While the word “tram” does not appear anywhere in the City of Quebec's preliminary budget requests to the Legault government, Lévis is again calling for the Réseau Express de la Capitale (REC), which includes the tram, to be completed “expeditiously.” .
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This is the observation that emerges from reading the memoirs of the two municipalities, posted on the website of the Quebec Ministry of Finance and published on Monday.
In Quebec, the term “tram” is nowhere to be found in the 38-page shopping list. The only allusion to the megaproject occurs in a phase surrounding the renovation of the D'Youville parking lot. We read that this “project must be consistent with the structuring transport project selected for the city of Quebec”.
Lévis' preliminary budget memorandum, in turn, explicitly emphasizes the REC and recalls that the third link and the tram are its two main components. “The City of Lévis calls on the Government of Quebec to quickly implement its forward-looking vision for the Capital Express Network,” the statement said.
Last fall, Prime Minister Legault imposed a forced pause on the tram, while the Caisse de dépôt et place du Québec (CDPQ) Infra rearranged transport structuring plans and proposed a solution for the Capitale-Nationale starting in June.
Other inquiries for Quebec
In addition to the issue of transportation structuring, the City of Quebec called on the CAQ government to speed up and allocate funds to improve traffic at the intersection of Robert-Bourassa and Lebourgneuf boulevards, a hotspot for congestion in Quebec.
The Marchand government's other demands include housing ($763 million), homelessness ($8.7 million per year for five years), infrastructure sustainability ($200 million over five years), supporting economic development (confirmation of maintenance, beyond March 2025, of the contribution of $25 million per year), the fight against armed violence ($63.3 million over five years) and mental health (13 .7 million over five years).
In a departure from usual practice, Quebec Mayor Bruno Marchand expressed his grievances in a press release rather than a press conference.
And Levi's
On the Lévis side, the Lehouillier government called for accelerating the conversion of routes 116 and 132 into urban boulevards, improving financial assistance programs for the development of active transportation, and improving the bike path on the Quebec Bridge.
Other demands include the establishment of a development fund to support the Québec-Lévis Metropolitan Economic Zone (ZEM) ($4 million per year), the development of new municipal industrial sites and support for the development strategy. Social and affordable housing.
Lévis is urging the provincial government to help it expand its sports and outdoor infrastructure. The city wants to receive a $20 million grant to modernize the Lévis Arena and add ice cream. Various other environmental and water treatment requirements are also on the agenda.
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