The Montreal Metropolitan Regional Transportation Authority (ARTM) is launching eight study zones to adjust to the region’s changing public transit system. With the REM light rail line rollout and upcoming Montreal Metro Blue Line extension, the ARTM is looking at how best to develop routes and projects to serve the “most promising investments” for public transit users. The ARTM is studying the following eight zones: “The projects that are shaping the network of tomorrow are already underway, but our work doesn’t stop there,” said ARTM director Benoit Gendron. “To meet the needs of the coming decades, we must start thinking now about the steps that will follow. That’s why public transit planning must be continuous. The study areas allow us to better understand the realities of each territory and to identify the most promising interventions for the future.” The studies are intended to assess needs, analyze different scenarios and identify projects that will best benefit communities. Reports will then be produced with recommendations for Quebec, hoping to guide future investments. A report on the Chomedey-Saint-Laurent zone should be available in the fall. “We must be ready when the financial context is more favourable because, despite the current challenges, mobility needs will continue to grow,” said Gendron. “We must continue planning, define priorities and ensure that tomorrow’s projects will meet the real needs of citizens and territories. This is precisely one of the important roles that the ARTM plays.”
