Welcome to the Montreal metro

[Kilgore Trout]

considering how many photos i've taken of montreal over the past number of years, i have surprisingly few of the metro. i'm down there riding the blue subway trains everyday but, because the system is entirely underground and the lighting is generally quite poor, taking photos can be a frustrating experience.

still, i'll share what i've got with a bit of exposition along the way.

montreal's metro opened in 1966, just in time for the 1967 world's fair. ambitious expansion projects in the 1970s and 80s left it with four lines spanning 64 kilometres and 65 stations. unfortunately, 1988 marked the last time a new metro station opened: the 1990s were a time of recession and stagnating public infrastructure. the system was virtually falling apart by the end of the decade.

luckily, increased maintenance has enabled the trains --- on one of the lines, we're still using the originals from 1966 -- to perform well. an ill-advised, 5.2-kilometre extension to the off-island suburb of laval will add another three stations to the network. the fare system will be overhauled by 2008 with smart cards. in 2011, montreal's oldest subway cars will finally be replaced.

so that's that. let's take a brief tour, shall we?

many of montreal's metro entrances were built as stand-alone kiosks, often with an integrated bus loop. (downtown and in a handful of other cases, they are integrated into larger buildings.) this annoys me to no end because these kiosks seem quite pointless --- storefront entrances or a simple hole in the ground would have worked better and been less disruptive to the streetscape.

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you pass through the turnstile with one of these...

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and then down you go.

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while heading down one of the metro's interminable series of escalators, or one of its interminable corridors, you might pass a busker. my favourites include an old chinese guy who plays the accordion with gusto, a sitar-player and this guy, the triflutist.

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bring your own chair if you want a seat while you wait for a train. frequencies range from 2 minutes at rush hour to 10 minutes in the late evening.

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sooner or later, the train will come...

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time to pack on.

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sometimes the metro just makes you so depressed.

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other times, not so much.

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inevitably, you will reach your destination, alight and head for the exit.

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before leaving you must push through one of these heavy butterfly doors. when two metro trains leave a station at the same time, it creates so much suction that opening a regular door requires 75 pounds of force.

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merci d'avoir voyagé avec la STM.

[keninhalifax]

Depressed? No! Happy metro!

Thanks for the great tour, KT. I very much esteem Montréal for its fantastic rapid transit system.

[CMD UW]

Thanks for those pics. I agree, there aren't enough pics of the STM on SSP.

Thanks Kilgore!

[Wooster]

ah the rubber tires. Good Idea actually. I like Montreal's metro stations. Much nicer than Toronto's.

[Canuck]

Indeed, their stations usually have a bit more flair to them.

[Arriviste]

I've always enjoyed using the Metro. Weird sounds, thats for sure.

[RaoulDuke]

many of montreal's metro entrances were built as stand-alone kiosks, often with an integrated bus loop. (downtown and in a handful of other cases, they are integrated into larger buildings.) this annoys me to no end because these kiosks seem quite pointless --- storefront entrances or a simple hole in the ground would have worked better and been less disruptive to the streetscape.

Good idea, this thread on the Montreal metro; thanks for sharing your pics. As for the stand-alone kiosks, I agree that they can be disruptive to the streetscape but the imperatives of our climate gave designers little choice. Just imagine all those simple holes in the ground after a major dumping of wet snow.

For all those interested in urban transit and Montreal's metro specifically, you should check out metrodemontreal.com (http://www.metrodemontreal.com/) which was put together by a guy from Winnipeg.

[someone123]

Montreal's metro is interesting for its specific technology and 1960s aesthetic. As for the stations, they are natural neighbourhood focal points and the spaces out front are actually used. I don't think that the kiosk design is necessarily a bad thing.

Toronto's original stations are simple but the ones that haven't had ugly redesigns are generally pretty elegant, with a common typeface used for signage and simple colour schemes. Newer stations built in the 1970s and later are more like Montreal's stations but are kind of mixed when it comes to attractiveness.

[SSLL]

Nice pictures. The half-dozen or so times I've ridden le métro, I've not seen such great angles, lighting, etc.

[Kilgore Trout]

As for the stand-alone kiosks, I agree that they can be disruptive to the streetscape but the imperatives of our climate gave designers little choice. Just imagine all those simple holes in the ground after a major dumping of wet snow.

i knew someone would bring up the climate... but they work in toronto, moscow, new york, boston and, in fact, they also work in montreal: what about the parisian metro entrance at square victoria? it's exactly the kind of "hole in the ground" that i'm talking about.

[WHY-T]

Thanks for such a thread!!! I've always liked riding the metro. Something about the station designs, the trains that makes it interesting. I find it a more pleasant system to use than, say, Toronto's, which is strictly functional and utilitarian in design.

i knew someone would bring up the climate... but they work in toronto, moscow, new york, boston and, in fact, they also work in montreal: what about the parisian metro entrance at square victoria? it's exactly the kind of "hole in the ground" that i'm talking about.
The one at Sq-Victoria is an open staircase down but there's still a set of those swing doors at the bottom of the stairs. In Toronto, I think only those stations in downtown core (University-Yonge Line) have ground "hole" exits, most others also have stand-alone kiosks or integrated bus terminus. The open hole exits are not too different from kiosks, but I think people would prefer the kiosks because they provide surface level shelters and cut off the cold air rushing into the stations.

[SpongeG]

Twat!

[Only The Lonely..]

Winnipeg was supposed to have built a subway in the 50's / 60's ..

Damn shortsightedness..



History of Winnipeg's Subway

In 1959, when renowned civil engineer Norman D. Wilson was asked to examine Winnipeg's long-term transportation options, his report recommended building a subway.

A subway? you say. We can't afford it; Winnipeg's too small! Norman D. Wilson didn't think so, and neither did the editors of the Winnipeg Tribune. Because of our winters, and our rivers, the subway seemed a perfect fit—a warm, indoor ride with six new high-capacity river crossings.

Wilson admitted the expense would be gigantic—up to $500 Million 1959 dollars—but prophesied that if we failed to build, Winnipeg would suffer. Parking lots would become more valuable than buildings, giving land owners incentive to demolish. Cars would take over our downtown.

"In fact if a metropolitan city were to be wholly or even largely dependent on the private automobile for transportation, so much space would be taken up in roadways and so little left for business purposes, as to destroy the value of the district for the business uses that attracted the traffic in the first place."
—Norman D. Wilson


So close..

Metro Winnipeg Transit Commission chairman Jack Blumberg was backing it. Legendary Transcona Metro Councillor Bernie Wolfe was also. Metro planning director Earl Levin too. The system was so close to being built that in 1968 the Winnipeg Area Transportation Study surveyed the ground for the subway's construction.

Winnipeg today

History has proved Wilson right. Steadily since the 1955 loss of our streetcar system, downtown Winnipeg lost its status as a shopping and entertainment district—the landscape is dominated by office buildings and surface-level parking lots. Thugs, beggars, and substance-abusing derelicts dominate our devalued streets. Once-mighty Main Street is a shambles—between the run-down hotels and emergency shelters lie vacant buildings and empty lots. Low land values have for too long made impossible the infill development that would make our inner city successful, bustling, and attractive to suburbanites and tourists seeking the cultural novelty of busy, diverse street life.






Nice work Montreal.

[WHY-T]

Winnipeg was supposed to have built a subway in the 50's / 60's ..

Damn shortsightedness..





Nice work Montreal.
Interesting info. I never knew there was ever plans for subway in Winnipeg!

I'm not familiar with Winnipeg...but would it still be feasible to consider some kind of rail or LRT service in the region (e.g. Calgary/Edmonton)? or maybe extensive bus service is better (like Ottawa)?

[Only The Lonely..]

Interesting info. I never knew there was ever plans for subway in Winnipeg!

I'm not familiar with Winnipeg...but would it still be feasible to consider some kind of rail or LRT service in the region (e.g. Calgary/Edmonton)? or maybe extensive bus service is better (like Ottawa)?

A Winnipeg LRT system has been on the books dating back to when my parents were kids. Every now and then the idea gets popular only to be later defeated by some stupid rogue councilor..or mayor.

At one time in the 70's Winnipeg wanted to build a monorail system. I'll have to find the pictures of the model and post them to here sometime.

[DC83]

AHHHH I LOVE the Metro!!

This is the most accurate description of a Montreal metro ride EVER!
Awesome job, Kilgour!
You've made me miss Montreal even more now!
Should have showed the trip from the Blue line platform to the exit for Station Jean-Talon... HI, could it take any longer to get out?!

Speaking of Buskers, watch out!!
ONCE @ Lionel-Groulx, this guy was playing his synthesizer (sp?) AMAZINGLY... then he stopped playing, and then music kept going... it was the "demo".
Needless to say he got no money from me! SCAMMER!! haha

[Kilgore Trout]

i think i remember that guy. there was also the michael jackson impersonator and yet another guy with a keyboard who absolutely did not know how to play (everything was off-key --- but he even had CDs!).

all of the buskers i've seen recently have been good, though. i think the STM imposed stricter standards for metro performers a couple of years ago.

at least i've never seen dancing spiderman and his crazy sidekick in the metro. have to go to ste. catherine street for that.

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[ArchiCAD]

I was there just this weekend.
A faint smell of rubber surrounds you as soon as you step inside a station.

[malek]

KT were you in town when that old greek man was "playing" harmonica and "singing" some rubbish along??

They kicked him out, now he's a panhandler on st-catherine. :/

[samne]

Thanks for the tour KT

I love MTL's Metro stations, but the trains lose. Train shakes too much around corners. The seats are too small and hard.

The long benches are the best. The TTC has almost no seating on the platforms.

[Kilgore Trout]

KT were you in town when that old greek man was "playing" harmonica and "singing" some rubbish along??

never saw him. when was this?

[malek]

never saw him. when was this?

at least 4-5 years ago ?

really can't remember :(

[SSLL]

I agree, there is way too few benches in TTC subway stations.

[MolsonExport]

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Good Ol' Twat Metro Station. The vandalism never dies.

[Taller Better]

LOL!! I love that picture! I am going to send it to my friends in England and they will laugh themselves silly!

[MolsonExport]

Anyone in Montreal familiar with the bad-moustache-singing guy (with a dilapidated music stand) who sometimes sings in the metro (Peel, Concordia) but othertimes on Saint Catherine's Street (usually near the Pharmaprix near Concordia University)?

[Kilgore Trout]

no, which is strange, since i'm in that part of town four or five days a week. maybe i've seen him but haven't taken note.

[caltrane74]

Love the "Twat" Sign.

You see right there is the difference between Toronto and Montreal. Montrealer have class and name their subway stations after pussy.

In Toronto we have a Cock's Well subway station and it sux. (that was the big joke when I was a kid - I know that joke is about 25 years old) Still would rather have a "Twat"er subway station name.

[habsfan]

Anyone in Montreal familiar with the bad-moustache-singing guy (with a dilapidated music stand) who sometimes sings in the metro (Peel, Concordia) but othertimes on Saint Catherine's Street (usually near the Pharmaprix near Concordia University)?

Yeah, i've seen him often enough on Ste-Catherine! What about him?

Love the "Twat" Sign.

you do know that it come from aTWATer, some kids thought it would be funny to black out the a, e and the r! Which it was!:haha: :cheers: :D

[freefarezone]

i think i remember that guy. there was also the michael jackson impersonator and yet another guy with a keyboard who absolutely did not know how to play (everything was off-key --- but he even had CDs!).

all of the buskers i've seen recently have been good, though. i think the STM imposed stricter standards for metro performers a couple of years ago.

at least i've never seen dancing spiderman and his crazy sidekick in the metro. have to go to ste. catherine street for that.


You mean the keyboard guy who plays at lionel groulx station - who only knows how to play one verse of "It's Raining Men"!!? LOL

Spiderman and the rest of the gang are all great though!

My only beef about the Metro system is how it's horribly inaccessible for the handicapped.... to my knowledge, most stations don't have ramps nor elevators for those who need it. I know it was built way back, but it shouldn't be too difficult to make them more accessible.

[MolsonExport]

Yeah, i've seen him often enough on Ste-Catherine! What about him?





Bad Moustache Guy (name of Alexander something-or-other) is Sooooo frocking bad, he is actually quite a joy to hear. He totally eviscerates familiar songs, changing the tempo (and sometimes the lyrics) from the context of an extremely bad vaudeville singer, with an affliction of Freddie Mercury.

Like his version of "YOu are so Beautiful" (Joe Cocker):
"You. AAAAAAARRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So. Beau-TEEEE-ful. To MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEE-EEEEE-EEE"

Or his version of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland":
"Walking. In a Winter. WonderLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAA-AAAA-AAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I can hear his voice now, echoing through the corridors of Peel Metro Station.

[Taller Better]

I would like to see a major cleaning/spruce up for the Montreal Metro. It is looking very grubby. Much exposed concrete was used, and it is all a very dark brown colour now. Can't they spray it with an acid wash to freshen it up? The stations would look so much brighter and fresher.

[Kilgore Trout]

yeah, maintenance has really suffered... i almost never see anyone cleaning the stations. some of them have really bad problems with water leakage. guy concordia especially is the most disgusting station in the network.

eventually, for a handful of the stations (like guy) it will take a complete overhaul to get them back into good shop. sort of like what london is doing in the underground. i went there just as queensway station reopened and it was beautiful... but just down the line, lancaster gate station, which hadn't yet been renovated, was absolutely decrepit.

[mbeaumont]

yeah, maintenance has really suffered... i almost never see anyone cleaning the stations. some of them have really bad problems with water leakage. guy concordia especially is the most disgusting station in the network.
.

Frontenac isn't far behind, its just as disgusting