Montreal’s politicians listen to the public far more about transit than Metro Vancouver’s politico’s. The public were growing very disenchanted having an elevated railway go through Montreal’s downtown and maybe would take such disenchantment to the next civic election.
Well, the civic government has pulled the carpet from under the Caisse and in response, they have abandoned REM East.
This means the project is no longer a CDPQ Infra property development transportation project but now a mainly federal- provincial infrastructure project that, will be run jointly between the City of Montreal and the Government of Quebec. As are most of the traditional rapid transit projects in the Province of Quebec. This means also, unlike the existing REM project, there is no ban on other non-REM rapid transit lines that can cross transfer passengers between this project and other new or existing Montreal rapid transit lines.
REM is a light metro and like other light-metros, it has become a “tar baby”…………………
A tar baby is something from which it is nearly impossible to extricate oneself
………………. once you built one, with all the bureaucrats and planners involved desperate trying to save credibility, it is almost impossible to plan for anything else than a light-metro.
REM East was the last straw in Montreal, with a bank dictating how transit was to be built, but light metro now remains with damage already done and cannot be undone.
As one critic of REM said in an email:
The atmosphere of the May 2 press conference hid the fact that the East REM is alive, and worse for the resident community and the environment than before. You have to throw out the REM de l’Est, the REM de Laval, the REM de la Rive-Sud and all the other REMs.
Unlike Montreal, Vancouver’s civic and provincial politicians do not have the moral fortitude to abandon SkyTrain planning in favour of just as effective and less costly public transit alternatives.
REM
Quebec takes over REM de l’Est project after CDPQ Infra backs out
Montreal mayor calls original plan with elevated tracks ‘a historic mistake’
CBC News ·
After butting heads with the creators of the REM de l’Est over a plan to install elevated tracks in Montreal’s downtown core, Premier François Legault announced that the Quebec government will be taking over the massive public transit project and scrapping its downtown portion.
The original developer, CDPQ Infra — a subsidiary of Quebec’s pension fund manager, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec — is now out. Legault and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante made the announcement on Monday at a news conference.
Legault said the plan to have elevated tracks did not gain “social acceptability.” The province will also explore other major changes as well.
Without the elevated platforms, the project, which came with an initial price tag of $10 billion, is no longer viable for CDPQ Infra, the premier said. He also added that he understands why the developer would no longer want to proceed.
It’s not yet clear how these major changes will affect the project’s price tag and timeline. The REM de l’Est was first supposed to be completed in 2029.
“People that know me know that I don’t have a lot of patience and I want this project to be completed as quickly as possible,” Legault said.
“It is crucial for the development of the east end of Montreal.”
On Monday, Plante described the initial plan to have elevated tracks in the eastern part of downtown as a “historic mistake that absolutely had to be avoided.”
Plante’s concerns were echoed by a report from an expert advisory committee, which said the elevated platforms would be an eyesore and would “fracture” the urban landscape. There were also concerns it would erode the quality of life in nearby neighbourhoods, including the city’s historic Chinatown.
Experts and officials had raised concerns that the proposed design of the REM de l’Est, with its elevated platforms, would divide neighbourhoods and make some areas less accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. (CDPQ Infra)
Montreal’s mayor has long been pushing for the city to have a heavier hand in shaping the public transit project.
Moving forward, the major partners working with the province will be the regional transit planning agency for the greater Montreal area (ARTM), the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), the City of Montreal and the province’s Transport Ministry.
In a statement, a Québec Solidaire MNA accused the Legault government of being incompetent in matters of public transit.
“The government will finish its mandate with a mess and by not delivering anything concrete to the east end of Montreal in matters of transit,” said Alexandre Leduc, who represents the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve riding.
The REM de l’Est was originally set to include 23 stations along 32 kilometres of track, stretching from downtown to the eastern neighbourhoods of Pointe-aux-Trembles and Montréal-Nord, which have long been underserved by public transit, through a mix of underground tunnels and elevated tracks.
My big problem with any of the REM lines was the fact that, CDPQ Infra could control the connection or stop the connection of future lines to their lines, limiting development on other lines if they had any chance that, riders might transfer to other rapid transit lines instead of using the REM network. Which would potentially lower the value of all their adjacent future building projects. Which is the real purpose of both the original REM and the REM De l’Est.
I did however try to explain the point to an on line friend of mine, whom happens to live in Victoria, about why an above grade rapid transit line passing through east central and east end Montreal neighborhoods may not be cool. You get the image that these neighborhoods are post industrial hell scapes, which is far from the truth. Many are formerly industrial yes, but many have already or are in the process of gentrification. Some of the more central eastern neighborhoods that the above grade structure was planned to travel through are in fact quite lovely and over 250 years old. Suddenly dry jamming, an ugly 3 to 4 story, above grade, concrete 2 track right of way, through these areas, however you dress it up in design drawings, is a no go right from the start.
Memo: As “Lucky” uses the Rail for the Valley Address and “Lucky’s” IP address has the comment from Leeds UK, I seriously doubt that “Lucky” is nothing more than a troll.
I also find that the vast majority of people supporting SkyTrain, who comment on this blog, have IP Addresses not just outside Metro Vancouver (which I will print), but outside Canada!
My big problem with any of the REM lines was the fact that, CDPQ Infra could control the connection or stop the connection of future lines to their lines, limiting development on other lines if they had any chance that, riders might transfer to other rapid transit lines instead of using the REM network. Which would potentially lower the value of all their adjacent future building projects. Which is the real purpose of both the original REM and the REM De l’Est.
I did however try to explain the point to an on line friend of mine, whom happens to live in Victoria, about why an above grade rapid transit line passing through east central and east end Montreal neighborhoods may not be cool. You get the image that these neighborhoods are post industrial hell scapes, which is far from the truth. Many are formerly industrial yes, but many have already or are in the process of gentrification. Some of the more central eastern neighborhoods that the above grade structure was planned to travel through are in fact quite lovely and over 250 years old. Suddenly dry jamming, an ugly 3 to 4 story, above grade, concrete 2 track right of way, through these areas, however you dress it up in design drawings, is a no go right from the start.
Memo: As “Lucky” uses the Rail for the Valley Address and “Lucky’s” IP address has the comment from Leeds UK, I seriously doubt that “Lucky” is nothing more than a troll.
I also find that the vast majority of people supporting SkyTrain, who comment on this blog, have IP Addresses not just outside Metro Vancouver (which I will print), but outside Canada!
Luck’s comment has been removed as SPAM.