[malek]

Metro extension into Laval has been inaugurated today and will be open to public on Saturday, several months ahead of schedule and at a final cost of 754 million$, it was budgeted at 803 million$.


Video: mms://216.113.27.249/lcn/actualite/regional/20070404_gagne.wmv

Maps:

The 3 stations will be in the Laval des rapides and Chomedey areas.

http://www.immobilierlaval.ca/immobilier-laval_files/Laval.gif


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Mtl-metro-map.svg/500px-Mtl-metro-map.svg.png

Renders:
http://www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets/image/metrolaval/photos/Station_Cartier.jpg

http://www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets/image/metrolaval/photos/Station_Concorde.jpg

http://www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets/image/metrolaval/photos/Station_Montmorency.jpg

Construction:

http://www.kiewit.qc.ca/ImageUpload/NEWS-MetroLaval.jpg

http://www.echafaudage.ca/images/en_action/metro_cartier.jpg

http://www.echafaudage.ca/images/en_action/metro_montmorency.jpg

http://www.pomerleau.ca/FichiersUpload/Creations/thumb_Ancrage_Riv%20des%20Prairies.jpg

http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1189&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1193&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1196&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1199&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1202&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1205&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1208&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1211&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1214&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1217&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1220&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1223&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1226&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1229&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1232&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1235&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1231&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1241&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1244&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1247&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1250&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1253&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1256&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1259&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1262&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1265&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1268&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1271&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1274&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1277&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1280&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1283&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1286&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1289&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1292&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1295&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1298&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1301&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.mtlurb.com/pictures/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1304&g2_serialNumber=1


A lot more photos here: http://www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets/metrolaval/photos/index.asp

[Lyle]

Of course, we can't do anything here without a little added drama:


Laval subway ceremony marred by protest, death
Last Updated: Thursday, April 26, 2007 | 12:48 PM ET
CBC News
The long-awaited inauguration of three new subway stations in Laval was delayed Thursday morning after unionized workers staged a protest and an employee died of a heart attack.

Dignitaries including Quebec Premier Jean Charest, Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay and Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt were forced to wait as blue-collar workers crowded the entrance to the Montmorency station yelling and waving placards to protest a lack of progress in contract talks with the city.

The ceremony then took a sombre turn when a metro employee supervising the new station had a heart attack and died on the scene.

The first metro train finally pulled in to the station with Charest, Tremblay and Vaillancourt on board.

Laval's three new stations — De La Concorde and Cartier as well as Montmorency — will be open to the public on Saturday and public transit will be free to mark the occasion.

The subway system's orange line expansion cost $745 million and took nine years to complete after the Parti Québécois promised the stations in 1998.

At the time, the government said the renovations would cost $179 million, but the price tag ballooned before any ground was broken, reaching $378 million in June 2000.

Construction started in 2002 and wrapped up in early 2007, for the final cost of $150 million per kilometre.

Transit officials said the project's initial cost was underestimated because the first blueprints for the expansion were incomplete and failed to include 1.5 kilometres of new rail line.

Special equipment needed during construction because of the ground's composition also drove up the final cost.

Public transit officials estimate as many as 50,000 people will use the Laval stops on a daily basis, which will take cars off commuter roads and highways.

[ctown.myth]

Love Concorde!

And also wasn't there a thread about Vaughn and subway's?

[malek]

Vaughn is planned and approved, we have it completed ;)

[caltrane74]

oh nooooo ctown.myth is back!! :P

[ctown.myth]

Vaughn is planned and approved, we have it completed ;)

Isn't Laval a lot deeper than the subway penetrates? I don't think that three stations are going to be enough...

[PhilippeMtl]

I can't believe they waste 800M$ for a subway in Sprawlberland.

A light rail system would have been a better choice.

[ctown.myth]

oh nooooo ctown.myth is back!! :P

Actually I went game-crazy for a couple of weeks, got a lot of hours down! And add to the fact that I just finished my finals.

[Jared]

Does anyone have some areial shots of the station areas and their surroundings? From those shots it seems like there really isnt much nearby.

[Lyle]

I can't believe they waste 800M$ for a subway in Sprawlberland.

If it keeps 50 000 Laval Kia drivers off our streets I think it's a good investment.

[Lyle]

.

[ctown.myth]

I can't believe they waste 800M$ for a subway in Sprawlberland.

Laval is a major suburb, and I don't know a lot about Mtl, but it would seem that Laval is just getting its due. Pretty soon, if the pop. keeps on going higher, Calgary would have to do it too. And isn't there a major Uni. in Laval?

[Lyle]

isn't there a major Uni. in Laval?

Université Laval is in Quebec City. Common mistake.

[graupner]

The neighborhoods around the stations :

Cartier station
http://www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets/image/metrolaval/photos/37-cartier.JPG

Concorde:
http://www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets/image/metrolaval/photos/200-concorde.JPG

Montmorency is pretty desert indeed, they plan to build residential highrises around the station.

[ctown.myth]

Concorde looks that its either old or like a semi-ghetto. Really love the station tho!

[Lyle]

The stations

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/473717344_d78a506d86_o.jpg

The region

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/473731443_369604ab18_o.jpg

[alps]

Really nice stations! Depressing neighbourhoods, but hopefully they'll improve with the arrival of the subway.

[malek]

I can't believe they waste 800M$ for a subway in Sprawlberland.

A light rail system would have been a better choice.

you are being annoying, stfu.

everything out of the core of Montreal is sprawl if we follow your criteria and its pretty much well covered in Metro.

That 750M$ is better spent on a metro instead of a bridge, you keep forgetting that Laval like Montreal is an island and at 366K people, more bridges will be needed.

[Master Plan Dan]

That is a very cool looking station. Very European looking....

[ctown.myth]

you are being annoying, stfu.

:lmao:

[ctown.myth]

That is a very cool looking station. Very European looking....

Umm...which one?

[malek]

:lmao:

i think he's been saying the same crap over and over agains, the metro is built, live with it!

[ctown.myth]

Well, I can't say anything, I can be pretty annoying too, ask clatrane!

[PhilippeMtl]

you are being annoying, stfu.

everything out of the core of Montreal is sprawl if we follow your criteria and its pretty much well covered in Metro.

That 750M$ is better spent on a metro instead of a bridge, you keep forgetting that Laval like Montreal is an island and at 366K people, more bridges will be needed.

Calme-toi, je disais pas ça pour chialer contre Laval... Susceptible mon Malek depuis les élections! ;)

Mon point est qu'un système léger sur rail, comme l'AMT propose sur l'Estacade du Pont Champlain est mieux adapté pour les villes à plus faible densité et que c'est beaucoup plus facile d'étendre le réseau qu'avec un métro. Pour le même prix, on aurait pu avoir le double de station et superficie couverte.

[salvius]

I can't believe they waste 800M$ for a subway in Sprawlberland.

A light rail system would have been a better choice.

Don't worry, we here are just about to make an equally stupid mistake, and one we can probably afford even less. :cool:

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Are those rails I see? Or will it run on tires as well?

[Lyle]

It's the same system as the rest of the network. The cars run on rubber tires but the rails supply the electricity that powers the train.

[ctown.myth]

How does that work? Like how electricity is being transfered to the car on a LRT system, but just instead of being above it's below?

[Lyle]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Metro

Trains draw current from two sets of 750-volt direct current guide bar/third rails on either side of each motor car. Nine-car trains draw large currents of up to 6,000 amperes, requiring that both models of rolling-stock have calibrated traction motor control systems to prevent power surges, arcing and breaker tripping. Both models have electrical braking (using motors) to assist primary friction braking, reducing the need to replace the brake pads.

[MonkeyRonin]

I can't believe they waste 800M$ for a subway in Sprawlberland.

At least its better than Vaughn.

[Lyle]

This is cool: http://www.videomashups.ca/montreal/subwaymap.php

[b13]

is Montreals subway system bigger than Torontos??

[ctown.myth]

If you compare a single system to a single system, yes. But as a whole T.O.'s is bigger.

[miketoronto]

This is great news. Make all the fun you want about it, but improving public transit like this, will do one thing. And that is make transit ridership go up, and reduce the amount of cars on the roads.

This extension is opening in tandem with a fully new redesigned bus network in Laval. The whole package will see greatly improved transit for Laval.

To see the new bus network in a cool little graphic thing, click on the following link. Then click on NEW STL BUS NETWORK

http://media.stl.laval.qc.ca/en/index.html

The following is from the STL

LAVAL METRO OPENING ON APRIL 28

BRAND NEW STL NETWORK LINKED TO THE THREE NEW STATIONS

Laval, April 23, 2007 - The Société de transport de Laval is very enthusiastically getting ready to roll out a brand new bus network upon the opening of the three metro stations in Laval on April 28. The bus network, which has been designed around the three metro stations, will provide better service on Laval territory.

The new STL bus system has been developed to mesh with the three metro stations in Laval, and with the aim of improving major aspects frequently expressed by STL riders:

to arrive more quickly at their destination
to provide more direct bus routes
to create more east-west connections.

The STL has therefore increased the number of its routes by 17.6%, from 34 to 40, and has reduced the travel distance on most of its routes. In addition, the number of daily departures has risen 16.7% on weekdays, to 2,166; 24.1% on Saturdays, to 1,339; and 23.5%, on Sundays, to 1,224.

With its new design, the STL network will have 19 bus lines that will go to Cartier station, 3 lines to De la Concorde station and 14 to Montmorency station. With 10 bus lines feeding Le Carrefour terminus, it will continue to be an important hub for Laval transit users and a major transfer point for the STL's bus routes.

The new STL network took two years of sustained effort to develop, including public consultations held in 2006 among Laval residents. Paving the way for the roll-out of the new network was an information campaign, which got under way in January 2007, and included the distribution—to all Laval homes—of the new STL network map, along with an explanatory brochure. Customer support has also been provided in the weeks leading up to the opening of the three metro stations as well as in the following weeks, at the platforms of the various terminuses.

The STL constantly updates the information on its website, at www.stl.laval.qc.ca.

[malek]

its amazing for laval, busses won't have to cross the bridge to Montreal, reduce travel time. The reserved line on the bridge will hopefully dissappear and appease congestion since its installement.

The bus travels will also be shorter and more intresting, hopefully service on a more often basis will be available too (doubtful).

[miketoronto]

People have to stop assuming that just because a place is suburban it does not deserve subway service.

Come to Toronto, and most of the subway ridership is going to the suburbs. Stand on a subway train at 10PM in Toronto and watch how it is standing room till you hit the suburban stations.

Suburbanites will use transit when it is good, and improving the subway network is good, in the city and suburbs.

[MonkeyRonin]

People have to stop assuming that just because a place is suburban it does not deserve subway service.

Come to Toronto, and most of the subway ridership is going to the suburbs. Stand on a subway train at 10PM in Toronto and watch how it is standing room till you hit the suburban stations.

Suburbanites will use transit when it is good, and improving the subway network is good, in the city and suburbs.

You also have to consider wealth and density. Any of the "suburban" stations in Toronto serve both very high density areas, and low income areas. Also many are hub stations and as such, serve a huge chunk of the population.

Subways out to Vaughn and Laval serve low-density affluent populations. And unlike the affluent people living in urban neighbourhoods, I don't think the suburbs quite have the "transit culture" of the city.

[miketoronto]

According to STL, 40% of the laval population are regular users of public transit.

There is no reason this extension will not see good ridership.

[Jared]

People have to stop assuming that just because a place is suburban it does not deserve subway service.

Come to Toronto, and most of the subway ridership is going to the suburbs. Stand on a subway train at 10PM in Toronto and watch how it is standing room till you hit the suburban stations.

Suburbanites will use transit when it is good, and improving the subway network is good, in the city and suburbs.

You need to look at the cost-benefit ratio of spending your dollars in different areas.
Its not just a question of getting "better" transit services for you dollar, but getting "best" transit services for your dollar. A city could improve transit by buying buses made out of gold (after all, more buses is better right?), but it obviously makes far more sense to buy regular ones (you can buy a lot more for the same amount of money).

This same idea is at play with Torontos new proposed subway. Sure, it will increase ridership. But... you could increase ridership far more for the same amount of money if you put that subway along Eglinton or the Downtown Relief Line route. Same thing is at play in Vancouver: SkyTrain to UBC would get far more ridership than the proposed Evergreen Line (in the suburbs), but the Evergreen line is going to get built first because its the North East regions "turn" for a line. I wouldnt be surprised if the same thing was at play in Montreals extention...

[MonkeyRonin]

According to STL, 40% of the laval population are regular users of public transit.

There is no reason this extension will not see good ridership.

Not bad, but it'd be nice to see how that compares to other parts of the city. And either way, the point about low density remains. Even if 40% will use transit, what good is that 40% if only a handful can even convientently get to a Metro station?

Now, I'm not eniterly familiar with Montreal, but I'm sure there are areas of the city unserved by subway, with higher densities and rates of transit users than Laval.

[malek]

That part of Laval is NOT low density ex-outer-burb or whatever you want to call it. The metro of Laval will serve the whole island of Laval and the northern shore (outer burbs) by shortening the travel time of buses to Montreal.

Yes there is denser parts of Montreal not served by the Metro but those parts are on the island, no clogged bridges are taken to go downtown, and most metro stations are a short distance by bus.

Laval is growing at a much faster rate than Montreal and is at 366k of population with most of its territory still being farmland and forest (look it up on google). At that rate, more bridges will be needed in the future, so why not take the money of ONE bridge and build an extension into Laval?

[Dirt_Devil]

^^

TOTALLY AGREE

I rather see a Metro in Laval than a new expensive bridge built for more cars and pollution.

[habsfan]

is Montreals subway system bigger than Torontos??

MOntreal has 68 stations and Toronto has 69.(the magic number!)

[miketoronto]

I know all about cost, etc.

But in the Laval case, it totally makes sense to just extend the subway into Laval, and make that the terminius.

It would have been stupid to make people change to LRT or something to go into Laval.

Laval is a natural end for the subway, and all the buses feed into it. It makes total sense.

Laval is totally different then the Vaughan extension in Toronto.

Now Montreal has its south shore and north shores connected to the island of Montreal by METRO.

[West_aust]

And one thing to consider, is that the commuter train network will connect with the metro in laval, thus reducing time for those who take the commuter train, and don't work downtown montreal, but instead closer to the north end of the city.

And the less transfer you make, the more chance you have to enjoy and continue to take public transit, an LRT, as nice as cheap as it sounds, would have created 3 transfers instead of 2 actually and 2 with the metro in laval, and that is one thing that would have made it less popular,

[malek]

I honnestly don't believe in LRT, its either metro for the denser areas or commuter trains for the farthest places.

[salvius]

I honnestly don't believe in LRT, its either metro for the denser areas or commuter trains for the farthest places.

What, exactly, is there to 'believe' or 'not believe?' It's not a matter of faith.

[Kilgore Trout]

Subways out to Vaughn and Laval serve low-density affluent populations. And unlike the affluent people living in urban neighbourhoods, I don't think the suburbs quite have the "transit culture" of the city.

laval is more similar to north york and scarborough than it is to vaughn, which bears more resemblance to montreal's outer-ring suburbs.

[malek]

What, exactly, is there to 'believe' or 'not believe?' It's not a matter of faith.

i.e. prefer metro or BRT, LRT is for pansies:haha:

[habsfan]

Next up, should be the Extension of the Blue line all the way to Anjou and St-Leonard. I still can't believe that some of the denser parts of the city don't have access to the Metro.

[MTLskyline]

This was the most needed extension for the system. However there is a lot more to be done. Unfortunately, because of the perceived cost overrun (something like 150 million ballooning to 750 million, because someone forgot to calculate how much it costs to build per km), public support will be low for any new extension.

There looks to be plans underway to extend line 2 from Cote-Vertu to the Bois-Franc commuter train station in St-Laurent. In the event of this I think they should connect Bois-Franc to Montmorency to create a loop. http://mtlurb.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4&d=1169788373

Other Priorities I'd say is extending the Blue Line and Yellow Line. The Blue Line could run as far east as Anjou, and as far west as Lachine or Montreal West. The Yellow line could be extended for the "denser" parts of the south shore (Old Longueuil, St-Lambert, Brossard, perhaps Greenfield Park or the Lafleche part of St-Hubert). It might also be worth looking at extending the Green Line to Nuns' Island.

[habsfan]

..

[habsfan]

Extending the orange line from Côte Vertu to Bois Franc might not be a bad idea...mostly because it's only a 2 station extension(i think?) The Blue Line extension to Anjou is the MOST important of them all.

Extending the Yellow line into Longueuil might be good as well, however, if they ever do that, it,ll be towards CEGEP Édouard Montpetit which is in the denser parts of Longueuil.

As far as extending the metro to Brossard and St-Lambert...I think an LRT next to the Champlain Bridge would be a better Idea. It would start at the New Chevrier Bus station(which is right next to Quartier Dix30) and it could pass through Nun's Island on it's way to downtown. It would cost much less, and would do a great job of getting the tens of thousands to and from work every day!

[miketoronto]

The West Island really needs a METRO extension or commuter rail that operates more then every hour or two hours.

Transit service to the West Island is not very competative with the car at all.

So that should probably be the priority, since the East End of of the island really is not that far from METRO service like the West Island is.

[malek]

The west (waste) island is very well deserved by commuter trains during rush hours.

The problem is that between the west island and the metro system there's a huge industrial/airport gap. I think its about 10 kms. So you would need 10kms at 150M$/KM of tunnel before it becomes intresting.

The best solution for the west island is to have dedicated commuter train lines so the trains can pass more often.

[Lyle]

The west (waste) island is very well deserved by commuter trains during rush hours.

The problem is that between the west island and the metro system there's a huge industrial/airport gap. I think its about 10 kms. So you would need 10kms at 150M$/KM of tunnel before it becomes intresting.

The best solution for the west island is to have dedicated commuter train lines so the trains can pass more often.

Well, not necessarily. If you continued the blue line west from Snowdon through densely populated NDG, Lachine and Dorval, you're already at Trudeau airport. Further west and your population densities drop, but a metro to the airport would be brilliant IMO. I'll post a suggested route in a minute.

[MolsonExport]

MOntreal has 68 stations and Toronto has 69.(the magic number!)

Despite Toronto's "magical number", Montreal's metro is still sexier!

:notacrook:

[MolsonExport]

Look at this proposal (1976), Wikipedia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Plan1976.jpg/800px-Plan1976.jpg

Remember these old maps from the late 80s/early 90s? Shows the rough route of a new metro line under Boul. Pie IX.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/Plan1990.jpg

Wikipedia:

Construction began in May 1962 and was engaged before Montreal was chosen as host of the 1967 World's Fair (Expo 67), held in the summer of 1967. Regardless of the fair, the city badly needed a mass transportation system, projects dating back to 1910. The main lines (Green (Line 1), Atwater to Frontenac; and Orange (Line 2), Bonaventure to Henri-Bourassa) were opened gradually starting in October 1966, with the Yellow line (Line 4) (Berri-de-Montigny) to Longueuil, on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River) not opened until April 1967.


1976 Montreal Metro map, with planned extensions to Lines 2 Orange and 5 BlueA Line 3 was originally intended, as a surface metro running in part through the existing railway tracks running under Mount Royal to Cartierville. But then, as negotiations with the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) for the use of their tracks and tunnel were stalled, Montreal was chosen as host of the Expo 67 (1967 World Fair). Plans and budgets were therefore redirected for the design and construction of a replacement line, Line 4, constructed especially for Expo 67, in place of the never built Line 3, which tracks are now used for the Deux-Montagnes commuter train. The Montreal Metro nonetheless continues to be numbered as if this proposed line had been constructed as Line 3 of the Metro.

With the awarding of the 1976 Summer Olympics to Montreal, construction began in October 1971 for the extension of Line 1 from Frontenac to Honoré-Beaugrand to service the main Olympic site; the new stations were opened in June 1976.


1980s Montreal Metro map, with planned eastern extension to Line 5 BlueLater, Line 1 was extended from Atwater to Angrignon (September 1978), while Line 2 was extended from Bonaventure to Place-Saint-Henri (April 1980), Snowdon (September 1981), Côte-Sainte-Catherine and Plamondon (January and June 1982), and Du Collège (January 1984).

Two years later, a new line (Blue (Line 5)) was built from De Castelnau to Saint-Michel (June 1986), with transfers to Line 2 at Jean-Talon, and Line 2 was extended further to Côte-Vertu (November 1986). Line 5 was then extended to Parc (June 1987), Acadie (March 1988), and the existing Snowdon station on Line 2 (January 1988). To this date, the Montreal Metro is Canada's second largest subway system.

The lines however, were not planned to end where they eventually did in 1990; Line 2 was originally meant to have two or three more stations beyond Côte-Vertu, however, priority funding was given to Line 5; The plans for Deguire/Poirier, Bois-Franc, and Salaberry stations were scrubbed. Line 5 itself was shortened due to funding issues. It has originally been projected to have stops west of Snowdon (Côte Saint-Luc, Cavendish, Montréal-Ouest, Lafleur) and east of Saint-Michel (Pie-IX, Viau, Lacordaire, Langelier, Galeries d’Anjou).

An entire metro line in initial planning was also scrubbed, the so-called Line 7 / Pie IX - Saint-Leonard / White Line, also due to the same funding issues. Proposed for the first time by the Bureau des Transports de Montréal (BTM) in September 1983, the original project for a new north-south line (Line 7, the number 6 being reserved for another surface metro line proposed by the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ)) would have had 10 stations (from Pie-IX to Léger), which then got formally proposed by the Communauté urbaine de Montréal (CUM) at the start of 1984, this time having 12 stations (from Pie-IX to Maurice-Duplessis/Langelier).

While a number of proposals for further expansion had been studied, the Quebec provincial government placed a moratorium on further metro construction. In 2002, construction begun on an extension of Line 2 from Henri-Bourassa under the Rivière des Prairies to Montmorency on the island of Laval (northwest of the island of Montreal); the extension is completed and the opening of the three new Metro stations is set for April 28, 2007.

Other expansion proposals currently being considered involve Line 4 being extended a short distance beyond Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke and Line 5 being extended farther northeast beyond Saint-Michel; the plan to extend Line 5 from Snowdon into the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce area of Montreal has apparently been discarded.

There has been a huge push by residents of Montreal's West Island to have the metro extended out to the region. There were early plans to continue the blue line past the Snowdon station and into Montreal West, but that never materialized. Nonetheless, many Montrealers agree that the metro should be extended at least to Dorval, to help better connect downtown with Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

[Lyle]

^ That's hilarious. I just spent 15 minutes (and about $2 billion) making this extension from the existing Snowdon station:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/193/474680207_0dc5a58a29_o.jpg

Now, if we can get Charest to forego his $700m tax cut and spend it on something useful we'd already be a third of the way there. My consulting fees promise to be quite substantial, however.

[malek]

don't touch the tax cuts hehehe

but I see the point up to Mtl ouest, but after that its too sparse, the residential areas are too thin around the stations.

[habsfan]

Nice Job Lyle, but you do know that it'll be easier to continue the Blue Line towards teh east, as it would only require adding 5 stations and about 5 KM's of tunnels. Not to mention, that part of the City is denser than the western part.

it's still a good idea though, to extend the Métro to the Airport...it's just that it would cost much more than the other alternatives: Extending Orange Line in St-Laurent(2 stations), Extending Blue Line to Anjou(5 stations) or extending Yellow Line into Longueuil(3-4 stations)

THis proposal of yours would add 9 stations and about 15 KM's of Tunnels. Maybe, the first thing would be to extend the Blue Line westwards to Concordia University's Loyola Campus(which would require 3 new stations in a fairly dense neighborhood) then if we have any money left, we could look at expanding to Dorval Airport

[Lyle]

Well, Loyola is the only university campus in Montreal without a metro station, and given I spent three years trudging out there on the cold, damp and cramped Concordia shuttle bus my wish list makes that a priority. I think a good investment would include all those projects you listed. Progress should have been made years ago when it would have been much cheaper. It's always more expensive to wait, environmentally and economically.

[habsfan]

Well, Loyola is the only university campus in Montreal without a metro station, and given I spent three years trudging out there on the cold, damp and cramped Concordia shuttle bus my wish list makes that a priority. I think a good investment would include all those projects you listed. Progress should have been made years ago when it would have been much cheaper. It's always more expensive to wait, environmentally and economically.

You poor bastard!:tup: (Just kidding)

I also had a couple of courses at Loyola(notably INTE 290) and was fortunate enough to have my own car...then again, I used to work 30 hours a week when I was in university...so i could afford my own car, and not have to take those horrible shuttle buses!!

[Halifax Hillbilly]

There looks to be plans underway to extend line 2 from Cote-Vertu to the Bois-Franc commuter train station in St-Laurent. In the event of this I think they should connect Bois-Franc to Montmorency to create a loop. http://mtlurb.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4&d=1169788373

Other Priorities I'd say is extending the Blue Line and Yellow Line. The Blue Line could run as far east as Anjou, and as far west as Lachine or Montreal West. The Yellow line could be extended for the "denser" parts of the south shore (Old Longueuil, St-Lambert, Brossard, perhaps Greenfield Park or the Lafleche part of St-Hubert). It might also be worth looking at extending the Green Line to Nuns' Island.

Are any of these ideas (Blue Line east towards Anjou, Yellow Line further into Longeuil, or Orange Line) actually being seriously discussed? Hasn't attention shifted towards a fairly high performance LRT for the South Shore and Park Avenue tramline. I realize they serve different areas than some of the metro proposals but where would the funds come from to realize these Metro projects when LRT seems to have more political support at the moment.

[monctezuma]

Why quebec's government put a moratory on the expansion of the metro ?

[malek]

^^ some members are just presuming it.

[freefarezone]

STM maps on google-maps.. helps for seeing the relative location of the new stations with the satellite.

http://www.metrodemontreal.ca/
http://www.videomashups.ca/montreal/subwaymap.php

[MTLskyline]

Are any of these ideas (Blue Line east towards Anjou, Yellow Line further into Longeuil, or Orange Line) actually being seriously discussed? Hasn't attention shifted towards a fairly high performance LRT for the South Shore and Park Avenue tramline. I realize they serve different areas than some of the metro proposals but where would the funds come from to realize these Metro projects when LRT seems to have more political support at the moment.
Yes, I think most talks of expanding the Metro are dead. The gov't put a moratorium on it if I'm not mistaken.

These are the additions that were under construction or being studied.
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/4346/planmapct5.jpg

Green = Under Construction (finished and open now)
Red = Priority Initiatives
Yellow = Feasibility Study Completed
Pink = Proposals

More info: http://metrodemontreal.com/index-e.html

This is that proposed LRT Train running from Brossard on the south shore to Montreal. They would use the existing Ice-Breaker bridge with modifications.
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3561/estacadeponthc2.jpg

[malek]

who invented that moratorium crap? its not true.

[MTLskyline]

who invented that moratorium crap? its not true.

I got it off of Wikipedia:
While a number of proposals for further expansion had been studied, the Quebec provincial government placed a moratorium on further metro construction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_metro#History

[malek]

And you believe everything in wikipedia. If there's nothing about it on authorities websites, then its not true.

Honnestly, no govt would ever say something like that without huge hippie demonstrations in the streets about pollution and ecology.

[MTLskyline]

I'm not going to get into a debate about Wikipedia, although the more frequented articles tend to be relatively accurate most of the time. I however did find the idea of a moratorium a bit odd, but apparently one existed at one point: After the moratorium on further metro construction in the mid-80s and the abandonment of the Bureau des transports métropolitains (BTM), metro development has been at a standstill and has not kept anything near pace with other cities, especially ones in Europe.

Back on topic, does anyone have any pictures or information about the new trains which are due in 4-5 years?

[excel]

cool thread

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Yes, I think most talks of expanding the Metro are dead. The gov't put a moratorium on it if I'm not mistaken.



The moratorium was in the eighties. If the feasibility studies have been conducted on the Blue Line to Anjou, and the Longeuil extension is listed as a priority initiative than metro expansions don't sound dead to me. Moving slowly but maybe not dead.

The LRT line to South Shore is approved correct? Will that LRT line kill a Longeuil metro extension? Or will they serve different parts of the south shore?

[miketoronto]

Is it true the METRO was never built to the west, because Montreal did not want to the English people to have METRO service or something like that. Sort of to punish the English side of the city????

I heard that somewhere as to the reason no Metro lines go to the west.

[begratto]

Is it true the METRO was never built to the west, because Montreal did not want to the English people to have METRO service or something like that. Sort of to punish the English side of the city????

I heard that somewhere as to the reason no Metro lines go to the west.

:rolleyes:

Actually, 36 of the 69 métro stations are west of St-Laurent boulevard (the traditionnal demarcation between English and French Montreal - although the line is getting more and more blurry with time). With 52% of the metro stations, I'd say the the English side of the city is pretty well served, considering that the English speakers represent only 31% of the population of the island. I'd say they got their fair share...

FYI, people from in the East End are saying the exact opposite of what you're saying, i.e. that the west got all the good transit service (which includes most of the metro stations and 2 suburban trains, while the east end doesn't have any), and that they don't have their fair share. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess.

[Kilgore Trout]

it's really an absurd theory, especially when you consider that downtown montreal is part of the "english west end." few parts of the city are as anglophone as the area around guy street, if you ask me.

NDG specifically is very underserved by the metro and i'm not sure why. at the same time, though, the plateau mont-royal is also underserved (no stations in the bulk of the neighbourhood east of st. denis) and the metro doesn't even go to rosemont, a huge east end neighbourhood.

if miketoronto is referring to the west island, well, there's really no reason for the metro to go there: it was built along two electrified commuter train lines! improve the quality of commuter service (dedicated tracks and 15 minute headways) and you've essentially created a west island metro.

[malek]

and for a long time those 2 commuters train were the only commuter trains in Montreal, plus the west has two highways against one going to the east which are huge vectors for economic development.

[kool maudit]

Is it true the METRO was never built to the west [...] to punish the English side of the city????













yes.

and it was lionel groulx himself who specified that the jews of mile-end should never get their streetcar back.

[malek]

This morning I took it to work:

1-I was very late this morning and arrived at 8:55 at Montomorency, a 10 minutes drive, indications weren't clear for the parking. The surface parking looked packed and some brown land slated for development was used for parking by hundreds. I took a street and it bringed me straight to the interior parking without knowing so, a parking attendant told me surface parking was full at 8am and that today I could park inside for free (will be 80$/month).

2-Very spacious station, lots of ligth, doesn't look like some of the ghetto metro stations which have very narrow corridors and stair cases. Impressed.

3-Alot of people were waiting for the metro, so when it came, almost all seated places were taken. Again very annoying metro habit of people dashing to get their seat (vs. commuter trains).

4-New seat configuration, parts of the wagon have no seats at all.

5-Funny thing, at Henri Bourassa, the metro welcomes us on board :) We've been travelling for a full 6 minutes.

6-Arrive at Square Victoria in 25 minutes, very fast, very impressed! I had forgotten how fast the metro is.

I think this will change my travel pattern, the parking issue will have to be worked out though some how.

[habsfan]

The LRT line to South Shore is approved correct? Will that LRT line kill a Longeuil metro extension? Or will they serve different parts of the south shore?

The LRT is supposed to serve the Western part of the South Shore(Brossard, Laprairie, St-Lambert, Candiac) whereas the Metro extension would serve Longueuil mostly...which is further east.

[habsfan]

Is it true the METRO was never built to the west, because Montreal did not want to the English people to have METRO service or something like that. Sort of to punish the English side of the city????

I heard that somewhere as to the reason no Metro lines go to the west.

You might have heard that from Howard Galganov....then again, Galganov is known for stirring up sh.it for no reason!:rolleyes:

[harls]

I'll bet the folks at Henri-Bourassa were pissed about all their seats being taken.

Now they know how I felt when I got on at Rosemont and never found a seat, smushed against people with BO and bad breath, the tinny sounds of ipods blaring.. sigh, I miss the subway..

[miketoronto]

I'll bet the folks at Henri-Bourassa were pissed about all their seats being taken.

Now they know how I felt when I got on at Rosemont and never found a seat, smushed against people with BO and bad breath, the tinny sounds of ipods blaring.. sigh, I miss the subway..


Not really, because during rush hours every second train starts at Henri-Bourassa, to insure people south of Henri-Bourassa have seats.

That is something I wish the TTC would do here in Toronto. They send all trains to the end of the line, and basically people in the inner city stations never gets seats, as the subway fills up basically at the terminal station in the suburbs.

[malek]

much less people at HB... in a few months we'll see how the numbers add up!

[francely57]

Not really, because during rush hours every second train starts at Henri-Bourassa, to insure people south of Henri-Bourassa have seats.

That is something I wish the TTC would do here in Toronto. They send all trains to the end of the line, and basically people in the inner city stations never gets seats, as the subway fills up basically at the terminal station in the suburbs.

miketoronto, it's not to ensure people south of H-B have seats, it's because they need to keep the high frequency of blue trains in the busy part of the orange line during rush hour, despite the extra stations. Besides, it also works because there is much less demand in Laval.

[Kilgore Trout]

you also have to consider that a significant amount of the traffic at henri-bourassa came from laval commuters. now that the laval bus termini are located at cartier and montmorency metros, they'll simply be boarding there instead.

[YYCguys]

Question: from Pointe Claire (Fairview Mall) I have to take a bus to the subway. What is the closest subway station? Thanks!

[malek]

i believe there's a bus from the fairview to Cote Vertu.

[Kilgore Trout]

according to wikipedia fairview mall is served by 17 bus routes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairview_Pointe-Claire#Terminus_Fairview

[feepa]

Showcase this new subway extension,..... in the QUEBEC THREAD... MALEK

[malek]

this thread was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek thread after the "unbuilt" vaughn newest subway city thread.