Montreal’s first bus rapid transit corridor now in service

A new, express bus lane is now running along Pie-IX – a decade after it was supposed to be ready and 13 years after it was first announced.

It’s Montreal’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor.

High-capacity buses will pass about every minute, carrying an estimated 70,000 daily riders. Officials say it will cut commute times by a third.

The corridor is two protected lanes at the centre of Pie-IX Blvd. It includes 17 accessible stations between Saint-Martin Blvd. in Laval and the Pie-IX metro station at Pierre-de Coubertin Ave in Montreal, along 11 kilometres.

Fares are the same as regular buses, with those crossing the Pie-IX bridge required to have a valid Bus or All Modes AB fare.

The $300-million project had been under construction since 2019, and severely slowed traffic on Pie-IX during that time.

The line will eventually cross the entire island when it’s brought to Notre-Dame street.