Behind the project

Why this project?

A science and technology enthusiast, a car that got sold, a bike-sharing service I fell in love with… and the cursed Québec weather. Here is, unfiltered, how the idea of an underground cycling network was born — and why it won't let go of me.

I have always been passionate about science, technology, health, economics and ecology. This project is a bit of all of that, brought together in a single tunnel.

Overview of the Bike Tunnel Québec concept: entrance station, cross-section of the access tunnels, network layout based on population density, and cyclists in a greened tunnel.
The concept at a glance: stations, small access tunnels, a layout designed around population density, and the cycling atmosphere once you're underground.

Where ecology and economics meet

I know full well that ecology and economics are often at odds. We keep striving to invent revolutionary technologies to shrink our footprint, when in many cases simple technologies would already do the job : they're just poorly organized.

Take an example. The bicycle is as old as the hills. So are tunnels. And yet, put together, those two could revolutionize the way we get around. Sometimes we think too big : a huge tunnel that costs a fortune, a big car that costs a fortune… so why not, quite simply, make things smaller ?

The bicycle is as old as the hills. So are tunnels. Together, they could change everything.

No need to reinvent the wheel — just to organize it better.

How the idea was born

I work sitting down, and I had a car. So I was sitting all day… then sitting in my car. Since I can hardly do without my income, I kept my job :) — but I sold my car. The result : more savings, more ecology and more walking.

Then summer came, and I discovered the àVélo service, which I find simply fantastic as a way to get around. Raining in the morning ? I take the bus. Nice out in the afternoon ? Well, I ride back by bike. Fast, with electric assist, I don't arrive drenched in sweat, and it's easy even for a guy who wasn't really in shape anymore. The Cadillac of commutes.

But there's a BIG BUT. Cursed rain, cursed wind, cursed snow…

The technological spark

As a technology enthusiast, I asked myself : what if, instead of running Teslas through The Boring Company's tunnels, we ran bikes through them ? A subway costs a fortune because of the size of its tunnel ; yet Prufrock technology costs much less, precisely because it digs small tunnels.

Go. I sketched out a first 100 km underground network. And ever since, the project has never stopped moving forward.

A living project, imperfections included

You'll sometimes notice inconsistencies on the site. That's a bit intentional. Rather than presenting the public with an already neatly packaged project, I chose to build it in a loop, iteratively : with its changes, its mistakes and its evolution. Sometimes I correct a figure on one page without having time to update it on another.

You'll have understood it : so far, I'm working alone on the project. So you'll forgive me, I hope, because the task is colossal :). Luckily, we have wonderful tools today like artificial intelligence — and above all, a huge thank you to Claude AI, which helps me… whew, but really enormously :)

Why Québec?

Because I live in the region. No more complicated than that 😊.

Want to get on board ? Bike Tunnel Québec is a citizen project, and it moves forward thanks to everyone's ideas. Follow it, criticize it, improve it : write to me or take a look at the history of ideas.