Québec City Mobility Plan
Circuit intégré de transport express (CITÉ)
Mandate and background
In order to carry out the mandate entrusted to it by the Québec government in November 2023, CDPQ Infra analyzed nearly 1,000 documents and met with 172 stakeholders. These inputs and exchanges have enabled us to complete the analysis of mobility needs in the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec (CMQ), and to identify the areas in need of solutions.
CDPQ Infra has unveiled a master plan to improve mobility throughout the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec (CMQ): the Circuit intégré de transport express (CITÉ) plan. This ambitious plan aims to roll out, in three phases, a new network of nearly 100 km of public transit corridors, offering a new efficient, fast and frequent transit service.
Orientations guiding the work:
- Offer a range of targeted and efficient transit solutions for CMQ residents.
- Connect the CMQ’s employment hubs, population centres and major travel generators.
- Contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Maximize prior investments, road rights-of-way and other government assets.
- Propose solutions that blend into the urban environment harmoniously.
Our methodological approach:
- A comprehensive literature review based on the 2017 origin-destination survey, the latest ridership data from transit companies and CMQ mobility analyses from recent years.
- Rigorous analysis of travel flows to target the right mode for the right corridors, focusing on the highest mobility potential.
- Consulting 172 stakeholders in order to fully understand community needs.
The CITÉ plan
- A structured network of 35 km of tramways
- A 28 km line linking the Le Gendre, Sainte-Foy, Saint-Roch, Charlesbourg, Lebourgneuf and d’Estimauville districts.
- A 7 km intercity line connecting the downtown areas of Québec City (Saint-Roch) and Lévis (Desjardins) via tunnel.
- Bus rapid transit (BRT) over 30 km
- BRT 1: A line along Boulevard Charest, with two connections to the tramway.
- BRT 2: A line along Boulevard Guillaume-Couture in Lévis, linking the Desjardins and Sainte-Foy hubs, and a second line along Route des Rivières.
- 30 km of reserved lanes and preferential measures
- To improve the speed, reliability and attractiveness of express bus routes, as well as high-frequency bus services, to better serve the northern outskirts of Québec City, Lévis and its southern suburbs.
Services provided in phase 1 (2024 to 2030) :
| Service | Details |
| Structured tramway network | Central corridor and Charlesbourg branch |
| BRT networks | Québec City BRT (Charest line) Lévis BRT (Guillaume-Couture line) |
| Improved bus service | Frequent express services in the northern suburbs of Québec City and Lévis Reserved lane program and preferential measures Optimizing ferry services |
Services provided in phase 2 (2030 to 2035) :
| Service | Details |
| Structured tramway network | D’Estimauville branch |
| BRT networks | Lévis BRT (Des Rivières line) |
| Improved bus service | Reserved lanes program |
Services provided in phase 3 (2035 and beyond) :
| Service | Details |
| Structured tramway network | Lebourgneuf branch Lévis branch |
| BRT networks | Adapting services to tramway implementation |
| Improved bus service | Express bus and bus services are maintained |
Cost estimated
- Tramway: $7 B
- BRT: $3,8 B
- Improved bus service: $800 M
- Intercity line connecting downtown areas of Québec and Lévis: $3,9 B
Target dates
A vision refined over more than a decade
- Phase 1: 2024 to 2030
- Phase 2: 2030 to 2035
- Phase 3: 2035 and beyond