Comment 130478

By Haveacow (registered) | Posted January 06, 2020 at 18:26:10

Before the City of Gatineau built and opened its Rapibus BRT System in 2013, from Tache Station in the Hull Sector (the old City of Hull, Quebec), towards Labrosse Station in eastern Gatineau, a distance of 12 km, critics called most of the line's 10 station locations, nowhere as well!

Their bus operator the STO (Societe de transport de l'Outaouais), credits the Rapibus as the reason why their ridership continues to increase. They were the first adopter in Canada of transit fare cards way back in 1998 and credit them as one of main reasons for their success. In 1992, the STO moved 2.5 million passengers a year. The total for 2019 is thought to be around 22 million. For a city of 350,000 that's a lot of rides from nowhere to nowhere.

Announced in 2018, the STO has approved in principal a surface LRT line (similar to Hamilton's former B-Line LRT) to the western Alymer Sector (Former City of Aylmer, Quebec) to the Hull Sector across the river to downtown Ottawa and a branch to a north-western neighborhood "the Platreau". This 26-28 km line will cost approximately $2.2 Billion. The line is planned to open in 2028. Critics again call this an LRT line from nowhere to nowhere.

June 2019, the Quebec provincial government pledged 65% of the line's costs, if the Federal Government pays the rest. A lot of money for a line from nowhere to nowhere but they seem to want to fund it. The federal government is supportive of the project. I see even more future transit rides in Gatineau from nowhere to nowhere, somewhere around 2028.

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