Following the October 3 elections, we reiterate to the government and all elected officials that they must do everything in their power to help Quebecers free themselves from their second vehicle.
At a time when the climate crisis will be the major issue of the coming decades, and when Quebec households are faced with soaring debt levels, we need to act now, and make straightforward decisions that will enable Quebecers to face these challenges with sustainable, modern and concrete solutions.
Several parties have put forward good ideas for mobility, which we hope will inspire the government, as the Prime Minister has pledged to work across party lines.
INVESTING IN SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
Road transport is currently responsible for a third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Quebec. So it's time to prioritize the combination of active, collective and car-sharing modes of transportation to lighten our carbon footprint. By offering people the possibility of choosing from a cocktail of transport options that meet their needs, we can make mobility truly sustainable. That's how we'll reduce the number of cars on the road and improve air quality, which is greatly affected by the particles generated by the wear and tear of car tires on our roads.
Much more than a purely ecological measure, increased investment in public and active transportation projects will help reduce the economic burden imposed by the current dependence on the automobile for many Quebec households.
To achieve this, it is essential to improve public transit service throughout Quebec, especially in rural areas. We therefore call on the government to launch projects that will double public transit service by 2035, in addition to providing service in the more remote regions of Quebec.
At present, 70 % of the Quebec government's actual planned investment in passenger transportation is devoted to road transport, reflecting an outdated vision of transportation planning. We propose that two-thirds of confirmed investments in ground transportation be earmarked for public transit as soon as possible, as is already the case in Ontario.
Obviously, public transit alone cannot meet all Quebecers' travel needs. It's essential to combine this improvement in public transit with increased investment in active transportation. In order to improve active transportation infrastructures to meet Quebec's needs, we need to double current funding to $100 million per year. It's by proposing more extensive public and active transportation systems that we'll be able to meet the financial and climate challenges of our time, and convince Quebecers to free themselves from their second car.
STOP SEEING SERIOUS COLLISIONS AS INEVITABLE
With vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists) accounting for a growing proportion of road fatalities, it is imperative that the Quebec government implements a road safety policy with a vision of zero serious or fatal collisions. Gains have already been made in this area in recent years, and it's time to adopt a clear line that ensures the safety of all road users. The adoption of such a strategy is also necessary to ensure that access to public transport, which is mostly pedestrian, is safe and user-friendly.
Let's stop seeing serious or fatal collisions as inevitable consequences of using the road network!
To accompany these measures, we need to create complete environments that enable more of the population to work, shop, play and live in the same place. The election campaign focused a great deal on the creation of new road links, but it's only by reducing the length of trips that we'll be able to transfer a large proportion of them to public and active modes of transport.
Our organizations will be there to work with the new government and all elected representatives to implement these concrete solutions, notably through the Plan for a Green Economy and the Sustainable Mobility Policy implemented by the previous Caquist government.
Our request is therefore very simple: let's be visionary and put in place a real cocktail of sustainable mobility solutions to enable Quebecers to free themselves from their second car, in order to face the climate and financial challenges of the future!
Jean-François Rheault, President and CEO, Vélo Québec
Sandrine Cabana-Degani, General Manager, Piétons Québec
Sarah V. Doyon, General Manager, Trajectoire Québec
Christian Savard, General Manager, Vivre en ville
*Initially published on La Presse +
