ve got:

• Russian bridge roulette. Take the Champlain Bridge to work? You may be taking your life in your hands, according to an SRC report over the weekend that exposed severe damage to the structure. The government’s answer? Yeah, it’s bad, but other bridges are worse. Comforting.
• Metro woes. This week’s metro stoppages on the orange line, which left thousands of passengers stranded, were supposedly caused by “excessive humidity” over the weekend that shorted out the electrical circuits. There’s nothing quite like being packed into a crowded metro train at rush hour like sardines, and having the power go out in the middle of the tunnel.
• Bus overcrowding. With fewer buses on the road, the all-too-familiar experiences of packing onto a bus like a sardine in a can is once again the realities for anyone unlucky enough to be stuck taking the bus to work. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to live near the beginning of a route; for those later in the route, good luck getting a bus to even stop.
• On Two Wheels. Cycling is a great solution for about 8 months a year in Montreal, if you’re crazy enough to take your life in your hands every day. I’m not. So I don’t cycle. If you do, however, make sure to lock your bike indoors, as bike thefts are reportedly on the rise.
• Walk, walk, walk. That’s been my preferred solution to all of the above, especially in this nice, crisp fall weather. I’m lucky enough to live a mere half-hour walk from my office. By walking, I manage to avoid crowded buses, metro stoppages, traffic, parking and construction, and even stop for a cup of coffee on the way. As I walk past traffic inching along at a snail’s pace, I can’t help but laugh at the unenlightened. At least until the minus-30 temperatures hit, this is definitely the way to go. Here are some great walking to work tips.

Quebec’s transport minister is going to introduce a bill to, among other things, ban cellphone use on highways.

This is the way the tide has been moving for a while now, all over the world. So I can’t say I’m too surprised. I even understand the arguments for it. Distracted drivers are dangerous, and cell phone use is distracting, no doubt.

But I still strongly disagree with the ban, for several reasons:

• Plenty of other distractions exist aside from cell phones. Are we also going to ban fumbling with the radio dial, sipping morning coffee, talking to passengers, dealing with crying children in the backseat, driving while distracted, or driving while tired? Where does it end?
• Cell phones reduce stress, which in turn reduces accidents. Who do you think the better driver is going to be? The person driving erratically through traffic to get to a client meeting on time? Or the one who can simply phone ahead and explain that the traffic has caused a delay, and then relax and drive the rest of the way there without panicking?

• Cell phones are most useful in cars when there’s an emergency. The man who phones ahead to the hospital to let them know that his wife is in labour and they’re on their way in surely doesn’t deserve a ticket.

• On very long drives, it can actually help to phone someone and talk to them, to avoid road fatigue and to stay alert.

• Truckers, bus drivers and taxi drivers communicate via CB or central radio dispatches. Are there plans to ban those practices too? If not, why not? If the excuse is because to them it’s useful, then consider that to many individuals, the ability to talk on the phone while driving is also useful. What’s good for the goose ought to be good for the gander, after all.

• It’s a naked revenue grab. Too many people are bound to break this law, resulting in higher ticketing revenue for the government.

• It’s a politics-only move. Like restricting liquids on planes. It plays into the stereotypes of the evil, SUV-driving suburbanites with their cell phones wreaking havoc on the roads. It doesn’t really make anyone safer, it just makes people feel safer. In my opinion, that’s a shoddy reason to restrict personal freedom.

The point is, this is probably going to be law, one way or the other. It’s too unpopular, politically, to make arguments against a total ban. But it’s a waste of a law. To truly improve our road safety, energy could be better focused elsewhere.