The Eastern REM attracts the favor of a majority of Montrealers from the east of the island, according to a survey by the firm Léger released Friday.
Nearly 67% of the population of eastern Montreal say they are in favor of the project, indicates the sounding carried out among 1,000 residents of neighborhoods east of St. Laurent Boulevard.
The REM de l’Est will “fill in the major gaps in the current public transit offer” in the eyes of 72% of respondents.
This is proof in the eyes of the CEO of the East Montreal Chamber of Commerce, Jean-Denis Charest, that the East is thirsty for a new means of public transport. “It’s a powerful lever for revitalization. […] When we look at the growth of the metropolitan area, it will de facto happen in the East,” he underlines.
This survey highlights the proportion of the population that intends to use the REM. Only 40% of respondents believe that they will use this future means of transport to get around, whether in the city center or elsewhere.
The survey also states that the most important characteristic of a transit project is “the integration of the project into the existing transit network”. A sign, according to Mr. Charest, that the REM must be deployed “in a logic of interconnection”.
Among other highlights of the survey, residents of eastern Montreal say that the REM de l’Est will energize eastern Montreal (69%), improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods served (59%) and facilitate the construction of housing near stations (54%).
However, the survey was conducted before the transfer of the project from CDPQ-Infra to the ARTM.
Jean-Denis Charest agrees that this change in direction announced by the ARTM could somewhat distort the results of the survey. “The loss of a direct link with the city center will be seen a little negatively”, he believes, although for the whole, “membership is there”.
“We must not question all the foundations. We have to make sure that we are not going to lose 3 years of work by CDPQ-Infra. If we don’t do that, it’s going to be very difficult. »