Who has to pay for the noise barrier in Longueuil?

Will the residents of the borough of Saint-Hubert who will directly benefit from the noise barrier or all the residents of the city pay? The opinions of our readers, more than 300 responses, are rather divided. Here is an overview of the responses to our call to all this week.



The example to follow

On Highway 25, between the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel and the Anjou interchange, who paid? This is the example to follow!

Michael Desrosiers

The citizens of Longueuil

The entire population of Longueuil must pay, because the City had made a commitment previously. High cost works are done regularly throughout the city and these improvements are not billed to the citizens of the streets concerned. The City has authorized these building permits previously and should honor its promise.

Johanne Vezina

The Government of Quebec

Since Route 116 is a provincial road, funding for the construction of the noise barrier should be the responsibility of the Government of Quebec. On municipal streets, cities should be responsible for the construction of noise barriers if required. Everyone has their own responsibilities.

Jacques Morneau, Mont-Saint-Hilaire

Split Invoice

I have been a resident of Longueuil for 11 years. I use route 116 regularly and I consider that the bill should be shared by all the citizens of the city. We cannot densify the territory without mitigation measures and noise must be declared “pollution” in all its forms. Cities must maintain a healthy standard of living for all their citizens.

Chloe Besner

A fair deal

Given the explosion in construction costs since the pandemic, I believe the arrangement is fair. Especially since the citizens affected by the special tax will benefit from an increase in the market value of their property.

Dominique Mercier

A provincial responsibility

I am of the opinion that it is not up to the residents of Longueuil to pay for this wall, but rather to the Government of Quebec, because Route 116 is a provincial responsibility.

Caroline de Brouwer, Longueuil

A known nuisance

Route 116 has been built for a very long time. Those who came to settle on the edge of a major road cannot claim that they were unaware of the traffic noise. I don’t see why the entire Longueuil agglomeration should be held responsible for the costs generated for this small minority.

André Letourneau

The SAAQ

The costs of a noise barrier should be included in the cost of building a highway, so I opt for the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec to use its special funds to cover the costs. The road causing the noise is used by all citizens, so it is up to the entire population to pay for the consequences resulting from its use.

Odette Courchesne

Distributive justice

Affected residents must pay because they are the requesters of a specific municipal service that applies only to them. If each specific request must be paid by all citizens, taxation will become unjustified in relation to the municipal services provided. Making affected residents pay is the application of the universal principle of distributive justice.

Jean-Yves Pilon, Brossard

The Ministry of Transport

I would go further and say that all Quebec citizens should pay! It’s a numbered road that causes the problem and the people who drive there are far from all Longueuil residents. It is up to the Ministry of Transport to build this wall and pay for it!

Bernard Lalonde, Saint-Andre-d’Argenteuil

Assume your choice

Anyone who buys a house on a busy boulevard should know that there will be traffic noise. Too often, people ignore the consequences of their actions (smells if you live above a restaurant, smells if I live near a farm…). So I think they should bear the majority of the cost.

Raymonde Desilets

The road manager

Will citizens pay for the noise barrier that the REM will install in Griffintown? No, it’s the manager. Will the citizens of Saint-Lambert pay for the anti-noise measures put in place by the concert organizers on Île Notre-Dame? Obviously not. For Route 116, the road manager, ie the MTQ, should assume the bill, because it is his road that causes noise that is harmful to the well-being of residents.

Christian Dubois

Houses paid less

It is not up to all the residents to pay for this wall. People who chose to buy homes along Route 116 knew it was very busy and noisy. They’ve been complaining about the airport for years too! However, they surely paid less for their house than elsewhere in Longueuil because of this! It’s a choice they made. If they want a wall, they pay for it.

Josee Tremblay

The whole region

Route 116 near Saint-Hubert airport is heavily used by residents of neighboring towns (Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Belœil, etc.). In addition, the volume of air traffic and rail traffic continues to grow there, certainly affecting the tranquility of residents. It is largely the residents of this sector of the Montérégie who derive the benefits. Follow the profits and you will find other potential payers. Shouldn’t the bill be shared regionally?

Guy Morneau


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