Push is on to extend Montreal’s orange metro line

MONTREAL – One of the fastest-growing residential and commercial areas of Montreal is in dire need of a metro line extension to the Bois-Franc train station, according to the mayor of Ville Saint-Laurent.

Alan DeSousa told Global News he would like to see the STM Orange Line push farther north to the AMT Bois-Franc station.

DeSousa argues there is a critical mass of both residents and workers who would benefit from such an extension.

“If we’re looking at ways in which we can move large amounts of people quickly, cheaply and efficiently; particularly if we want to reduce greenhouse gasses and want to offer the people the services such that they stay off the roads and use public transit, the orange line is a no-brainer,” DeSousa said.

The area near the Bois-Franc station is undergoing a commercial and residential renaissance of sorts.

The last of four phases of a massive housing project is currently underway. More than 1,100 homes are being built at the intersection of Henri-Bourassa Boulevard and Marcel-Laurin Boulevard.

DeSousa said more than 2,700 jobs will be created by two high-tech firms within the next year and more than 400,000 vehicles drive through the borough every day.

The borough mayor said studies have shown that extending the Orange Line makes the most sense of all mass transit projects being studied for the western part of the island.

“Either in terms of existing development or future development potential – on all fronts, the Orange Line comes out ahead,” DeSousa said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Either in terms of existing development or future development potential - on all fronts, the Orange Line comes out ahead," DeSousa said.

The problem is, the government’s priority for a future metro line extension is to push the Blue Line further east to Anjou.

DeSousa said his wish is not to compete with the possible Blue Line extension to Anjou.

However, he argued the statistics and studies done to extend the Orange Line to Bois-Franc, turning it into a bi-modal station, are viable.

“Anyone studying this file would come to the same conclusions as me,” he said.