The Official Opposition at Montréal City Hall held a press conference to denounce the Plante administration’s inaction in managing roadblocks and to provide solutions. Like many Montrealers in the back-to-school season, they’re dismayed to see that the headaches persist, almost a year and a half after the Sommet sur les chantiers, which was supposed to revolutionize the coordination of construction work across the metropolis.
The most recent assessment from the Sommet shows that over 60% of the recommendations made by the partners have not been implemented. Incomplete actions include the creation of guidelines for mitigation measures, the development of a common platform with all project owners, and the evaluation of contractors’ performance in managing traffic impacts.
“There is a real problem of culture and a lack of political will to make travelling around Montréal easier. In fact, poor work site management and communication between all partners have both worsened since the Plante administration came to power,” reproached Alan DeSousa, the Official Opposition’s spokesperson on road infrastructure.
In particular, he cited a document obtained by Ensemble Montréal, which reveals that Mobilité Montréal’s communications committees and sub-committees did not meet in 2023 during regular meetings. This committee brings together all the partners, including the City of Montréal and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
“Congestion has incalculable costs in terms of lost productivity, mental health and the environment. Many other cities are using technology to ease traffic jams. Montréal is years behind in the use of real-time data to maximize and prioritize mobility, particularly in terms of traffic light synchronization. The Montréal administration should be more proactive in finding solutions, and that means hiring a Mobility Commissioner,” lamented traffic expert Rick Leckner.
Solutions do exist
Ensemble Montréal urges the Plante administration to study the introduction of dynamic rates based on the surface area occupied by private and public site managers. The aim is to limit the amount of space obstructed, for example by deploying smaller site trailers or less cumbersome signage.
The City of Montréal should also innovate by encouraging other methods of awarding contracts, as opposed to the current system of prioritizing the lowest bidder. This would allow greater emphasis to be placed on special clauses, such as the duration of the work and innovative solutions offered by bidders.
A work planning system that encompasses all stakeholders, including boroughs, public agencies and private contractors, must also be implemented as soon as possible.
Finally, the administration must accelerate the deployment of innovative technologies to offer Montrealers efficient, sustainable alternatives for their trips around town, as it promised to do five years ago. In fact, the City of Montréal received $50 million from the federal government in 2019 to do just that as part of the Smart Cities Challenge.
