Some Montrealers uneasy about new downtown REM plans

Montrealers got a look at what the REM de l’Est could look like running through the heart of Montreal in recent days, and early plans for the line are making some residents nervous about how it would affect the city’s bustling downtown.

The light rail line would run along Rene-Levesque Blvd to Pointe aux Trembles and feature a raised rail with some green spaces and stretches of bike lanes.

Earlier plans for concrete supports have been scrapped in favour of narrower pillars to take up less space on the ground.

The organization behind the REM, CDPQ Infra, did not provide comment on Thursday, but a full rundown of the project is available on its website.

But some worry that the elevated rail would double as an elevated concrete eye-sore.

“If you are in front of Complexe Desjardins, it will be very ugly to see the wall in front of you,” said Daniel Chartier of the Collectif en Environnement Mercer-Est, a vocal critic of the project.

“(It would be) the same thing in front of Complexe Guy Favreau.”

Others worry it will cover downtown landmarks, like the Chinatown archway on Saint-Laurent Blvd.

“We just recently had both the federal and the provincial governments recognizing the heritage status of Chinatown, and then right afterwards, they’re going to block it out? It just doesn’t make any sense,” said Walter Tom, a member of the Chinatown Working Group.

Others told CTV the downtown area is already accessible by Metro, and that other areas could be better served by transit infrastructure.

“Is it the best thing to build a train that runs right next to another train?” asked Sarah Doyon of Trajectoire Quebec.