Quebec City rolled out a $3-billion tram project for the province’s capital city.
Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume made the announcement Friday alongside Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard.
The 23-kilometre tram line would travel through the city mainly from west to east and would be complemented by a 17-kilometre ‘tram-bus’ line, complete with electric tram-buses and a reserved bus lane.
The capital has long wanted to improve its public transit system to tend to its growing population.
The city is forecasting a 29 per cent increase in ridership by 2026 with the advent of this project – and plans for there to eventually be 12,600 fewer cars on the roads.
The planned future tramway will have to go through two tunnels, including one under the National Assembly, the preserve the local heritage.
The tram technology has been tested in countries with tough winters, including Norway and Sweden.
If this goes ahead, it will require reconfiguring roads and adding dedicated parking lots, because it will reach all the way into the city’s suburbs. In fact, 65 per cent of the Quebec City population is within walking distance from one of these links.
The work is expected to be completed within eight years, but would begin taking passengers by 2025.
Couillard said the announcement falls in line with the province’s vision for transportation.
“We’ve been advocating this kind of project for years -- not only in Quebec City but in other parts of Quebec too, notably in the broader region of Montreal. The REM is there, but there’s more to do north and south of Montreal. That’s always been our proposal and we’ll have a very clear question for the citizens here in Quebec City, in what type of city do you want to live in the 21st century? I think today I can already articulate that and we’ll have new projects soon that will add to the vision,” he said.
