Pie-IX bus rapid transit
French: Service rapide par bus Pie-IX
Du Mont Royal station
Overview
OperatorSociété de transport de Montréal (STM)
VehicleNova Bus LFS/Articulated 20 battery electric articulated buses[1]
Began serviceNovember 7, 2022 (2022-11-07)
Predecessors505 R-BUS Pie-IX (1989–2002)
Route
Route typeBus rapid transit
LocaleMontreal and Laval, Quebec
StartSaint-Martin, Laval
EndPie-IX station (initial)
Saint Catherine Street (planned)
Length13 kilometres (8.1 mi)
Stops20
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The Pie-IX BRT is a bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor on Pie-IX Boulevard in Montreal between Saint Catherine Street in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Saint Martin in Laval. After four years of construction, the majority of Pie-IX BRT stations opened in November 2022, and other stations will open in 2023.[2]

Historically, an express bus service was available on Pie-IX Boulevard between 1989 and 2002 by the Société de transport de la communauté urbaine de Montréal (STCUM), until the system was abandoned due to safety concerns following deaths of pedestrians.

Background

Bus rapid transit (BRT) uses reserved bus lanes, priority to buses at intersections, all door boarding and dedicated stations - allowing for higher capacity and reliability than a conventional bus system.[3] In Quebec French, bus rapid transit is known as Service Rapide par Bus (SRB), whereas in other varieties of French, bus rapid transit is known as Bus à haut niveau de service (BHNS), literally 'Bus with a High Level of Service'.

History

505 R-BUS Pie-IX

Old BRT shelter on Boulevard Pie-IX at Bélanger, now removed

The STCUM 505 R-BUS Pie-IX (Express Pie-IX), running along Boulevard Pie-IX, provided supplementary, limited-stop service to the 139 Pie-IX bus route during rush hours. It operated from 1989 to 2002, being the first reserved-lane bus service and first BRT service in Montreal. The system had 10 dedicated stations, and a regular stop and terminus at the Pie-IX metro station.[4] A unique feature of the original Pie-IX BRT was the use of contraflow lanes with island platforms at dedicated stations, along with other BRT features such as high frequency of service and priority traffic signals. Ridership was relatively high, with STCUM reporting around 5,000 users a day.[5]

However between 1997 and 2002, four pedestrians were fatally struck, as the layout of the bus lane was deemed too confusing and dangerous.[5] After the fourth pedestrian fatality, service was suspended indefinitely in 2002, although a provisional curbside bus lane was set up in the boulevard's right lane.[6] There were plans to restart the service once safety cones and fences are installed along Pie-IX Boulevard, but the relaunch did not occur.[4][5] The stations were dismantled as of August 2010, to make way for the revised service system.[7]

Pie-IX BRT

In 2007, the City of Montreal proposed a renewed bus rapid transit service on Pie-IX Boulevard as part of its transportation plan. The plan calls for BRT service along Pie-IX from Autoroute 440 in Laval to Notre-Dame Street in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, continuing along Notre-Dame and René Lévesque Boulevard to offer an express link to Downtown Montreal.[8] In 2009, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) regional transportation agency formally proposed the Pie-IX BRT to the provincial government, calling for frequent 24-hour service on bidirectional lanes in the central median between Autoroute 40 and Notre-Dame Street.[9][10] The renewed BRT proposal called for side platforms at stops, eliminating the much-criticized contraflow design of the original lane.[11]

Although the AMT planned for the Pie-IX BRT to begin operations in 2013, the project only received approval from the provincial government in 2015, with a tentative completion date of 2022.[12] The approved project was less ambitious than the original proposal, calling only for the construction of bidirectional bus lanes and 15 BRT stops between Charleroi Street in Montréal-Nord and Pie-IX station in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

Construction

After the project was transferred to the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) in 2017, construction began in November 2018.[13] Work began with the rebuilding of the underground utilities beneath the boulevard. It was also announced that the Pie-IX BRT would be extended after all to Saint-Martin in Laval, as the provincial government agreed to rebuild Pie IX Bridge to carry the bus lanes across the Rivière des Prairies. The total cost of the project was estimated to be $394 million.[14] The southern portion cancelled in 2015 was restored in 2019 when the province announced that the Pie-IX BRT would be extended southward to Notre-Dame Street, with construction to begin in spring 2022 and end in fall 2023.[15]

In 2022, it was announced that the launch of the Pie-IX BRT would be phased, with most of the service launching as planning in late 2022. The openings of Jean-Talon and Bélanger stations were pushed back to 2023 due to the construction of a pedestrian tunnel to better integrate the BRT service with the future Blue Line extension station. Pierre-De Coubertin station was also pushed back to 2023 due to construction delays.[3] The overall cost of the project had increased to $472m.[2]

Opening

After a formal opening by Mayor of Montreal Valérie Plante and Quebec Minister for Transport Geneviève Guilbault, the majority of stations opened on 7 November 2022,[2] with 6 stations planned to open in 2023.[16]

Features

Laurier Pie-IX BRT station, showing the dedicated lanes

The Pie-IX bus rapid transit system includes many typical BRT features, which save an estimated 10 minutes from the bus travel time along Pie-IX Boulevard.[3]

  • Bus priority measures — The Pie-IX BRT have a dedicated right-of-way along a bidirectional, all-day central bus lane along its entire route from Saint-Martin to Notre-Dame Street along with traffic-signal priority measures at major intersections.
  • Station infrastructure — Featuring platform-level boarding and dedicated stations, the Pie-IX BRT is fully-accessible and equipped with passenger shelters and countdown timers at all stops.
  • All-door boarding — Unlike most buses in Montreal where boarding is only permitted through the front door, the Pie-IX BRT permits passengers to enter and exit through all doors to decrease the boarding time.

Additionally, work to replace municipal infrastructure such as sewer and water lines, as well as repaving roads and sidewalks took place. Extensive landscaping including tree planting also took place.[3]

Stations

Station Opened / Opening Connections Locale
Saint Martin 7 November 2022 ARTM: ARTM park and ride lots Saint-Martin Park and Ride Lot Laval
Concorde 7 November 2022
Pie IX Bridge over the Rivière des Prairies
Amos 7 November 2022 Montréal-Nord
De Castille 7 November 2022
Fleury 7 November 2022
56e rue 7 November 2022 Saint-Michel–Montréal-Nord station
47e rue 7 November 2022 Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
39e rue 7 November 2022
Robert 7 November 2022
Jarry 7 November 2022
Quebec Autoroute 40.svg A-40 Quebec Autoroute 40
Jean-Talon 2023 Montreal Metro: Unnamed future station Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Bélanger 2023 ​
​ Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie
Beaubien 7 November 2022
Rosemont 7 November 2022
Laurier 7 November 2022
Mont-Royal 7 November 2022
Pierre-De Coubertin 2023 Montreal Metro: Pie-IX station Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
De Rouen Fall 2023
Ontario Fall 2023
Sainte-Catherine Fall 2023

Artwork

Kyrielle by Jean-Sébastien Denis

Owing to Quebec's percent for art programme, and following the example of the Montreal Metro, the Pie-IX BRT will have artwork at its stations. Kyrielle by Montreal born artist Jean-Sébastien Denis consists of painted aluminium in 70 different varieties, fixed to the Pie-IX BRT shelters. The patterns and colours of the aluminium evoke flags and other emblems.[17]

Future plans

Pie-IX light rail

Rail service along Pie-IX Boulevard has been discussed on several occasions in the city's history. While an electric streetcar once existed on Pie-IX Boulevard, the service was withdrawn in the mid-20th century in favour of motor buses. Later, as part of the development of the Montreal Metro, a White Line was proposed beneath Pie-IX Boulevard, but the project never moved past the planning stage.

In the City of Montreal's 2007 Transportation Plan, Pie-IX is identified as a potential axis for light rail development.[8] In response to calls for the Pie-IX bus rapid transit project to be converted to light rail, an ARTM spokesperson indicated in 2018 that the project had advanced too far and that it was too late to consider an alternative transit mode.[18]

BRT expansion

The 2007 Transportation Plan that proposed the Pie-IX BRT also called for a five-kilometre BRT route along Henri Bourassa Boulevard to be built by 2018 at a cost of $25 million.[8] However, this project did not advance further than the conceptual stage.

Ahead of the 2021 Montreal municipal election, Projet Montréal proposed as part of its successful bid for a second mandate to implement a "Metrobus" with characteristics similar to the Pie-IX BRT on Henri-Bourassa Boulevard. The line would extend from Du Ruisseau station on the Réseau express métropolitain to the proposed Montréal-Nord station on the REM de l'Est, with connections at Henri-Bourassa station on the Orange Line and Amos station on the Pie-IX BRT.[19] The STM has also commissioned a prefeasibility study exploring the implementation of three BRT lines on Henri-Bourassa Boulevard, Côte-des-Neiges Road and Park Avenue, with the final report due in 2023.[20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bisson, Bruno (20 November 2019). "Boulevard Pie-IX: 66 millions pour 20 bus articulés électriques". La Presse.
  2. 1 2 3 Sargeant, Timothy (3 November 2022). "New reserved bus lanes on Pie-IX Boulevard to open Monday". Global News. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Integrated PIE-IX BRT Project". Société de transport de Montréal. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Montreal Geography Trivia No. 75 | Fagstein". Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  5. 1 2 3 Doyon, Frédérique (2005-07-12). "Rapport du coroner - Feu vert à la réouverture de la voie réservée du boulevard Pie-IX". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  6. ↑ "Montréal, le 12 juillet 2000 - La STCUM désire informer sa clientèle que les véhicules desservant la ligne 505 R-Bus Pie-IX rouleront en bord". Société de transport de Montréal (in French). 12 July 2000. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  7. ↑ (in French) Metro (Montreal), "Disparition des derniers vestiges de la voie réservée sur Pie-IX" Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine, Jennifer Guthrie, 03 août 2010 21:49
  8. 1 2 3 "Plan de transport 2007" (PDF). City of Montreal. 17 May 2007. p. 55.
  9. ↑ "Reserved bus lane coming to Pie-IX Boulevard". CTV Montreal. 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  10. ↑ Corriveau, Jeanne (2009-07-09). "Voie réservée aux autobus - Pie-IX: entente entre la STM et l'AMT". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  11. ↑ "Rapport annuel 2009". Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. Agence métropolitaine de transport. 2009.
  12. ↑ Normandin, Pierre-André (21 October 2015). "Boulevard Pie-IX: le projet de SRB pas terminé avant 2022". La Presse.
  13. ↑ Ferraris, Florence Sara G. (11 June 2018). "Trop peu, trop tard pour les bus rapides sur Pie-IX?". Le Devoir.
  14. ↑ Ceausu, Joel (13 June 2018). "Pie-IX bus line is a go". The Suburban.
  15. ↑ Maratta, Alessia Simona (13 December 2019). "Montreal's rapid bus system to extend to Notre-Dame Street East". Global News.
  16. ↑ "Le SRB Pie-IX « graduellement » mis en service dès le 7 novembre". La Presse (in French). 2022-10-11. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  17. ↑ "Pie-IX BRT (Jean-Sébastien Denis)". Société de transport de Montréal. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  18. ↑ Goudreault, Zacharie (27 February 2018). "Boulevard Pie-IX: un tramway toujours possible, selon un expert". 24 Heures.
  19. ↑ Ouellette-Vézina, Henri (27 October 2021). "Projet Montréal promet un « Métrobus » sur Henri-Bourassa". La Presse.
  20. ↑ Cambron-Goulet, Dominique; Lavallée, Jean-Luc (29 March 2021). "Trois nouveaux projets de bus rapides". Le Journal de Montréal.
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