INFRASTRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT
Chapter5
Source: Novabus.
The third means implemented under Québec’s public transit policy is that of ensuring infrastructure and equipment modernization and development.
• Ensuring the upgrading of aging equipment is crucial, and the government has already clearly embarked on that path.
• The government is also improving its assistance for capital expenditures in order to encourage initiatives designed to increase the use of public transit.
5.1 THE NEED TO UPGRADE AGING INFRASTRUCTURES AND
EQUIPMENT
Our public transit systems and infrastructures are aging and will require major investments to refurbish or quite simply replace them.
• The Montréal metro went into service in the 1960s. Its equipment urgently needs to be upgraded in the coming years. Renovating the metro represents a major
undertaking because smooth operation of the Montréal agglomeration depends on this infrastructure.
• Accordingly, the Québec government recently announced that the Société de transport de Montréal and
Bombardier Transport could mutually negotiate upgrading the Montréal metro’s MR-63 cars. This decision makes it possible to embark on a swift process of replacing them.
Metro access by wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility is among the government’s priorities.
The government and the Société de transport de Montréal will take advantage of the metro renovation work to gradually make the stations and cars accessible, especially since the Laval stations will be fitted with elevators.
• The commuter trains in the Montréal metropolitan area were revived with used equipment, some of which has to be upgraded.
• Upgrading transit corporation bus fleets as well as repairing and renovating bus system infrastructures and facilities such as garages are also important for the various agglomerations in Québec.
The investments considered include completing projects already under way, carrying out projects that involve replacing or upgrading existing infrastructures and equipment, as well as undertaking priority improvement and development projects.
5.2 MAJOR INVESTMENTS ALREADY ANNOUNCED
The effort to upgrade infrastructures and equipment has already begun.
• As already noted (see Graph 6 above), the government assistance program for public transit enabled over
$2 billion to be invested in public transit infrastructures and equipment from 1995 to 2005 inclusive.
• In the Montréal area, these investments led to substantial improvements in public transit services. Development of the commuter train network increased the number of lines from two to five. Originally composed of the Montréal/Deux-Montagnes and Montréal/Dorion-Rigaud lines, it now has three new lines that were phased in over the years: Montréal/Mont-Saint-Hilaire,
Montréal/Delson-Candiac, Montréal/Blainville and soon, Saint-Jérôme.
• Montréal area residents can also take advantage of a metropolitan transit system that includes 38 park-and-ride lots along the commuter train lines, as well as 20 such lots along bus and metro lines.
• Substantial efforts have been made to refurbish public transit facilities. The Réno-système and Réno-station programs made it possible to renovate the metro’s stationery plant and stations. The 425 MR-73 metro cars are currently being refurbished, primarily to increase capacity prior to being assigned to the metro extension
MODERNIZING AND DEVELOPING
INFRASTRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT
MODERNIZING AND DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT 35
• Signature of an agreement between the transit corporations and Novabus led to the acquisition of 825 buses so that the approximately 3,000 vehicles in the fleet of Québec’s nine transit corporations can gradually be replaced.
5.3 MORE GOVERNMENT AID FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
Nonetheless, more has to be done, and this is precisely the purpose of the initiatives announced by the
government.
Hence in the coming years, public transit authorities will benefit from two financial assistance programs:
• SOFIL’s assistance program for public transit capital expenditures;
• the government’s assistance program for public transit.
5.3.1 SOFIL’s assistance program for public transit capital expenditures
The magnitude of the investments in municipal
infrastructure, especially public transit, required over the next ten years has led the federal and Québec governments to become involved and allocate more funding than in the past.
Not long ago, Ottawa agreed to transfer part of the federal excise tax on gasoline to Québec so that municipalities and municipal bodies could undertake projects related to drinking water, wastewater treatment, local roads and public transit.
For its part, the Québec government will use the federal contribution as leverage to speed up the renovation and improvement of local infrastructures by investing additional funds that match the extra funding from municipalities.
The federal and Québec government contributions totalling
$504 million for 2005-2010 will go to the Société de financement des infrastructures locales and be earmarked for public transit. As Table 4 indicates, the funding will be shared by public transit authorities in proportion to ridership pursuant to the agreement signed by Ottawa and Québec on June 21, 2005.
As announced by the federal government in its last budget, a total of $117 million has to be added to that figure. Over the next three years, this money will be deposited in a trust for public transit infrastructure. Payment is contingent upon confirmation of a federal budget surplus in fiscal 2005.
The formula for distributing the funding remains to be determined.
5.3.2 The government assistance program for public transit
The Québec government will continue providing a large part of the funding for public transit capital expenditures in the coming years. The investments required are huge. Among other things, they will allow for the renovation of the metro and public transit authority bus fleets, as well as the construction of new infrastructures such as an east-end commuter train in the Montréal area.
Source: Bombardier transport.
Chapter 5
Table 4: Breakdown of public transit funding provided by SOFIL and contributions required of municipalities,
2006-2010
Société de transport 365.7 67.5 433.2
de Montréal
Société de transport 18.9 3.5 22.4
de Laval
Réseau de transport 30.6 5.6 36.2
de Longueuil
Réseau de transport 38.5 7.1 45.6
de la Capitale
Société de transport 3.0 0.6 3.6
de Lévis
Société de transport 16.2 3.0 19.2
de l’Outaouais
Société de transport 6.3 1.2 7.5
de Sherbrooke
Société de transport 4.7 0.8 5.5
de Saguenay
Société de transport 2.8 0.5 3.3
de Trois-Rivières
All transit 486.7 89.8 576.5
corporations:
CIT and OMIT 17.3 3.2 20.5
Grand total: 504.0 93.0 597.0
Government
New sources of funds ($M) 2006-2010 ($597.0 million)