REM is coming to the West Island — but getting there may be a challenge - BERITAJA

For now, it’s mostly quiet.

But successful conscionable a fewer weeks, stations connected the West Island will beryllium thing but arsenic the REM prepares to motorboat 4 caller stations.

On May 18, Des Sources, Fairview-Pointe-Claire, Kirkland and l’Anse à l’Orme are expected to beryllium unfastened for business.

But depending connected the station, getting location whitethorn look different.

At Fairview, there’s presently nary parking for REM users.

Kirkland is expected to person 200 spots – but they are reserved for its residents only.

Meanwhile, the Des Sources position will person 484 spots, while the l’Anse à l’Orme branch successful Ste-Anne de Bellevue will person 216.

“Right now, it’s difficult to get location by car; [there’s] nary parking,” Pointe-Claire Mayor John Belvedere said. “We can’t transverse the Trans-Canada road safely – there’s nary overpass, there’s nary motorcycle path. I mean, successful bid for it to work, I deliberation each those elements – we each request to activity together arsenic a organization to make it work.”

At Fairview, the politician says location are ongoing discussions betwixt REM officials and Cadillac Fairview to instrumentality spots – but nary woody is successful spot yet.

“They’re looking astatine X number of hundreds of spots,” Belvedere said. “I judge it is only impermanent until things settee down. Obviously, Cadillac Fairview has a committedness to their tenants, too.”

In February, the STM announced what it called its biggest autobus web overhaul yet.

Part of it was aimed astatine helping West Islanders scope the REM and encouraging them to time off their cars astatine home.

In Kirkland, Mayor Michel Gibson says he’s cautiously optimistic residents will clasp the caller system, and hopes it besides opens the West Island up to much visitors.

“It’s a invited summation for our commercial, our business guidelines and for our residents,” Gibson said. “They opportunity it’ll beryllium a awesome measurement to spell downtown – but it’ll beryllium a awesome measurement to travel from downtown also.”

In Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, the politician says the metropolis is pleased pinch the changes the STM has incorporated.

But officials are bracing for an summation successful traffic.

“Maybe connected the Morgan exit and connected Chemin Sainte-Marie because it’s not a ample road,” said Michel Boudreault, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue mayor. “But the management and assembly are watching that intimately successful the adjacent mates months. And we’re already moving connected imaginable solutions successful lawsuit it becomes an issue.”