Pie-IX BRT: Reserved lanes fully reopened between Laval and Pierre-de Coubertin and more trips added to 439 Express Pie-IX

Press release

The Pie-IX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project office is pleased to announce that, as of today, the reserved bus lanes on Pie-IX Boulevard will be fully open from Saint-Martin Boulevard in Laval all the way to Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue in Montréal. The lanes are being fully reopened as a result of the completion of work at the intersection of Jean-Talon and Pie-IX and on the Pie-IX Bridge.

The 439 Express Pie-IX is the main bus along the BRT corridor and will run more frequently on the Laval, Henri-Bourassa and Lacordaire routes as of January 8, 2024.

Quotes

“For the past year, the Pie-IX BRT has been providing faster, more comfortable transit along a key corridor of the city,” says Benoit Gendron, Chief Executive Officer of the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM).  “This latest development will make travel even more efficient along the axis and increase the appeal of public transit to many current and future riders.”

“Montrealers in the east end have been looking forward to this for a long time,” says Sophie Mauzerolle, the member of the City of Montréal’s executive committee responsible for transportation and mobility. “We’re very pleased to see this new section of the Pie-IX BRT finally open, since it runs along one of Montréal’s major road corridors and will benefit more than 30,000 people per day.  It’s fast, efficient, comfortable transportation that will make public transit more appealing to new users and help reduce single-occupant car use.”  

“Buses running along the 11–kilometre BRT corridor will be completely unaffected by traffic, delivering truly rapid transit on an optimized route that will cut travel times by up to 10 minutes,” says Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the STM Board of Directors. “We’re making good on our promise to adjust and improve STM’s service offer with every new section completed.”

Reserved lanes now open

  • Buses are now running seven days a week on 11 kilometres of painted reserved lanes, which are mostly in the middle of the street.
  • Of the 38 BRT shelters, 37 are now open to customers, including the new shelters at the Jean-Talon intersection.
  • Some of the work at the Jean-Talon intersection still needs to be finalized; in the meantime, the 439 will occasionally revert to curbside service there:
    • During the week of December 18, there will be signage work at the Jean-Talon shelters from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.; the work was held up due to procurement issues.
    • There will also be work to correct the coloured pavement and shelter slabs in summer 2024.
    • The STM will use various means to keep customers and neighbouring residents informed as the work progresses.
  • Due to the work, the Pierre-de Coubertin shelter won’t open until the spring.
  • Please note that there will be full and partial street closures on the Jean-Talon axis in 2024 as part of work on the métro’s Blue line extension. However, Pie-IX Boulevard will remain open to traffic at all times.

Service enhancements on Pie-IX BRT

  • The Pie-IX BRT will be enhanced starting on January 8, 2024.
  • The main bus on the BRT is the 439 Express Pie-IX, which runs on multiple routes. Buses will run more frequently on the Laval, Henri-Bourassa and Lacordaire routes.
  • Bus 69 Gouin will also have its route adjusted to provide better east/west service in Montréal-Nord.
  • Essentially, these buses will have their routes optimized and their service extended and increased on both weekdays and weekends.
  • Some STL buses (52 and 252) and exo buses (25 and 25B) also run on the BRT.

For more information about the service enhancements: www.stm.info/439

Extension to Notre-Dame Street East

In fall 2023, work began to extend the BRT from Pierre–de Coubertin Avenue to Notre–Dame Street East.

The first phase involves preparatory work at the De Rouen/Pie-IX and Sainte-Catherine East/Pie-IX intersections. This includes the construction of access shafts and underground conduits for cabling. This phase is expected to be complete in winter 2024.

The extension will involve the complete redevelopment of this 1.6-kilometre stretch of Pie-IX Boulevard, as well as the construction of new reserved lanes and six new BRT shelters at four intersections.

Work is scheduled to continue until 2027.

Pie-IX BRT funding

Pie-IX BRT is a $442.5-million public transit project funded mainly by the Quebec government, with $317 million coming from the latter, as well as $24.2 million from the Government of Canada and $101.5 million from the ARTM. The project also involves $180.2 million in upgrades to municipal infrastructure, such as roads and underground networks, funded by the City of Montréal.