For the first time, a free shuttle bus will take nature lovers to some of the most popular places in Gatineau Park in the summer.
Saturday launched the pilot project, which will run every weekend until August 28.
Regular shuttles operate every fall for a period of three weeks and this will continue.
“We make Gatineau Park more accessible, fairer for people who either don’t own a car or don’t have access to one, or don’t want to drive,” said Toby Nussbaum, chief executive of the National Capital Commission (NCC). at the official presentation on Sunday.
“There is also an element of protection in the sense that we want to reduce the number of private vehicles circulating in the park.
Nussbaum said the number of visitors to Gatineau Park has increased significantly after some parks were closed to motor vehicles, a step the NCC took in 2020 during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This prompted thousands of people to sign a petition earlier this year calling on the NCC to reverse policy.
But without cars on these roads, more people visit the park, Nussbaum said.
“By reducing the number of private vehicles, we are actually increasing overall use in the park, while thinking deeply and providing access both in terms of fairness and in terms of accessibility,” he said.
The pilot project is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the number of motor vehicles in Quebec’s vast western park, said Toby Nussbaum, executive director of the National Capital Commission. (Patrick Louise / Radio Canada)
Less traffic, more job opportunities
Daily transport departs from downtown Ottawa on the streets of Wellington and Lyon and from the Canadian History Museum in Gatineau, Quebec, taking passengers to scenic locations such as Camp Fortune, Pink Lake and Champlain Lookout.
The first shuttle leaves Ottawa shortly after 9 a.m., and the last leaves the park at about 4:45 p.m. They move approximately every half hour.
In the neighboring city of Chelsea, Quebec, the new service has become an occasion for celebration.
Nordik Spa-Nature general manager Isabel Mathieu said she was excited about the shuttle’s prospect of attracting more customers to the city.
“We hope it will be extended to allow our employees to use it in the future [with] more hours and a bigger route, “she added.
Mayor Pierre Genar hoped the shuttle would bring more employees to small local businesses in need of staff, while reducing the amount of traffic that collects in the city after the parks were closed.
“I hope this shuttle is very positive [and will] brought people to Chelsea from Ottawa and then from Gatineau, “he said.
NCC is also offering more options for assisted mobility this year, such as renting four-wheeled electric scooters. The service will also be provided free of charge, the commission said.
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