The president of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCCC), Alain Webster, is raising a red flag over François Legault’s intentions to revive his idea of a third motorway link. Such a project is incompatible with the “greatest challenge in the history of humanity,” he says.
“At the moment I have seen absolutely nothing that makes the idea of creating such an infrastructure compatible with the goal of carbon neutrality,” the expert said in an interview with Le Devoir on Friday.
Since 2021, Mr. Webster has led the CCCC, an independent organization that advises Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette on climate issues. Last year he recommended that the government of François Legault stop motorway expansion entirely. And everywhere in Quebec.
However, after canceling his Quebec-Lévis road connection project last spring, Prime Minister Legault revived the idea on Tuesday. He intends to “consult the people” of the Greater Quebec region to better understand their intentions on the issue. “I will work very hard, with my colleagues, with the deputies, with the entire team [Coalition avenir Québec]to regain the trust of the people,” he said the day after his party’s electoral defeat in the Jean-Talon constituency.
When asked this week about the possible re-opening of a car-accessible river link, the Environment Secretary simply said it was “speculation”. The chairman of the main group responsible for his advice gives him a warning.
“If we create new motorway connections in metropolitan areas, we will increase demand for travel by car. And so we increase the pressure at the same time,” said Alain Webster on Friday.
“We are trying to meet a particular need on the south coast,” he added. However, when it comes to a new transport system such as a tunnel or a bridge, in order to say that the approach is relevant we still need to be able to demonstrate that this new infrastructure neither leads to nor results in urban sprawl an increase in the number of vehicles [et] Greenhouse gas emissions. »
“More shows”
When asked on Thursday about the need to restart the third link project, Beauce-Nord deputy Luc Provençal, who claims to have never given up, spoke of the needs of the south coast in terms of heavy transport and trucking Transports. Here too, answers Alain Webster, we need to review our approach.
“We need to use the train better, better use – in this case – the sea route, the river. Develop strategies for modal transfer. There are big things that can be done in trucking that have a more positive impact on the environment than a new road connection. »
We need to use the train better, make better use of – in this case – the sea route, the river. Develop strategies for modal transfer. There are big things that can be done in trucking that have a more positive impact on the environment than a new road connection.
“If we keep doing the same thing, we will get the same result. “We will have more and more vehicles on the roads and emit more and more greenhouse gases,” he summarized.
Mr Webster, who teaches at the University Training Center in Environment and Sustainable Development at the University of Sherbrooke, is also concerned about the risks that such a structure – the Prime Minister spoke of a bridge again this week – could pose a threat to biodiversity.
“We not only need to reduce greenhouse gases, but also preserve ecosystems so that they retain their ability to sequester carbon,” said the expert. So when we think about territorial sprawl, we think about the preservation of ecosystems, forests, natural environments, peatlands and forests. »
If we keep doing the same thing, we will get the same result. We will have more and more vehicles on the roads and emit more and more greenhouse gases.
An alternative
With the abandonment of the third motorway link last April, Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault presented a preliminary version of a tunnel dedicated exclusively to public transport. According to Alain Webster, a much more sustainable solution in the current context.
“Perhaps we will end up with an integrated streetcar-public transit system in Quebec with the South Shore,” he said Friday. If that’s all, then that’s great. »
Until then, the cars will be back on the table. “There will be another demonstration of relevance. But I think that everything must be done in this matter. »