Pink line: the project office still expected

TOMA ICZKOVITS/QMI AGENCY

Sarah Daoust-Braun

Tuesday, 13 February, 2018 20:36

UPDATE
Tuesday, 13 February, 2018 20:36

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The City of Montreal promises to be ready to “move forward” to establish a project office for the pink line of the metro, but it is still not in a position to indicate its opening date by the end of its mandate.

“There is absolutely no reason to be hasty”, was defended Tuesday by the chairman of the executive committee Benoit Dorais at the time of adoption of the three-year plan of capital 2018-2020 (ITP) to the city council.

No amount has been granted to the pink line, the promise’s flagship Project, city of Montreal, in the budget and the PTI of the new administration. Financial flexibility has, however, been provided by the City for the launch of possibly the project office. This office will be used to prepare the formal proposal will be presented to the provincial and federal governments to obtain funding for the pink line.

“The project office of the City of Montreal will be limited. It’s about bringing the table and talk about funding, not a project office in which we will draw up plans,” said Benoit Dorais later in the press conference, does not specify when the office could see the light of day.

The head of finance has indicated that it favored an approach that was “ordered” to the pink line, which will have to be done in collaboration with the regional Authority of metropolitan transit.

During the election campaign, projet Montréal had announced that a groundbreaking ceremony would take place before the end of the first term, before to be more careful a few days later.

The PTI adopted

The ITP, which provides the amounts granted to deliver major projects in Montreal over the next three years, was approved on Tuesday while the administration of Valérie Plante is celebrating its 100 days in power.

The opposition has voted against its adoption, arguing that some projects such as the pink line and the launch of the call for tenders of 300 hybrid buses were poorly crafted.

The party Set Montreal also recalled that the decision to close the voie Camillien-Houde as a path of transit was rushed.

The head of the great parks Luc Ferrandez has retorted that this decision was “the culmination of a process of reflection”. Access to the Mont-Royal will be guaranteed, and motorists can park without having to go round the mountain if one of the parking lots is full, he assured.