A Canadian Family

What can I say -  I love trams!

My husband and I lived in Milano during the 1970s and that city is crisscrossed by a thick network of train, subway, bus and tram lines. Given the choice I would always jump on one of the trams. There were traditional streetcars but also newly introduced articulated streetcars that had a sleeker, modern look and could accommodate many more people. But either way, trams were always more comfortable than buses.

When I was a little girl growing up during the 1950s my hometown of Montreal still had streetcars, but as that decade closed so did the history of streetcars in Montreal.

Historic View of Trams in Piazza del Duomo (Milano, Italy)

Back to the future – plans for Montreal’s public transit system

There are plans afoot to return Windsor Station to its original use as a train station and have it serve as  a nexus for Montreal’s existing bus and subway system. But what’s really exciting for streetcar fans, is that there is also an ambitious plan to bring back Montreal’s tramway system. Will this really happen?

No one seems to question that streetcars are a greener alternative than other modes of city transport but there are some arguments against trams. For instance, tramway systems are expensive to build and there’s bound to be extensive traffic problems during the building period! If you want to know more about this, I suggest you read Andy Riga’s Montreal Gazette feature the pros and cons of tramways and how they would fit into Montreal’s regional system.

Montreal In The Time Of Tramways (Vintage Postcard Views)

Old La Presse Bldg./St.Catherine | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

The Seville Theatre | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

Harry Houdini And The Princess | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

Place Viger (train station & hotel) | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

Post Office & Bank of Montreal | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

Trams From City Hall Tower| Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

Montreal Trams on St-Jacques/St.James Street

Montreal Street Railway Company & Bank of Montreal | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

Dominion Square | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

Early 20th Century View of St. Catherine Street  | Montreal In The Time Of Tramways

What other people are saying about Montreal trams

Jacob Larsen (Spacing Montreal) on the advisability of the new viaduct

Yonah Freeman (The Transport Politic) provides details & links to tramway project

James Lawlor (Transport in Montreal) discusses trolly buses vs. trams

J.D./Kristian (Coolopolis) suggest a different approach to Windsor project

Images of Montreal’s trams

Montreal 1850-1896: The Industrial City | McCord Museum

Verdun Connections – Montreal Streetcar Photos

The Montreal Streetcar and Trolley Bus Photo Gallery

URBANPHOTO Some of the relatively modern (50s era) tramways

URBANPHOTO: Contemporary Images of Montreal (see Themed Photos: Public Transport)

Goodbye, Streetcar Rails – Montreal, QC : citynoise.org