Henri-Bourassa métro station
temporarily closed as of May 15, 2004
Public transit services reorganized
and transitional measures implemented

Montreal, 4 April 2004 – In a press conference held today, Claude Dauphin, Chairman of the STM Board of Directors, Jean-Jacques Beldié, Chairman of the STL Board of Directors, and Joël Gauthier, Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) President and Chief Executive Officer, accompanied by their respective technical teams, presented an overview of reorganized public transit services, and a series of transitional measures to lessen the inconvenience resulting from the closing of Henri-Bourassa métro station.

As of next May 15, major construction work on the métro’s Laval extension will result in Henri-Bourassa station being closed for a period of about 14 weeks. Temporary measures have been worked out jointly by AMT, STM, STL, CIT des Moulins and des Basses Laurentides, and both Ahuntsic/Cartierville and Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension boroughs. These will be implemented to maintain an adequate level of service for transit users, while minimizing the inconvenience to residents. The construction schedule was also planned around a summer closing when ridership is at its lowest.

An essential step
The temporary closing of Henri-Bourassa station is unavoidable because major work must be carried out inside the station, and in the tunnel sections before and after the station. Construction work on the Laval métro also requires the addition of a by-pass track to maintain passenger service levels and the free flow of trains from the Henri-Bourassa underground garage. To carry out this crucial step, the transit partners have worked out a series of measures and solutions over the last 18 months in order to lessen the impact of the station closing.

"For the STM, this vast operation means adding 30,000 hours of service, mobilizing 45 buses and hiring 70 bus drivers. Everything was planned in a way that offers users the most efficient transit solutions possible under the circumstances. Transit operations will be supervised and closely monitored, and customers can count on STM staff for information and directions at all times."

"Until the three Laval stations become operational, Henri-Bourassa station will be the main gateway for Laval residents heading to Montreal, with 45 % of our clients transiting that station on a daily basis. In this context, we are taking all the necessary measures to ensure that all goes well. The STL’s main concern is to provide its clients with a wide range of travel alternatives, while lessening the impact of increased bus traffic on Ahuntsic residents", added STL Chairman, Jean-Jacques Beldié.

"We understand how difficult this situation will be for residents, but we had no other choice but to proceed with the temporary closing. This phase of construction cannot be put off, because we must connect the new tunnel to the existing one. Today, we are asking residents to be patient and bear with us during construction work", said Joël Gauthier, AMT President and CEO.

Transit service reorganization and impact-lessening measures

Overview of the situation

Necessary to completely close Henri-Bourassa station for about 14 weeks to carry out construction work
Henri-Bourassa station represents:

29,000 transit users on a daily basis
14,000 passengers during morning rush hour alone
transfer point for 39 bus routes (STL, STM, CIT)

Reorganized services

Keeping Sauvé station open to absorb passengers and traffic, without overloading Crémazie station

Sending every second train on to Sauvé station during rush hour to avoid disrupting service intervals throughout the Orange line.

Redirecting several bus routes to other métro stations

STL (25 routes)

9 routes redirected to Sauvé station
16 routes will continue to converge on Henri-Bourassa station where transit users will be redirected to a shuttle bus service to Crémazie station

STM (10 routes)

2 routes redirected to Sauvé station
1 route redirected to Crémazie station
2 routes redirected to Jarry station
5 routes will continue to converge on Henri-Bourassa station where transit users will be redirected to a shuttle bus service to Crémazie station

CIT (4 routes)

CIT des Moulins et des Basses Laurentides buses will continue to converge on Henri-Bourassa station where passengers will be redirected to a shuttle bus service to Crémazie station

Establishing a shuttle service (non-stop) between Henri-Bourassa and Crémazie stations

A departure every minute on average during rush hour
A departure every five minutes on average during off-peak periods

Establishing reserved lanes on weekdays for faster and consistently regular shuttle service between Henri-Bourassa and Crémazie stations

Implementing a reserved lane on the east side of Berri street (between Henri-Bourassa and Crémazie) from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Implementing a reserved lane on the east side of Lajeunesse street (between Sauvé and Henri-Bourassa) from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Impact-lessening measures

In Laval

Promoting the use of commuter trains and bus routes in the west sector of Laval
Increasing the frequency of service on bus route 902, while extending it from the intersection of des Laurentides and Saint-Martin boulevards, to bring more transit users to Saint-Martin train station and Côte-Vertu métro station
Free commuter parking next to Le Carrefour bus terminus

In Montreal

Construction schedule planned around a station closing when ridership is at its lowest
Additional measures worked out in collaboration with borough officials to respect the quality of life and ensure the safety of citizens

Reserved lanes in operation for minimal periods
Maintenance work carried out while reserved lanes in use
Current parking restrictions eliminated or relocated
Additional parking space available for residents living next to reserved lanes

Modifications to improve the free flow of pedestrians and vehicles

Pedestrian corridor linking the north and southeast entrances to Henri-Bourassa station kept open
Synchronized traffic lights and protected turns at intersections used by shuttle buses
Westbound Gouin boulevard restricted to one-way traffic between Berri and Saint-Laurent
Bus route detours and bus stop location established in such a way as to not overload already busy sectors, such as Crémazie.

Information campaign aimed at residents
A comprehensive information campaign was jointly prepared by the AMT, the STM and the STL. Thus, a wide range of measures, such as pamphlet distribution, information booths and squads, and billboards inside stations, will be deployed to inform transit users about affected bus routes and the transitional measures implemented prior to and during the temporary closing of Henri-Bourassa station.

A newsletter and an information session aimed at Ahuntsic-Cartierville residents are also planned for mid-April. Additional information tools will also be prepared for residents living near the most affected boroughs.

Finally, more details about the closing of Henri-Bourassa station and the reorganization of transit services are already available from the following transit partners:

STM: www.stm.info, e-mail: Commentaires@stm.info,
STM-INFO : (514) 786-4636, AUTOBUS : (514) 288-6287

STL: www.stl.laval.qc.ca, Information: (450) 688-6520

AMT: www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets, e-mail : infometro@amt.qc.ca,
Info travaux line: (514) 904-6040

Once the Laval métro becomes operational, nearly 50,000 commuters will transit through the new stations each day. The completion of this project could mean the withdrawal of 3,000 vehicles from roads and bridges every day, while reducing the level of road congestion caused by bus and car traffic around Henri-Bourassa métro station. Construction work to extend the orange line has been underway since March 2002, and the project will see the creation of three new stations: Cartier, Concorde (connecting with the Montréal/Blainville commuter train) and Montmorency (terminus). Two commuter parking facilities will be added to the stations: Montmorency will hold 1,800 parking spaces, while Cartier station will have 520 available spaces.

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