Yesterday was a historic day for Montreal and all of Quebec. The largest transit project to take place in fifty years became a reality. The Réseau express métropolitain, a 67-km long light rail, will connect all four regions of the Montreal Metropolitan area. Once completed, it will be the fourth largest automated system in the world. The project should start construction starting this April and should commence operations in multiple phases by 2021-2023. The project was first announced in 2015 by La Caisse with cooperation from the Quebec Liberals, and the previous Montreal administration under Denis Coderre. It’s because of their teamwork and persistence, this project got the green light and will now happen.

Some changes have happened from this announcement and the previous proposal. The total cost of the project has increased by $300 million, for a grand total of $6.3B. The number of stations decreased from 27 to 26 due to the elimination of Highway 13 station, citing low ridership and environmental concerns. In addition to this, the system will use the current CN rail tracks to connect Griffintown/Downtown, rather than going under the Peel basin, due to complications with infrastructure and future projects in Griffintown.

Economic benefits from this project remain key. In addition to $3.7B injected to Quebec’s GDP, the expectation of $5B worth of real estate near the stations remains, and this number can go up since the Montreal market is red hot these days. The REM will also create 34,000 jobs during construction, thus decreasing the unemployment rate in Quebec, increasing its tax base and of course, more jobs benefits the economy. It’s also important to note that the project will help with economic impacts caused by traffic congestion, which is estimated at $1.9B per year in Montreal. The project also aims to decrease travel times, thus making life more convenient for everyone when it comes to traveling around the CMA.

More Information/info cited: https://www.cdpqinfra.com/en/reseau_electrique_metropolitain

Personal take on the project

Although the announcement of the winning consortium was delayed and gave me some concern, I’m happy that the project is going ahead. Montreal has one of the best transit coverages compared to almost all major North American cities and is a city that cares about the environment. This project, therefore, contributes to the economy of Montreal and Quebec, sustainable development and better connectivity. Key points of the project are the stops at the airport, technoparc and South Shore terminus. We finally get proper transit connectivity from the airport to downtown. Technoparc gets connectivity to the airport and downtown, thus, increasing investments in tech companies in this sector. Finally, the South Shore terminus with a huge TOD project of $1B and once again proper connectivity to downtown Montreal.

In the end, everyone wins with this project. Montreal gets better transit connectivity, the economy gains jobs and billions of dollars, and the project will help decrease carbon emissions by cars and will be 100% electric. Cities in North America can look to Montreal as a leader of transit and sustainable development in order to help their respective jurisdictions.

More Info: https://www.cdpqinfra.com/en/reseau-express-metropolitain-project-officially-launches