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?

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

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...

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.

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...

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).

Im curious if people here have other suggestions for what the MTQ should do

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???

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.

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?

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.

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.

Effectivement, la photo "avant" est nettement plus attrayante que la photo "après"...

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.