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In this pilot project phase, the City of Trois-Rivières and Université de Montréal will be the first two organizations to offer their employees the opportunity to participate in EAB trials. The Vélovolt campaign will then take off in the spring of 2022, with trials in 10 regions of the province.
"We are pleased to partner with major organizations such as the City of Trois-Rivières and the Université de Montréal to kickstart this great adventure that will allow us to measure how EABs can reduce the usage of cars," says Marilène Bergeron, head of the Vélovolt campaign at Équiterre.
“The 2030 Plan for a Green Economy is a powerful policy statement from the government that responds to the many collective challenges posed by the current climate emergency. But the government cannot succeed in this all alone: Participation by everyone is essential for us to reach our climate goals. By uniting our strengths and being proactive as proposed by Équiterre and its partners in the Vélovolt campaign, which is funded by the Action-Climat Québec program, the population will be able to become familiar with more sustainable modes of transportation and choose to use them in greater numbers. Congratulations on this concrete, energizing project that deserves every success”, adds Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change.
Through the Vélovolt campaign, which will be deployed over three years with forty organizations across Quebec, Équiterre seeks to demonstrate how electric bikes can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector - the province's largest emitter - while making our living environments safer with less road congestion.
The trial period will also allow Équiterre to start collecting data for the research component of the Vélovolt campaign, in partnership with the Chaire Mobilité de Polytechnique Montréal.
Other quotes:
"Electric bikes are a chance to get new cyclists onto the saddle, because greater distances can be covered and because of the reduced effort required. They make biking to work more accessible for those who live within 10 or even 15 km of their workplace. They are also a great help when there are hills to climb."
-Stéphane Béranger, Coordinator of sustainability, ecological transition and climate change at Université de Montréal
"By introducing municipal employees to active transportation, the program not only helps to contribute to their well-being, but it also positively influences how they can plan transportation and recreation in the region."
-Guillaume Cholette-Janson, spokesperson for the City of Trois-Rivières.
"The ACGDQ believes that this alternative has real potential to compete with the solo car. Through its locally based DMCs, the ACGDQ is delighted to put its hand to the wheel to support organizations testing the implementation of such a pilot project." .
-Aline Berthe, President of the Association des Centres de gestion des déplacements du Québec (ACGDQ).
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About Vélovolt
The Vélovolt campaign is led by Équiterre and the Association des Centres de gestion des déplacements du Québec (ACGDQ). It receives financial assistance from the Government of Quebec through Action-Climat Québec and is in line with the objectives of the government’s Plan for a Green Economy 2030. The campaign also benefits from the support of partners such as the Chaire Mobilité de Polytechnique Montréal, Quantum, CAA-Quebec as well as many cities and organizations in Quebec.
For more information, please contact:
Anthony Côté Leduc, Media Relations, Équiterre
514 605-2000, acoteleduc@equiterre.org
