Quebec pledges to fund Gatineau's light rail plans

The Quebec government has pledged to fund 60 per cent of an ambitious $2.1-billion project to bring light rail to Gatineau, Que.

Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin announced on social media Saturday morning that he'dsecured the funding promise from PremierFranois Legault for the 26-kilometre network, which the city hopes to have up and running by the end of the next decade.

"It's great news, because the Quebec government has never been as clear as Mr. Legault was yesterday," Pedneaud-Jobinlater told Radio-Canada.

"The next step is to convince the federal government and that's a big battle, but I think it's essential that they're part of this project."

2028 launch date

Last summer, the City of Gatineau unveiled its preliminary plan tolink its Aylmer and Plateau sectors via a network that wouldalso cross the Ottawa River and connect with Ottawa's yet-to-launch LRT project.

• Gatineau reveals $2.1B LRT plan, eyes 2028 launch

The two sectors are among the fastest growing in the western Quebec city.

The city hopes tohave a final plan in place by next spring, which would be followed by environmental assessments, construction and the unveiling of the light rail line in 2028.

Federal uncertainty

While Hull-Aylmer MP Greg Fergus has been a vocal proponent of bringing light rail to Gatineau, the federal government's ultimate level of support remains hard to gaugegiven the uncertainty around this fall's election.

• Minority governments another sign that Canada is in the midst of a political upheaval

Even so,Pedneaud-Jobin said the "reality is clear": without significant investments in the city's transit network, Gatineau commuters will be facing a dreary decade.

"Within 10 years, we're either going to be stuck in traffic because of cars or because of buses," he said.

"So I think that reality's going to help us a lot to convince the federal government whatever party is elected in the fall."