A report released Friday afternoon by the province’s environmental public consultation agency has slammed the new REM light rail system planned for the island of Montreal.
The report panned the project’s planning as lacking specifics in terms of ridership, finances and environmental impact. It also noted that starting construction would be premature without better facts.
The $5.5-billion project is slated to start construction by the end of the year, with the first train rolling in late 2020. But consultations held last summer have raised serious doubts about its feasibility.
“It will be the most expensive project ever built in North America anywhere per passenger,” said Luc Gagnon, who was one of the people who testified before the agency in the summertime.
Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson said the report doesn’t dampen his support for the project. But he wondered aloud if the findings would reflect the timetable.