Rapibus
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Société de Transport de l'Outaouais (STO) in the city of Gatineau, Quebec. Construction was completed in the summer of 2013 with service beginning in the fall.[1] The Rapibus aims to speed up the service for commuters in growing sub-divisions in the northern and eastern areas of the city by alleviating the congestion on key arteries currently served by bus-designated lanes . A direct link to Ottawa is included.
Development processIn the 1990s, the STO and the Communauté Urbaine de l'Outaouais had initiated plans to improve public transit in the Canadian Pacific line in Hull and Gatineau for a future rapid transit corridor which would by-pass some the most congested areas of the city.
Plans were also made for improved inter-provincial crossing to Ottawa. Before newer studies were made, several new bus lanes were added on Environmental assessments began in the 2000s but government funding was not immediately available by both the federal and provincial levels.
It was in 2005 that the project started evolving faster as Outaouais region Benoît Pelletier told reporters in February 2007 that it would be difficult to realize the project in a short period and no funding was announced in the 2007 Quebec budget on February 20, 2007, prior to the provincial elections. Quebec Premier Jean Charest later promised during the electoral campaign that the project will be completed for 2010 while pledging $75 million for the project.
While awaiting government funding, the STO led by president and Gatineau councillor Louise Poirier launched in late-February 2007 a radio and television campaign promotion about the project to help attract more support from the local residents.[2] After the provincial elections, the Charest government tabled a second budget which included significant funding for the project which passed the National Assembly on June 1, 2007. An official announcement was made on October 26, 2007 during a press conference with Poirier, Pelletier, new Quebec Transport Minister Julie Boulet and federal Transport minister and former STO president Lawrence Cannon. The Quebec government would invest $146 million while the city of Gatineau will fund the remainder of the costs ($49 million), while there are no direct federal government funding for the project.[3] The initial proposed date for the inauguration of the Rapibus system was 2007; however, it was pushed back for 2010 because of various issues that slowed the process. Multiple environmental assessments were made, as portions of the route would pass through greenspace areas such as Lake Leamy park near the Casino and also near Lake Beauchamp Park in the east end of the city. Construction was set to start in late 2008 or early 2009 with the completion expected by fall 2010; however, it was delayed by a year. Construction of the Rapibus began in late 2009, with completion set for 2013. Groundbreaking on the project occurred on November 30, 2009, at the site of the future Montcalm Station. FeaturesThe Rapibus is similar to the Quebec Gatineau Railway track (alongside boulevards Maloney and de la Carrière) towards downtown Hull . A bridge over the Gatineau River was expanded to accommodate the rapid transit lane as well as bike trails alongside near Lake Leamy.
As the project was announced, the City mentioned that the Rapibus will transformed significantly the City while Bureau added it was the government's biggest contribution for a project in the region. Bureau and Poirier added that it will encourage several projects along the busway including new work locations as well as housing while reducing significantly Wal-Mart mega-store (the largest in Quebec) as well several big-box stores near the De la Gappe station location[5] while near De la Cité Station, a large sports complex has been approved and slated for completion by 2009.[6]
Meanwhile, in the Hull sector, the Université du Québec en Outaouais is planning to merge both of its Hull campuses and will be expanded further east to near the Rapibus terminus on Saint-Joseph Boulevard with the addition of several buildings for the faculties located outside the Alexandre-Taché campus (mainly the faculties at the Lucien-Brault campus located just a few blocks to the north). When fully completed, the main segment of the line will run from the Lorrain Boulevard area in the Gatineau sector and along the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Railway from La Carrière Boulevard to Freeman Road. The total length of the completed busway will be approximately 17 kilometers and the current price tag of the project is estimated at around $195 million.[3]
Transit stationsThere are 12 Rapibus stations on the system's main segment, including two which opened on August 28, 2023.[7] The Taché-UQO station was initially not included in these plans, but it was later added prior to opening, with two Rapibus routes serving it. Several stations will be accommodated by park and ride facilities.
Main segment
Transit terminals not located on the Rapibus corridor
Future segmentsThe STO is considering a westward extension of the Rapibus to the Aylmer sector, as well as a link to Ottawa near Tunney's Pasture. For eastward transit, the STO is considering the du Cheval-Blanc and de l'Aéroport stations, which are currently under study, to the east of the Lorrain terminus. On December 9, 2007, Gatineau Councillor Alain Riel told Le Droit that the Rapibus should be extended westward towards Aylmer along the Lady Aberdeen Bridge at the Gatineau River.[8]
OC Transpo network connectionIn the 2000s, the City of Ottawa had examined plans to extend its Masson-Angers that will follow both existing railways in the Gatineau and Hull sectors as well as all the Rapibus.[9] The City of Gatineau, including mayor Bureau had stated that it would concentrate first on developing the bus network before considering adding rail service in the long range.[10]
The Rapibus project went ahead without a direct bridge link towards Ottawa although environmental assessments for the Prince of Wales Bridge were made possible as part of plans related to interprovincial bridge crossings which will examine possible futures links between Gatineau and Ottawa. A study for an interprovincial transit bridge crossing was canceled in February 2007 in the fallout of the cancellation of the light-rail expansion project. However, later in the year the city of Ottawa resurfaced the possibility of a new Environmental study in the summer of 2007, for inter-provincial links and connections with the Rapibus as part of several recommendations made and funding requests towards higher levels of government for future transportation infrastructures. These projects were the top priorities by Ottawa City Council and mayor Larry O'Brien. That possibility was again mentioned when new corridors for potential bridges were added.[11][12] According to the city of Ottawa, there was an increase of 25% of people heading from Gatineau to Ottawa over the past 10 years.[13] In a previous transit expansion plan, slated to be fully implemented by the completion of the original north-south light rail expansion in 2009, OC Transpo planned to add a 90-series route linking the Montcalm Station to Orléans thus adding a connection between OC Transpo and Gatineau's rapid transit system.[14]
Rollout problemsThe new system went active on October 19, 2013. Problems were reported.[15] In the first three weeks, four collisions with vehicles occurred along the corridor, all of them caused by motorists running red lights.[16] Some customers complained that their new commute times increased by as much as 35 min per day See also
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