Gatineau tramway moves to “preliminary design” stage

Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette unveiled the next steps of the tramway project during the announcement of federal and provincial funding for the studies on Thursday.

This is where it gets realexclaims the self-proclaimed streetcar warriorwho did not hide his joy at seeing the tram reach the stage ofpreliminary draft.

It’s not just studies anymore, we’re starting the project for real.

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The more than 160 million dollars announced Thursday will finance technical and environmental studies, explains the vice-president of the administrative council of the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), Edmond Leclerc.

He and his team are more than ready to start working on the project. Here are the next steps for the STO.

This is therefore the beginning of the first three-year phase, during which a range of studies will be carried out to arrive at a final version of the project.

Then the procurement phase will begin, which will last two years and during which calls for tenders and preparatory work will take place.

The public transport project the most complex in Canada

Due to the number of actors involved, the elected officials present at the press conference described the Gatineau tramway project as more complex in Canada.

They give as an example the Ontario portion of the route, which will not be financed by Quebec since it is in Ontario, but which will not be financed by the Ontario government either because it is a Quebec project.

So the federal government remains, which will have to assume the entire bill. To which the federal MP for Gatineau, Steven MacKinnon, responds that his government is ready to accept the challenge.

The MP accepts that the federal government is the sole funder, a first in Canada for a public transport project, without however confirming a funding announcement soon.

Even though it is only two kilometres long, this portion of the planned tramway in Ottawa is vital, according to provincial MP Mathieu Lacombe.

It is true that it is minimal when you look at the number of kilometers or stations, but it gives meaning to the project.

This is why Maude Marquis-Bissonnette intends to make it her priority in the coming months.

No need to look at the time anymore

The mayor knows the project like the back of her hand. She couldn’t help but make those who attended the press conference dream a little by giving some details on what the tram will look like.

Able to carry three times more people than the Rapibus, the tramway will carry 30,000 users per day once it is put into service, according to preliminary studies.

No need to look at the time anymore, said the mayor. With a frequency of 3 to 6 minutes during peak hours and 5 to 10 minutes off peak, it will be possible to get to the station and board the next train without worrying about waiting for a long time.

In addition, it will have priority at traffic lights and will be separated from traffic. The minutes saved will make all the difference in the choice people make between taking their car and taking public transport.notes Ms. Marquis-Bissonnette.

For the federal MP for Pontiac, Sophie Chatel, a tram to serve the west of Gatineau is not a luxury.

We will help our citizens with the fluidity of their transport and at the same time we will reduce our GESshe says.

She points out that west of Gatineau is currently experiencing strong demographic growth and that this is already creating traffic issues in the area.

It’s not a luxury, she said. This is about the sustainable future of our region, our community, our city.

A route that does not meet with unanimous approval

Michel Lefebvre, head of the Urban Planning and Sustainable Mobility Committee of the Neighborhood Association Millar-Hadleysays he is in favor of the project, but is concerned about the proposed route.

The part of the route which passes behind the University of Quebec in Outaouais will result in the cutting of several trees.

According to Mr. Lefebvre, It is not acceptable in 2024 to destroy a forest in an urban environment.

His organization is also concerned about the fact that the proposed route does not use certain priority arteries such as Boulevard des Allumettières.

He intends to express his concerns during the public consultations of the STO planned for the next year.

With information from Anne-Charlotte Carignan