montréal REM (ligne A) - Discussion générale

[SKYMTL]

A few things that I want to add to this discussion, being a West Island and Vaudreuil commuter.

 

- Like it or not, any stations located within the West Island (particularly the one in Ste Anne) will NEED true multi-level parking to be successful. Adding LRT stations is a great idea in theory but the other levels of commuter transport required to actually get people to those stations just isn't up to the task. This is why stations like Vaudreuil have done very little, if anything, to get cars off the road since to actually get there you need to drive and then you arrive to find no available parking. Want to get cars off the highways? Give us proper parking at the outlier stations!

 

- Areas around the stations really need to be rezoned for higher density development with a proper TOD approach. Without that, you get into the situation I describe above.

 

- By all indications the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will need to be replaced VERY soon as evidenced by the extremely long time its taking to repair a single crack. I'd love to see the line extend over any new bridge with a termination point around where the new hospital is being proposed, again with multi level parking. Not only would this give access to residents but also hopefully alleviate some of the congestion on the 30 / 40 merge.

 

- The timeline for this project is hugely ambitious. I understand 2020 is a goal for the "first trains" and they don't actually mention WHICH trains but I'm guessing they will be on the Champlain Bridge -> downtown link. The question remains about the remainder of the lines, especially when you take into account inflation, etc.

[ERJ-Boy]

La beauté des projets comme ça c'est aussi qu'on puisse ajouter des stations en infill lorsque les besoins se feront sentir!

[ronald.houde]

A few things that I want to add to this discussion, being a West Island and Vaudreuil commuter.

 

- Like it or not, any stations located within the West Island (particularly the one in Ste Anne) will NEED true multi-level parking to be successful. Adding LRT stations is a great idea in theory but the other levels of commuter transport required to actually get people to those stations just isn't up to the task. This is why stations like Vaudreuil have done very little, if anything, to get cars off the road since to actually get there you need to drive and then you arrive to find no available parking. Want to get cars off the highways? Give us proper parking at the outlier stations!

 

- Areas around the stations really need to be rezoned for higher density development with a proper TOD approach. Without that, you get into the situation I describe above.

 

- By all indications the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will need to be replaced VERY soon as evidenced by the extremely long time its taking to repair a single crack. I'd love to see the line extend over any new bridge with a termination point around where the new hospital is being proposed, again with multi level parking. Not only would this give access to residents but also hopefully alleviate some of the congestion on the 30 / 40 merge.

 

- The timeline for this project is hugely ambitious. I understand 2020 is a goal for the "first trains" and they don't actually mention WHICH trains but I'm guessing they will be on the Champlain Bridge -> downtown link. The question remains about the remainder of the lines, especially when you take into account inflation, etc.

You are right. Given the ambitious ridership objectives, three things will have to happen, as you state: 1) re-zoning around each station to promote TOD projects; 2) an in-depth re-structuring from the current Fairview centric STM bus network to one that feeds the rapid transit stations (3 bus terminals are planned at the Sources, Pointe-Claire and Ste-Anne stations); and higher density multi-level parking (planned at Pointe-Claire and Ste-Anne).

 

 

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[Exposteve]

You are right. Given the ambitious ridership objectives, three things will have to happen, as you state: 1) re-zoning around each station to promote TOD projects; 2) an in-depth re-structuring from the current Fairview centric STM bus network to one that feeds the rapid transit stations (3 bus terminals are planned at the Sources, Pointe-Claire and Ste-Anne stations); and higher density multi-level parking (planned at Pointe-Claire and Ste-Anne).

 

 

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Do we have any idea where they would put the Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue station? The mayor has hinted that it would be south of Autoroute 40 and north of Autoroute 20. There is significant land in that section which I believe is owned mostly/entirely by McGill as part of the MacDonald campus and used as experimental farms for the agriculture school.

 

If I am Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue and Baie d'Urfé I would want this service to improve accessibility to :

 

1) McGill/CEGEP John Abbott, which is home to ~8,000 employees and students

2) The significant industrial park in Baie d'Urfé located along the border with Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue.

3) The large veterans hospital/long-term care hospital that is a major employer (and recently transferred from federal to provincial jurisdiction)

4) Development of some sort of transit hub with the STM and servicing regional buses from off-island (Vaudreuil currently has buses that shuttle people to Cote-Vertu metro, and Ile-Perrot/Pincourt, etc). Significant parking would be required.

 

I don't know how they can accomplish this without expropriating some of the McGill land and then allowing buses to cross through the campus. The existing bus station in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue is quite basic, consisting of 5-6 bus stops along a sidewalk on Bord-du-lac / Lakeshore just south of McGill campus. You wouldn't be giving up much by relocating it.

 

I agree an eventual extension to Vaudreuil could make sense in the future and could be contemplated once plans for the Ile-aux-Tourtes bridge are determined.

[SKYMTL]

I think the Ste Anne's station would have the be very carefully considered not only due to the amount of protected land that would need to be utilized for a station + accompanying car park but also what the tracks would cut through. Looking at a map,

 

It can't be to the north of HWY 40 since that would disrupt the Morgan reserve but south of the 40 you have the industrial park which completely pens in Ste Anne's to the east, making running track quick a challenge. That goes for the entire West Island portion of the link.

 

The only thing I can think of is they'll use part of the overly large Hydro Quebec Right Of Way that exists along Salaberry and then turn south at some point. However, the howls that will raise in the community will likely kibosh that thought faster than greased lightning. South of the 40 would cause the same problems.

[ronald.houde]

I think the Ste Anne's station would have the be very carefully considered not only due to the amount of protected land that would need to be utilized for a station + accompanying car park but also what the tracks would cut through. Looking at a map,

 

It can't be to the north of HWY 40 since that would disrupt the Morgan reserve but south of the 40 you have the industrial park which completely pens in Ste Anne's to the east, making running track quick a challenge. That goes for the entire West Island portion of the link.

 

The only thing I can think of is they'll use part of the overly large Hydro Quebec Right Of Way that exists along Salaberry and then turn south at some point. However, the howls that will raise in the community will likely kibosh that thought faster than greased lightning. South of the 40 would cause the same problems.

My feeling is that the tracks will be elevated at Sources and be run alongside the south side T-Can service road all the way to Ste-Anne. The terminal station in Ste-Anne would give access to the McGill campus.

 

 

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[Kodun]

Maybe something like this? Few acres of crop land to expropriate, not a big deal but major improvements needed at and around the St-Anne station. Maybe build a multi-level parking in place of the little surface one and why not convert the bigger one just north.

 

[SKYMTL]

If you look at the map above though, according to the proposal the stop in Ste Anne's will be independent of the train station.

[Exposteve]

My feeling is that the tracks will be elevated at Sources and be run alongside the south side T-Can service road all the way to Ste-Anne. The terminal station in Ste-Anne would give access to the McGill campus.

 

 

Envoyé de mon SGH-T999V en utilisant Tapatalk

 

I agree. And since the mayor of Ste-Anne has advised the Ste-Anne station would be south of the 40 that makes sense. But I do not know to what extent the mayors are up to speed with developments.

 

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue is an unusual town in that it's home to only ~5,000 people however has ~10,000 people that work there each day either at McGill/CEGEP and the hospital. Additionally, it serves as the primary route for commuters from off-island to switch between Hwy 40 and Hwy 20, which causes a constant flow of traffic through the town on Boulevard des Anciens-Combattants, which is already quite saturated during rush hour, especially given the entrance to Hwy 20 requires transferring through a an intersection beneath the CP/CN rail lines and the highway underpass... i.e. traffic lights can only do so much with the amount of traffic that flows.

 

I think the ideal location for a Ste-Anne LRT station would be where rue Poultry-Cottages meets rue des Pins... it could be accessible 1) directly from the A-40 service road, and 2) you'd need to extend an access road from Boul. des Anciens Combattants behind the hospital. rue Poultry Cottages connects to McGill/CEGEP including a sidewalk, it's convenient for the hospital, and you can complete the service road (sud) so that it connects with Baie d'Urfé. The existing bus routes that service the southernmost communities along Bord-du-lac/Lakeshore would need to cut through the campus to reach the REM but presumably this could be accomplished safely.

 

No idea if the above is feasible, my assumption is that it is not... but if it were, it would probably be the best way to serve the region while allowing off-island residents to park-and-ride on a route they already currently take.

[Kodun]

If you look at the map above though, according to the proposal the stop in Ste Anne's will be independent of the train station.

 

Yeah, indeed! It seems to me pretty much a non sens not to interconnect both lines, particularly when they are so close. I hope they didn't put too much efforts in that stretch and that they will see the light