Gatineau Municipal Elections

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by jt-mtl

Tramway is not the solution, they need to invest in roads. Unfortunately, the car/driver is seen as an enemy to candidates like Maude and I would not be surprised if she raises the renewal fees on driver licenses.

- They need to expand Vanier to 4 lanes from Pink to ch. Aylmer to get all that traffic moving and all the multi dwelling building bieing built on and off Vanier
- They need to get the Katimavik exit ramp off Alumetieres built. It's been 10 plus years waiting for that exit.

Not denying Vanier needs to be widen. I don't think AG is either. None of the candidates have talked about adding another on/off ramp along Allumetière.

That said, no one will force people to use the tramway to go to Costco. The tramway offers people an option other than cars. That is the problem with North American society, that the car is very often the only option. We need to build better transit and active use paths to give people the option of not driving.

Your argument is very similar to Sutciffe's last election, something along the lines of "people aren't going to bring their kids to hockey practice or their elderly parent to an appointment on a bike". No, but people could use a bike (or transit) to go to a restaurant, a movie, to work to the grocery store for a few things, to the dentist or doctor's check-up appointment... Honestly, there are more destinations that could be more convenient by bike or transit than with a giant, auto-solo SUV.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by jt-mtl

The west is very family orientated. Does she think we will all of a sudden abandon our minivans and SUVs and take the tramway to Costco?

The vast majority of the Ville de Gatineau's territory is very family-oriented.

[CanadaGoose]

The argument seems to ignore the demographics that do not take cars to Costco every weekend.

There’s crowded buses going back and forth every rush hour for public servants working downtown, post secondary institutions like cegeps and universities and even just teenagers just having fun.

A traffic mitigation strategy that focuses on one demographic doesn’t sound right.

I am personally in that Costco with a car demographic, and would like to see Allumentaires and the bridges greatly improved. But a tramway, rapibus or any transit investment helps people other than me, and could divert some of the traffic away.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by CanadaGoose

The argument seems to ignore the demographics that do not take cars to Costco every weekend.

There’s crowded buses going back and forth every rush hour for public servants working downtown, post secondary institutions like cegeps and universities and even just teenagers just having fun.

A traffic mitigation strategy that focuses on one demographic doesn’t sound right.

I am personally in that Costco with a car demographic, and would like to see Allumentaires and the bridges greatly improved. But a tramway, rapibus or any transit investment helps people other than me, and could divert some of the traffic away.

The cost per new passenger this tram is likely to attract must be some of the highest cost in the whole world. It's franly insane to connect such a small population catchement with such an expensive project. I guess the idea is it's money from other levels of government and is the first step to an eventual tram network connecting the whole region but the math is just so wrong it's crazy it's even being discussed.

[CanadaGoose]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

The cost per new passenger this tram is likely to attract must be some of the highest cost in the whole world. It's franly insane to connect such a small population catchement with such an expensive project. I guess the idea is it's money from other levels of government and is the first step to an eventual tram network connecting the whole region but the math is just so wrong it's crazy it's even being discussed.

All just personal opinions here:
- i agree the tramway is expensive. there definitely needs to be some value engineering and spilting the project into phases.
- Random thoughts: do we need a tunnel through ottawa downtown? And, is there really a need for two tramway routes: Eardley <-> Galleries Aylmer <-> Ottawa and Plateau <-> Ottawa
- Could the city start smaller and do a hub and spoke model where buses would temporarily dump passengers at an tramway terminus (ex. blair / tunneys pasture)

[Acajack]

I still maintain that extending the Rapibus westwards would provide a far less costly solution that could be implemented much more quickly.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

The cost per new passenger this tram is likely to attract must be some of the highest cost in the whole world. It's franly insane to connect such a small population catchement with such an expensive project. I guess the idea is it's money from other levels of government and is the first step to an eventual tram network connecting the whole region but the math is just so wrong it's crazy it's even being discussed.

We could say that for just about any rail transit project in North America right now. Costs are just going to get worse.

Originally Posted by CanadaGoose

All just personal opinions here:
- i agree the tramway is expensive. there definitely needs to be some value engineering and spilting the project into phases.
- Random thoughts: do we need a tunnel through ottawa downtown? And, is there really a need for two tramway routes: Eardley <-> Galleries Aylmer <-> Ottawa and Plateau <-> Ottawa
- Could the city start smaller and do a hub and spoke model where buses would temporarily dump passengers at an tramway terminus (ex. blair / tunneys pasture)

- Tunnel isn't necessary. It does seem that the preferred option (outside Ottawa City Council) is the Wellington surface route.
- Phasing it isn't a terrible idea. Aylmer route first probably makes sense.

Originally Posted by Acajack

I still maintain that extending the Rapibus westwards would provide a far less costly solution that could be implemented much more quickly.

We'd probably need to start the studies and discussions from scratch. I'm doubtful it would save that much time. A busway could also reach capacity much quicker, needing to convert it sooner than later, at higher cost and major disruptions.

Plateau and Aylmer don't have an obvious, nearly completely grade separated corridor like old Gatineau had (which, by extension poorly serves exiting communities), so the capacity that tram vehicles provide is more important that the east side of the Gatineau River.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

We'd probably need to start the studies and discussions from scratch. I'm doubtful it would save that much time. A busway could also reach capacity much quicker, needing to convert it sooner than later, at higher cost and major disruptions.

Plateau and Aylmer don't have an obvious, nearly completely grade separated corridor like old Gatineau had (which, by extension poorly serves exiting communities), so the capacity that tram vehicles provide is more important that the east side of the Gatineau River.

Well sure at this point we'd lose all the time spent working on the Tramway if we were to switch to a Rapibus project. My point is that a Rapibus project right off the bat would likely be closer to shovels in the ground and operation if we'd chosen that route.

And while the QGRY track corridor was low-hanging fruit in the central and eastern parts of the city, I am not sure that going west finding room for a tramway is any easier than finding room for a BRT.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Well sure at this point we'd lose all the time spent working on the Tramway if we were to switch to a Rapibus project. My point is that a Rapibus project right off the bat would likely be closer to shovels in the ground and operation if we'd chosen that route.

And while the QGRY track corridor was low-hanging fruit in the central and eastern parts of the city, I am not sure that going west finding room for a tramway is any easier than finding room for a BRT.

I agree, finding room for a tram is not easier than finding room for a BRT. That’s not where I was going with my argument. I guess my point is that the lack of space means more street running segments, more traffic lights, more mixed traffic. This results in a slower service and limited frequencies. That's where the capacity that a light-rail train comes in, to compensate for the short comings of any potential route.

Obviously, Aylmer and Plateau will never have the same ridership or numbers of bus routes as the old Tunney’s to Hurdman Transitway, but that was quite the mess the last decade; it was hard to identify “your” bus, and the lineups through the core, with a bus every 20 seconds, could be nightmarish. These wouldn't be issues with a tram every 3 minutes.

If you have a dedicated corridor, buses can provide very good capacity. On any potential route in Gatineau's west end, you need higher capacity vehicles to deal with the limitations.

[Acajack]

Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of a tramway, and would even love to see the Rapibus corridor converted to rail one day.

I just don't think putting all our eggs in that basket was a realistic play.

[harls]

Saw Mr. Feeny today at Collège St. Alexandre during my kid's beach volleyball tournament. He got an earful from some parent about Aylmer being neglected. I felt sorry for the guy.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of a tramway, and would even love to see the Rapibus corridor converted to rail one day.

I just don't think putting all our eggs in that basket was a realistic play.

When the Feds make a decision, then we can adjust. But don't throw the baby out with the bath water. It's not time to completely give up now.

[J.OT13]

She was in the position last time, but still came in second to Belisle.

Sondage : Maude Marquis-Bissonnette en tête dans une course à deux

Angie Bonenfant, Radio-Canada
Publié le 29 mai

La cheffe du parti Action Gatineau, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, demeure la favorite des électeurs gatinois pour succéder à France Bélisle au poste de maire, selon un sondage téléphonique réalisé en milieu de campagne et publié mercredi par Radio-Canada.

Après une répartition proportionnelle des indécis, la candidate arrive en tête des intentions de vote, récoltant 37 % de l’appui des répondants. Un écart de 14 points de pourcentage la sépare de son plus proche rival, l’ex-maire de Hull Yves Ducharme, qui recueille de son côté 23 % des voix.

--snip--

L’ex-conseillère du district du Carrefour-de-l’Hôpital Olive Kamanyana (14 %), l’ancien président de la Chambre de commerce de Gatineau Stéphane Bisson (11 %) et l’ex-directeur des communications de la mairesse démissionnaire France Bélisle, Daniel Feeny (9 %), accusent tous un retard de plusieurs points sur la favorite. Ils sont par contre tous engagés dans une chaude lutte pour la troisième place.

--snip--

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle...ce-course-deux

[rocketphish]

Maude Marquis-Bissonnette set to become Gatineau's next mayor
Byelection was held after former mayor France Bélisle resigned

CBC News
Posted: Jun 09, 2024 9:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

Former Gatineau, Que., councillor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette will be the city's next mayor, according to preliminary results of Sunday's byelection.

As of 10 p.m., with the majority of votes in, Marquis-Bissonnette had just under 42 per cent of the vote, with former mayor Yves Ducharme in second place with just over 31 per cent.

Seven candidates were running for the job, after the unexpected resignation of France Bélisle in February.

In a French-language victory speech at Bar Minotaure in the city's Hull neighbourhood, Marquis-Bissonnette thanked the city's voters for putting their faith in her.

"I am touched, honoured. I take my responsibilities seriously," she said. "I will be everyone's mayor. I plan to work with the entire city council."

Marquis-Bissonnette is set to serve as mayor of the western Quebec city until 2025, when the next general election is held.

"I am aware that there are high expectations. In 17 months, we will not be able to solve everything," she said, adding she hoped to create a "greener, more dynamic, more equitable, more inclusive and more beautiful city."

A Sigma Research poll commissioned by Radio-Canada and published earlier this month showed that Marquis-Bissonnette and Ducharme were the two front-runners, with Marquis-Bissonnette's lead in the double digits.

Elected as councillor for Gatineau's Plateau ward in 2017, Marquis-Bissonnette resigned to run for mayor in the 2021 election.

She ended up coming in second behind Bélisle.

As the leader of Action Gatineau, Marquis-Bissonnette was the only one of the seven candidates in Sunday's byelection who were aligned with a municipal political party.

Ducharme, meanwhile, was attempting to return to the mayor's chair after nearly 20 years away, having previously served from 2001 until 2005.

Before that, he was mayor of the pre-amalgamation city of Hull from 1992 until 2001.

Voters are also electing a new councillor in the city's Carrefour-de-l'Hôpital ward Sunday, as former councillor Olive Kamanyana had stepped down to launch her own mayoral bid.

With most of the votes in, Kamanyana was in third place with the mayoral race with roughly 10 per cent of the vote.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ayor-1.7229239

[zzptichka]

Is it good?

[Aylmer]

It is very good, twice over. Pro-transit, pro-urban, and with the politically savvy to actually accomplish things. And Catherine Craig-St-Louis is a very well-respected urbanist and urban advocate. AND it brings Action Gatineau into a Council majority.

[Acajack]

I am quite pleased with these results.

Though it's too bad that council is losing Olive Kamanyana, who resigned from her councillor position (filled last night by someone else) to run for mayor with not much chance of winning.

[CanadaGoose]

So, whats happening in the next 17 months?

[harls]

33% voter turnout.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by harls

33% voter turnout.

Very similar to a real election so not bad.