The REM de l’Est is changing direction and will no longer pass through the city center. Judging that the project “lacks social acceptability”, Quebec and Montreal confirm in “taking the leadership”. The subsidiary of the Caisse de depot, CDPQ-Infra, is excluded from the process.
Posted at 11:39 a.m.
A “new project team” will therefore be set up, with the Ministère des Transports, the City of Montréal, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) on board.
This new group will aim in particular to “better link the Eastern REM with the metro lines” – the current project provided for a connection with the green line at the Assomption station -, and will explore “more harmonious” development options. in Mercier East. The extension of the Marie-Victorin route to Laval and the eastern section, towards Lanaudière, will also be studied.
Monday, The Press reported that Mr. Legault and Mr.me Plante were to meet at the end of the morning to announce a new vision for a public transport project towards the east of the island, deemed more acceptable to citizens.
In a joint press release issued Monday, Quebec and Montreal nevertheless boast of “the colossal work” carried out by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) to “build this immense public transit project”, adding that “the majority of the route of more than 30 km arouses the broad support of the citizens”.
Exit the REM downtown
That said, there is indeed “a lack of social acceptability for certain sections, despite the many initiatives put forward in recent months”, constant the authorities. They say they have agreed to “withdraw the insertion of the REM from the East to the city center and continue the project on the other sections in REM mode”. The decision “puts an end to the detailed planning phase of the project as presented by CDPQ Infra in December 2020”, indicates the Legault government.
This means that the first images of the “greatly improved” Eastern REM, presented at the beginning of March, are now partly obsolete. At that time, CDPQ Infra said it had “pushed” its architectural efforts to the maximum, but warned that “all stakeholders” will have to give their approval for the 10 billion network to see the light of day.
This all comes as the Eastern Metropolitan Express Network (REM), as developed so far by the Caisse, was struggling to obtain the support of Montrealers, in particular because of its imposing concrete structures planned over 24 kilometres.
Remember that in February, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) issued a devastating opinion on the second phase of the automated train of CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of the Caisse. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) had also expressed many criticisms in an internal analysis.
A month later, CDPQ Infra then announced that the public hearings of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) scheduled for this spring would be postponed. The group refused to go further without a clear position from the City of Montreal about the new version of its 10 billion dollar project.
Quebec had since begun discussions with Valérie Plante about the “governance” of the project. The mayor has been insisting for months that she wants to be around the decision-making table to “participate more actively” in its development, especially since the City should spend at least 1 billion in facilities of all kinds along the route of 32 kilometers.
With Tommy Chouinard