Canada: Saguenay Public Transit Gets a $7.7 Million Boost for Ecomobility Corridor Extension

The Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada have announced a significant investment in the Société de transport du Saguenay (STS) to enhance public transit accessibility, safety, and comfort in the region.

 

In a move to improve public transit services in Saguenay, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, along with the federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Sean Fraser, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region, Andrée Laforest, have pledged a financial contribution of $7,704,060 to the STS. The funding will be used to extend the ecomobility corridor and make public transit more accessible, safer, and more comfortable for the community.

 

The announcement was made in the presence of notable local officials, including François Tremblay, the MNA for Dubuc, Yannick Gagnon, the MNA for Jonquière, Saguenay Mayor Julie Dufour, and STS President Claude Bouchard.

 

The investment will facilitate the extension of the ecomobility corridor along Jacques-Cartier and Saint-Vallier streets, incorporating new features such as a reserved lane, a service building with various docks including a waiting area, and infrastructure improvements to enhance accessibility for people with reduced mobility, particularly those heading to the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et services sociaux du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (CIUSSS).

 

This project aims to augment the capacity, quality, and safety of Saguenay’s public transit network, while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.

 

Geneviève Guilbault expressed the government's commitment to enhancing public transit services across Quebec as part of the transition to a greener, more prosperous economy. She emphasized the importance of offering competitive alternatives to solo driving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Sean Fraser highlighted the investment's role in significantly improving the daily lives of citizens by enhancing the network's accessibility, safety, and efficiency. Andrée Laforest underscored the government's goals of making public transit as accessible as possible, providing user-friendly facilities, and reducing travel costs for people with mobility limitations.

 

Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant, remarked that investing in infrastructure is about improving the day-to-day lives of people, with this public transit project serving as a prime example. François Tremblay and Yannick Gagnon, Members of the National Assembly, emphasized the economic and environmental importance of enhancing public transit in a vast territory like Saguenay.

 

Julie Dufour, Mayor of Saguenay, expressed pride in the Quebec government's commitment to improving public transit services in the city, highlighting the collective determination to promote sustainable mobility. Claude Bouchard, President of the STS, noted the positive impact of the Ecomobility Corridor on service improvement and ridership increase, and expressed enthusiasm for the extension and the construction of new facilities to enhance customer comfort and safety.

 

The funding breakdown includes $4,298,922 from the Government of Quebec, $3,405,138 from the Government of Canada, and $893,785 contributed by the STS. This investment is part of a larger support framework for the STS, which has received approximately $70 million from the Quebec government since 2019 for various projects and initiatives, including the acquisition of electric buses and support for service recovery post-COVID-19 pandemic.