When the Legault government announced that it was launching the third link project in 2017, I was relieved to see that a host of experts opposed it, as well as a large part of the population of the province. .
I am well aware that a majority of my fellow citizens in Lévis want a third link to relieve congestion on the bridges to the west and reach Quebec more quickly from the east. But beyond desires and opinions, there are facts: a new highway creates pollution, quickly becomes a new source of congestion and promotes urban sprawl in the form of new neighborhoods dependent on solo driving. Despite this, the government persists in promoting a project decried from all sides.
Five years and several “tweaks” later, I hear this week in the media that the Legault government is now considering dedicating one of the tunnels of its Quebec-Lévis twin-tube to public transport. Far from satisfying me, this proves one thing to me: this project is not primarily intended to relieve congestion on routes between the two cities. Its purpose is precisely to promote urban sprawl for unlimited economic growth!
François Bonnardel, former Minister of Transport, said it1: “There are mayors […] who say: “I would just like that, to have the possibility of having 40 more houses.” […] “It is a fashion, to densify sectors. »
François Legault said it again2, introducing the idea of making Quebec City the province’s second metropolis: “The first thing that must be done is to increase the population on the north shore, increase the population on the south shore. […] “Given the development that is happening on the South Shore, it is important to have a tunnel. »
François Legault has said it again3, and the mayor of Lévis Gilles Lehouiller clings to it4: regardless of the results of the studies, the government will build the third link.
Apart from the complete abandonment of the project, the only solution is a single tunnel, dedicated exclusively to public transport:
– urban sprawl will be more moderate and real estate development will take the form of neighborhoods less focused on solo cars. Economic development: check!
– a modal transfer will take place towards public and active transport. Traffic Congestion Relief: Check!
– the public transport offer will be richer throughout the territory. Pollution Control: Check!
Let’s not let our guard down. We must not be satisfied with this umpteenth version of the third link. If a tunnel is built in the east of the region, it must be exclusively dedicated to public transport.
