The Eastern REM could well go as far as Mascouche. The Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, announced that an analysis would be carried out in this direction, in collaboration with the Regional Authority of transport of Montreal (ARTM).
“I absolutely want us to be able to have a solution that will meet the needs of people in the northern crown,” insisted Mr. Bonnardel on Monday on the sidelines of a discussion forum on mobility in the northern crown. -east of Montreal in which several elected officials from the northern crown took part.
“The extension to Mascouche, I think it was highly anticipated. It was necessary to answer it, the elected officials as much as the users felt orphans , added Mr. Bonnardel.
Faced with the skeptics who have seen a number of public transit project announcements fall through, the minister insists: the various projects he has put forward must materialize.
“It can’t just be a dream. It is absolutely, absolutely necessary to put forward measures that will meet the needs of future users, and to get people to abandon their second vehicle because the public transport options will be interesting, ”he explained. .
For the eastern metropolitan express network (REM), however, it is still too early, according to him, to discuss the route that will be used, the model that will be adopted and the budgets that will be necessary.
“We will let the teams work and we can then discuss with them”, he weighted.
The repercussions of the REM extension for the train de l’est are also still uncertain.
As a reminder, the Mascouche train line was inaugurated in 2014, after investments of $700 million. However, due to work on the first REM, the train must now take a detour to bypass Mount Royal, significantly increasing the journey time. Since then, the network has been neglected by users.
“It’s not very very attractive for everyone,” admitted Mr. Bonnardel, who however indicates that exo will be an “important partner” for the rest of things.
Satisfied mayors
The mayor of Terrebonne, Mathieu Traversy, welcomed the news.
“I think the objective is to revamp our eastern train and to ensure that the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been injected into this public transit infrastructure that is not currently working , can be updated,” he said.
A similar story from the side of his counterpart in Repentigny, Mayor Nicolas Dufour.
“It is the demonstration that when we stand and we are united between mayors we are listened to”, he underlined.
Reserved lanes could soon appear on Highway 25, between 440 and Île Saint-Jean, as well as on Highway 440 East, between the future SRB Pie-IX station and Highway 25.
Mr. Bonnardel took advantage of his visit to Repentigny to make the announcement.
He also indicated that his government would study the possibility of implementing preferential measures on Highway 40, between Route 341 and Highway 25.
The government should also redevelop the 40-640 interchange.
“Most of our major road infrastructures in Quebec, especially in the metropolitan region, date from the 1960s and 1970s, when there were half as many vehicles on the network,” recalled the Minister.
The conclusions of the various studies prior to these projects should be known in 2023.
