Commuters using two Réseau express métropolitain (REM) stations in Pierrefonds-Roxboro are set to get more free parking, with more than 300 additional spaces being added at Sunnybrooke and Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro Borough Mayor Dimitrios Jim Beis announced the changes Aug. 21, saying the additional parking is something the borough has been asking for “quite some time” and calling it a step in the right direction for encouraging residents to use the REM.

REM additional parking spaces made available

More than 300 spaces will be available.

REM - Mayor Jim Beis

At Sunnybrooke station, 120 additional free parking spaces are being added Aug. 21, bringing the total number of free spaces to 453.

A further 203 free spaces are scheduled to be added at Pierrefonds-Roxboro station Aug. 27, bringing the total number of free spaces there to 823.

The additions represent a combined 323 new free parking spaces at the two West Island stations.

The move comes as parking has become an important part of the transition to the REM for residents who depend on a car to reach the train. Both stations have park-and-ride facilities, providing motorists with an alternative to driving farther into Montreal.

The Sunnybrooke station parking facility is located near Gouin Boulevard West and Sunnybrooke Boulevard. Before the latest expansion, the facility had 486 parking spaces, including 333 free spaces and 153 paid spaces.

At Pierrefonds-Roxboro, the parking facility had 882 spaces, including 620 free spaces and 262 paid spaces.

The newly announced spaces will significantly increase the amount of free parking available at both stations, giving commuters more options when choosing how to access the REM.

The two stations are part of the REM's Deux-Montagnes branch, which connects the West Island with the broader metropolitan transit network.

Parking availability is particularly important for suburban transit users who live beyond convenient walking or cycling distance from a station. For those residents, park-and-ride facilities can provide the connection between their neighbourhood and rapid transit.

The latest additions also come as the REM has introduced paid parking at some of its stations, including Sunnybrooke and Pierrefonds-Roxboro. The paid spaces are intended to provide additional parking options while allowing the transit system to manage demand for limited parking capacity.

Beis has previously advocated for additional parking capacity and changes to parking arrangements around the Pierrefonds-Roxboro station.

The new spaces could help address one of the practical considerations facing residents deciding whether to use the REM: whether they can reliably find a place to leave their vehicle at the station.

Beis characterized the expansion as a step toward encouraging more West Islanders to use the REM, a goal that could become increasingly important as the new rapid-transit system becomes part of the region's daily commute.