The 105 bus is supposed to come at regular intervals of no more than 10 minutes — often, it even comes more frequently than that during rush hour. But even at its current frequency, a lot of people in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce have complained the bus is simply too crowded, and told Global News a fix is urgently needed.
“Buses come packed solid with Concordia students and you can’t get on,” said Caroline Eve-Remy, a commuter from Laval.
Many possible solutions to the issue have been put forth, like double-sized buses and new bus lanes, but officials say many of those options aren’t feasible.
According to Russell Copeman, the mayor of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, the Elmhurst bus stop isn’t equipped to handle over-sized buses, and bus lanes wouldn’t work on Queen Mary Road because of parking and business concerns.
City Councillor Peter McQueen countered that dedicated bus lanes are possible on Queen Mary, and warned that construction on the Turcot Interchange will likely worsen the situation over the next two years.
READ MORE: ‘It’s gonna be hell’: Montreal drivers react to new traffic patterns during Turcot work
However, one fix that has helped is the installation of dedicated bus lights, which allow buses to to get a head start on traffic at intersections. The lights are gradually being phased in along high-traffic streets like Sherbrooke Street and Queen Mary Road.