The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) will commission the Sauvé/Côte-Vertu bus rapid transit (BRT) service in mid-December.
Spanning 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles), the BRT will run along Sauvé Street and Côte-Vertu Boulevard between Décarie and Berri. Lines that run entirely or in part along this corridor—namely the 121 Sauvé/Côte-Vertu, 171 Henri-Bourassa, 378 Sauvé/YUL Aéroport and 380 Henri-Bourassa—will benefit from two priority traffic lights between the two Orange Line metro stations and a reserved lane that will be in service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Despite the pandemic that continues to affect us all, it is important for the STM to stay focused on the projects and goals in its 2025 Strategic Organizational Plan by continuing to develop public transit in order to relaunch Montréal from an environmental standpoint,” said Philippe Schnobb, chairman of the Board of Directors of the STM. “Our employees are doing an incredible job in that regard, continuing their efforts despite the difficulties, as evidenced by the commissioning of the BRT.”
Work on this C$28-million (US$21.86-million) project began in April 2019 and included:
- Installation of a curbside reserved lane with a distinctive color in the Sauvé/Côte-Vertu corridor (including paving, road markings and signage).
- Installation of bus priority traffic lights.
- Geometric reconfiguration of lanes on certain sections.
- Widening of sidewalks in various places along the corridor.
- Upgrading of priority traffic lights between Décarie Street and the A15.
- Replacement of paving on certain sections of the corridor.
- Upgrading of lighting.
The work was carried out in partnership with the city of Montréal to group together operations within the same period and reduce impacts on nearby residents and vehicle traffic.
The BRT will allow the roughly 44,000 customers who travel along this corridor every day to reduce their travel times by 10 to 20 percent compared to now.
“We are delighted with the commissioning of this bus rapid transit service, which has been anticipated for some time by local residents and will have a major impact on mobility. This project which is taking shape will not only allow citizens to save time on their trips, but also improve their living environment,” said Eric Alan Caldwell, city of Montréal executive committee member responsible for mobility and urban planning. “We are taking advantage of the work involved in implementing this service to widen the sidewalks, upgrade traffic lights and resurface the road, which increases safety for all road users.”
Alan De Sousa, mayor of the Saint-Laurent Borough, added, “We are delighted with the commissioning of the bus rapid transit service between Sauvé station in Ahuntsic and Côte-Vertu station in Saint-Laurent. This service promotes public transit along a very popular corridor. It increases public transit’s competitiveness over single-occupant car use and improves traffic flow. In that regard, it provides our citizens with improved access to quality mobility. It is the result of a project planned as part of the Saint-Laurent borough’s local transportation plan, adopted in 2017. The rapid link will also connect with the REM and its Montpellier station. This excellent collaboration with the STM and other partners means that Saint-Laurent remains at the forefront of sustainable development.”
