Comments on: Walksheds Visualized:Showing Population and Places of Workwithin Walking distance of Montreal Rail Stations

By: Georges

Georges — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 19:25:04 +0000

I am a bit late with this discussion. An interesting analysis. I believe that you do not take into account the potential development impact of the stations.

Stations can service local populations as origins, yet they can also serve as destination hubs. The planning should allow for destination development as well. Since the trains have to return during rush hour, this will allow the trains to have a function for the return traffic. In turn this will improve the revenue stream.

With access to rapid transit, there are environments that will go for more intensive development, For example the Pointe Claire REM station has a large vacant lot adjacent to it. This site should be developed for back office projects integrated to the station The same could be said for the Sources station and the St Charles site (if Kirkland has a vision).

But this depends on the vision of the towns and their zoning by-laws. Developers prefer residential projects, they are easier to finance. Office development (while more profitable) takes longer. As a result I expect towns will be under considerable pressure to zone for residential development.

By: Guillaume

Guillaume — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 04:59:33 +0000

It would be cool to see this map with future pink line !

By: Ghislain Laframboise

Ghislain Laframboise — Fri, 05 May 2017 15:13:05 +0000

Personnaly, i live in Laval-des-Rapides about 1.1 km south of Montmorency metro station. If i go to MontrÃ©al i will required a lift (aka a car/van ride from my dad ) to the Montmorency metro station but i will return home by walking around 15 minutes. I could also use the STL bus services but it goes only to the Cartier Metro Station which is 30 minutes walk away from my home. Since i’m 44 going to 45 in august . It’s cost 3,25$ for a 8 minutes ride (3,4 km). 0,96 $/km (0,83$/km) if i use bus ticket (22,50$/8 tickets). So I just use it when i just too tired to walk home or when it’s raining. My mom who just turns 80 years old in April just can walk in one shot to the corner of the street. Even she have free ride with the STL she will rarely take the bus. My father who is younger than my mom (73 in april too) rather use his van than take the bus in Laval. Even it is free because of the trunk capacity of his car. He only use the bus on special occasion like a show or a conference in MontrÃ©al where he does not need to carry heavy things and when parking is next to impossible to find or is very expensive.

By: ant6n

ant6n — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 23:08:47 +0000

@Ron
Well, ideally a ‘metro’ line to the West Island should attempt to be as close to people as possible, so they can walk. Then you don’t need as many people to park’n’ride to the stations. And if the stations are directly on the corridors (as opposed to 1.3 km away from them), and there would be a station on all of the five potential north-south corridors, then we could have a frequent bus line on all of those corridors, which would provide a very short connection to the train.This could encourage more people to take a frequent feeder bus, again reducing the need for parking.

After all, parking is expensive, and it requires a lot of space, the less we need the better.

I’m a little bit concerned that for many people in the West Island, driving is such a normal aspect of life that considering walking/bus to a metro station feels like a downgrade, even if the alternatives are set up well.

Of course as long as we’re planning rapid transit along the a-40, then the discussion is moot, because there are few people within walking distance, and bus connections will be slow and awkward at best. Oh and I doubt REM parking will be free.

By: Ron Goes

Ron Goes — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 21:34:44 +0000

Where are you going to put these parking lots and how are people going to get at them on the congested north-south routes. The whole REM plan is so seriously vague that it begs the how. Should be scrapped..

By: JÃ©rÃ©mie Dunn

JÃ©rÃ©mie Dunn — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:55:58 +0000

Pointe-Aux-Trembles is also poorly designed. Entering and exiting it might be really long, I experienced it once. If you are at the queue of the train, you have to walk the whole lenght of the platform to get to an equally long tunnel to go down dozens of stairs… And then if you are the unlucky guy who got the worst parking slot, you have to walk again the same distance along the tunnel and the platform.

Interrestingly, and like in your conclusion, a TOD project is supposed to be on the way and you can find the plan somewhere. Like the parking, these buildings will be also on the wrong side (as the other side is a protected natural habitat) This will highlight more the main mistake made when planning the station : placing the platform on the wrong side of the tracks with no way to pass over or under it. It as abnormal that when planning your moves you have to count so much time just to get in/out.

Let’s hope that the REM proposal will not compromise this TOD project.

By: JÃ©rÃ©mie Dunn

JÃ©rÃ©mie Dunn — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:44:07 +0000

*Bus line 44

You are so right about Anjou, this station is by the way so badly nammed.

It’s location is way closer to RDP citizens and way more useful to them than Angevins people (official name of Anjou’s citizens). But it is almost impossible to get there by bus and from RDP you must make big detours by car or on foot to get there as the streets on the north side grant no access to the station ; Henri-Bourassa is a “passage obligÃ©”.

The closest residential Anjou area is the new dev around the half-artificial lake near Costco and LÃ©on megastores but these are already close to Radisson (bus line Radisson ; in straight line) and eventually much closer to the projected blue line terminus. To them, a TRAM card is a waste of money. Actually, Anjou is more a RDP #2 train station with an underdevelopped access to the cÃ©gep nearby.

Even if it is officially in the northernmost part of Anjou, West-RDP or Marie-Victorin would be more practical names and it should mean an efficient access from both side of the tracts.

By: CedarPark

CedarPark — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:38:20 +0000

(I meant north of Sedgefield — if you live north of the Duke-of-Kent/Sedgefield area the 40 is closer than the 20). I must also add that if nothing else happens the area around the 20 is reasonably pedestrian and cyclist friendly with various bike paths, shortcuts, tunnels and overpasses, certainly by suburban standards, but the area around the 40 is downright hostile.

By: CedarPark

CedarPark — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:24:14 +0000

The Fairview station is too far too walk at 3km (if an overpass or underpass is built for the 40; without that it’s even longer). I would consider cycling it, but most definitely the VH service is preferable for normal commute runs.
Presently I take the bus (211/405/411/485) when there is a large multi-hour gap in VH service, maybe a few times a month. This is usually not a big issue, except around 2:30pm when traffic on the 20 can already slow down buses quite a bit. I can’t predict whether the REM or the 211 would be more convenient on a late evening.
For people north of Stillview the story is quite different though.

I don’t see stations without much parking such as Cedar Park or Lachine getting a lot of competition from the REM. Mostly it’s those with large parking lots, mainly Beaconsfield and Pointe-Claire. Even then it depends: are the CDPQ parking lots free, how much space is available, etc.? Dorval has a largish free parking lot too, and I can’t imagine the CDPQ constructing a free parking lot at the airport station when airport parking costs $5/20 minutes!