rue Cazelais before
rue Cazelais after
The MTQ released its latest renderings on the future Turcot interchange for the first BAPE information session last night, adding what the Gazette called a few “green tweaks” to an increasingly controversial project. However, these “tweaks” may be best described a concerted campaign of green-washing so fanciful and disingenuous it strains credulity.
Take the images above. The renderings reveals that where turn-of-the-century triplexes now stand, the future rue Cazelais will contain a terrassed “park” with a lovely (although useless) footpath running alongside it. While this scene may seem surprisingly verdant considering this is a highway buffer, we are encouraged to believe that this greenery will grow as easily in real life as it is applied with Photoshop.
And the residents who live on Cazelais? Thanks to the MTQ’s support for housing programs like Accès-Logis (for which many residents will not be eligible, according to one housing worker present last night) new, affordable units will be built nearby. One presenter from the MTQ actually had the arrogance to suggest that these expropriations would be an improvement for residents, who in the future will no longer live so close to the highway. He neglected to mention residents on the south side, whose future neighbours will be moving at 100km/hr.
Or consider the MTQ’s token gesture for cyclists, a 5km trail running at the foot of the Falaise St. Jacques, connecting the new Turcot interchange to the Montreal-Ouest interchange, with absolutely nothing in between. Fortunately for the MTQ, no one pressed them on the subject.
But the most egregious green-washing (perhaps even lie) that reveals the present, near-hallucinatory state of MTQ officials was when Alain Dubé, the MTQ’s “Turcot Guru”, claimed that the project would be “carbon neutral”, thanks to the 300 000 square meters of land surrounding the highway. Did I hear that right? Do they actually think the slices of land between ramps will support mature plant growth while being steadily dusted with diesel fumes and salt dust? This comment reveals that the science and empiricism that supposedly guides this project is actually a thin veil for the colossal arrogance guiding the MTQ that apparently makes it impossible for their senior staff to back down. While credit is due to the junior staffer who jumped at the occasion to use this trendy term, the willingness of the MTQ to make such a baseless and absurd claim suggests that they will stoop to any level to sell this project.
Given the growing public discontent with the project, the new wave of PR is not surprising, however, this shameless green-washing takes it to another level. Fortunately, the 300+ attendees of the information session last night did not take kindly to the MTQ’s clumsy attempts to pull the wool pulled over their eyes. Critic blasted presenters on everything from housing to climate change, from specific ramps to the assumptions of continuous increasing car use underlying the project as a whole.
The experience last night confirms what I have long suspected: the only “tweaks” that will have any meaningful impact on the project will be the result of political pressure – either from the city or the province – not public consultations or perfunctory environmental hearings.
22 comments
I have NO idea how they are going to proceed with this. They’ll have to close the city.
Great article. I find it extremely relieving know the MTQ is being called out on their greenwashing, from a source I respect as much as this one.
Strong words are necessary, and you’ve delivered.
Maybe, but at least we’ll have a shiny new highway to drive on when it’s all done… Can’t wait!
Even their greenwashed images look creepy. I’ve rarely seen an “artist’s conception” in which the first picture (the nice old houses with trees in front) look better than the “improved” version – people walking from nowhere to nowhere. And the cyclist in the midst of an échangeur is too strange for words.
Well, I think it look beautiful — just like a park, in fact — cycle path, mature trees, not to mention only 6 vehicles using the road… forget the mountain or Parc Lafontaine — why, it’s so green I’m sure this’ll be the destination of choice for a nice picnic on Sundays once it’s all finished.
Maria, believe it! This is from a *real* cycle/pedestrian path in Surrey England:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zvileve/1111406200/in/set-72157601428965023/
I just find it hard to believe that they are that stupid and actually believe that the citizens of Montreal are even dumber. The only possible explanation is money. Someone is drooling at the thought of getting this project going, someone has been convinced to look at this as the logical way to go, and a lot of energy is going into selling this project. And our Mayor is almost totally silent over something that he should have very strong ideas about.
If only the MTQ had a little bit of pride and a sense of being contemporary. The whole world is moving forward on traffic issues. The scene has completely reversed from the 1950’s – today you do not want more cars going in and out of the city – yet there is the MTQ presenting a project that they hope increases capacity. It is the ’50’s all over again, except this time there is a lot of grass and shrubs (and in 10 years it will all get paved over anyway when they tell us it is too expensive to maintain the grass and shrubs).
Corruption is a very plausible explanation but it could also be fear – not easy to let go of certain traditional ideas, change can always be stressful, especially in a climate where none of our political leaders have the guts to step boldly into the future. We have no current leadership, only traditionalists from a time that is rapidly becoming irrelevant.
Mis à part le trottoir qui est dévié là où se trouvaient les maisons, plutôt que de demeurer plus près de la rue, je n’y vois aucune différence. Et aucun changement dans la configuration de la chaussée.
Effectivement, la photo “avant” est nettement plus attrayante que la photo “après”…
Well something’s got to be done, right? They’re going to pull down the crumbling and divisive (in so many ways) interchange and replace it with another highway, but this time with a little bit if green-awareness thrown in. So, keep pushing to ensure that it’s as green and people-friendly as it possibly can be.
Isn’t that what public consultations and open processes are all about? Maybe I’m naive, but I think political pressure includes You/Me/the Media.
Apparently, we have all adopted the logic of suburban developers for whom placing green sod and some saplings on something renders it “green space” and instantly credible and beautiful, much like puppies, sunsets and apple pie.
Picnic on Sundays?
Wasn’t there a post on here a while back about the tourist trap Orange restaurant thing on the Autoroute Décarie, and how people were going to come and have nice drinks while looking over the autoroute? Who thinks like this still? These green spaces will end up strewn with trash from the local Uniprix and McDonalds.
We should be asking for the Minister’s (figurative) head.
Something has to be done to stop this madness. There are a lot of good alternatives that just aren’t being discussed. the whole things stinks of something fowl.
Unfortunately, I don’t know how to stop them. The best I can offer to do is chain myself to a fence or something to try and stop the construction. I’ve never been arrested before but I think that for a cause like this it might be time to start!
What legal action can be taken to get the MTQ to listen to the people?
“Well something’s got to be done, right? They’re going to pull down the crumbling and divisive (in so many ways) interchange and replace it with another highway, but this time with a little bit if green-awareness thrown in. So, keep pushing to ensure that it’s as green and people-friendly as it possibly can be.”
That’s exactly the purpose of this post. I think it is far from unanimous the idea that the Turcot’s capacity must be increased.
(posted in english because it seems that my posts are being censored when I post in french).
I posted earlier about the fact that the government in power is the party of concrete, big business and corruption.
I just did not say that it is the party of the english, but it seems that even that is not necessary to get one’s posts deleted here.
What gives???
I think we have to be realistic about this project. It is a crossing of several major routes and the busiest interchange in all of Quebec. Without an efficient interchange, our traffic in most of central montreal will get much work.
Im curious if people here have other suggestions for what the MTQ should do
Arguably, the MTQ is the MTQ regardless of who is in power. Career bureaucrats.
Mayor Tremblay? Executive committee? Anyone at home? It is times like this when you miss Jean Drapeau’s ability to call the shots (good or bad).
This is an important interchange… the most important in our northeastern region…
I am sure the “idea” promoted by the detractors of the project is just to put a big barrier on the 20, 720 and both ends of 15 and tear down the existing interchange. Good way to paralyze the city and continue the unsustainable and irrational “kill the car” mentality that grows like a cancer in the brains of the Plateau hipsters…
PS for anyone who talks about pollution, go ask anyone over 40 about it… Montreal today has cleaner air, cleaner water, cleaner spaces than it ever has before.
They say smog warning sometimes, but the sky is still blue. There was a time when it was brown and tasted on your tongue.
Cars have never been cleaner, in fact the pollution produced by them is basically zero today (unless you consider CO2 as a pollution). And before long, electric cars will be running along, which in Montreal means zero carbon as well. It is coming.
@MB the capacity of the Turcot isn’t being increased. There are no extra lanes, nothing.
The capacity is slightly larger than the existing structure only by optimization and fixing some very dangerous curves and weaving zones where people have had many accidents. This allows the traffic to flow smoother.
But capacity doesn’t make any difference. There is a rated capacity per hour. If exceeded there is a traffic jam. But the cars will just pass a bit later in the day.
The capacity over the day could be said infinite, as the road is well under capacity in off-peak times… say noon, or 2 AM… and it is way over capacity at 1700 or 0830…
Cyrus,
The energy required to build Prius is equivalent to burning 3800 litres of gas.
Replacing the entire car fleet of North America by electric cars is incredibly energy expensive.
True that Hydro power could be used to charge the cars here in Quebec… however, no combination of alt-energy sources is rich enough to enable North Americans to keep up the “happy motoring” suburban scheme the way it is setup today.
– X
@Micheal Dunkleman: You asked “Im curious if people here have other suggestions for what the MTQ should do”
How about some large-scale public transportation projects? What about a decent commuter train and extension of the metro? Give transportation alternatives that are comfortable, affordable and convenient for residents who live outside of the core so they don’t have to drive. Is that so difficult to figure out?
If everyone who disagrees about the project writes a letter to Alain Dubé with his/her MP in cc., would that be a start for pressure?
I honestly think that it will be an improvement for the delapidated state in which this district is in now. I have passed by that district serval times and I would never live there in the state it is now it is not safe I believe this can only improve the district and not destroy it it will bring new homes and will help with the idea of a new and improved Montreal which is much needed in this place that I believe has been abandoned by the city.