MONTREAL -- In 2018, public transit use increased slightly in the Montreal area, while car use declined slightly, according to a report by Montreal's regional transportation authority.
The Authorite Regional de Transport Municipal (ARTM) on Tuesday released the results of a 2018 report that found a one per cent decrease in car use among morning commuters. Public transit commuters increased by four per cent, a modest increase, but the lowest single-year increase in public transit use in 20 years -- which raises questions about the reliability of public transport, ARTM executive director Daniel Bergeron said.
"We need to take care of the actual rider of public transport. That's why we want to improve public transport, that's why we want to improve current services in terms of quality of service and reliability," he said.
On the South Shore, there are close to two cars for every household -- almost double the number in Montreal. Better public transit is needed to get people out of their cars and into a bus or onto a train, Exo spokesperson Louis-Andre Bertrand said.
"There's a need for investment for public transit in the North Shore and in the South Shore. We need more service, more diversified service, so people would be less likely to use their car and switch to public transit," he said.
