'Pink line has to be part of the plans,' Valrie Plante says

Montreal Mayor Valrie Plantesays she won't give up on her goalto build the Pink line, despite not having support from the provincial party leading in the polls.

"If we're serious about environment, mobility, well, the Pink line has to be part of the plans," Plante said Sunday.

The proposed Pink line a 29-kilometre line from Montreal North to Lachine, connecting some of the city's densest neighbourhoods was the centrepiece of Plante's campaign.

The project, which carries an estimated $5.9-billion price tag, would require considerable supportfrom both the province and federal government.

On Saturday, Franois Legault, leader of theCoalitionAvenirQubec,said the Pink line would not be a priority should it win the upcoming provincial election.

"It's not that the Pink line isn't interesting," Legault said at the CAQ's national convention in Lvis, Que., just not "the most urgent."

The Pink line would be too close to Metro lines that already exist, he said.

"We had to make choices, and one of those choices was not to include the Pink line," Legault said, adding that theCAQ's plan for public transit will be announced in the next weeks.

Legaultlooks off island

He said, however, that he would be "very open" to funding transit projects off island, including an extension of the yet-to-be-builtlight-rail system,the Rseauexpressmtropolitain,going north and south from Montreal.

Speaking to reporters Sunday, Plantesaid she would not be dissuaded. She said an office will soonbe set up to answer questions about the technical and financial details.

"Notwithstanding the position of the CAQ announced this morning, we will continue to advance the project of the Pink line which is currently the only solution to the problems of saturation of the Montreal transportation network," Plante tweeted on Saturday.

On Twitter, Transport Minister Andr Fortin denounced Legault'sremarks.

He said Legault "clearly doesn't believe in municipal autonomy," and is choosing his own priority projects.