TramCité

Marchand: Jardin Jean-Paul-L’Allier repairs to be done in tandem with tramway

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Marchand: Jardin Jean-Paul-L’Allier repairs to be done in tandem with tramway

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Freshly returned from vacation as the clock ticks down to the launch of the municipal election campaign, Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand counter- attacked on an issue that had been festering in his absence – the deterioration of Jardin Jean-Paul-L’Allier in the Saint-Roch district.

On July 30, at a City Hall news conference to announce the development of Place Namur in the Old City (see article in this edition), Marchand said that contrary to what critics say, the park in the heart of the district “has not been abandoned.”

An exposé in Le Soleil de- tailed the deterioration of the space opened in 1993, including the broken waterfall and fountains, the empty pool and the proliferation of graffiti and crumbling concrete.

“The garden is still in bloom, it’s beautiful, it’s well-maintained. But there are parts that need repair, and we’re going to do it,” the mayor said.

As for the waterfall, fountains and pool, the mayor said their mechanisms had worn out after more than 30 years of operation. He said restoring the waterfall is a major undertaking costing several million dollars.

“It certainly won’t be operational again for a few years. We need to give ourselves time to co-ordinate the tramway- related work in this area and assess its impact on the garden,” Marchand said.

The restoration work would be done, he said, well before the expected completion of the tramway in 2033, since it is in a sector where the tramway tunnel entrance would be constructed.

He said the work on the park’s waterfall and fountains “will be done in a sequence that will ensure that, for the taxpayer, the citizen, we will not have to do it three times.”

Marchand denied the deterioration of the garden was an insult to the former mayor for whom it is named. L’Allier’s widow, Johanne Mongeau, had been quoted in Le Soleil as deploring the decline in the park that had been the centrepiece of L’Allier’s revitalization of Saint-Roch.

“We will have a park worthy of the man to whom it was dedicated, but for which we will carry out the work in the right order,” Marchand said.

Sam Hamad, according to polls Marchand’s main rival for mayor, responded in a state- ment: “The Jean-Paul-L’Allier Garden is more than just a green space. It’s a symbol of pride, renewal, and heritage. Letting it wither year after year is an insult to Mr. L’Allier’s memory, but also a disavowal of the citizens of Saint-Roch.”

Hamad, leader of Leadership Québec and a former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister, said, “Instead of saying, ‘I heard you,’ the mayor tells them, ‘You misunderstood.’ Sometimes, certain issues can’t wait for the tramway. [Jardin] Jean- Paul-L’Allier is a place of life and collective memory. It must once again become a jewel, not a constant reminder of the challenges facing Saint-Roch.”

The garden, known as Jardin Saint-Roch when it opened, was renamed for L’Allier in 2017, a year after his death.

Marchand: Jardin Jean-Paul-L’Allier repairs to be done in tandem with tramway Read More »

Mayoral hopeful Hamad proposes SRB transit plan rejected by Caisse

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Mayoral hopeful Hamad proposes SRB transit plan rejected by Caisse

Peter Black

peterblack@qctonline.com

Mayoral candidate Sam Hamad has unveiled his promised alternative to the tramway plan. It is based on the service rapide par bus (SRB+) plan initially proposed in 2015 but subsequently rejected.

Hamad, a former Liberal provincial transport minister and engineer by profession, revealed details of SRB+, which he acknowledged was not a fully fleshed out proposal, at a June 18 news conference at a hotel on Boul. Laurier.

Hamad, vowing that the tramway would be dead if he and his Leadership Québec team win on Nov. 2, said his plan would be less disruptive to build, cost much less and provide greater service to the suburbs.

The key difference from the current tramway plan is the mode – a train of elongated buses in dedicated lanes instead of rail cars running on tracks – and the central trajectory – Boul. Charest between Université Laval and Saint- Roch, as opposed to Boul. René- Lévesque.

As a prelude to Hamad’s presentation, Daniel Lessard, former longtime head of engineering services for the city, gave an overview of transit plans dating back to 2015 under the administration of then- mayor Régis Labeaume.

Lessard concluded, “For over 25 years, I have planned and managed this city’s infrastructure. The SRB+ is the most realistic, technically robust and quickly deliverable project to meet the mobility needs of Quebec City residents.”

Hamad said the project, based on reams of previous studies, creating 29 kilometres of SRB lanes serving the Lebourgneuf, Charlesbourg, D’Estimauville and Le Gendre sectors, could get underway by 2029 and be completed in two years, at a cost of $4.2 billion.

He said, “It’s time to turn the page on the uncertainties sur- rounding the tramway and move forward with a realistic, credible project that’s resolutely forward-looking and based on the best available technical recommendations. This project is the modern, sustainable and immediate solution that Quebec needs.”

A plan for an SRB system running along Boul. Charest had been proposed in 2015 by the Labeaume administration, partly to accommodate the demands of the city of Lévis. At the time, Hamad was a minister in then-premier Philippe Couillard’s cabinet, responsible for the capital region.

When Lévis changed its mind about the project, as Labeaume recounted in his recent memoirs, Quebec City also abandoned the plan. In 2018, the city presented the first edition of the tramway plan, and quickly won support and a funding commitment from the federal government.

Since then, delays and associated mounting costs prompted the Quebec government to commission the Caisse de depot et placement infrastructure division (CDPQ Infra) to study the region’s transport needs and offer solutions.

In June 2024, that study was released containing the recommendation to build a scaled- down tramway system, with the central corridor running along Boul. René-Lévesque. The study rejected an SRB system as providing inadequate capacity for future needs, but did include the mode for subsidiary routes.

Whereas a key element of the tramway system is the complete electrification of the rolling stock, Hamad said the SRB system would not be powered by diesel, but when a call for tenders is made, “we’ll see what technology there is that responds to what we need. So hybrid (gasoline-electric) would be a good choice.”

He named several cities in the world that have electric SRB systems.

As for how he plans to convince the Quebec government that has committed to funding 50 per cent of the tramway to support his plan, Hamad said, “In my experience, usually the [Quebec] government responds to the mayor who is elected by the people.”

He said his plan’s $4.2-billion budget is half that of the current system, and given the government’s current financial situation, “This is an advantage for us.”

Mayoral hopeful Hamad proposes SRB transit plan rejected by Caisse Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: Prep work ramps up; consortia compete for big contracts

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

TRAM TRACKER: Prep work ramps up; consortia compete for big contracts

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

There will be several visible signs and a foretaste of the level of disruption over the coming months as preliminary work for the tramway project ramps up. At the same time, the selection process for principal contractors for the project has reached an important milestone.

Last week the city unveiled a list of worksites mostly along Bouls. René-Lévesque and Laurier, as well as in Saint-Roch, involving the relocation and modernization of underground networks for water, natural gas and telecommunications.

A few examples of the projects are the installation of valves for the water supply network on streets perpendicular to Boul. René-Lévesque as well as near 1ère Avenue in Limoilou and Charlesbourg; reconstruction of three access shafts for telecommunications networks at Avenues Holland, Brown and Cartier; and creation of a temporary connection zone at Parc Victoria and Rue de la Maréchaussée.

The city says it will inform affected residents and businesses as work rolls out and take measures to “maintain access to homes and businesses, ensure mobility and safe travel in neighbourhoods and reduce nuisances, such as noise and dust, caused by construction sites.”

Any questions about these projects can be directed to the city’s citizens’ relations centre by calling 311.

Meanwhile, the process to build the actual tramway net- work has taken a leap forward with the selection of consortia that will bid on the two biggest contracts of the project.

The Caisse de Dépôt et Placement de Québec infrastructure division (CDPQ Infra), which the Quebec government has commissioned to manage the tramway project, has picked three consortia of companies each to bid on the contracts for civil construction and for systems.

In a June 5 release, CDPQ Infra describes the civil work as including “the excavation of the tunnel under Parliament Hill, construction of buildings, construction and repair of bridges, viaducts and other engineering structures.”

The systems contract covers “railway tracks, traction power systems, as well as electrical, communication and road and railway signalling systems.

The six qualified consortia will have until the end of the year to submit proposals for evaluation by project manage- ment experts. Once the winning bidders are chosen early next year, the implementation stage will be set in motion towards a 2027 start for full- blown construction. The system is targeted for completion in 2033.

Some companies – Pomerleau and AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC-Lavalin), for example – are contenders for both contracts.

Phase 1 of the $7.6-billion TramCité project comprises 19 kilometres of track for electric trains, with 29 stations from Cap-Rouge to Charlesbourg.

TRAM TRACKER: Prep work ramps up; consortia compete for big contracts Read More »

City signs deals to clarify TramCité project management

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TRAM TRACKER: City signs deals to clarify TramCité project management

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

It may still be many months before any tramway track is laid, but the city has now put in place an agreement on how the project will be managed going forward.

In an apolitical statement released May 22, the city’s executive committee announced “two agreements representing important operational and administrative milestones for the advancement of the TramCité project.”

The agreements between the city, in co-ordination with the Réseau de transport de la capitale (RTC) and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec infrastructure division (CDPQ Infra), set out joint responsibilities in four areas.

These include collaborative decision-making, allocation of roles and responsibilities in the planning phase and beyond, interface management to ensure co-ordination on technical aspects, and commitment to the community to “maintain regular communication with citizens and to implement measures to mitigate the impacts of the work on daily life.” The statement notes that the city and the RTC “retain responsibilities related to their expertise (acquisitions; work on urban and municipal technical networks, operating and mobility systems; project manager support activities).” A second agreement, between the city, the RTC and the government of Quebec, spells out the details of financing of the project regarding “activities and works during the planning phase, which runs until June 2027.”

Some preparatory work for the $7.6-billion project will be underway this year, and then ramp up in 2026, to make ready for the full-blown construction phase in 2027, lasting five years.

The all-electric tramway system will run a total of 19 kilometres, with 19 stations connecting the Le Gendre, Sainte-Foy, Université Laval, Parliament Hill, Saint-Roch and Charlesbourg sectors.

Overall management of the project, as per a December 2024 agreement, is in the hands of CDPQ Infra, as decided by the Quebec government.

City signs deals to clarify TramCité project management Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: TramCité planning moves forward despite Ottawa-Quebec funding feud

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

TRAM TRACKER

TramCité planning moves forward despite Ottawa-Quebec funding feud 

 Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Work continues on Quebec City’s tramway project, called TramCité, despite a war of words over which government is paying what and when for the urban transit system.

In what is being likened to a political ping-pong game, the Coalition Avenir Québec government is demanding the federal Liberal government hand over funds promised for the tramway.

The backdrop to the dispute is the prospect of the election of a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre, who has said he will not give “one cent” to Quebec City’s tramway, but redirect funds promised by the Liberals to the building of a bridge or tunnel across the St. Lawrence River.

Last week, Jonatan Julien, the Quebec minister responsible for infrastructure and minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, wrote to federal Infrastructure Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, demanding Ottawa pay up immediately.

In a letter obtained by local media, Julien asks Ottawa to pay $1.44 billion  “in order to guarantee the financial support of your government and thus, ensure that the completion of the project is not compromised by possible political uncertainties.”

Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister of public services and procurement and MP for Québec, had replied earlier to a similar request from Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault, saying the way the funding arrangement works is for Ottawa to reimburse costs as the project proceeds.

On a previous occasion, Duclos has said the money for the tramway project has been put into an account.

Julien also calls on the federal government to meet departing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s promise to pay 40 per cent of the tramway cost, the same share as the Quebec government. “In order to honour your prime minister’s commitment, I am requesting written confirmation from you that the federal shortfall will be covered by another source of funding.”

In the midst of this political dispute, work on the tramway continues under the project manager, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec infrastructure division.

CDPQ Infra spokesperson Claudie Côté-Chabot said in an email to the QCT, “Since the signing of the framework agreements last December, CDPQ Infra has been fully active in planning the construction of TramCité.”

She said an information session “with firms interested in participating in the project will take place in mid-February. We are also moving forward with the launch of various calls for tenders.”

The agreement between the Quebec government, CDPQ Infra and the Ville de Québec provides compensation for the city in the event the tramway project is cancelled.

The current cost estimate for the first phase of the tramway project is $7.6 billion. 

TRAM TRACKER: TramCité planning moves forward despite Ottawa-Quebec funding feud Read More »

La Pocatière mayor “clarifies” tramway stance for Poilievre

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La Pocatière mayor ‘clarifies’ stance on tramway for Poilievre 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The mayor of La Pocatière is “clarifying” his town’s stance on Quebec City’s tramway project in the wake of comments made by federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.

During a visit to Rivière-du-Loup on Jan, 22, Poilievre had applauded a resolution adopted a week earlier by the MRC of Kamouraska, which includes La Pocatière, in support of the so-called third link project championed by the Coalition Avenir Québec government.

Poilievre, in the view of La Pocatière town council, had apparently misinterpreted the resolution to suggest the MRC, while supporting the “third link,” opposed Quebec City’s tramway plan.

In a statement sent to the QCT, Mayor Vincent Bérubé said, “We stand in solidarity with our interregional counterparts, but our openness to the third

link is not a rejection of the Quebec [City] tramway project, which would ultimately limit road congestion and reduce the impact on the environment.”

In fact, the mayor noted, La Pocatière would benefit substantially from the tramway project, with the Alstom plant – formerly a Bombardier factory – a major employer in the town of 4,000.

Although the contract with Alstom to build the cars for the tramway, valued at about $569 million, has not been reconfirmed under the most recent version of the project, it’s expected the company, whose largest shareholder is Quebec’s pension fund, the Caisse de dépôt et placement, will get the work. 

Bérubé said it “is obvious that this project has a special resonance given the presence of the Alstom plant in La Pocatière. The economic spinoffs are also felt in the territory of the MRCs of Kamouraska and L’Islet, since many workers live in these regions and several companies that subcontract with Alstom have a presence in the region.”

In his statement, the mayor invited the local Conservative MP, Bernard Généreux (Montmagny–L’Islet–Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup), “to facilitate a meeting with Mr. Poilievre, in order to present our regional economic ecosystem and to take the pulse, on the ground, of the importance of companies involved in the rail transportation industry.”

La Pocatière is some 120 kilometres east of Quebec City on the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River.

                     

La Pocatière mayor “clarifies” tramway stance for Poilievre Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: TramCité deal signed; federal funding in election limbo

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

TRAM TRACKER: TramCité deal signed; federal funding in election limbo 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Though a deal is now signed to proceed with Phase 1 of a tramway plan for Quebec City, a dark cloud hangs over the project with a federal election inevitable in 2025.

On Dec. 16, the Quebec government, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec infrastructure division (CDPQ Infra) and the city signed a se- ries of agreements “sealing the partnership for the planning of the tramway component” of the project, henceforth to be known as TramCité.

Phase 1 is the construction of a 19-kilometre east-west tramway line from Charles- bourg to the Le Gendre sector of Cap-Rouge, comprising 29 stations serving areas such as the shopping strip on Boul. Laurier, Université Laval, Parliament Hill and Saint-Roch. The line will double the frequency of transit service along the corridor.

Construction of the line is not expected to begin until 2027, with completion targeted in 2033. The cost for Phase 1 is pegged at $7.6 billion.

With the deal now signed, CDPQ Infra will “set up a team dedicated to the project and to begin the technical studies and analyses required for its implementation,” according to documentation released at the Dec. 16 news conference.

The tramway project was first announced in March 2018 under the administration of then-mayor Régis Labeaume. It was budgeted at $3.3 billion, with a contribution of $1.2 billion from the federal government. Since then, with the arrival of the Coalition Avenir Québec government the same year, the plan has been delayed and changed repeatedly.

The current version is the one CDPQ Infra presented in June after being mandated by the CAQ government to study overall urban transit needs for the capital region.

Mayor Bruno Marchand, who inherited the tramway project when his Québec Forte et Fière party came to power in 2021, declared the agreement with the two other partners to be an “irreversible milestone in the construction of the tramway, and all citizens of the greater Quebec City region benefit from it.”

Under the deal, the city will contribute some $675 million to the project, amounting to half the costs of the preparatory work. The contribution is to be financed from a cli- mate change fund already established, and from revenues derived from real estate devel- opment, much of which would be stimulated by the tramway project.

Marchand said, “We’re paying cash” for the tramway, as opposed to resorting to tax increases.

The mayor said another important element of the deal is that in the event the tramway project is cancelled, the city will be reimbursed for funds invested.

While the city’s share of the funding is about nine per cent, the Quebec government is demanding the federal government cover 40 per cent, beefing up the $1.2 billion already committed.

In a year-end interview with the QCT, Jean-Yves Duclos, federal minister of public services and procurement and MP for Québec, said additional funding is available from an annual $3-billion fund the Liberal government has created for such urban transit projects.

The fate of any federal funding for the tramway whatsoever, however, looms over the project, with Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre stating unequivocally that he will not commit “one cent” to the project should he become prime minister.

Poilievre’s Quebec lieutenant, Pierre Paul-Hus, has said in recent media comments a Conservative government would put money the Liberals committed to the tramway into the CAQ government’s promised “third link,” presumably a new bridge over the St. Lawrence River.

Under current election timing, neither the tramway nor the third link would be under construction until after the planned Quebec provincial election in October 2026.

TRAM TRACKER: TramCité deal signed; federal funding in election limbo Read More »

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