TRANSPORtAtION

TURCOT RELIEF: A WORK IN PROGRESS

AMT: Blainv illeS t-Jr me
ANDY RIGa GAZETTE TRANSPORTATION REPORTER

Deu x-M onta gnes train

The traffic chaos that followed Mondays closing of two Turcot Interchange ramps for repairs may foreshadow turmoil to come. In two months, major work begins on the new Turcot, with the two-year shutdown of an east-west artery used by 21,000 vehicles daily StJacques St. in Notre-Dmede-Grace. And there will be a lot more roadwork to come during the six-year, $3.7-billion project to rebuild Quebecs busiest highway tangle. In March 2013, Quebec announced $40 million in Turcot mitigation measures aimed at making transit more attractive and convincing drivers to leave their cars at home during construction. A year later, most measures are still works in progress.

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ariga@montrealgazette.com

JEANINE LEE/THE GAZETTE

CHANGES AFFECTING TRAINS

TIME FRAME ANNOUNCED PROJECT DESCRIPTION IN MARCH 2013 STATUS

Vaudreuil-Hudson linking off-island communities, the West Island and downtown Montreal has only 27 departures per day. An unspecified number of new departures are to be added. About 50 new spots are to be added. The station currently has no parking. Medium term Last year, the AMT said new departures would be added in 2015, but the authority is less definitive now. It says it is still working on required upgrades to tracks and negotiating with Canadian Pacific, which owns the infrastructure. Negotiations are underway with the owner of a lot the AMT wants to use, the AMT says. The authority says it hopes to add the parking by the end of 2014. Originally planned for 2014. Construction on the new station is to start this fall, with the station due to open early in 2015, the AMT says.

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Improve VaudreuilHudson commuter train line Add park-and-ride lot to Lachine train station on VaudreuilHudson line Add new train stop in Lachine, on Candiac line

Medium term

Lachine-Victoria station near Victoria St. and St-Joseph Blvd. will give Lachine drivers a new way to get to and from downtown. The station will have parking.

Short term

CHANGES AFFECTING BUSES

TIME FRAME ANNOUNCED PROJECT DESCRIPTION IN MARCH 2013 STATUS

Located between St-Charles Blvd. in Kirkland and Cavendish Blvd. in St-Laurent. Short term Bus drivers are now being trained on how to use the lane, which should be in service within a few weeks, the STM says.

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Build Highway 40 reserved bus lane, in both directions, on shoulder Build Highway 13 reserved bus lane, in both directions Build permanent Highway 20 eastbound reserved bus lane Sherbrooke St. reserved bus lane in Notre-Dame-de-Grce Add a bus-only bypass lane on Notre-Dame St. Expand South Shore bus terminal in downtown Montreal

Located between Highway 440 in Laval and Highway 40 in St-Laurent. Located between Bouchard St. in Dorval and 10th Ave. in Lachine, it would replace the current temporary lane, which is on the highways shoulder. Lane should speed up buses travelling between western N.D.G. and Vendme mtro station. At the intersection with Angrignon Blvd.

Medium term

Transport Quebec provided funding for a study on the proposed bus lane, but the AMT says it is still in talks with transit agencies about their needs. Work started last year. The STM says the lane should be finished in 2014, but referred questions about the timing to Transport Quebec, which did not provide an answer by press time. Originally expected in the summer of 2013. Workers are to start painting lane markings in April, with bus lane expected to open in May, the STM says The STM says the bypass lane is expected to be finished in 2014, but referred questions about the timing to Transport Quebec, which did not provide an answer by press time. Negotiations are ongoing with the owner of a lot the AMT wants to use. Under the AMTs preliminary timeline, the new terminal would open early in 2015.

Short term

Short term

Short term

The AMT wants to add an open-air terminal near the current terminal under 1000 de la Gauchetire St. The extra capacity would allow for an increase in bus service.

Short term

CHANGES NOT ON THE MAP

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

TIME-FRAME ANNOUNCED IN MARCH 2013 STATUS

Short term 120 parking spots were added to a lot in Ste-Julie in October. In Candiac, a temporary new park-and-ride lot is to open this spring. It will feature 260 parking spaces and six bus loading zones. The AMT says it hopes to add more parking spots in other South Shore locations in 2014. The AMT says its ready to offer discounted fares if Transport Quebec asks for the measure to be put in place to deal with specific traffic problems.

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Expand park-andride lots on South Shore

The aim is to reduce traffic on Montreal Island by encouraging people to take transit to and from the South Shore.

Offer discounted transit fares

Incentive fares would encourage transit use during certain phases of Turcot work.

Medium term

AMT: Agence mtropolitaine de transport; STM: Socit de transport de Montral

compiled bY ANDY RIGa and design bY jeaNINe Lee