We hear all kinds of things on the tram these days. In this context, it seems useful to me to share with you some thoughts for the future.
We must first remember that the tram project responds to a need that has been demonstrated many times. With the expected population growth in Quebec and without a structuring transportation network, in a few years we will have major road congestion problems, both for people and for goods. A situation which will seriously harm the economic development of the city and the region.
Quebec is the only large Canadian city not able to count on a structuring transport network. Not building the tramway would mean giving other major cities a competitive advantage in attracting talent and investment. All this at a time when we must adapt to a rapidly changing economy.
The construction of the tramway alone represents billions of dollars of direct and indirect investments for local businesses. These billions are intended for the construction of infrastructure and if they are not invested here, they will be elsewhere in Quebec and Canada. At a time when there are fears of an economic slowdown, these amounts are all the more important for the region.
It is true that the cost of public transportation projects is high, and global economic conditions are not the only cause. This can also be explained by too little competition which is the result of a lack of ambition that we have demonstrated in this area for fifty years. Quebec has not developed local expertise, and large international builders are not interested in a market where there are no prospects for several projects over several years.
And while we are wondering here, elsewhere, the development of public transport is accelerating. Even Ontario, to which we like to compare ourselves, plans to invest more than $60 billion in public transportation in the next ten years and continues to deliver structuring projects in Toronto, Hamilton and Scarborough. There is no reason why Quebec cannot do it too.
It is an illusion to think that the situation will improve if a little time passes. Inflation will continue to take its toll, and in ten years, the same project could cost more than 50% more, or even double. And all the while, traffic problems will continue to get worse.
Those who would like to end the project should be aware that this would send a very bad signal. This would indicate that Quebec is a market where infrastructure projects can be constantly called into question, even after more than ten years of planning and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in preparatory work and land acquisition. The result would be even less competition for future projects and even higher costs.
While by facilitating travel, the tram will help to promote the attractiveness of the city and address the labor shortage. The Chaudière and D’Estimauville sectors will particularly benefit. There will quickly be new neighborhoods and thousands of new housing units to accommodate families, students, young workers and innovative businesses.
For all these reasons, it is obvious that the absence of a tramway in Quebec is, in the medium term, much more costly than its construction. It’s like a company that hesitates to invest in its digital transformation: it’s infinitely more dangerous not to do so.
The government is right to claim that Quebec can play a leadership role in the energy transition. The electrification of transport is a fundamental element of this transition. For this reason, the opening of a tramway in the national capital must also be analyzed as a decision emblematic of our collective ambitions.