• Officials have released plans for a new Longueuil tramline that will connect the yellow metro line with the REM on the South Shore.
• Longueuil's mayor hopes to make the suburb a kind of Quebec Brooklyn.
• See a map of the proposed tram route here.
• Visit MTLBlog for more headlines.

Officials announced this week that Longueuil is set to get a tramline that will connect to the Panama REM station in Brossard. According to Longueuil Mayor Sylvie Parent, the future of Montreal's South Shore is looking bright as new urban development brings an economic boom to the once sleepy Montreal suburb. Called Léeo, the tramline will connect Brossard and Longueuil like never before, connecting Cégep Édouard-Montpetit and the REM Panama station. 

"Longueuil is finally establishing its unique place in the Greater Montreal Area. This project is sure to make our citizens proud to live in Longueuil," said Parent at a press conference Thursday.

She added that "Léeo represents an incredible opportunity to develop Longueuil and responds to an essential need for reliable public transit in the region." 

Léeo is still in its infant stages and doesn't yet have a cost or timeline attached to it, but Longueuil officials hope that it can be ready in the next 10 to 15 years. 

The tramline will run the east-west corridor of the South Shore, following boulevard Taschereau. Future tram riders will be able to get to both the yellow line and the REM in just one trip. Eventually, it will be extended to La Prairie and Boucherville. 

"Longueuil once again asserts its leadership by proposing a development vision for Montérégie that meets the aspirations of citizens, investors, and merchants from all over our region," said the mayor.

The City of Longueuil released a map (seen below) that shows the proposed route of Léeo.

Represented in orange, the tramline route will bring a whole new vision and potential for the South Shore. Mayor Parent underlines that "we must improve the mobility of our citizens" and she hopes that Léeo will be a smashing success. 

[rebelmouse-image 26886555 photo_credit="Ville de Longueuil " expand=1 original_size="1028x851"] Ville de Longueuil

The tramline will connect to two major public transport arteries: the yellow line and the REM. Once built, it will eventually have stations in Boucherville and La Prairie. 

[rebelmouse-image 26886556 photo_credit="Ville de Longueuil | Youtube" expand=1 original_size="1324x730"] Ville de Longueuil | Youtube

By establishing a better link to downtown Montreal, the South Shore will likely see a huge economic boost. 

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"I like to think of Longueuil as analogous to Brooklyn. Some people will laugh at that, but with this project, I don't think they'll be laughing anymore," said Parent.

In a vision statement, Léeo and the City of Longueuil outlined four key economic and residential developments: 

• 25 million square feet of redeveloped land,

• seven million square feet of commercial and office space, 

• 14,000 new jobs,

• and 30,000 new residential units. 

[rebelmouse-image 26886557 photo_credit="Ville de Longueuil | Youtube" expand=1 original_size="1305x732"] Ville de Longueuil | Youtube

"The entire South Shore will become a key player in the region's economic development," states a press release. 

Whether or not Léeo will be as successful as the City of Longueuil hopes remains to be seen but this announcement is sure to be exciting for all South Shore residents. 

It's not yet known how much the project will cost or when it'll be finished but consultations and land analyses will soon be on the way. 

It might take a while, but South Shore residents have some amazing things to look forward to!