Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) has proposed to the Government of Québec and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec that the light-rail transit systems of the South Shore and West Island be in tegrated into a single network with a view to maximizing ridership. Using the same type of rolling stock and a common intermediate station downtown would reduce costs for infrastructure and operations.
“By integrating these two projects converging toward downtown, we would create a new urban transit network that would be very much larger than the sum of its two parts. Such a network, with a branch to Montréal–Trudeau airport and connection to the métro, would directly link the South Shore to the West Island, passing through downtown Montréal. It could include stops at Nuns’ Island, the Cité du Multimédia, at Lionel-Groulx and Atwater Market, in Lachine, in Dorval, and so on,” said James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of ADM.
Another important fact is that the integration and harmonization of the two projects could result in substantial economies of scale, both in the development phase and during operation. Among others, according to ADM experts, the West Island LRT infrastructure costs would be reduced significantly by converting the downtown terminal into an intermediate station.
Airport accessibility would also be greatly improved, especially for people from the South Shore who would be able to get there without transferring. Over the longer term, such a network would offer opportunities for linking other sectors not yet served by a public transit system.
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