The bane of any urban commuter is traffic. No matter how many new roads are built, traffic always seems to swell to meet the new capacity. Now imagine that you are living on an island, and there is no space or political will to build ANY new roads whatsoever. This is the situation faced by Montreal, which has seen its local road infrastructure crumble over the last three decades, creating chaos, confusion and some very unsafe driving conditions.
One of the main factors contributing to Montreal’s road woes is that there is no way for any east / west traffic to bypass the city. Anyone travelling on the major autoroutes is forced to drive directly through the island, including heavy transport trucks. When added to rush hour commuters, it all adds up to a recipe for gridlock.
How to Avoid the Hassle
While it may sound clichéd, usually the best option for any major urban area is to park your car and take public transportation. This is the case for many parts of Montreal. The downtown area is quite easy to negotiate as a pedestrian, and large parts of the core are closed to traffic during the summer months do to the lengthy festival season. The city has an extensive bus system that services every part of the island, even going so far as to provide regular service across the bridges to the cities of Laval and Longueuil as well as the west island. Fare hovers below three dollars a ticket, and asking for a transfer will enable you to ride all the way to most destinations on one fare.
The Metro
Montreal is also served by an underground metro system. Opened in 1966, the station has 68 stations that criss-cross the centre of the city and also cross under the northern and southern St. Lawrence Seaway to serve Laval and Longeuil. There are four lines in total, organized by color: Orange, Green, Blue and Yellow. Each metro station was designed by a different artist or architect, giving every stop a unique feel. The system employs rubber tires and is reasonably quiet – however, it is becoming quite dated, as it still uses some of the original cars built by Bombardier 40 years ago. The other issue with the metro system is that its coverage is limited. Many of the lines were stopped somewhat arbitrarily due to budget concerns or political whims. As a result, some heavily populated areas, particularly west of the Decarie expressway are not served by the metro, and its important to verify your travels plans before you set out to make sure you can get where you need to go. Metro and bus tickets are the same price, and a transfer from one system will get you onto the other.
Commuter Rail
If you find yourself wanting to visit the extreme edges of Montreal, or even some of the cities that border the island, you have the option of doing so via commuter rail. There are standard commuter trains that serve the towns of Rigaud, Deux Montagnes, Blainville and St. Jerome, and Repentigny. Skiers can even access Mont St. Hilaire via commuter rail. The trains typically run in time with the typical rush hour schedule. Tickets for commuter rail are more expensive than the standard bus and metro fare, and are not transferrable from one transport system to the other.
