Montréal passe aux actes

[m anderson]

It's true, driving on the Met is white-knuckle experience beyond anything I've ever come across.

 

That being the case, companies see it as being profitable to ship via trucks using the Met in its current congested condition. If the 30 were to open up, it would be more profitable to take that, yes; that however does not mitigate the fact a certain amount of transport by truck on the current infrastructure is profitable. If the amount of highway lanes through/around Montreal increases, it doesn't stand to reason that the amount of trucks using those lanes will remain the same. The opening of the 30 would increase the amount of trucks that can be sent through the Montreal area profitably, at the expense of transport by rail.

 

I suppose what I'm saying is that I doubt the opening of the 30 would reduce the amount of trucks on the island substantially, if at all. Each lane of traffic can carry such a little amount of freight-per-hour versus a rail line (around one 20th). If even a tiny proportion of rail-freight become profitable to ship via truck upon the opening of a new road, then new freight will fill in the gap and the old traffic will remain the same.

[mtlurb]

you may not be aware of it, but alot of trucking traffic is not from-to Montréal but only crossing to Ontario-EasternQuébec-Eastern Canada.

 

So obviously less trucks will be on the MET from the getgo, also don't forget the 30 will be a toll highway, these passing-by trucks will have to pay to pass by, they will be the ones paying for its maintenance.

 

On the long run, obviously, there will be more people in Montreal, existing industries will expand with more trucks with a stronger economy benefiting the city.

 

So in the end, there's no way around it, as long as we want our economy to be afloat, infrastructures will need to be upgraded and optimized.

[m anderson]

But you said it yourself: the 30 will be a toll highway! The profitability of shipping via the Met remains.

 

Yes, the traffic is inter-urban; this is the sort of freight that can be shipped by rail. One single rail line can carry the equivalent of 40,000 vehicles per hour; a highway lane can carry 2,000. Opening up a highway that could carry, idealistically, 8,000 vehicles per hour is like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

 

The added capacity will be filled immediately because the new highway represents such a minor change in terms of the total amount of freight transiting the Montreal region.

 

If one really wanted to get trucks off the Met, you could simply toll them. The railroads could easily pick up the excess demand; not to mention, tolling the Met would offset what is essentially a government subsidy to trucking companies; making railroads more competitive.

 

Trucks aren't an efficient way to ship long distance in any way. Only subsidized infrastructure makes long-range trucking profitable. Idealistically, trucks would be used to pick up freight from inter-modal rail terminals for short/mid-range deliveries.

[mtlurb]

Yes but be realist, the toll will be much lower in cost than a couple of hours in traffic on the met.

 

Tolling the met would hit hardly the manufacturing present on the island, they would move outside the island, the city would loose dozen of thousands of jobs.

 

You also seem to be unaware of the way manufacturers and retailers work, every heard of JIT delivery? companies don't want to pile up stocks waiting for the next train, they want to ship right away to unclutter their warehouses for the next batch of gizmos

 

We all know trains are much better, but boats are even more economic! But its beside the point.

 

Montreal is a major rail hub and if it was intresting for all these companies to use train they would already done it... they know what is best for their intrests.

[m anderson]

Point taken, JIT delivery does expand the market share for trucking dramatically.

 

Still, that being the case, I'd be stunned if the 30 isn't absolutely packed upon opening, with little to no improvement on the met. If infrastructure improves, I'll bet you the quantity of trucks using it will increase in turn.

[Habsfan]

I'd be stunned if the 30 isn't absolutely packed upon opening, with little to no improvement on the met. If infrastructure improves, I'll bet you the quantity of trucks using it will increase in turn.

 

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one!

[JCC-Fromthere]

Something that someone here could help me with; every time I come to Montreal, I take the met and the last few times, I counted the ratio of 10-wheelers/merchandise vs cars. It was never more than 5-10%

What gives? I am sure that the research has been properly done but from empirical evidence, it doesn't seem like commercial traffic is all that big on the met.

 

Any info about this?

[Habsfan]

Something that someone here could help me with; every time I come to Montreal, I take the met and the last few times, I counted the ratio of 10-wheelers/merchandise vs cars. It was never more than 5-10%

What gives? I am sure that the research has been properly done but from empirical evidence, it doesn't seem like commercial traffic is all that big on the met.

 

Any info about this?

 

I assume you usually arrive in Montreal on friday's? In the late Afternoon?

 

My guess is that there are less trucks out on the road on friday afternoons!

[m anderson]

Oh god, I just realized this has little to nothing to do with the actual subject of the thread. We'll agree to disagree, but if and when the 30 ever gets completed, someone is buying someone else a beer.

[Habsfan]

Oh god, I just realized this has little to nothing to do with the actual subject of the thread. We'll agree to disagree, but if and when the 30 ever gets completed, someone is buying someone else a beer.

 

Agreed! However, I do think that it might take a while before we can actually see the results. We'll know by 2014...or around that date!