As construction on the future Réseau express métropolitain (REM) station at Bois-Franc continues, there are plans behind the scenes to build a transit link between the Côte-Vertu metro station and Bois-Franc.
Transport Minister François Bonnardel ordered that studies be conducted to find the best public transit option to link the two stations that would best prevent traffic congestion.
The borough mayor of Saint-Laurent says the obvious solution is to extend Montreal’s orange metro line from Côte-Vertu to Bois-Franc, an argument Alan DeSousa has been making for years.
“This whole area will become an intermodal station between bus, metro and the REM,” DeSousa told Global News.
A tunnel stretching one kilometre has already been dug from the Côte-Vertu metro station toward the future Bois-Franc REM station. Only 1.2 kilometres remains to finish the connection.
Bonnardel announced on May 27 that he also wants studies done on building a transit link from Bois-Franc to the western part of Laval.
DeSousa argues that linking Côte-Vertu to Bois-Franc should be the priority.
“Let’s start Bois-Franc first and add on the other pieces later,” he said.
A housing construction blitz is well underway in the area with new homes already under construction.
DeSousa says up to 15,000 new units are expected within the next few years and turning Bois-Franc into a transit hub makes sense as the area develops.
“It’s going to give them access to transit everywhere they want on the (Montreal) island, whether on the South Shore, downtown, universities, the airport, the West Island and Laval,” he said.
DeSousa would like the metro extension to be complete by the time the Bois-Franc station opens, scheduled for the end of 2024.
The transport minister was not available to comment.
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