During the holidays, the editorial team continues its reflection on the individual and collective challenges that will shape our world in the coming years from the perspective of solutions, as far as possible. Today: sustainable mobility.
However noble they may be, Quebec’s ambitions in terms of sustainable mobility crash miserably against the wall of reality, where everything is only confusion, incoherence and lack of political courage. If the fight against climate change is a priority worthy of the name, then political decision-makers will have to place vision and cohesion on their menu. The challenge is colossal, but the future of Quebec depends on it.
In the strategic field of national development that is sustainable mobility, 2023 has provided its share of spectacular incongruities. The prize undoubtedly goes to Prime Minister François Legault, champion of the resurrection of the third link thanks to an electoral defeat in Jean-Talon, followed closely by the designers of the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge (connecting Montérégie and Montreal) who apparently omitted from their plans the inclusion of a lane reserved solely for public transportation. “It is not normal that in 2023 we have to do with a bridge without a lane dedicated to public transport,” said the mayor of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Guy Pilon, on the sidelines of a press conference held by the minister. of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, early December. […] “It’s absurd and it’s inconceivable. » We couldn’t say it better.
Unfortunately, the line of aberrations was rich last year, which will require even more muscle to inflate the challenges of tomorrow. In disorder, there was of course the insane return of the third link in the intentions of the Legault government, after having nevertheless agreed that a highway link between Quebec and Lévis was neither a logical nor economic option. In the Quebec region, which, like elsewhere, is looking for solutions to relieve traffic congestion, the tramway project was also postponed, even though it was ten years in the making and was supported by convincing studies, not to mention a convinced mayor. . This idea returns to the study stage, decided Quebec, which entrusted it to CDPQ Infra.
Since its launch at the end of the summer, the Réseau express métropolitain has experienced a running-in period marked by failures and service interruptions, not to mention the dissatisfaction caused by the noise caused by the passage of trains — worthy of a sketch in the bye — and the troubles caused by… the snow. In Montreal, the realism of political commitments in terms of public transport is seriously compromised: the shameless delays in the extension of the blue metro line, dreamed of in 1991, and the suspension by Quebec of work on the pink line, add to a long list of disappointments. This fall, municipalities and Quebec fought over the financial responsibility of public transport, because transport companies are struggling to present balanced budget projects; among other solutions to avoid the slump, they juggled with the idea of reducing service hours, an absurd project fortunately shelved.
However, public transport should be at the center of the goals set by Quebec, and by municipalities, to confront our immense dependence on the automobile. In the sustainable mobility policy presented in 2018 to the applause of Philippe Couillard’s government, this was the basis of our ambitions, with the intention of increasing the use of public transport by 30%, and reducing it by 20%. the habit of driving solo. What about five years later? An exhaustive assessment carried out by Radio-Canada shows that this 10 billion policy has not contributed to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions or oil consumption in the transport sector.
Experts are scratching their heads: what is the vision that supports our political choices? It seems that sustainable mobility policy is not at the center of major decisions, and that it is instead still perceived as a commodity taking pride of place on the sidelines. At the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, there are still far too many for transport – asphalt, cars, freight transport – and too few for sustainable mobility. In this era of climate emergency, however, the relationship should indeed be reversed. Increasing access to public transportation, reducing citizens’ journeys between work and home and the all-too-popular resort to solo driving, these are the priorities that all levels of government should address.
To put an end to “all-car driving”, we will also need to have the courage to adopt more robust measures, even if they disturb the electoral comfort of decision-makers. First, curb urban sprawl, which only reinforces the supremacy of the “tank”. Then, dare to adopt more punitive options for motorists, such as the multiplication of road tolls in the Montreal belt or even the use of a kilometer tax on the island. In this era of climate emergency, the solutions put forward must shake up comfort and indifference. This is an essential condition for real change.