Regional Transport

We must improve public transit, but it must respond to needs of actual and projected ridership – without removing existing car lanes (which 2/3 motorists will always use), it cannot damage heritage areas and buildings, and it must fall within our financial means given the population growth projections over the medium and long term.

There are already buses serving the STO’S proposed tram routes, which would lead to a duplication of services if a tramway were introduced. Consequently, the social and financial costs of the expropriations would not be reasonable, considering that Alexandre-Tâché and the Aylmer Road are not wide enough for this project. Approximately 400 properties between the Alexandria Bridge and Eardley Road could be impacted by expropriations for a rail project, a difficult and lengthy task. Moreover, this project would create a major impact on heritage sites, such as Bellevue Cemetery and McConnell Farm, where Aylmer Road is very narrow.

Instead of an expensive « white elephant » project that removes car lanes and changes our urban form, I suggest that we continue with a community bus-based system on Aylmer road, and a Rapibus system along des Allumetières. If rail is decided, it should involve only one corridor along Allumettières boulevard, and consider curving to the south along the reserved MTQ transport corridor with the potential of joining the main OTrain artery at Lincoln Fields with a bridge crossing the Deschênes rapids.

I encourage you to visit the STO site and stay informed. Large-scale consultations are underway, so please stay updated.