And to think the original Rem de l’Est project was going to have the entirety of the Lacordaire/Marie-Victorin branch underground and a downtown connection for only 10 billion dollars. I’m not sure what’s going on with the ARTM, but if I were the Quebec government I’d be begging the CDPQ to build their original project or even an upgraded one (potentially with more underground where residents won’t accept anything else) with slightly more government investment. I’m sure even with inflation the price for an upgraded version would be much more reasonable than 36 billion and the government will get much more bang for their buck than for whatever SRB or Tram the ARTM is likely to suggest.
Moreover, speaking on my part as someone living West of downtown who doesn’t own a car, I just don’t see myself taking advantage of all the great things there are to enjoy in the east that aren’t super close to the blue and green lines if it means I have to swallow the delays that transferring to an even a slower mode of transport will impose after an already long metro ride. This whole fiasco seems like such a loss for all residents of Montreal.