An idea whose time has come

Dollard des Ormeaux Mayor Ed Janiszewski has long campaigned for Montreal to allow the extension of de Salaberry Boulevard through the Bois de Liesse natural park. He was singing the idea’s praises in 2001, and certainly before. The idea, though, just didn’t sit right over here. Even though Dollard certainly has trouble getting its population down Sources and St. John’s boulevards on a daily basis, the idea of cutting a road through a huge natural park like Bois de Liesse just didn’t sound right. Simply re-routing those cars to Highway 13 just didn’t have any kid of appeal for many citizens, or for Montreal, who put the kibosh on the notion of opening de Salaberry through Bois de Liesse in 2002.

Now, though, Janiszewski has pitched an idea that, frankly, makes too much sense for anyone to put aside.

Marvin Rotrand, take note. You’ll be glad you did.

Janiszewski thinks the extension of de Salaberry through Bois de Liesse might work as a bus-only lane, and frankly, it’s a great the idea. Let’s see. Which would you rather do? Get in your car, fight traffic and watch the lights change two and three times before you even get near the intersection on Sources Boulevard southbound in the mornings, or, hop on an express bus that will shoot you over to Cote-Vertu (or potentially, the slated Bois Franc métro station) in time to catch a metro downtown.

Travel time: 20 minutes. It’s a no-brainer. Meanwhile, the guy in his car still hasn’t even gotten to Highway 40 yet.

Reserving the lane for buses will also allow buses to travel unfettered all day long and help motivate West Islanders to leave the SUV or minivan at home and commute in a vastly more fuel-efficient manner.

It’s a great idea, it’s timely and it’s a creative way to push West Islanders to take public transit, which will only happen once it’s a more attractive option than taking your car. Rotrand, the STM’s customer-service committee chairman, told The Chronicle that the corporation hopes to double West Island ridership in coming years. Putting a dedicated bus-only express road to the metro stops in St. Laurent would be an excellent place to start. With so much concern over the fate of green space, taking out just a little might help it flourish in the long run, as more and more West Islanders decide they can trade the frustrating hour-long commute for a quick, 20-minute bus ride to the metro. It’s an idea whose time has come.