New pedestrian-cycle bridge to link REM and REV in Kirkland, crossing Hwy 40

Will it help? New bridge at Kirkland REM station Some residents have questions about a new bridge set to be built at the Kirkland REM station

The City of Montreal has announced a plan for a new foot and cycle bridge in the West Island linking the planned light-rail line to the express bike lane and large urban park.

On Wednesday, it said it is giving a consultant the mandate to design a 'signature pedestrian-cycle link' that will cross Highway 40 at the planned Kirkland REM station and improve access to the future Grand Parc de l'Ouest.

GHD Consultants Ltd. has been awarded a $4.4 million contract to build the pathway.

This new link is expected to be in place by the time the REM is inaugurated in Kirkland in 2024 and will be part of the REV express bike path planned for the west end of the city. The urban park is slated to open in 2030.

"In the long term, citizens travelling in this sector will have an enviable ecological alternative to the use of a solo car, as well as direct access to the natural spaces of the Great Western Park," said Sophie Mauzerolle, responsible for transportation and mobility for the City of Montreal, in a news release.

It’s part of a promise made by the City of Montreal to the Quebec government in 2018 to improve access to active and public transportation in the West Island.

STATION NEEDS PARKING OPTIONS: MAYOR

Some Kirkland residents say the city ought to do more to make sure motorists can get to the station easily, and the city's major fears drivers won't have adequate parking options.

“This is the West Island,” said commuter Sandy Weigans. “This is where every family has 2.5 cars, and of course, the first instinct is to hop in the car and drive to the station.”

“The station itself is in what I would call a semi-industrial area,” she added. “You either have to have a free day to walk to the station as a pedestrian or you're a really committed bicyclist.”

Original plans for the station didn't include any parking at all. Kirkland has since signed an agreement with the two companies that own adjacent land. If they develop it, they will need to provide parking lots.

However, those parking spots will be limited, and the mayor told CTV he wants spaces reserved for locals.

“We still have a major problem in the West Island,” said Mayor Michel Gibson. “We cannot even put a dedicated bus line because there's two much traffic. Madame Plante needs to understand the West Island also.”

“Those neighbourhoods were constructed in an era when the car was the only thing possible,” said Marianne Giguere, Montreal executive committee member responsible for the active transportation file.

“It was seen as the present and the future, but now the future is changing.”