Last November, on this page, I communicated to the Quebec Minister of Transport our wish that the Sustainable Mobility Policy (PMD) adopted by the previous government be preserved. This wish was also shared by several other organizations that participated in the drafting of this policy. As I pointed out, the policy may not be perfect, but it does have the merit of taking Quebec in the right direction.
On January 25, Transport Minister François Bonnardel pledged to implement the Sustainable Mobility Policy (PMD). He has thus chosen a non-partisan path to tackle a major societal challenge in a context where 40 % of greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the transportation sector. This is excellent news.
The stakes of this policy, as you can guess, are financial. Some measures are already included in the government's budget, but the scale of the task will require additional investment.
Currently, the PMD plans to invest an average of 25 M$ per year in bicycles over the next five years. This includes investments in partnership with municipalities (infrastructure and bike sharing) and investments on Route verte (maintenance and development). This is a step forward compared with what has been invested in recent years (less than 10 M$ annually), but we're still a long way from what could change the face of our cities in favor of cycling.
One way of assessing what this type of investment represents is to compare it with the municipal effort. In 2019, Quebec's five largest cities will invest 31 M$ in cycling facilities. So we believe Quebec City should be doing more. In the current scenario, the sums devoted to cycling represent just over 1% of the approximately 9.7 billion planned in the PMD for the 2018-2023 period. In the Bicycle Vision 2025, We're putting forward the idea of dedicating 100 M$ for at least a few years, a sum that could be shared between the Quebec government and the Canada Infrastructure Fund (CIF). If we want to connect the neighborhoods of our cities to each other, counter the effect of physical and geographical barriers, and create facilities that protect cyclists from the growing number of cars on the road, we're going to have to put in the resources.
In his announcement last month, the Minister of Transport launched a one-year project to fund the PMD, with a view to generating additional investment over and above what is already planned. Various scenarios are possible, and it is to be hoped that the Green Fund will be put to greater use. The same applies to the Canada Transportation Infrastructure Fund (CTIF), where Quebec will not be getting all its due in terms of public transit and active transportation.
Embracing sustainable mobility is a real social project, and one of the most concrete ways of contributing to a real reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Referring to the Quebec budget-making process, Alexandre Cusson, President of the Union des municipalités du Québec, said that municipalities were ready to take action. Now it's up to the Quebec government to take the lead and send a strong signal!
Suzanne Lareau
President and General Manager
