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The two main factors that put Montreal one letter grade ahead of Toronto in new city rankings on the performance of its transportation system are: its more affordable fares and heavier usage of its commuter rail.

David Wolofsky, a Montreal commuter who lived in Toronto for more than a year in the mid 2000s, said he finds Montreal's system slightly superior. Commuter trains, bus coverage and driving times are similar, he said, and Montreal's subway covers the city more thoroughly. The entire system is also cheaper, he said.

In Montreal, monthly commuter passes range from $82 to $225, depending on distance, compared to Toronto's flat-rate passes which range from $111 to $208 a month (the latter price for four GTA weekly passes at $52 a week).

"Having traffic that reaches in four directions rather than three makes a huge difference in how well transportation works," said Mr. Wolofsky, a 38-year-old data network consultant who usually takes the train from his home in the western suburb of Beaconsfield.

"We have worse weather, they have Lake Ontario, which creates all kinds of bottlenecks."

But many Montreal commuters are more likely to point out the city is still only graded a mediocre C.

"It's fine to compare to Toronto. How about comparing to cities in Asia and Europe where transit truly works?" said Philip Morgan, a transit commuter and self-described "transportation freak."

Mr. Morgan says Montreal's system has been plagued by basic equipment problems, such as unheated switches that become jammed by ice and snow, and diesel locomotives. But he said transit systems in Toronto and Montreal both lack the corporate culture he's seen overseas, where it's unacceptable for trains and buses to run late.

"We have nowhere near their standards, when you look at how staff function, when you look how information is shared. We have a long way to go," Mr. Morgan said.

On Montreal's roads, every few months some new tale emerges about another falling piece of concrete from a crumbling overpass. Most recently, a government report suggested a section of a major bridge is at a dangerous state of disrepair.

And the commuter rail system - Montreal's main supposed advantage over Toronto - has become a running joke and even the subject of a class-action lawsuit for running late so frequently during the city's long difficult winter. Snow, sleet, rain and cold each have their way of causing the trains to have long delays.

Frequent commuters say information systems provide few useful clues when trains are behind schedule and the cars are often packed, making for an unpleasant ride for many.

"I used to take the bus to the train and the train to work, and I would say the bus was the more reliable of the two," said Maryann Mullin, a translator in the federal government who recently convinced her supervisors to let her work from home four days a week.

"I called so often from stationary trains to let him know I'd be late that it became a joke with my boss," said Ms. Mullin.

The 38-year-old mother said the stress of trying to make it home on time for the 5:30 closing of her toddler's daycare became too much.

"So often the trains would be running late and you'd get no information about what was going on. You'd be left standing in snow on the platform. Even when they installed these screens to let you know, it was just a digital version of the schedule. "There is always some kind of problem, and my line is not even the worst." said Ms. Mullin, who still takes the train downtown one day a week.

The system was particularly hobbled in the snowy winter of 2008. A class action was recently approved for a lawsuit seeking up to $10-million in damages against the commuter train authority, the Agence métropolitaine de transport.

Montreal's commuter train authority has promised a number of improvements, including increased frequency on several lines, bigger double-decker cars, and new real-time systems for updating arrivals and departures. Milder recent winters have also helped improve performance.

"We think the service has already improved because of our suit. It's important they be held responsible. It's a small part of their budget but even the threat teaches them a lesson," said Normand Painchaud, the lawyer leading the class action, which is still far from reaching the trial stage.

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