Citing safety concerns, STM revives loitering ban in Montreal Metro

Montreal's transit agency announced Wednesday it is reintroducing a ban on loitering in the city's Metro system to increase safety for commuters and employees.

The measure starts Wednesday and will be in place until April 30, 2026.

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) said the decision to bring it back was made following positive results of a six-week pilot project in early spring.

At the time, the STM cited increased safety concerns in the Metro linked to rising homelessness, criminal activity and public drug use. 

"Why we're coming back with that move-along order is because it works. It works for our clients, for our employees." said Éric Alan Caldwell, the STM's board chair, at a news conference on Wednesday. 

Decrease in crime during pilot project, STM says

The STM provided data in a news release showing improvements in safety for the month of April, compared to the same month last year.

Crime and offences were down two per cent, while assaults on employees dropped 20 per cent. The STM also noted 30 per cent fewer service disruptions and 17 per cent fewer people being escorted out of the Metro at closing time.

Meanwhile, the STM has said that addressing safety concerns has come at a cost, with $11 million invested to hire more staff, such as special constables who are trained to help direct people to the proper resources when leaving the Metro.

There's also a hidden cost in lost revenue, as people cancel trips because they feel unsafe. The STM estimates that number could be as high as $1.2 million per month. 

Caldwell said, however, that by improving security, the STM can refocus on its primary mission, which is to provide safe and reliable public transit. 

Groups working with unhoused people in Montreal said they understand the situation, but the measures don't really solve the problem.  

Better solutions needed

In a news release, the Réseau d'aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM), said the ban is exacerbating the situation for many vulnerable people because it's being implemented amid a housing crisis and at a time when community organizations are overwhelmed. 

While RAPSIM said that Metro users' perceived sense of security may have improved during the pilot project, the safety of people experiencing homelessness has been compromised.

"Several outreach workers reported losing contact with people with whom they had established a relationship of trust," said RAPSIM director Annie Savage.

RAPSIM added that women are especially impacted by the ban, as they often try to conceal their situation and seek out crowded places, like the Metro, for safety reasons. 

"These spaces offer them relative protection from harassment, intimidation, theft and street violence, to which they are particularly exposed," the release reads. 

Caldwell acknowledged that the ban on loitering wasn't a "magic solution," and that community organizations and the health network need more resources.

Over the course of the next year, the STM will continue to collect data on the impacts of the ban.

Caldwell said he believes it will help highlight the needs of its different partners and how to better answer those needs. 

He reiterated, however, that the Metro can't be a shelter. 

"We will intervene and we will offer to the people that we are asking to move along if they need help, if they need to get to specific resources and how can we help them get there," Caldwell said.

"We will often organize transport so that they get there."

RAPSIM, however, is urging the STM to consider alternative solutions and pointed to a project in Philadelphia where a subway station was transformed into drop-in centre for people experiencing homelessness. 

"This type of approach helps raise public awareness and create inclusive spaces. Rather than displacing homeless people outside, we offer them a local response that facilitates their recovery," Savage said.