West Island citizens welcome recommendation to extend Montreal Metro westward
Montreal’s Planning and Development Commission says Metro’s green line should be extended to Trudeau Airport
People on the West Island are welcoming a recommendation from a city committee to extend the Metro’s green line to Lachine, Lasalle and Dorval.
Montreal's Planning and Development Commission released a report Thursday containing 53 recommendations for urban development on the island of Montreal.
Georges Bourelle, the mayor of Beaconsfield and the head of the city’s Planning and Development Commission says it’s time for better transit service to and from the West Island.
“There's a real huge need for this to happen. A lot of people [are] using their cars now to come downtown to work, and this would certainly be a huge improvement," Bourelle said.
The report states that there should be a “Metro extension from the Angrignon station serving the boroughs of Lasalle, Lachine, and Dorval with service to Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.”
“We've certainly been overlooked for many years and now we're hoping that the current government pays attention to the needs of west end cities,” said Bourelle.
The report also calls for a dedicated rail line to the West Island.
“It’s very encouraging,” said Clifford Lincoln, spokesman of the Train de l'Ouest Coalition. “It's inconceivable that any city of our size not have a proper rail service.”
The recommendations are not binding and don't have a dollar figure or timetable attached.
The Quebec government has not commented on the report.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said he's in favour of better transportation — not only to the West Island.
“My vision is to have a metropolitan transport society...I believe this island doesn't just have one side. It's for everybody, so we'll have a south, north, east, west and downtown strategy which is totally inclusive," Coderre said.
The opposition says it will push for the project.
“People in the west need a better access to public transit … so it’s good that the commission is going in that sense — that it’s talking about this kind of capacity that’s needed — because the people of Lasalle, Lachine, West Island, Pierrefonds are underserved,” said Projet Montréal city councillor Craig Sauvé.