Ninety kilometres of the Route Verte at risk

June 25, 2019

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The Equity

Dear Editor,

This past April, the MRC de Pontiac (MRC) initiated a plan to convert Cycloparc PPJ into an off-road vehicle (quad) trail. Cycloparc PPJ has been part of Quebec’s Route Verte since 2008. Because of this, the MRC was able to obtain an $80,000 grant from the Ministère des Transports du Québec in 2018 to help with maintenance costs for the trail. Cycloparc PPJ’s official inclusion in the Route Verte was formalized with a memorandum of understanding between the MRC and Vélo Québec, which acts as an agent for the Quebec government to develop and protect the province-wide network of bicycle facilities.

Vélo Québec feels strongly that the proposed use of the Cycloparc PPJ by quads is inadvisable and quite simply unacceptable due to the detrimental effect it would have on both pedestrian and cyclist safety and the condition of the trail surface. In fact, motorized and off-road vehicles are banned on trail (i.e., off-road) sections of the Route Verte throughout Quebec.

Vélo Québec is still waiting to meet with MRC de Pontiac officials to impress upon them the importance of protecting the Route Verte in the Outaouais region for cyclists and hikers of all ages.

The portion of Cycloparc PPJ included in the Route Verte stretches 90 kilometres from Wyman to L’Isle-aux-Allumettes and links the Route Verte with Ontario’s Voyageur Cycling Route.

The Route Verte is a 5,300-kilometre network of bikeways that lets cyclists explore Quebec from north to south and east to west. It is one of the most inspiring and compelling projects undertaken by the province in the last 25 years. The only facility of its kind in North America, the Route Verte reaches more than 400 municipalities and 75 percent of the provincial population. It has beneficial impacts on health, leisure, tourism, the natural environment, urban and regional development, and property tax revenue for municipalities. Valued at $475 million, the Route Verte is a powerful tool for promoting an active lifestyle and fostering economic and social development.

Stéphanie Couillard

Media Relations Consultant

Vélo Québec

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