A shortcut that would allow thousands of travelers to save transfer time between the metro and the REM in downtown Montreal should open soon, according to Place Bonaventure.
The passage, the opening of which was announced by CDPQ Infra in 2018 before being abandoned, is currently blocked by locked doors. The journey is much simpler and straighter than the winding route currently imposed on travelers through the backstage of the Central Station.
“We are in advanced discussions with the REM and this situation should be resolved shortly,” said Richard Hylands, owner of Place Bonaventure through his company Kevric. “It should be very soon.” »
“CDPQ Infra is very willing to allow users passage in both directions,” indicated by email the director of media relations for CDPQ Infra, Michelle Lamarche. “However, we are awaiting a safety analysis which must be carried out by the owners. CDPQ Infra collaborates on the analysis. User safety is a non-negotiable element for CDPQ Infra. »
Travelers saw a glimmer of hope earlier this week when a REM poster appeared right next to the famous locked doors that separate Place Bonaventure from Central Station. However, she disappeared the next day.
This sign “was put up just to see if the signage worked” and “it works,” said Richard Hylands. It was then withdrawn until a formal agreement was reached. “This signage was installed by Place Bonaventure without the REM being informed and was removed,” CDPQ Infra customer service wrote to a traveler who inquired about the situation.
The shortcut starts from the southern end of the REM platform at Central Station, passes through Place Bonaventure and follows a long straight corridor to Bonaventure station. The author of these lines completed this journey in 2 minutes and 37 seconds, compared to 4 minutes and 1 second taking the official route via Central Station, which is much more tortuous.
The route is difficult to access due to CDPQ Infra decisions. No signage indicates him in one direction, while he comes up against a locked door in the other.
Initially, this path was to allow the transit of people with reduced mobility. As of Friday, they must still go outside to go from the metro to the REM (and vice versa).
After the publication of the article The Press on the existence of the shortcut, last fall, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante called on partners to find a solution in this matter.
“Everyone should be able to get around easily in Montreal, regardless of their condition,” she wrote on social networks. We are continuing our discussions with CDPQ Infra and the STM so that they can accelerate their work to ensure universal accessibility of the REM. »