Valérie Plante recognizes that many improvements have been made in one year to the Eastern Metropolitan Express Network (REM) project, but according to her, the city’s absence from the decision-making process and the question of the funding required for the development of the public domain always poses a problem.
In a press scrum on Wednesday, the mayor indicated that she adhered to the conclusions of the committee of experts which, in a progress report submitted to the government earlier this week, recommended refining certain aspects of the project, such as the aerial structures and noise barriers, and insisted on the need for the City of Montreal to be involved in the planning process for the Eastern REM.
“The report corresponds to what we want from the City of Montreal, namely the best possible project. Is the project perfect? No, it’s not,” said Valérie Plante on Wednesday, while emphasizing that the first images of the project made public by CDPQ Infra revealed major differences between the REM de l’Est and the first phase of the REM, which will connect Brossard west of the island of Montreal. “In one year, the CDPQ Infra has been able to adapt, find solutions and listen to the concerns of citizens. But yes, there is still work to be done. »
According to her, however, as long as the issues affecting the governance and financing of urban development along the route are not resolved, the City cannot be satisfied. “For me, funding is absolutely essential. And we are not around the table at the decision-making level and these decisions, which are related to money, must be taken in concert with the City of Montreal, ”insisted the mayor. However, she specified that discussions were continuing with the Government of Quebec on this subject and that the latter had shown openness with regard to these two questions.
The bill to pay
After months of preparatory work, CDPQ Infra unveiled its architectural vision for the project and showed the first images of the future REM de l’Est on Tuesday. The aerial structures will be made up of precast concrete pillars and the decks will be lined with four-metre noise barriers on certain sections, particularly in the city centre.
CDPQ Infra notably proposes the development of a wide promenade of 16 kilometers along the aerial structures in order to facilitate travel on foot and by bicycle and promote urban integration. Downtown, the arrival of the REM de l’Est and a promenade would lead to a significant reduction in automobile traffic on René-Lévesque Boulevard and the removal of four of the eight traffic lanes.
The City of Montreal announced last October its intention to set aside a sum of $500 million for the urban development necessary for the establishment of the REM de l’Est. Last month, the Minister for the Metropolis, Chantal Rouleau, was open to Quebec assuming a larger share of the bill.
On Wednesday, his press secretary, Catherine Boucher, did not want to mention a specific amount. “There are still a lot of elements to clarify to specify an amount. It is still too early to give figures, but we have said it several times that we will be financial partners for the development. That, there is no doubt,” indicated Ms. Boucher to the Homework.
“Our intention is for the REM to be well integrated and we are very aware of the development needs. […] The project must be thought out with the development and we know that the mayor is in the same line of thought as us. »