Spurned on Metro expansion, Montreal mayor invites transport minister to ride Orange line
Valérie Plante 'surprised' and 'disappointed' by François Bonnardel's rejection of Metro Pink line
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has a proposal for Quebec's transport minister: ride the Orange line during rush hour to find out why her administration's proposed Pink line is needed.
Plante extended that invitation to François Bonnardel after he told reporters earlier this week the Pink line was "not a priority, short, medium or long term, for our government."
"Let's not forget that the Pink line is one of the solutions to take the pressure off the Orange line," the mayor said Wednesday.
Plante said she was "surprised" and "disappointed" by Bonnardel's definitive statement regarding the Metro expansion. She said Berri-UQAM is already at full capacity, and an alternative within the Metro system is badly needed.
On Monday, Bonnardel said the coming light-rail network, along with the expansion of the Metro's Blue line and the bus rapid transit route along Pie-IX Boulevard would help alleviate pressure on the Orange line.
When asked about Plante's offer on Wednesday, Bonnardel said he "would be happy to take the Metro with her."
Another line makes sense, STM says
In a recent interview on CBC Montreal's Daybreak, STM chair Philippe Schnobb said a rise in Metro ridership points to an urgent need for more public transit options.
As it stands, 66,000 people use that station every day between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. — the equivalent of more than three sold-out hockey games at the Bell Centre, he said last November.
Montreal set aside $1 million in its most recent budget to study Plante's proposed Pink line, which would connect Montreal North to Lachine without going through Berri.
