BUDGET 2018-2019 - Press release no. 4 of 6 - The Québec Economic Plan - March 2018 - Better Mobility to Facilitate Travel for All Quebecers

QUÉBEC, March 27, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Improving Quebecers' quality of life also means giving more time to families by facilitating their travel in all regions of Québec. That is the backdrop against which the government will present Québec's first sustainable mobility policy in the coming weeks. The policy will cover all areas relating to mobility, including public transit, active transportation, transportation electrification, the road network, and marine, air and rail transportation.

Québec is entering a new era of major strategic projects: the era of the development of major,  modern and high-performance transportation networks that improve everyone's quality of life and shape the future. In that regard, the Québec Economic Plan provides for additional investments of nearly $1.8 billion, raising to $3.5 billion the resources allocated in the first five years of the new sustainable mobility policy.

This prioritizing of sustainable mobility will take concrete form through support for three major electric public transit projects necessitating a total of $13 billion in investments:  

• the Réseau express métropolitain;
• the extension of the Montréal metro blue line;
• the strategic electric transportation network Québec City.

These additional investments will also improve the performance, comfort and accessibility of public transit throughout Québec. The objective underpinning the sustainable mobility policy is to ensure better trip planning, support transportation innovation and assist regional air transportation.

Quotations:

‟We are entering a new era of major projects and we want to make the new Québec a leader in North America in the development of modern transportation solutions. Carrying out major projects will directly improve Quebecers' quality of life while achieving Québec's GHG reduction objectives."

‟The government wants to provide attractive, comfortable and efficient means of transportation that meet the needs of families—means of transportation that will enable them to travel easily and more rapidly, while being environmentally friendly."

‟The sustainable mobility policy will be an important driver of economic growth in all regions of Québec. It represents a new way of thinking about land development based on the travel needs of inhabitants."

Carlos J. Leitão, Minister of Finance

Highlights

• $3.5 billion to implement Québec's first sustainable development policy.
• More than $13.5 billion in investments for major strategic sustainable development projects.
• $173 million for regional air transportation.
• $250 million to support municipalities in the maintenance and rehabilitation of local road networks.

Related link:

Budget paper Electric Mobility: Sustainable Development of All Transportation Modes:
http://www.budget.finances.gouv.qc.ca/budget/2018-2019/en/documents/ElectricMobility_1819.pdf

SOURCE Cabinet du ministre des Finances