The column by Michel David (“The saboteur”) and the opinion text by Jacques Laflamme (“The SRB, a passageway for a structuring network in the Capitale-Nationale”), published on November 11, well summarize the chronology of the events and the need to ensure regional approval for such a large-scale project. Major cost increases had led to the abandonment of SRB projects by Lévis and Quebec and the 15 km Trambus segment in Quebec, initially structuring and generating consensus. A progressive destitution which isolated the tramway, if not the city. At the time, Jarrett Walker, “a rockstar world of urban transport”, after study, considered an SRB with biarticulated rapid buses (Trambus) as the best solution for Quebec.
The CDPQ can certainly count on a number of experts, and its completion of the REM in record time adds to the many Quebec engineering flagships. But will his work come up against the electric mirage that makes us all even more addicted to the car, even though teleworking frees up our roads? And the fact that, in such projects elsewhere, we find reasonable pricing, including road and urban tolls. The cities of London and Stockholm have demonstrated this. There has been a considerable reduction in traffic jams, travel times, road accidents, and also air pollution.
Finally, will the choices chosen be optimal and will they give taxpayers a break? Should we remember that the April 2023 contract with Alstom included 34 tram trains of 4 modules each, capable of accommodating 272 passengers (88 seated) at a cost of 569 million dollars, or 16.7 million per train, with a entry into service in 2029. On the other hand, in recent years, a marked shift has occurred towards the Trambus in several cities in France and elsewhere, and the trend is accelerating. These biarticulated buses, equipped with 3 modules, can accommodate 140 to 150 passengers (the majority seated), at a cost of around 2 million each, and with delivery times of 1 to 2 years.
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