Why I hate the REM… and you should too !

courtesy
Michael Fish

Michael Fish, special Collaboration

Saturday, February 3, 2018 05:00

UPDATE
Saturday, February 3, 2018 05:00

Look at this article

1 – The Bureau d’audiences publiques du Québec (BAPE) has found nothing positive to the project of electrical Network metropolitan (REM) Michael Sabia of Caisse de dépôt. It has believed any of their claims.

2 – It has been estimated that the routes of the South Shore, from Two Mountains and the Airport will provide at great cost a less good service than currently exists, especially during peak hours. The plot A40 is condemned, because it was useless and harmful.

3 – Neither convenient nor comfortable, the REM does not provide any time-saving travel for users, in particular because of connections at its stations.

4 – Neither the privatization of these systems, or the sale of the tunnel strategic under the Mont-Royal have been performed following the consultations provided for by law, and no evidence of benefits for public finance and governance had been made.

5 – The REM, too expensive because of its massive infrastructure, has been imposed, without comparative studies, by two people who are not qualified, MM. Philippe Couillard and Michael Sabia.

6 – Following the filing of the report of the BAPE, the public meetings organized by the Caisse did not allow the critics to speak.

7 – real estate Investor major, the Fund seems to have chosen the REM and its routes to direct all traffic to its properties around the Central Station, as well as to its tall buildings to come around the stations REM remote from the city centre.

8 – The real estate development in the suburbs planned by the Fund shall be carried out without local democracy, without respect for the right of the citizen to the protection of his property. The Fund has obtained rights of expropriation unconstitutional, allowing it to acquire a large portfolio of real estate around stations remote from the REM, a current value of more than five billion.

9 – This is a classic case of urban sprawl, forced, rejected by the planners. These future buildings will generate cars, greenhouse gas emissions, road congestion and, over the longer trips. If the REM is built, the real-estate projects “structuring” of the Fund and speculators will force the region free of agricultural land and the destruction of wetlands, natural areas or parks are currently protected from development wild.

10 – In addition, the REM will generate itself a greenhouse gas, because of the concrete and steel that will be used to build stations and rails.

11 – Before and after the BAPE report, all the independent experts local have rejected publicly the project of the REM as proposed.

12 – Gagged, experts, important to the use of the STM and AMT have not been able to speak of the REM due to the withdrawal of the law protecting whistleblowers.

13 – A new train station, long distance at cost non-budgeted $ 1 billion is needed now because of the sale of the tunnel. It may be necessary to establish the Train High-Frequency (TGF) Quebec city-Montreal-Toronto-Windsor on the south shore of the St. Lawrence river to reach the town.

14 – the report of The BAPE would have had to result in the rejection of the REM. It now belongs to the municipalities of the region and especially to the new administration of Project Montreal to act… or to take responsibility for its construction.

Michael Fish is an architect and is helping to protect the protection of urban heritage for more than 60 years.