Press release
The City of Montréal's transportation plan: A plan requiring careful study
Montreal, May 17, 2007 The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal takes note of the transportation plan unveiled today by the City of Montréal and will study it carefully over the next few weeks before formulating its detailed recommendations.
The plan presented by the City is an important one, not only because it addresses all aspects of transportation in the metropolis but also because it proposes medium- to long-term solutions. We therefore feel it deserves in-depth study, and we enthusiastically accept the City's invitation to present our detailed comments and recommendations during the public consultation to be held this summer, declared Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade.
That said, we would like to acknowledge the effort devoted to the preparation of this plan, which has the undeniable merit of giving high priority to substantive discussions about transportation and the infrastructures needed for the sound growth of Greater Montréal. Indeed, this is a crucial issue, as Montréal can improve its competitive position enormously by developing its transportation system, continued Hudon.
Of course, the question of funding the projects proposed in this plan requires careful study. In fact, it must not be addressed in isolation, without considering the larger question of the desired diversification of revenue sources available to the City of Montréal and the need to respect taxpayers' ability to pay. Along the same lines, the clear identification of priority actions also appears crucial to us, from both the perspective of ensuring the intelligent management of expenditures and that of making the implementation of this plan a concrete action, characterized by results and making Montrealers proud, added Hudon.
For the Board of Trade, the most important attitude to be adopted in both analyzing and implementing this plan is to aim not just to improve our transportation network but to make it the best. The excellence of this network in its design as well as in its management can potentially shore up the competitiveness of the metropolitan economy and inspire its residents. This is all the more true at a time when attention is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is, of course, in highly urbanized environments such as that of Montréal that public transit can be most efficient. By increasing the market share of public transit, Montréal could do much more than just improve the quality of life of its citizens: it could also help Quebec win a crucial battle in the fight against climate change, concluded Hudon.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montreal and to provide individuals, merchants and businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is the largest private organization in Quebec dedicated to economic development.
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Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca