Press release
Metropolitan corridor on Pie-IX:
a good first step, but what about Notre-Dame?
Montréal, December 17, 2009 - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is pleased with the agreement announced today to set up a corridor of reserved bus lanes on Pie-IX Boulevard.
"This is good news for Montréal East, its workers, businesses and institutions. Efficient public transit is vital to worker mobility and a city's economic vitality. With the train de l'Est and the metro stations planned as part of the blue line extension, a good part of the metropolitan area will enjoy better public transit service," stated Board of Trade President and CEO Michel Leblanc.
Called for in the Montréal Transportation Plan, a bus rapid transit system is just one more step toward increasing public transit use. To be fully effective, this corridor should quickly be connected to a modernized Notre-Dame Street.
"The next step for this area has to be Notre-Dame. The MTQ must finish the project revision requested by Minister Boulet as soon as possible. This project has been talked about for far too long; the government has to move forward and build this strategic infrastructure," added Michel Leblanc.
The Board of Trade would also like to commend the municipal administrations for reaching a consensus on this project. The cooperation that led to an agreement must now continue to ensure the project comes to fruition.
"In the metropolitan region, many public transit projects are coming together to provide quick, efficient transportation for workers. The challenge now is to carry them out and capitalize on the energy they will infuse into our city," concluded Michel Leblanc.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its primary mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.
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Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca