Environmental groups question need for Quebec City-Lvis tunnel

Six environmental organizations and groups lobbying forpublic transit arecalling on the province to cancel a proposed tunnel that would link Quebec City to Lvis, citing concerns for the environment.

The provincial government announced Monday that Quebec City would be getting a tunnel linking the city's downtown sector with the nearby municipality ofLvis.

The tunnel, which has been dubbed the "third link,"is projected to cost between $7 billion and $10 billion and is slated to be completed by2031.

The coalition of six groups, which calls itself Non au troisime lienand includes the David Suzuki Foundation,quiterreand Vivre en Ville,has launched a petition calling on the province to put an end to the proposed third link.

While the government has touted the project as a means to encourage residents to use public transit, the coalition says the tunnel would do the exact opposite of that and would actually lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

"This project presents itself as a public transit project but, for us, this is smoke and mirrors," saidChristian Savard, director general ofVivre en Ville, a group that promotes sustainable communities.

"It's green washing, transit washing, of a project that's essentially a highway."

The Quebec-Lvistunnel wouldconsist of twolevels of three lanes each. One lane in each direction wouldbe reserved for public transit and carpooling.

Charles Bonhomme, spokesperson for the David Suzuki Foundation, says there are also major concerns regarding the ways in which the tunnel could harm marine wildlife.

"We have to remember thata tunnel is bad for the environmenteven if it's for public transport," said Bonhomme. "It's bad for wildlife in the St. Lawrence River."

No current issues with bridge traffic, groups say

While the government claims the tunnel will ease major traffic issues on theQuebec and Pierre Laportebridges, the coalition says the data simply does not back that up.

In an interview with CBC'sBreakawayTuesday, Transport Minister Franois Bonnardelestimated that, by the time the tunnel is fully built, between 50,000 and 55,000 people would be using it daily.

But the coalition estimates that number to be somewhere between9,000 and25,000 people daily.

"There is no need for this project," said Alexandre Turgeon, president of Vivre en Ville. "There are only 21,000 cars between 6 and 9 a.m. coming from the south shore to the north shore, and our two bridges can actually accommodate 30,000 cars every morning."

Turgeon believes the real problem is that too many cars try to travel to Quebec City within the same 20-minute window every morning, and doesn't believe the third linkwould resolve that.

If anything, he says, the tunnel will just encourage people to use their cars and would therefore increase traffic and increase urban sprawl.

And the coalition says there are already three links between Quebec City and Lvis, if you factor in the ferry that runs between the citiesand the two bridges.

Budget could be used elsewhere, says coalition

The coalition says the $10-billion price tag is also a major issue. With that budget, the group says the province could instead build 978 new schools, 39 new hospitals and 84,000 social housing units.

"It's really a lot of money for notthat many people," saidMarc-Andr Viauofquiterre. "I think there are other needs in the provincethat the government should address, and they'renot doing so by putting all theireggs in the same basket."

But Bonnardel stands by the project. He says the province's plan to make all buses electric by 2025 will make up for greenhouse gas emission concerns.

He added that this project is the province's way of righting past wrongs.

"The mistake is having two important bridges on the west side of Quebec," said Bonnardel. "I think Quebec needs this tunnel to ameliorate and have more fluidity"

Bonnardelalso said he will work with his colleagues to minimize the enviromental impact and figure out ways to prevent further urban sprawl.