Canada’s Transport Minister, Pablo Rodriguez, has not ruled out advancing the funding associated with the new Permanent Public Transit Fund, in order to support carriers. But at the same time he retorts to Quebec that his government has “never disengaged” from sustainable mobility.
“What did we disengage from? We are everywhere. […] We didn’t back down from anything,” argued Mr. Rodriguez on the sidelines of an event of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Montreal (CCEM), this Monday at the Anjou Metropolitan Golf Club.
He was thus reacting to the comments of the Quebec Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, who attacked last week the “disengagement” of the federal government in public transport. “The federal government supported the industry during the pandemic, but then it completely disengaged,” she said in an interview.
All this came as transit companies from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver called on Ottawa to advance the funding promised in the new Permanent Public Transit Fund. These sums, totaling around three billion per year, must be paid in 2026, but in the fragile financial context, carriers would like to see it born “at the beginning of 2024”, i.e. now.
“The last program was 2023 and the next in 2026. This means that for three years, in addition to not financing operations, Ottawa will not have financed infrastructure projects,” lamented Minister Geneviève Guilbault. .
Discussions in progress
Questioned on this subject, Pablo Rodriguez did not close the door to bringing forward federal investments. “There is still money for certain things currently, but we will look between the two. These are things we discuss. One thing is certain: we will not stop financing public transport projects. It’s too important,” he said.
“When we have a project in Quebec, we will be there. Same thing for the Montreal East Structuring Project (PSE) and the Gatineau tramway,” persisted the federal minister, reiterating that Ottawa “will not disengage on an issue as important for future generations.”
During his speech, the minister also argued that his government “will think” about how it finances the maintenance of the assets of transportation companies in Canada.
In the metropolis, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) estimates the investments necessary over ten years to preserve the reliability of the metro at 16.5 billion. The Montreal carrier’s 2024-2033 capital expenditure program already provides for total expenses of more than 26 billion.
A tram to Rivière-des-Prairies
Minister Rodriguez also took advantage of his visit to eastern Montreal to reiterate his wish to see the PSE reach Rivière-des-Prairies. So far, the route of the future 13 billion tramway remains similar to the initial scenario, along the axis of Boulevard Lacordaire and Rue Sherbrooke Est, between Cégep Marie-Victorin and Pointe-aux-Trembles station, along of the green metro line.
However, extensions are being considered by the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM), towards Rivière-des-Prairies and Repentigny, in the MRC of L’Assomption. Without these two extensions, the project would be 21 kilometers long, would have 22 stations and would cost 10 billion.
“We will support the project, whatever its version, but I say it as an MP: it must go far to the east, as far as Rivière-des-Prairies. It is not true that we are going to make a first version and that in a few years we will add it. No, it’s now or never,” argued Mr. Rodriguez.
“Tomorrow morning,” he also quipped when asked when he would like to see this project land. ” It’s necessary that it moves. We have been talking about structuring transport in the east for a very long time,” he concluded.
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- 13.8 billion
- In the Quebec government’s budget, the amount planned over 10 years in the Quebec Infrastructure Plan (PQI) has not changed for public transport, remaining at 13.8 billion, the same level as last year. The way in which this sum will be broken down remains unknown for the moment.