BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1510 West
With just months before the Reseau express métropolitain light rail commuter train line is pushed into service in the West Island, there is still no provisions for parking at the Pointe Claire station next to the Fairview shopping centre.
According to a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra, the consortium building the $6.9-billion rail project, no plan to provide commuters with a parking area has been secured for the Pointe Claire station, nor has any parking for the general public been devised for the Kirkland station.
The town of Kirkland has struck a deal with a developer to provide 200 spots near the station, but this area will be reserved for Kirkland residents only.
“CDPQ Infra seeks to maximize access to REM stations by focusing on different modes of transport, including active and collective transport, as well as access by personal car,” said Michelle Lamarche, director of media relations for the consortium developing the rail service, in an email to The 1510 West last week.
“We are always working with local partners to develop access proposal best suited to the sector,” Lamarche added. But so far, no space for vehicle parking has been identified.
When plans for the REM in the West Island were unveiled in 2016, CDPQ Infra had promised 4,500 parking spots at the four West Island stations along the 14-kilometre route. That number has since been cut to 700, including 500 spaces at the Des Sources station and 200 at the Anse à l’Orme station in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.
It is expected that 4,300 riders will use the West Island train on a daily basis by 2031, according to CDPQ Infra. On its website, it only lists space for 50 bicycle parking spots at the Pointe Claire station – 30 under a roofed stand.
Almost two years ago – in the spring of 2022 – a CDPQ Infra spokesperson admitted that the lack of parking at the Pointe Claire and Kirkland stations was a concern that kept being brought to the consortium’s attention. At that time, the spokesperson said CDPQ Infra was looking to negotiate a deal to allow commuters using the Pointe Claire station to use existing parking lot space at the Fairview mall. Cadillac Fairview, the owners of the mall, have not been willing to agree to any such offer.