Cote St-Luc is lobbying the Montreal agglomeration to create more public transportation options around Decarie Blvd.
Mayor Mitchell Brownstein wants a train station added at the corner of Jean-Talon and Decarie.
“At Jean-Talon and Decarie right now, you're stuck. You can't move during rush hour and not during rush hour,” he said.
He also wants the metro's orange line extended to Bois-Franc so it can connect to the REM.
Several massive development projects near Decarie Blvd. are slated to bring thousands of additional residents to the area.
Thousands of condos will be built, in addition to the Royalmount megamall planned at the junction of Highways 15 and 40.
“There's a lot of great things happening. Billions of dollars are being invested by developers. They've done their studies, and they know this is a wonderful future for the island of Montreal, for the economy of Montreal. A hundred restaurants, six hotels, big theatres: it's great news, but we need to have a proper transport plan,” he said.
Traffic analyst Rick Leckner worries it may be too late.
“The problem is timing. We do not have a stellar record when it comes to implementing things here. The vision is lacking, and while Cote St-Luc’s ideas are good, I fear it'll take years to implement some of these things.” He said
Leckner predicts there are rough years ahead for those commuting around Decarie.
“It seems impossible that the area will be able to cope with the traffic which is not only an inconvenience, but it becomes a major security problem when you try to get emergency vehicles through this mess,” he said.
Brownstein will present his plans to the agglomeration council, the group that is studying the Royalmount project.
“It's an opportunity. This is happening. We know that it's happening. It's not when; it's happening now. So you have to plan public transport,” he said.
