Despite a “record” expansion in recent years, the City of Lévis only devotes, in the budget of $ 333 million presented on Monday, 13.3 million to public transport offered to its 149,000 inhabitants – an increase of 500 $ 000 from the previous fiscal year.
In 10 years, the city has almost doubled the operating budget for its public transit, which peaked at $ 6.4 million in 2012. Despite this effort, Lévis is a featherweight in this regard, compared to other municipalities.
In 2020, for example, Quebec allocated $ 124 million to the Réseau de transport de la Capitale; Longueuil, $ 93 million to the Société de transport de Longueuil et Gatineau, $ 69 million to the Société de transport de l’Outaouais.
Among the 10 largest cities in Quebec, Lévis ranks seventh in recurring amounts spent on public transit. The City was investing less than $ 85 per capita in this area in 2020, or $ 26 more than in Trois-Rivières and 27 cents more than Saguenay ($ 84.67), but $ 10 less than Sherbrooke.
For example, the amount dedicated to public transit in 2022 is slightly higher than the $ 12.2 million allocated to the development of music and dance facilities at the Lévis Cultural Center.
“Not so long ago, we were in the back row,” said the mayor of Lévis, Gilles Lehouillier. “Now, among the four comparable cities, we are second. It’s not a victory, but it’s a step in the right direction. “
While Quebec is investing as never before in its history to make its tramway, the backbone of its sustainable mobility plan, a reality, Lévis intends to inject $ 27 million over the next three years to add reserved lanes for public transport along its route. urban boulevard.
Within 10 years, the City has the objective of electrifying its buses, at a cost of $ 136 million. This measure is the centerpiece of its investments planned until 2030 in public transport.
“We are really starting to position ourselves very, very well,” believes Mayor Lehouillier, who insists on the increase in the amounts allocated to public transport observed since 2012.
A blue city
Lévis is turning green by other means, in particular by restoring access to the St. Lawrence to its citizens. Over the next year, the City intends to acquire land located along the coast to the west of the bridges, in a sector, Saint-Nicolas, where the river is not accessible to the public.
Ultimately, this urban park should reach more than 73,000 m2, or four times the area of the Paquet wharf, the city’s river gateway where ferries from Quebec come to moor and families, to have fun playing games. ‘water.
Lévis is also implementing its zero waste policy, which aims to extend its composting program to businesses, industries and institutional settings. Budget 2022 provides for the creation of a green fund endowed with one million dollars, intended in particular to identify high-value woodlots on the territory of the City.
A canopy under pressure
These woodlands are increasingly threatened by the development of Lévis. Since 2018, the City has been claiming growth records year after year, which is reflected in the ever increasing value of building permits granted.
The City of Lévis depends more and more on this expansion to ensure its income. In the 2022 budget, taxes represent 85.6% of its $ 333 million budget.
Taxes for the coming year will increase by an average of 2.5%.
The City of Lévis is initiating a vast reflection on the organization of work within its public service. Teleworking has imposed a conclusion: the premises of the past will no longer be necessary in the future and to attract labor despite the shortage, Lévis must adapt.
Reinventing the organization of work
Over the next three years, the City intends to devote $ 6.4 million to review its practices and adapt its administrative offices, which total an area of 120,000 sq. Ft.2 not to mention barracks, police stations, libraries and garages.
Ultimately, the City does not rule out selling buildings. “As managers of the last public, we cannot spend to maintain unused assets”, indicates the deputy director of sustainable development, Dominic Deslauriers.
The development of shared offices is in the works.
“People who are used to working three days from home don’t want to come back to the office and have the same experience as before,” said Mr. Deslauriers. “They don’t want to find closed spaces that isolate them from others. “
For Lévis, a city must adapt to the new realities of work to attract labor, especially since it promises to be scarce for a long time to come.