The STO is inviting the public to open house consultations

The Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) will be holding two open house consultation sessions as part of the Feasibility study for lanes with an exclusive right-of-way for rapid transit in the western part of Gatineau.

This study is the first step in a long process to bring a rapid transit system to the western part of the city in an exclusive corridor. It involves identifying potential corridors based on different information including trip generators, the business and recreation centres, the environment, etc. The study falls under a long-term vision for the region and is part of the STO’s 2005-2015 strategic development plan.

The public consultation will be held in two sectors of the area under study: the Hull sector (Plateau de la Capitale) and the Aylmer sector. These public meetings will be held today, Tuesday, March 29, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m., at 118 Plateau (hall at the Église Chrétienne du Plateau) in the Hull sector, and on Wednesday, March 30, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m., at 115 Principale (Place des Pionniers, 5th floor).

“The STO wishes to involve the public right from the very beginning of the process,” stated STO Chairman Patrice Martin. “The STO will take advantage of these meetings with citizens to explain the merits of the project and discuss the different aspects of the study that is starting,” he clarified. “This is the first opportunity for the public to learn about the fundamentals of the project, which is part of a vision for the ongoing improvement of public transit in the area’s west end. We would like citizens to have front row seats for the study and share their opinions, ideas and comments with us about the potential corridors, among other things,” explained Mr. Martin.

“A public transit system in the area’s west end will help to consolidate the service offered by STO and make east-west travel easier, while also providing increasingly efficient service to the downtown areas of the Hull sector and Ottawa,” explained the STO’s chairman.


Representatives from the STO and the consortium mandated to carry out the study will be present to answer all questions. Comments can be submitted at the session or via a form on the STO’s Web site. A section presenting all the information is available on the Web site at sto.ca.

The cost of this study is $750,000 with 75% ($511,500) financed by the Quebec Ministry of Transport under the public transit assistance program. The study is spread over a year and includes a second public consultation phase planned for late spring 2011. 

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