Métrobus 803 goes into service on August 20
Quebec City, Québec, August 18, 2011 – This morning, the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC), Quebec City’s public transit authority, released information on the Métrobus 803 service, the new high‑frequency bus line that will go into service on Saturday, August 20, 2011. Long awaited, this line will link the Les Saules terminus to the terminus in Beauport and run along a 7‑km reserved lane (in both directions) on Lebourgneuf Boulevard. The announcement was made this morning by Patrick Huot, Member of the National Assembly for Vanier, François Picard, Vice-President of the City of Quebec Executive Committee and Raymond Dion, CEO of the RTC. The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, who was unable to attend the announcement, is pleased to see this project come to fruition.
Starting on Saturday, nearly 61,000 people will have access to this service, which runs every ten minutes during the week, between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm, and every 15 minutes at all other times. Métrobus 803 will be an efficient, economical and environmentally friendly mode of transportation for many workers and city residents, particularly in the rapidly growing Lebourgneuf district. In addition to providing more efficient service for businesses and stores located along the 15‑km route, this new bus line is useful in that it provide passengers with connections to the Métrobus 800, 801 and 802 lines that go to major business centres, such as the area around the National Assembly, Laval University and major shopping centres.
During the announcement, RTC CEO Raymond Dion pointed out that a modern, attractively designed mass transit system providing quality service is necessary for maintaining a ridership of nearly 65,000 people who take the bus every day and for attracting new transit users. He explained, “That is how buses will become a worthwhile alternative for many people.”
In that regard, a terminus affording protection from the weather is currently being constructed in the Galeries de la Capitale shopping mall to provide a higher level of comfort for the some 1,400 people who pass through the station every day. The station will open this fall. Articulated buses will gradually replace conventional buses on this line, starting in 2012.
MNA Patrick Huot, who was present on behalf of Sam Hamad, Quebec’s Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Quebec City area, reminded participants of the Quebec government’s intent to encourage initiatives to improve and update mass transit systems. He pointed out the importance of the economic spinoffs generated by mass transit systems in cities: “A high‑performance public transit system in an urban area such as Quebec City is a determining factor in the city’s economy from a sustainable development perspective. We should keep in mind that the entire population benefits.”
Minister Denis Lebel stated that, “the Government of Canada takes pride in helping communities carry out their local infrastructure projects, such as public transit systems, through use of the Gas Tax Fund. In addition to being beneficial for the environment, these projects benefit the economy, contribute to the prosperity of communities and improve Quebecers’ quality of life.”
François Picard, Vice-President of the City of Quebec Executive Committee, expressed his support for the development of public transit: “This new Métrobus service is one more step in efforts to make the City more accessible and provide additional transit options. Public transit is also one of the key components of the Sustainable Mobility Plan that will soon be adopted. Public transit is being used by a growing number of people and, combined with other options and by moving passengers quickly and comfortably, can offer an additional solution to replace cars. I am also especially proud of the major work carried out on Lebourgneuf Boulevard, which will now have safe and functional facilities for all street users, be they pedestrians, cyclists, motorists or public transit users.”
The introduction of Métrobus 803 is one of many RTC development projects and required a $40‑million investment contributed by the Quebec Department of Transport ($16.5M), the City of Quebec ($10M) and the Société de financement des infrastructures locales (SOFIL) ($4.5M, which includes $3,7M from the federal Gas Tax Fund). The RTC’s contribution amounted to $9M.
The objective of the Federal-Provincial Agreement on the Transfer of a Portion of Federal Gasoline Tax Revenues, signed by the Quebec and federal governments in 2005, is to provide funding for the renewal of municipal and local infrastructure from a sustainable development perspective, particularly infrastructure related to drinking water, wastewater, local highways, residual waste management, projects to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and public transit.
Between 2005 and 2010, Quebec municipalities have received $1.151 billion from the Gas Tax Fund in addition to a contribution from the Quebec government amounting to $475.7 million. The funding is allocated by the Société de financement des infrastructures locales du Québec (SOFIL). Extended in 2009, the Canada-Quebec Agreement provides for an additional $1.85 billion of Government of Canada funding from 2010 to 2014. When added to Quebec’s contribution of $907 million, total funding will amount to $2.8 billion.
For additional information on Métrobus 803, go to www.rtcquebec.ca.
For additional information on the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, consult the Web site at www.actionplan.gc.ca.
Contacts:
Benoît Fortin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613‑991-0700
Harold Fortin
Press Officer
Office of the Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Quebec City Area
Tel: 418‑643-6980
Marie-Christine Magnan
City of Quebec
418‑641-6210
Infrastructure Canada
613‑948-1148
1-877-250-7154 (toll‑free)
Carole Brousseau
Communications Unit
Réseau de transport de la Capitale
418‑627-2351, ext 5143
