The smallness of the traffic lanes in the Montcalm district in Quebec turned the planning of the tramway project into a real headache. Between the mature trees and the roads to be sacrificed, this problem is essential as a central issue in the electoral campaign.
“Between Myrand and Des Érables, we plan to cut 208,” said project office director Daniel Genest during a presentation at city hall on Wednesday.
In total, 1,584 trees will have to be felled out of the 7,133 on the route between Estimauville in Beauport and the Legendre sector in the West.
Cuts that go particularly badly in the Montcalm district known for its cachet. But interest in this issue crosses all sectors of the city, the candidates have contacted since the start of the campaign.
In recent days, mayoral candidate Marie-Josée Savard, who was part of the Labeaume administration, has been attacked from all sides, her opponents criticizing her for not making the new data on the subject public.
The documentation came from responses provided by the Structuring Network Project Office (BPRS) to the Ministry of the Environment as part of the project’s environmental assessment process.
The heart of the cramped neighborhood
The Project Office must in particular make a trade-off between the trees that will have to be sacrificed and the traffic lanes in the heart of the Montcalm district.
This issue has become much more sensitive since its decision to reduce the tunnel portion of the project to reduce costs in the Montcalm district. As project manager Daniel Genest explained, it costs an average of $ 150 million to build a kilometer of streetcar above ground and three to four times that to do the same underground.
Originally, the tunnel portion of the project was to stretch between the Saint-Roch district and avenue des Érables. However, the BPRS announced in March that the tunnel would be reduced by 500 meters, between Érables and Turnbull. The problem is that René-Lévesque Boulevard is much narrower in this area.
According to the plans presented on Wednesday, the Project Office hesitates between three scenarios: a car lane in each direction on either side of the tramway right-of-way, a single one-way lane and shared streets on each side. The more automobile lanes are added, the more trees to be felled (27 with shared lanes, 34 with a one-way lane and 74 with two lanes).
In a shared street, the layout favors walking and cycling and the speed limit for cars is limited to 20 km / h.
The Project Office affirms that it has not yet made a decision as to which scenario will be favored.