A Water Taxi To Montreal's South Shore Will Be Free Because Of The Traffic Nightmare
Commuters can float on by the La Fontaine Tunnel. 🛥️
People ride in a water taxi. Right: The view from a boat on the Saint Lawrence River.
If the thought of driving through the partly closed La Fontaine Tunnel gives you a sinking feeling, there's now an option to bypass the construction area altogether by boat at no cost. A free water taxi will connect Montreal to the South Shore through mid-November and possibly longer (weather permitting).
The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) announced on Wednesday that it's not only extending the route linking Boucherville and Promenade Bellerive Park until at least November 13, but also reducing ticket prices to $0 to help commuters and reduce traffic.
"This is a mitigation measure for citizens impacted by the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel construction site," the ARTM wrote in a press release.
The regional transit authority also shared that the summer river shuttle pilot project had been a success and would be looking to bring back the boats for summer 2023.
"Overall, we are satisfied with the traffic. It is too early to confirm the outcome, but the user satisfaction rate is noticeable," said ARTM head Benoît Gendron.
Data from the pilot project shows that over 97% of users surveyed said they were fairly or very satisfied by their boat commute.
Between June 4 and October 16, more than 246,600 trips were made on six routes connecting Montreal's Old Port and Île Sainte-Hélène with Longueuil, the Old Port and Boucherville and the Old Port with Pointe-aux-Trembles.
