The Eastern Metropolitan Express Network (REM) project has been the subject of severe criticism from the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM). In a notice sent to the Quebec government last week, the organization maintains that the project will weaken the current public transit network, will not allow significant gains in new customers, in addition to costing municipalities dearly. Other transportation options should be considered, believes the ARTM.
The opinion, of which The Press revealed the existence on Tuesday, specifies that the project, essentially focused on travel to the city center, “provides a partial response to current and future travel needs” from the east of Montreal and the northeast crown. . In light of data from the 2013 origin-destination survey, the ARTM concludes that only 12% of trips in the sectors served by the REM de l’Est are destined for downtown. Thus, points out the ARTM, the expected ridership would be low given the potential capacity of the REM de l’Est.
The ARTM, an organization responsible for planning public transit in the greater Montreal area, also maintains that the number of motorists who would convert to public transit would be limited, i.e. 2,100 motorists, which represents 6% of ridership. of the Eastern REM estimated at 36,850 passengers. However, the majority of users of the REM de l’Est, or 94%, would come from a transfer of current public transport services, according to the ARTM.
Impact on the green line
The metro’s green line would therefore bear the brunt of the arrival of the REM from the East and, according to ARTM estimates, it would lose 15,000 passengers, a reduction in ridership of 26%. The effect would be even greater for the Mascouche train which, on its Montreal portion, would lose 75% of its ridership.
The REM de l’Est will also impose a significant financial burden on the cities and would increase the deficit of the Mascouche metro and train due to the transfer of customers, argues the ARTM. The organization is of the opinion that the anticipated savings on the operating costs of current services would be limited and that an additional financial contribution of 8% would be required from the municipalities, or $98 million per year.
The urban insertion of the project also causes problems, according to the ARTM. However, this aspect could be reviewed in light of the recommendations of the committee of experts set up by CDPQ Infra.
Given all these findings and the high cost of the Eastern REM, ie $10 billion, the ARTM believes that it would be necessary to consider other transport options “with the same or lesser budget”.Have
“The final decisions will be up to the government. However, in light of the findings that emerge from our analyses, we suggest considering options that would allow a project that would be better anchored in a principle of complementarity with the existing public transit ecosystem, as well as a better match between the needs of travel, the urban areas crossed, the proposed mode and the investment costs, “said Benoit Gendron, director general of the ARTM, in a press release on Tuesday morning.
The organization also points out that its opinion could be revised based on CDPQ Infra’s final proposal and the financial parameters that the Caisse will submit.
The “winning conditions”
The opinion of the ARTM was “unexpected”, indicates a source with the government of Quebec. In particular, the methodology used and the use of travel data dating from 2013, which do not take into account the significant development potential of eastern Montreal, particularly around future stations, are questioned.
In a statement sent to the Duty, Mayor Valérie Plante’s office maintains that the City of Montreal still wants to see the REM de l’Est come to fruition. “The REM is the most important public transit project for a decade and it must be properly assessed. As soon as the project was presented, we presented the winning conditions to make it the best project and we are working to make them a reality,” it says.
Valérie Plante’s office says it wants to take the time to analyze the ARTM’s opinion. During a meeting Friday with representatives of the Government of Quebec and CDPQ Infra, the Mayor reiterated what she considers to be the “three conditions for success” of the project, namely governance allowing the City to participate in the integration of the REM de l’Est in the city center and in the neighborhoods it passes through and funding from Québec for the necessary developments in the urban environment.