Montreal Traffic Is So Bad Quebec Is Going To Pay Some Drivers Who Carpool
Step 1: buy a car. Step 2: carpool. Step 3: profit.
Montrealers walking with the Jacques Cartier Bridge in the background. Right: Traffic on Montreal's Highway 40.
As work continues in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel, Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault and l'Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) are introducing a pilot program that will pay drivers for carpooling in an attempt to reduce traffic pressure during construction.
The first phase of tests for this project begins on December 14, after which a final launch date will be announced for an ARTM Carpooling website and app combo.
Through these channels, drivers and passengers will be able to connect and plan trips. Drivers are the only ones receiving compensation though — you don't get a bonus just for riding in a car.
The project will provide compensation to drivers who carpool. Drivers using one of the four road connections between the South Shore and Montreal — the Jacques-Cartier, Samuel de Champlain and Victoria bridges or the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel — will get extra, Guilbault's office promised.
"I applaud and thank the road users, businesses and elected officials of the region for their cooperation during the work carried out in the [Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine] tunnel," the minister said in a press release.
"It is impressive to see how much traffic in the tunnel corridor has decreased over the past few weeks. This is proof that by using public transit and adapting one's trips, it is possible to address this major mobility challenge."
Once the carpooling program is launched in full, Montrealers will get a better sense of the scope and duration of the project. After all, if adapting towards carpooling helps reduce congestion during construction, it may even be beneficial during normal driving conditions.