Transport minister confirms 3rd link limited to public transit, says change was 'difficult decision'
'We have to make responsible decisions that are pragmatic but are difficult,' said Guilbault
Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault announced on Thursday that the third link project on Quebec City's south shore will be substantially smaller than originally planned.
In this year's first update on the project, Guilbault confirmed the highway between Quebec City and Lévis would be exclusively for public transit.
Guilbault reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring mobility between the two cities separated by the St. Lawrence River.
During the 2022 election campaign, Premier François Legault maintained the project was necessary to reduce traffic congestion on the two briges in the region and to keep up with population growth in the area. Initially, the Coalition Avenir Québec's project was set to include six lanes, only two of which were reserved bus lanes.
But Guilbault said their research and evaluation forced them to backtrack and reserve the tunnel for public transit only.
The minister called it "a very difficult decision."
"We have to make responsible decisions that are pragmatic but are difficult," Guilbault said. "We know that there are going to be some residents who are disappointed, some more than others."
On Wednesday, news of the announcement already seemed to garner mixed reviews from residents in the area.
'This is not what we thought would happen'
Guilbault said all the data for this decision is based on about 40 studies and reports on the tunnel.
She said data showed the travel time for public transit users through the tunnel would decrease by 71 per cent with the tunnel. In comparison, the travel time for those going by car would decrease by 37 per cent.
"This is not what we thought would happen," said Guilbault, adding that the pandemic played a role in the changing transportation needs in the Quebec City region.
"We didn't know there was going to be a pandemic when we arrived in 2018 and during the pandemic we didn't know what kind of changes this pandemic would bring in the lives of Quebecers but the responsible, lucid decision today based upon the data that I just gave to you is the one I'm announcing now."
Premier François Legault agreed that the pandemic affected the traffic on Quebec City's two bridges, resulting in the government not being able justify building the third link as it was initially proposed.
"I have a responsibility. I manage Quebecers' funds and the data has changed," the premier said.
"When we look at the new data on traffic, we see clearly that when we talk about 2019 to 2022, there was an important drop in the time it takes to cross between the north and south shore [of Quebec City]."
Encouraging people to use public transit
Guilbault said she hopes this change will encourage people to leave their cars at home and take public transit which could effectively transport them directly from the South Shore municipality into Quebec City.
"We have to have this structure of public transit which is efficient and attractive so that we can compete with other big cities like Montreal," said Guilbault.
Elizabeth Saindon, a student who lives in Lévis, will be travelling to attend school in Quebec City next year. She says although there is a dedicated bus lane on the bridge, it doesn't help much during rush hour.
"Sometimes when there is traffic it does get long and it's tiring," said Saindon, who believes a third link dedicated to public transportation will get people to ditch their cars.
Melody Tran, a resident of Quebec City, has been taking public transit for the past 30 years.
She says she is in favour of encouraging people to take public transit, but that limiting the tunnel to buses or the tramway may not be effective.
"Quebec City is a little behind. The idea is good but I don't think people will be convinced to use transit. There are still people in Charlesbourg, Lac-Saint-Jean [regions], they have two to three cars for a family … it doesn't make sense," said Tran, adding that the push to use transit will likely be gradual and not pay off immediately.
'They can't just dismantle it like this': Lévis mayor
In a news conference on Thursday, Lévis Mayor Gilles Lehouillier said he was disappointed to learn about the decision this week with no notice, after the project was set to go ahead just months before.
He says he wants the government to give more reasons why this decision was made and that citizens are feeling betrayed because the new tunnel will not address the issue of congestion on the bridges.
"This decision makes me think that the government has abandoned the region. The government made a promise. They initiated and promoted this project — they can't just dismantle it like this," said Lehouillier.
"I have no more time to waste on a project like this that was proposed this morning. I'm going to focus on projects in my city that have a chance at being realized … But for me, I'll give zero time for this project since there is no more trust."
CAQ MNAs apologize for breaking promise
Bernard Drainville, the education minister, who represents the riding of Lévis on Quebec City's South Shore, became emotional on Thursday when speaking to reporters. Drainville had championed the third link during the 2022 provincial election.
"I want to present my apologies to the people of Lévis and to the people of Chaudière-Appalaches. I made a commitment and I am not able to deliver on it," he said.
"I understand their anger. I am truly sorry. The engagement I made was sincere. The traffic I observed last summer was real."
Éric Caire, who represents the riding of La Peltrie in the Quebec City area, said during the 2018 election campaign that he would resign if the CAQ government didn't deliver on its promise for a third link.
On Thursday, he too was apologetic but he said he would remain in office and let voters decide his fate.
"I completely understand the feelings of betrayal of my constituents," said Caire, who said the growing cost of the initial project also played a role in the decision.
"The numbers we had before the pandemic changed in an important way. Today the math makes it that I can't defend this project."
Guilbault said she understands the disappointment of residents and her colleagues.
"But we have to be together in this and so we share this decision, even though it makes us [feel] deceived or sad in some cases but this is the right decision to make," said Guilbault.
"We have to connect the two centres of our second and seventh biggest cities in Quebec."
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With files from Émilie Warren