Le ministre des transports @fbonnardelCAQ se retire du projet visant à lier le REM à @yulaeroport Scandaleux. https://t.co/KIGF5mA8CQ
— Pierre Arcand (@PierreArcand) November 19, 2020
The Leader of the Official Opposition and Critic responsible for the Charter for Regions, Ms. Dominique Anglade, the Critic responsible Transport and the Metropolis, Mr. Pierre Arcand and the Critic for Infrastructures, Mr. Gaétan Barrette, find it both surprising and regrettable that the CAQ has decided to withdraw from the financial arrangements for the construction of a REM station at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport.
The City of Montreal will therefore become the only place in the world with structured transportation network that will pass within a stone’s throw of its airport without making a stop, a situation the Official Opposition believes is nonsensical.
By withdrawing from the financial arrangements for the construction of the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) station at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport, the Legault government has placed Quebec in an embarrassing situation and is sending the wrong message about the central role the airport plays as an economic vector. What government on this planet would accept that an international airport on its territory not be connected to a public transportation project, thus depriving its citizens and international tourists alike? It is time for the government to get with the times and show leadership in matters related to public transit. It must clearly state its intentions on the numerous infrastructure projects that have been promised and are awaited by Quebecers.
– Dominique Anglade, Leader of the Official Opposition and Critic responsible for the Charter for Regions.
For months, the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, has been repeating that it was of the utmost importance that we find a way to connect the REM to the airport and now, all of a sudden, he has changed his mind. Once again, the CAQ is demonstrating a lack of coherence and vision for the post-pandemic era. Montreal’s mobility and economic vitality depend on it.
– Pierre Arcand, Critic for Transport and the Metropolis.
The critical component of this infrastructure was the link between Montreal’s airport and the downtown area. Abandoning the development of this station goes against the very essence of the project. There is a generalized lack of organization in transportation infrastructure projects, like the tramway or the 3rd Link in Quebec City, for example.
– Gaétan Barrette, Critic for Infrastructures
