Quebec City tramway is one step closer to becoming a reality

Citizen andenvironmental groups in Quebec Cityare applauding a new deal that will finally allow a tramway project to move ahead.

Premier Franois Legault met with Mayor Rgis Labeaume on Wednesday to discuss whether both levels of government could agree on the route the tramway will take, as well ashow the new mass transit network could better serve citizens in the northern suburbs.

Labeaume, who has spent much of his career campaigning for the $3.3-billion project, leftthe meeting saying the Premier had given him his word.

"And he has mine," Labeaume said.

A compromise between both men seemed unlikely just a few weeks ago. In January, several CAQ MNAs started publicly questioning whether the tramway would meet the needs of residents in the suburbs.

Last month, Premier Legault said Labeaume was being unco-operative about suggestions for changes to the tramway's layouta comment the mayor didn't take well.

But both governments seemed to have found a middle ground.

"We now agree on the outline of the newtramway route and the services needed for the suburbs we hope to make an announcement soon," Legault tweeted after the meeting.

New layout

The tramway will no longer go north to Charlesbourg. Instead it will go further east to D'Estimauville, a neighbourhood the city has been trying to breathe new life intoin recent years.

To make up for the service lost in Charlesbourg, the province is expected to add reserved bus lanes on highways running northto reach the suburbs of the Haute-Saint-Charles.

That's still a gamble, according to Quebec SolidaireMNA Sol Zanetti,because the CAQ has often voted against reserved bus lanes.

"I'm worried the government will be the one managing service to the suburbs," Zanettisaid."It makes me fear the CAQ's political intervention, and that is meddling."

Nonetheless, after years of back-and-forth, many are satisfied to finally see concrete steps being taken.

City opposition councillor Jean Rousseausaid thechanges Labeaume agreed to were necessary.

"Places further north deserve to have better service, and that was part of the complaints from many MNAs," said Rousseau.

"This is a win-win situation for the government and citizens it's great news."

First step toward larger investment

Accs Transport Viables, that promotes activeand public transportationin Quebec City, views the Labeaume-Legault agreement as a first step in a much larger revamp of the city's public transit network.

"The fact that we'll be able to launch construction of the backbone of what will become a much larger sustainable transit network is excellent news," said director tienne Grandmont.

The organization J'ai Ma Passewas created to show citizens' support for the tramway, amidst ongoing criticism from groups opposed to the project.

With 20,000 members, J'ai Ma Passe organized a rally on Wednesday to celebrate the governments' agreement.

Director Angle Pineau-Lemieuxsaid thelast-minute changes that nearly jeopardized the project "proved that a single investment is not enough to answer all the mobility needs in the city."

"There are going to be necessary other phases, other routes added later on so we can offer more mobility alternatives."

The provincial government will still have to adopt a decree before being able to call for tenders andbegin construction.

Quebec has so farpromised an $1.8-billion investment.Ottawa is also pitching in $1.2 billion,and Quebec City another $300 million.