Potential for sustainable mobility in the RCM of Nicolet-Yamaska

The Regional County Municipality (RCM) of Nicolet-Yamaska is proposing a feasibility study on the potential for sustainable mobility within its administrative region, which is made up of 16 municipal bodies and home to 23,290 residents. The RCM is seen as a rural environmental leader, and is actively engaged in the fight against climate change. In November 2019, Nicolet-Yamaska became the first RCM to adopt an Ecological Transition Plan (ETP) at the regional level. Action 37 of its 2020-2024 action plan calls for the development of a sustainable mobility network within the RCM. The characteristics of the RCM demonstrate the need for increased transportation: these characteristics include industrial neighbourhoods; an increasing number of migrant workers, many of whom do not have driving licences; growing numbers of families; and, the availability of a relatively large number of jobs. Residents want active transportation, but they want it in a safe environment, and this is not always available. Sustainable mobility is one of the main attractions of a rural municipality and creates the link between the main activities in a community. Furthermore, public transit is virtually non-existent within the RCM of Nicolet-Yamaska. Only the Town of Nicolet operates a shuttle that connects it to the City of Trois-Rivières. The RCM is also poorly served in terms of occasional or ad hoc public transportation. Offering new modes of transport will generate demand and help the community develop new habits. The study would assess the potential for sustainable mobility in the RCM, as well as the municipality’s potential to structure it in such a way as to to develop a comprehensive strategy which includes public transit, specialized transportation and active transportation, and which meets the specific needs of workers, families and seniors. The project is split into three major phases: (1) primary analysis and stakeholder consultation; (2) continued analysis, diagnosis and the development of a transit plan; (3) planning for implementation. The deliverable will be a final report, which presents all of the information needed for future decisions relating to sustainable mobility. Innovative aspect(s): · The creation of a sustainable mobility network, which develops and integrates a network of electrical terminals. · The development of infrastructure for active transportation and the implementation of carpooling and car-sharing services is a significant innovation for the RCM. · Addressing the mobility needs of seniors. Replicability: · As the RCM of Nicolet-Yamaska is characterized as primarily rural and agricultural, characteristics it shares with numerous other RCMs in the province, the methodology for the design of the study can be easily replicated and adapted. · The project will be led by the Roulons VERT team, which is the transportation management association (TMA) for the Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec regions. Its close links with other TMAs will enable Roulons VERT to share the methodology, solutions and lessons learned with similar projects in Quebec and elsewhere in the world. (Project description from original funding application)