Public Transit Advocates Push for Increased Investments in Quebec
Public transit advocates in Quebec are urging political parties to commit to boosting investments in public transportation following reports of declining services. A recent analysis by TVA revealed that wait times for evening service on certain STM routes in Montreal have tripled over the past decade, despite fare increases. Notably, some routes experienced a significant decrease in service frequency, with wait times on Route 121 more than doubling from 10 to 24 minutes after 8 p.m., even though it’s one of the busiest lines according to STM.
Last year, the transit agency raised the monthly pass price to $110, marking a five per cent increase that surpassed inflation levels, as reported by Trajectoire Québec, a public transit advocacy group. Brian Nash, a spokesperson for the group, criticized this trend, stating, “It is unacceptable for users to pay more for deteriorating service post-pandemic.”
STM’s annual report highlighted a 6.6 per cent decrease in passenger trips in 2025 compared to the previous year, citing reasons such as regional population decline and worker strikes. In response, STM spokesperson Amélie Régis emphasized that various factors influence service levels, including urban transformations, demographic changes, and infrastructure projects like the REM and SRB Pie-IX.
Addressing concerns, Régis pointed out that STM has only recovered 80 to 85 per cent of pre-pandemic ridership levels. Notably, the agency plans to restore service levels to 95 per cent of 2019 standards in 2026 for both buses and the metro.
In a recent open letter, Trajectoire Québec urged parties to allocate at least 50 per cent of transportation infrastructure investments to public transit and to increase annual funding for transit agencies by five per cent. The group criticized the previous government for cutbacks and emphasized the need for investments in STM’s metro system, a transit corridor in Montreal’s East End, and a tramway between Gatineau and Ottawa.
Keyphrase: Quebec public transportation
