Five summers ago, Greater Montreal’s transportation planning body submitted a long-awaited big-picture transit plan for the region to the Quebec government.

It was rejected for being a $57-billion wish list rather than a set of concrete priorities ready to be put in motion.

The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain was also sent back to the drawing board in 2023 when it took over planning what was once known as the REM de l’Est after the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec bailed.

Instead of an elevated light-rail line, the ARTM first proposed an underground route. Then-Quebec premier François Legault said the $36-billion price tag almost made him choke on his coffee.

The ARTM came back to the government with the Projet structurant de l’Est, a surface line to east-end Montreal evaluated at $18 billion.

With that project now in the planning stages, the Blue Line extension to Anjou underway and the REM network nearing completion, the regional transit planning body is once again looking toward the future.

The ARTM has identified eight corridors that will be the focus of detailed study through 2029.

First up is St-Laurent—Chomedey. Later in 2026, the ARTM will take a look at the west-central sector of Montreal.

After that will come the Laurentians, Les Moulins, the eastern part of Montérégie, St-Laurent—Ahuntsic—Montreal North, Marguerite-d’Youville and Roussillon.

These are vaguely named areas with no particular transit projects attached to them for the........

© Montreal Gazette