Laval Metro expansion could depend on regional consensus Published May 20 , 2009 By Martin C. Barry • TLN Will Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt see his ambitious plan to expand Laval’s thus far small network of Metro stations become a reality with the help of the province’s Liberal government? While there are still no firm commitments from Quebec, there are signs the province is at least committed to the concept and that the plan’s execution is just a matter of time. $12.4 million project Perhaps to keep the dream of a greatly-expanded Metro system in Laval alive in the minds of residents, officials with the City, the province, and the Agence Métropolitaine de Transport gathered at the Cartier Metro station on May 11 for the official opening of a new pedestrian access tunnel, which was recently completed at a cost of $12.4 million, after being under construction for the past year. The tunnel’s main exterior entrance is located on a small island of green space at the northeast corner of des Laurentides and Cartier boulevards. When groundbreaking took place last year, senior citizens, who were previously forced to cross the busy and dangerous intersection to access the Metro station’s main entrance, would be the principal beneficiaries of the new tunnel, which opens to the public on May 22. Work completed at Cartier “With the enormous success that the Metro has known in Laval since its opening, and with its use being much more considerable than experts had predicted, it was imperative that those living east of des Laurentides Boulevard should be able to have quick and safe access to the Cartier station,” said Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt, noting that the completion of the tunnel marks the end of work at the Cartier station. The layout for the new tunnel and entranceway includes a dropoff driveway outside, with 15 short-term spaces, as well as sidewalks and bicycle racks. The Société de Transport de Montréal, which operates the Metro system, owns and provides security inside the tunnel and entranceway, as well as on the outside grounds. Started with a petition “I am very happy for my constituents to see the conclusion of work on the Cartier entrance,” said Laval-des-Rapides Liberal MNA Alain Paquet, who received a lot of praise for being the driving force behind the project. The seeds were sown four years ago when residents came to him with a petition signed by around 2,000 local residents asking for the tunnel and entranceway. He said cooperation between the City of Laval, Quebec and the AMT made it all possible. In an interview with The Laval News, Courchesne said the province continues working on feasibility studies to evaluate plans and costs for future Metro expansion. “After that, we’ll give some recommendations to try to schedule when and how we will construct the Metro further,” she said. Since the City of Montreal is competing at the same time for its own public transportation needs, Courchesne acknowledged the government will have to take that into consideration. Regional consensus needed Although the Liberals are not committed to further Metro expansion, a decision could depend on an agreement between the Montreal region’s three centres (Laval, Montreal and Longueuil), that the way to go in public transit overall is Metro service. “If it’s Metro for the three cities, it will become a priority and we will work hard to have that connection with Côte Vertu in Montreal,” Chomedey Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette said, referring to Vaillancourt’s proposed plan for expansion. “We need a joint effort by Montreal, Longeuil and Laval to make sure what is the number one priority in terms of public transit for them. If it’s the Metro, there will be something for Laval. But they cannot have the Metro, the train and all other kinds of public transportation. They have to make one a priority, because in the end it’s the government that’s paying for everything.” The province’s public transit plan in the meantime emphasizes commuter rail service. Of the options available, the Metro scores high for efficiency, but is also the most expensive.