MONTRÉAL, Nov. 22, 2023 /CNW/ - With passenger traffic at YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport reaching record levels, the airport's infrastructure is facing capacity challenges at certain times of the day, as demonstrated during the recent summer season. In order to provide passengers with the smoothest possible experience, teams at ADM Aéroports de Montréal have been working on measures that, once fully implemented, will alleviate traffic on the main curbside in front of the terminal in the coming months.
These measures will:
- Redistribute car traffic on the airport site (alternative drop-off/pick-up zones);
- Limit circular vehicle movements on the site (parking);
- Reduce the number of vehicles using access roads (public transport).
Feasibility studies carried out over the past few weeks have shown that the introduction of these measures will reduce the number of vehicles entering YUL's main curbside by up to 700 per hour during peak periods. The measures have been selected based on a list of clearly defined criteria including speed of implementation, operability and passenger experience.
Alternative drop-off zones
Two locations have been identified to the east and west of the site, in the new P4 parking lot, for the creation of remote drop-off zones. Passengers will be able to choose between going to the main drop-off zone at the front of the terminal or travelling more quickly to a remote drop-off zone served by a five-minute shuttle service. These shuttles will follow a route that avoids congestion and the journey will take approximately 5 minutes.
These alternate drop-off zones served by shuttle buses will also be accessible to arriving passengers.
Parking
A review of YUL's parking rates is underway for the upcoming summer season. Discounts will be offered for bookings of 4 hours or less in nearby parking lots and special rates will be introduced for parking lots that are further away. Free parking will also be available for a limited time in all parking lots.
The multi-level parking lot (P4) will open at the beginning of the year, eventually adding 2,800 spaces to the current offer, and will be accessed via an alternative route to the main drop-off zone and multi-level parking garage.
Public transport
The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) have recently made significant improvements to the 747 bus service between the airport and the city centre. In addition to online ticketing, automated or manned mobile sales terminals have been installed in the terminal and daily bus departures have been added based on passenger demand.
ADM continues to evaluate the best ways to improve transportation to and from YUL and hopes to work with the region's transportation companies to provide new direct connections to the airport site in the near future.
It should also be noted that ADM and its partners continue to work on the REM station site as scheduled. ADM still intends to complete its work in the spring of 2026, after which CDPQ Infra will be able to take the necessary steps to connect the station to the rest of the network. The first passengers will be able to use this sustainable mode of transport in 2027.
The measures will be updated with advice for passengers and meeters and greeters at the start of the summer season.
Long-term solutions
In addition to working on short-term solutions, ADM continues to refine plans to improve access to YUL through the construction of new sustainable, multimodal facilities. Ultimately, by 2028, these measures will triple the capacity of the main curbside, provide more nearby parking, and reconfigure the road network to serve the new drop-off zones. This is the permanent solution to congestion on the airport site. Details of the work will be presented in spring 2024.
In addition, to meet the growing demand for air travel, ADM will accelerate the phasing of its work by 2028 to increase airside capacity by adding remote gates and increasing baggage handling capacity.
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"My priority is to provide the best possible experience for passengers and users of the airport site. In the short term, we are implementing robust measures in addition to those taken during the latest summer season. We are also accelerating the pace of work between now and 2028 to better meet demand at a time when passenger growth at YUL is forecast to remain the strongest in Canada. We are therefore taking steps to improve access to the site and provide passengers with efficient alternatives to get here, while preparing to offer Montrealers even more destinations in the years to come," said Yves Beauchamp, President and CEO of ADM Aéroports de Montréal.
ADM Aéroports de Montréal is the airport authority for the Greater Montréal area responsible for the management, operation and development of YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, certified 4-stars under the Skytrax World Airport Star Rating program, and YMX International Aerocity of Mirabel.
SOURCE Aéroports de Montréal
Source: Aéroports de Montréal, Public Affairs 514 394-7304, [email protected]
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