Quebec Premier François Legault will be at Montreal City Hall on Monday morning to discuss the future of the Eastern Metropolitan Express Network (REM) with Mayor Valérie Plante. The file will be withdrawn from the hands of the Caisse de depot et placement du Québec (CDPQ), which has piloted the transport project until now.
The REM de l’Est project and its aerial structures in the city center had been fueling controversy for months. In particular, it had been the subject of severe criticism from the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM). Last March, the committee of independent experts mandated by Quebec to ensure the urban integration of the REM de l’Est had also expressed significant concerns about several elements of the project, in particular its aerial structures planned above the boulevard Rene-Levesque.
For its part, the City of Montreal regretted not being present at the decision-making table. Valérie Plante had been involved for weeks in negotiations with the Quebec government in order to have a say in the planning of the project that crosses its territory.
According to information collected by The dutythe Government of Quebec has decided to exclude CDPQ Infra from managing the REM de l’Est.
François Legault, accompanied by the Minister for the Metropolis, Chantal Rouleau, will meet Valérie Plante at City Hall on Monday morning. They are then due to address the media at 11:30 a.m.
Further details will follow.
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