As part of my campaign, I have chosen to use my blog to answer directly the questions you ask me about recurring topics, whether through my website, on Facebook, by email, or in person. For me, this is a way to shed light on the issues, share the facts, and above all, explain my position with full transparency.
Recently, Mr. Nicholas Stoycheff reached out to me on my Facebook page regarding public transit. His concerns echo those of many citizens, and I fully understand this frustration… I am personally affected by the situation: as mayor, but also as the mother of a daughter who uses public transit every day to go to CEGEP, my family also feels the consequences of an unreliable service.
1. Why is public transit to the Vaudreuil station so unreliable (bus 51)?
Since 2017, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) has held the mandate to plan, finance, and decide on public transit service for the entire metropolitan region, which includes Saint-Lazare. ARTM then delegates to Exo the responsibility of coordinating and managing services on the ground. In our case, Exo mandates Transbus to provide local service in our territory.
According to information provided by Exo, Transbus has experienced several mechanical and operational problems on certain lines in recent months. On top of that, ridership rose more sharply than expected at the start of the school year, forcing the company to play catch-up to try to stabilize service. According to Exo, these issues should be temporary.
We must also remember that the COVID-19 pandemic created a domino effect: it caused ridership to collapse across Québec, leading to major revenue losses, ongoing deficits, and delayed investments. This fragility in the network makes it much harder to absorb unexpected disruptions.
Finally, major roadwork projects such as those on Cité-des-Jeunes and the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge have caused detours, congestion, and significant slowdowns. Like drivers, buses are stuck in this difficult situation, which further increases delays. These multiple issues pile up and create the impression that for years now, the problems have been endless.
2. Why does nothing change despite repeated complaints to Exo?
Exo operates the service but does not truly have the authority to change schedules or budgets. In reality, Exo is caught between a rock and a hard place: on one hand, they must handle your complaints and day-to-day issues, but on the other, they do not have the flexibility to adjust the service offer. Your complaints are therefore not useless, as they document the problems, but the real power for change lies with the ARTM and, ultimately, the government.
Even then, solutions are limited by the ongoing public transit funding crisis, where investments are currently absorbed by covering deficits and financing the REM, to the detriment of local services.
3. Why are schedules so infrequent and canceled without notice?
First, as mentioned, internal issues at Transbus combined with road congestion lead to last-minute cancellations.
Next, the ARTM instructed Exo to focus all service development on connecting to the REM. Since public transit faces a major deficit and a large project like the REM already consumes much of the resources, very little financial room remains to develop new local services.
The only way to increase service would be through massive additional investments, which would necessarily mean municipalities and citizens paying even more. This is a major source of frustration not only for Saint-Lazare but also for many municipalities in our region and in the South Shore suburbs, which face the same difficulties.
4. Why does the company give false information or dismiss refund requests?
As a municipality, we have no direct control over the internal practices of Exo or the ARTM.
5. Wouldn’t it be better to partner with another transit provider (such as the Société de transport de Salaberry-de-Valleyfield – STSV)?
Since we are within the CMM territory and served by Exo, it is impossible to add other companies for inter-territorial transport (picking up or dropping off passengers). Therefore, it is not possible to make an agreement with another provider to replace or improve Exo routes. We have no flexibility.
Our only leverage, for now, is to put pressure on ARTM and Exo so they improve their service and reliability. But beyond that, municipalities must be given more power and autonomy in planning and financing services, so that the offer truly matches the needs of our citizens. Only the Québec government can change the law to make that possible.
6. Why do we pay for a service that seems so unreliable?
The answer is simple: because we are part of the CMM and cannot withdraw from it under the provincial law governing the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal.
I fully recognize that the services we receive do not match the costs borne by our citizens. Already, every vehicle owner pays $180 per year ($150 vehicle registration tax + $30). On top of that, the City contributes as well: in 2025, Saint-Lazare must pay $1,198,975 to ARTM as its share.
The contributions we make do not come back to improve our service but are instead used to repay debt and finance transit development on the island of Montréal. This is a constant concern for South Shore municipalities, which have been demanding greater fairness for years.
7. Will City Hall fight for better service or abolish it?
We cannot abolish the service or stop contributing, because Saint-Lazare is part of the CMM. All member municipalities are legally obligated to fund public transit.
The real solution is not withdrawal, but governance reform and more equitable funding. Saint-Lazare cannot fight this battle alone. It is together, with the municipalities of the North and South Shores within the CMM, that we make our voices heard.
Last March, at the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, I supported a resolution asking the Québec government to reform governance in order to give municipalities more decision-making power regarding routes and budgets.
Over the past year, the elected officials of the South Shore, of which we are a part, have also strongly supported measures aimed at increasing the representation and authority of municipalities within metropolitan bodies, so that decisions on public transit and its funding truly reflect the needs of citizens.
Thanks to the experience I have gained and the trust my colleagues place in me in my regional roles, I am able to represent Saint-Lazare with credibility and make our voice heard in this collective effort.
I would like to hear your thoughts on an issue that affects our young people finishing high school.
Public transit to get to the station is absolutely ridiculous. I have often read your comments on the subject, where you ask citizens to take note of service failures and contact Exo.
This doesn’t change anything. For many years, the service has been pitiful. The schedules are too infrequent, and on top of that, trips are canceled without notice. Last year I submitted several complaints, and the only action taken was to call back later to justify the cancellation. The company constantly lies when we call to ask for information or to complain. If we dare to request a compensatory refund, they laugh over the phone.
We are fortunate enough to be able to adjust our work schedules to drive our children to the station, but that is not possible for everyone. Some students miss their CEGEP classes and jeopardize their academic success. Those who rely on public transit cannot count on it.
I would like City Hall to make a choice: fight to help citizens obtain a quality service, or simply abolish the service and eliminate our contributions. Without reliable transit, why are we paying?
Let’s partner with the STSV to add a few stops in Saint-Lazare; they are much more reliable and already go to the Vaudreuil station.