Montreal has a great reputation in the commuting department and residents echo the latter with frequent public transit use. Despite a decline pattern in public commuting over the last twenty years, the latest Census figures show that 21.4% of employed Montrealers use public transit to get to work (and more than half of downtown workers commute), the highest proportion in Canada after Toronto, a city with a 22.2% ride-to-work rate.
With the lowest personal car ownership rate in Canadian and U.S. cities as well, one third of Montreal households don't have cars at all, suggesting a possible trend toward sustainable modes of transportation.
But it's not just about coverage and convenience. For many Montrealers, it's a bottom line issue, with commuters saving thousands a year on transportation and in a position to claim tax credits on their federal tax returns. For others, it's an environmental concern knowing buses spew out nine times less greenhouse gases than cars and electrical-powered subways cause even less environmental damage.
Sources: Transport Canada, Statistics Canada 2006 Place of Work Census, Voyagez futé
