Hanes: Little mention on the election campaign trail of building new public transit

As Quebec's party leaders criss-cross the province, there's a lot of talk on the campaign trail about how to offset the high cost of living for cash-strapped families, create jobs and bolster the economy while U.S. tariffs cause havoc. There has been little mention among the candidates so far of building new public transit — although Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has a new project in the city's east end as well as an extension of the Orange Line on her wish list, and 20 mayors from the Laurentians to the Lanaudière have joined forces to push for more mass transport within the zone to the north of the city. Yet a new joint study by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain suggests investing in public transportation would help address some of Quebec's most pressing social, financial, environmental and economic issues, benefiting citizens and businesses alike.