In the absence of bidders, Mayor Bruno Marchand announced Wednesday his Plan B for the Quebec tram, now valued at $8.4 billion, for which the city would be the project manager. He is now asking the Legault government to take on the project.
• Also read: $12 billion to $13 billion for Quebec’s tram system
In a highly anticipated press conference Wednesday morning, Quebec Mayor Bruno Marchand confirmed information from the Journal published Tuesday that estimated Quebec tram bills have tripled and are now at $12 billion to $13 billion compared to then. The last known estimate is $4 billion.
Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
This range emerged from recent discussions with the only consortium still in the running for the infrastructure share, Mobilité de la Capitale, the mayor revealed. “The status of our discussions […] led us to believe that it is likely that we are at $12.13 billion.” When the mayor saw that we were at an impasse and that Mobilité de la Capitale did not want to apply, he ended the process on Tuesday.
“Fair cost” solution
That’s why Bruno Marchand initiated Plan B, which he has been working on for several months: to take over management of the project internally, which he says he still wants to achieve. “The tram project is still alive. We have cost-effective solutions to carry out this project,” assured the mayor.
Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
He estimates that, for $8.365 billion, the city can self-manage the tram project in its current form from Le Gendre to D’Estimauville, using the “serious” technical proposal previously presented by the consortium, for which the municipality paid $14 million.
Appealing to the “nationalist” feeling that he believes must drive the government, he is now asking for a quick response from François Legault and his team, who will have to say whether they will go ahead with his Plan B. The federal government is responding to this in its current page.
Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
The $569 million rail contract with Alstom could be “at risk” if things are delayed, the mayor agreed. But overall, the entire project would be in jeopardy, he said.
On the way to gradual commissioning
Mr Marchand’s Plan B includes the vision of covering the area with Phase 1 of the tram on the already planned 19.3km section. This would be done gradually in three steps. Phases two and three are carried out “continuously” (see table).
Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
Such an approach would lead to a full inauguration of the first phase within the expected deadlines, that is, around 2029 or 2030, assured the mayor of Quebec. The Le Gendre-Université Laval segment could even come into force well before 2029, he said.
In addition to this Plan B, the mayor claimed to have a Plan C, although he did not want to reveal its contents.
Bruno Marchand’s vision for the structuring network
Phase one: a 19.3 km tram from Le Gendre to D’Estimauville
Carried out in three steps:
Step 1: from Le Gendre sector to Laval University
Step 2: From Laval University to the Jean-Paul-L’Allier Garden in Saint-Roch
Stage 3: from Saint-Roch to the final station Estimauville
Phases two and three, carried out “continuously”.
-A tram to Charlesbourg on the old route from 2018
-A structuring transport to Lebourgneuf via Vanier and Duberger
-A service to the airport
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