JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report
With the launch of the West Island branch of the REM light rail line less than two weeks away, the Exo public transit service unveiled its new bus network for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, which will include the creation of four lines that will bring commuters to and from the Anse-à-l’Orme REM station in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.
Starting May 18, local commuters looking to catch the REM will be able to take the newly created 490, 491, 590 or 790 bus lines from Vaudreuil-Dorion or on Île Perrot.
“The arrival of the REM will allow a certain flexibility” for commuters from the region, said Marco Cruz, Exo’s director of mobility development, during a briefing last week.
From Monday to Friday, Lines 490 and 491 will run from the Vaudreuil commuter rail station, making three stops along the way in Vaudreuil-Dorion and crossing the Île aux Tourtes Bridge before reaching the Anse-à-l’Orme REM station, for an estimated 21-minute trip end to end. These two buses will run this route every 15 minutes at peak hours, with total running time stretching from 5:30 a.m. until about 1 a.m. each weekday. Line 491 will also run on weekends from about 7 a.m. to about 10:40 p.m.
Line 591 will make the run between the Dorion commuter rail station and the Anse-à-l’Orme station. Exo estimates a 25-minute end-to-end travel time for this line, which will make stops in Pincourt and L’Île Perrot, including one stop at the Île Perrot train station. Line 591 will first leave the Dorion station at 5:50 a.m. on weekdays, running about every hour before making its last return at 8 p.m.
Line 790 will run exclusively on weekends between 7:22 a.m. and midnight, making trips about every hour and a half. Starting at the Papillon-Bleu Elementary School, off Harwood in the old Dorion sector of Vaudreuil-Dorion, the bus will make stops in Pincourt and L’Île-Perrot before arriving at the Anse-à-l’Orme station.
Cruz said the changes will allow commuters from the region to access the West Island REM line without having to use their cars.
The issue of adequate parking at the West Island REM stations has been the focus of ongoing discussions. The Anse-à-l’Orme station, for example, was built with only 216 parking spaces. The next-nearest station in Kirkland has 200 spaces, but these are reserved for Kirkland residents. The station that follows, Fairview-Pointe-Claire, still does not have a parking plan in place.
Regional bus network adjusted
Along with new bus lines to access the REM, Exo also unveiled adjustments made to the local bus routes within the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, which includes a renumbering of each bus line, as well as a “simplification” of the route network.
A side-by-side comparison of the current and future routes shows a significant reworking of bus routes in Vaudreuil-Dorion and on Île Perrot, with noticeably fewer lines travelling through suburban neighbourhoods.
“The lines are a bit straighter, with less overlap,” Cruz explained, “contrary to current lines where there is lots of overlap and lines that cross each other.”
“The objective was really to make the network easier to read and to create a network that connects to the station, allowing passengers to transfer either to the Vaudreuil line or to lines that connect to the REM,” he added.
Fewer changes are seen along the bus routes in Rigaud, St. Lazare and Hudson. Rigaud’s Line 61 will be renamed Line 695, St. Lazare’s Line 51 will be updated to Line 189, and Hudson’s Line 21 will change to Line 188.
Cruz confirmed that the bus schedule in these towns will remain “very similar to what we have today — the same number of trips, the same service times.”
One small but notable route change will be done to Line 188, which will travel between Hudson and the Vaudreuil station. Instead of travelling along Highway 40, the bus will take Harwood, stopping close to the future regional hospital, before arriving at the station.
Exo’s train lines and adapted transport network have not been affected by this change.
“It’s really a redesign of the bus network only,” Cruz added.
These changes go into effect starting Monday, May 18, the same day as the REM’s planned launch in the West Island. Commuters are able to view their new bus lines and routes using the simulator tool, accessible through the Exo website.
Local Journalism Initiative