The time people spend behind the wheels on their way to work is on the rise.
A Statistics Canada study reveals that across the country, the number of vehicles that spent more than 60 minutes on the road to commute to work increased by five per cent between 2011 and 2016.
In Vancouver, it’s up 16 per cent and Toronto saw an increase of 13 per cent.
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Montreal, however, bucked the national trend. The number of cars travelling to work actually decreased by seven per cent between 2011 and 2016.
But that doesn’t mean travelling through Montreal is a joy ride. Drive times can be very challenging, as motorists consistently run into closed roads, detours and reduced lanes.
Another factor to consider is the growing number of vehicles on the road.
According to statistics from the Quebec Automobile Insurance Board (SAAQ), on the island of Montreal there were 774,048 vehicles registered in 2017. A 7.4 per cent increase compared to 2012.
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In the Montérégie it’s even worse. There were 966,461 vehicles registered in 2017 — an 8.2 per cent increase compared to 2012.
“There’s more cars than ever on the road. That’s one thing. Big cars, SUVs are more popular,” Annie Gauthier, a spokesperson for CAA Quebec told Global News.
Gauthier says a change in mindset is required to reduce the car culture addiction. She says improved public transit; more carpooling and better opportunities for people to work from home or remotely are some of the options.
Gauthier admits the car isn’t going away.
“Twenty, thirty, forty years ago roads were not planned to receive as many people and cars that we have today. So, maybe the network is not adapted to the 2019 reality,” she said.
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One of the challenges is improving mass transit to the less densely populated suburbs where car is king.
“Until the suburbs are well serviced with public transit, people will have no other choice but to take their car to work,” Alan DeSousa, Saint-Laurent Borough Mayor told Global News.
One of the projects that will soon be coming to greater Montreal is the new electric train network, commonly known as the REM (Réseau express métropolitain). But even with the light rail network project under way there is still no sign that vehicle registrations are starting to slow down.
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