Montreal superhospital métro station won't be wheelchair accessible

6 posts / 0 new

Wed, 2013-11-20 13:27

lagatta

A huge pile of money has been poured into the new English-language superhospital in NDG, but the Vendôme métro station, which serves this new hospital complex, will not be made wheelchair accessible with a lift.

The Jean-Talon métro, not far from where I live, is undergoing renovations at one entrance, and will have a lift for people in wheelchairs, parents pushing strollers, and others who are temporarily or permanently less mobile. This station serves two lines, but does not directly serve a hospital - there is a hospital nearby, one station east of Jean-Talon; it is much smaller than this new one planned.

Montreal CBC Daybreak speaking to a disabled advocate about this outrageous (and penny-wise and pound-foolish) oversight.

http://www.cbc.ca/daybreakmontreal/our-show/2013/11/20/superhospital-met...

http://www.rapliq.org/

Having a lift is a boon for many people who don't need a wheelchair, but have difficulty taking the escalator (which is sometimes out of order), moreover most of the métro stations with escalators also have a few stairs people have to climb.

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Wed, 2013-11-20 13:34

cco

I walk with a cane, and my station (Atwater) doesn't even have escalators from mezzanine to platform level, just a long set of stairs. Bad enough that the STM has announced they'll be making stations accessible at a rate of one per year, which means the entire system should be accessible by the time the city's underwater and none of it matters anymore, but for them to skip out on a station they're already redoing (especially one as busy as Vendôme!) is unconscionable.

lagatta, not sure if you saw my reply to you over in this thread featuring many of my STM gripes, but if not, I'd be interested to hear your take.

Wed, 2013-11-20 15:24

lagatta

It was interesting, but I don't think we have the funds to put in a subway line along Parc or CDN. And the increased traffic to from the blue line extension to the Jean-Talon station junction will make the orange line hellish, what with all the new traffic from Laval. Some kind of relief line, whether métro or tram, is essential.

Back to disabled access: yes, I'm familiar with Atwater station; absurd that there is no escalator there. When it was first built, it was the western end of the green line, and an extremely busy station, as much of the traffic to southwestern Mtl changed to buses there. One station a year is ridiculous. I guess I'm just lucky that Jean-Talon is being built (I actually live closer to Beaubien, but since they are building lifts at Jean-Talon and Rosemont, I'll be dead and gone long before they get to that one).

The stairs, and lack of lifts, are needed for a much broader spectrum than those who always use wheelchairs. I have arthritis, and sometimes use a cane in the wintertime, much as I hate to. (I'm still cycling, but lasting snow on the ground could come any day).

Wed, 2013-11-20 16:10

cco

In fact, I don't think any of the downtown stations has working elevator access from the platforms to street level (though there may be an accessible street-level entrance through one of the buildings Berri is connected to). Bonaventure has elevators between platform and mezzanine, but no access to the street without stairs.

Meanwhile, the ramp at Beaudry has been down for months now. For some reason they decided it needed to be metal instead of rubber, but after they installed the metal plates, they turned out to be too slippery. Now in the course of re-replacing those, it's stopped working altogether.

Wed, 2013-11-20 16:42

[email protected]

Has anyone considered a legal challenge?

Wed, 2013-11-20 21:59

lagatta

Berri-UQAM definitely has two lifts to the orange and green lines. There are lifts in UQAM and la Bibliothèque nationale, from street level. I don't believe there is a lift down to the yellow line that goes to Longueuil. This has been an issue for at least 30 years. For me, it also makes it difficult to transport my bicycle if need be, because I have arthritis and it is hard for me to lift and carry it down stairs. (I'd love to have a quality folding bicycle, but can't afford it unless I'm lucky with second-hand offers).