Alternative Transportation
Public transportation
With the development of the suburbs, transportation problems started to occur in Montreal. There were more and more cars on the roads. Traffic was becoming difficult in the downtown area. Access to downtown was important for the economic development of the city. So, the leaders discussed the construction of a metro. With the election of Jean Drapeau in 1960, the project of an electric metro became a reality. For more than five years, 5,000 workers built the 16-km metro system with 26 stations. The metro opened in 1966. In 1980, the metro was still under development. Stations were added to the orange and blue lines during the 1980s and 2000s.
In the 1950s, the streetcars were set aside and buses took over. Gradually, the area covered by buses expanded on the island of Montreal. Some bus routes were modified with the arrival of the metro. Buses were used more and more throughout Quebec. They were used to travel to other cities and regions of Quebec.
Carpooling and reserved lanes
Carpooling was another solution that was developed. Carpooling means that the driver of a car welcomes extra passengers. This means that there are fewer cars on the road. In 1980, only a few people used this solution. The government gradually encouraged motorists to do so by creating reserved lanes on the roads. In 1990, the first reserved lanes were created on Pie-IX Boulevard in Montreal. These lanes were meant only for cars and trucks with 2-3 passengers in them.
Active Transportation
By the mid-1970s, cycling became an increasingly popular means of transportation. There are several reasons why bikes became a popular choice for travelers. First of all, bikes were a good alternative to cars because of the increase in gas prices. Also, people were thinking more about their physical health and the importance of staying in shape. However, riding a bike was more difficult at this time because there were only a few bike paths. The lack of bike paths caused many accidents and confrontations between motorists and cyclists. Montreal’s first bicycle path was inaugurated in 1989. In 1995, the government also launched a bicycle path project in Quebec. This bike path is called the Route verte. Today, this route is 5,000 km long and covers several regions of Quebec.
