STM deplores lack of public transit funding in Quebec budget, receiving $258M less

On Wednesday morning, the STM responded to the Quebec government’s 2025-2026 budget where over three years, the province has planned to spend $258 million less than anticipated to maintain the metro system.

“It’s a setback,” said Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the STM. “We’re going backwards instead of going forward.”

“Our demand was to add $585 million over the next three years where instead of that, they’re cutting 258 million,” he added. “It’s a major, it’s a record major and that we’re not ready to follow.”

The STM said that they agree with the two priorities the government announced in its budget:

• Invest in Quebec’s infrastructure

• Maintain their assets.

But the STM says this is incoherent with their lack of funding.

“The government is right,” said Caldwell. “Our major infrastructures were built in the 60s and the 70s and there was not enough investment in the previous decade and we need to catch up to maintain our assets and for us, it’s the metro in Montreal.”

“The metro need more investment,” he added. “Need more money.”

The STM asks the Quebec government to review their plan — saying that the Metro is vital to Montreal mobility, and its economy — offering about 800,000 trips per day.

“We had those plans ready,” said Caldwell. “We had those work ready if the money was there.”

“It’s not there for us.”