Published at 12:57 am. Updated at 05:00.
“I travel west on the subway a lot and I can tell you that Jolicoeur or Monk stations on the green line are not ideal. It is very hollow, very large and dark. We are really far from the dock of those responsible. If something happened, we told ourselves that absolutely no one would know about it,” explains the young student who agreed to talk to us.
Only recently did Inès become aware of certain risks, especially on the subway. “There was a gentleman on the subway who came to talk to me and he wouldn't let me go. This happened several times because he then rode the same bus as me. We had to intervene with the police. He didn't let go of me. Now I’m more cautious and a little more stressed, that’s for sure,” she says.
The main stakeholder, as well as several other volunteer users, took part in one of the 15 “discovery walks” organized by the STM between November and December.
This concept first emerged in Toronto in the 1980s at the initiative of women's groups and is now widespread in Europe and North America. However, this is a first in Quebec.
Such a walk essentially consists of the user walking on the subway network with several STM experts. The stations with the most incivility complaints will be targeted, including Papineau, Beaudry, Lionel-Groulx, Berri-UQAM, Bonaventure and Atwater.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The exploratory hikes will target the stations with the most complaints of rudeness, particularly Papineau, Beaudry, Lionel-Groulx, Berri-UQAM, Bonaventure and Atwater.
“This often happens in groups of eight to ten people. We at STM have found that this is not the best method because the person is not in a normal context. By going there individually, we get as close to reality as possible,” explains the company’s corporate customer intelligence consultant, Marie-Christine Langlois, who is responsible for collecting user observations.
Very accurate data
No matter the form, every walk is an opportunity to identify blind spots in the customer experience, says STM Safety Director Jocelyn Latulippe.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Jocelyn Latulippe, security director at STM
We ask people a lot of questions about what worries them. There are some that tell us about the lighting, the type of customers that frequent the station, the color of the walls, etc. We can then get very accurate data about how people are feeling and take action.
Jocelyn Latulippe, security director at STM
Previously, his company assigned its security personnel to individual stations primarily based on calls or complaints from customers. “We want to go further,” says Mr. Latulippe, who will soon welcome around twenty new security ambassadors who will enable de-escalation without the use of force.
“We will ultimately be able to position these ambassadors, for example, in long corridors of more isolated train stations, where people do not always feel safe,” explains the manager.
The subway, “no refuge”
Mr. Latulippe assures that “the subway network is not a refuge”. “However, people who don't go to resources, are turned away, or are too aggressive often end up staying on the subway,” he notes.
“When we close at 1 a.m., these people are usually very quiet. They ask us when it will open again: go have a coffee and then come back. They come back in the morning and have not eaten anything. In the evening, however, people often consumed the whole day,” the director continued.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Jocelyn Latulippe, security director of the STM, assures that “the subway network is not a refuge”. “However, people who don't go to resources, are turned away, or are too aggressive often end up staying on the subway,” he notes.
Last year, between November 1 and April 30, his group had to escort as many as 7,000 people off the subway at closing time. “And already for 2023-2024 we see that we are increasing,” says Jocelyn Latulippe on this topic.
“Before the pandemic, we could close three or four stations for this. In winter we go to between 15 and 30 stations that we have to close in the evening because there are people there,” he adds.
Buses are also planned for next year
If all goes well, the “scout walks” will be repeated on the STM bus network next year, again prioritizing the routes where users report the most aggressive events or incivility. For her part, Inès Moreau welcomes this approach but says she generally feels safer on the bus. “The driver is closer. This makes it easier to see someone when you need help. Normally I don't have too much stress in everyday life on the bus, but my case is not necessarily representative,” she concludes.