To ensure efficient operations, service quality and continue our growth, a second transportation centre was built in the east end of the city of Gatineau. The latter was put into operation in January 2017.
Located in the Gatineau sector at 708 des Affaires Boulevard, access to the Centre is strictly reserved for authorized personnel, as it is not a Service Point (redirection info pratiques /Point de service) for customers.
About the Centre d'Entretien et d'Exploitation (CEE)
- two-storey building with a 25,618 square metre surface area;
- 10,000 square metres of indoor parking to accommodate 192 regular buses (40 feet long) or 128 articulated buses (60 feet long);
- the vehicles are parked inside the building, making it easier to perform repairs and maintenance on them and manage the centre;
- the garage’s capacity will meet demand for the next 20 years; and
- the building was designed to allow for future expansion to accommodate up to 50 additional buses to meet our needs for the next 60 years.
Numerous benefits
- better distribution of vehicles throughout the territory;
- more repair bays to get buses back on the road faster after a breakdown or accident;
- indoor parking for the buses in extreme cold weather reduces the risk of delays;
- improved response time on the road and for returning to the garage at the end of a route to reduce mileage;
- increased public transit service;
- availability of installations and equipment for vehicle maintenance, and functional bays of the appropriate size for hybrid and articulated buses; and
- facilities able to accommodate innovative technological solutions.
Benefits to the environment
- significant contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the distance covered to return to the garage at the end of the day; and
- location selected to avoid any impact on the natural environment and encourage the use of industrial wasteland.
Why build a second garage?
Our annual ridership increased from 10.8 million in 1994 to more than 20 million in 2015. This growing demand for public transit resulted in an increase in the number of buses from 186 to more than 360.
The garage in the Hull sector had reached full capacity. Thus, more than 80 buses needed to be parked outdoors. In addition, the size of the maintenance work areas was no longer sufficient.
Construction timeline and budget
Construction started in May 2015 and was completed in November 2016. The Centre came into operation in January 2017.
A $75 million budget was provided for its construction. The project received a subsidy for 75% of the cost from Quebec’s ministère des Transports, de la Mobilité durable et de l'Électrification under the Programme d'aide gouvernementale au transport collectif des personnes-subventions aux immobilisations (PAGTCP).
The construction in pictures