My Alerts 
In light of the public consultation on the safety and comfort of pedestrians by the City of Montréal’s Commission sur le transport et les travaux publics, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Mr. Michel Labrecque, reiterated the importance of road network design and the use of public transit in making travel safe for pedestrians on the island of Montréal.
Montréal, May 21, 2013 – In light of the public consultation on the safety and comfort of pedestrians by the City of Montréal’s Commission sur le transport et les travaux publics, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Mr. Michel Labrecque, reiterated the importance of road network design and the use of public transit in making travel safe for pedestrians on the island of Montréal.
“The numbers demonstrate it: in addition to being safer for clients who use them, STM bus services are also safer for pedestrians. This means that by focusing on the development of public transit we will also be focusing on the safety of the public,” explained Mr. Labrecque.
Therefore, in its proposal, the STM is making the following three recommendations to the commission:
- Adopt a road network design approach for each corridor
This approach is aimed at advancing designs for the length of an axis road (wide sidewalks, preferential measures for buses and taxis, safe crossings, etc.) that promote service by public transit, reduce automobile speeds and give a significant place to active forms of transportation.
- Integrate design measures promoting bus services into infrastructure projects for public roads
When planning projects involving the reconstruction or development of road infrastructure, the city could take advantage of this to systematically rethink road-sharing and urban design so as to support active and public transportation. - Involve the STM in road network re-design and development projects
This recommendation supports the implementation of a collaborative mechanism between the city and the STM in areas involving the design of road networks.
“A great majority of our clients are pedestrians or cyclists at one time or another during their trips on our network. This is why we would like to participate in the reflection process and make recommendations that will enable us to develop public transit more effectively through well-thought-out design,” Mr. Labrecque concluded.
Some numbers
– The risk of being involved in an accident involving pedestrians when aboard an STM bus is from 2.5 to 10.8 times lower than when in an car.
– The risk of injuries associated with travelling on an STM bus is from 3 to 4.6 times less than that associated with a car.