QUEBEC CITY -- The Quebec government made what it calls an “unprecedented” investment into public transit as it unveiled its 2020-2021 budget Tuesday.
Calling it a “long-term vision” to “offer Quebecers reliable and efficient alternatives” to using cars, it is spending $15.8 billion on public transit, including electric transit projects in Montreal, Laval, Longueuil Quebec City, Gatineau and in the Monteregie.
Many of the projects are already underway, planned or under study. The Montreal-area electric transit system, the REM, is under construction, but in its budget the government proposed expanding it northwards into Laval and southwards to the the Chambly-Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu region.
They include:
- In Montreal, an electric public transit project to link the eastern, northeastern and southwestern parts of Montreal to downtown
- In Laval, electric public transit projects extending the light-rail train project, the REM, to central Laval and connect the eastern and western parts of the city
- In Longueuil, an extension of the Montreal metro’s Yellow line and electric public transit projects on Taschereau Boulevard
- In Monteregie, extending the REM to serve the Chambly-Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu region
- In Gatineau, an electric public transit project linking western Gatineau to downtown Ottawa
- In Quebec City, improving the public transit network
The government said it will cost some $43 billion to implement all of these projects and will be calling on other partners to contribute, including the federal government, the Caisse de depot, the Canada Infrastructure Bank and local public transit authorities.
Read the full budget highlights here.
