STM gets $440M métro garage
Rush hour wait times to be reduced to two minutes
St-Laurent will be getting a new $440-million métro car garage, with 75 per cent of the costs covered by the Quebec government, Minister Martin Coiteux announced on Friday.
The remaining $110 million will be coming from the Société de transport de Montréal.
The garage, expected to be fully completed by 2021-2022, will allow the STM to reduce wait times to two minutes during morning rush hour on the Orange Line, said STM president Philippe Schnobb.
He joined Coiteux at the future site of the garage at Marcel Laurin and Thimens Blvds., along with Mayor Denis Coderre, and St-Laurent borough Mayor Alan DeSousa.
Schnobb said the increased frequency is due to the new underground garage’s greater capacity, allowing it to store 10 more trains.
There will be a significant impact on the efficiency of our métro.
That, he continued, will allow more to run on the Orange Line. Coderre explained that this doubles the STM’s parking capacity for eastbound trains on the line.
“There will be a significant impact on the efficiency of our métro,” Coderre said.
The garage will also allow the STM to increase the number of trains on the Blue Line after the five stations heading east toward Anjou are added, said Coiteux.
The métro line extension is still a top priority for the city, added Coderre.
DeSousa explained that public consultations were previously held to ensure St-Laurent residents were aware of the upcoming construction and so that necessary security measures, such as traffic controls, could be put in place.
The Côte-Vertu station, the city’s westernmost métro stop and a major hub for buses serving the West Island, will be closed for 11 weeks next summer for construction work.
A shuttle bus service to and from the Du Collège station, where an elevator is being added, will be in place during the disruption.