Place-des-Arts becomes Montreal's 21st accessible metro

A direction sign to the Montreal metro is seen on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. -- FILE PHOTO (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)

The Place-des-Arts metro station in downtown Montreal became universally accessible on Thursday, as the STM installed elevators leading to train platforms in both directions.

Place-des-Arts is the city's 21st wheelchair-friendly metro station, out of 68 total, and just the sixth on the green line.

First built in 1966, the system's metro stations "were not designed to be equipped with elevators, as the vision was different back then," according to the STM.

Now, the transport agency is committed to a "bold move" that will create a more accessible city for all commuters, one station at a time.

This news comes just two days after the STM unveiled its 20th fully accessible station of Mont-Royal, located on the orange line.

With an annual budget of $3 billion, the STM is in the process of installing elevators at 10 other stations: Angrignon, Berri-UQAM (on the yellow line), D'Iberville, Édouard-Montpetit, Jolicoeur, McGill, Outremont, Pie-IX, Place-Saint-Henri and Villa-Maria.

The Montreal metro is North America's fourth-busiest rapid transit system with an annual pre-pandemic ridership of 374.9 million in 2019. It ranks just behind the Toronto subway, where 55 of its 75 stations are universally accessible.