2 out of 3 Montreal area workers still commute by car, study finds

The proportion of workers using public transit to get to work in Montreal is increasing more slowly than in most other North American cities, a new study says.

Two out of three workers, 65 per cent, in Montreal and its surroundings area still commute by car, according to a recent study published by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM).

This puts the city in third place among metropolitan regions with the highest proportion of workers who use public transit, after New York City and Toronto.

But the slow progression in Montreal hasn't followed the rate at which other cities have seen workers take public transportation, according to CMM.

"Over the last 10 years, seven North American metropolitan areas have seen their modal share of public transit grow faster than in Greater Montreal," the study reads.

While taking the train, metro, or bus has gained popularity worldwide in the last 15 years, the study found, it's become less popular in the last five years in nearly a third of Montreal area municipalities.

The study also says fewer people are carpooling or walking, as they opt for public transit more, though the number of drivers has remained the same.

Between 2001 and 2016, the proportion of commuters travelling by public transit increased from 22.1 to 23.5 per cent, the CMM study found.

And the proportion of cyclists went from 1.3 to 2.1 per cent, with gains concentrated in the heart of the city, the CMM said.

Investment is key, CMM head says

The organization's goal is to increase the rate of people who use public transport to get to work to 35 per cent by 2031, said Philippe Rivet, who headed the study.

Rivet said he's confident that the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail train project will encourage citizens to give up driving.

He said municipalities and boroughs that invest in public transit often see more workers opting for sustainable means of transportation. As an example, he cited the extension of the Montreal metro's orange line in 2007 to Laval.

"We are not immune; we will need investments to increase the modal share [of public transit]," Rivet said. 

Urban development is also part of the solution, with the development of neighbourhoods around REM stations, Rivet said.