All about Montréal’s progressive mobility and transportation industry

Montréal is a hotbed of innovation, and that includes two booming industries: sustainable mobility and intelligent transportation. No wonder the World Conference on Transport Research chose it as the host city for its 2023 edition. The conference brought together world experts in all areas of transport research to exchange ideas and shape the future of transport policy and practice. And what better? Montréal a city whose transportation sector drives progress.

The road to sustainability

Living up to the city’s ranking among the world’s most sustainable cities, Montréal’s plan for increasing renewable energy use includes a considerable commitment from the transport industry. One of the main commitments is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions with the objective of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. The city’s plan — appropriately named the Montréal Climate Plan — names 46 measures toward carbon-neutrality, including the continued adoption of more sustainable modes of transportation such as public transit, walking and cycling.

Montréal is a transportation hub

Québec’s ground transportation industry is a world leader in transport development. Montréal is home to CIRRELT, the largest transportation research centre in the world. There are also 620 companies employing over 32,000 employees and more than 30 research centres and institutes all speeding towards the future of transportation. The province’s organized sector clusters are also working hand-in-hand, including the clean energy cluster Écotech Québec, the electric and intelligent transportation industry cluster Propulsion Québec and Cargo M, the logistics and transportation cluster.

Excellence in public transportation

Time Out asked locals to rank their public transport systems, and Montréal was named among the best in the globe. The top 19 cities, ranging from Mumbai to Tokyo, all have one thing in common: their public transportation is accessible, affordable and dependable. In Montréal, 83 percent of locals said the city is easy to explore via public transit, thanks to our system that’s accessible, well-connected and the best way to stay in relaxed travel mode while taking in the city’s must-sees.

Using AI to move smarter and smoother

As an international hotspot in artificial intelligence, Montréal is breaking new ground in the use of AI in transportation, focusing on urban traffic and improved shipping. Created by Concordia University, Itinerum is a smartphone app that collects travel data and instantly addresses traffic-related issues for drivers. The Port of Montréal is also using AI in a variety of ways — including to ensure the fluidity of its logistics.

Electrifying initiatives

Real change takes concrete dedication, and Montréal’s goal of becoming North America’s top city in sustainable mobility is backed by an exciting series of projects.

By 2025, all buses purchased by the Montréal Transit Corporation (STM) will be electric, and by 2040 the entire fleet will be emission-free. Currently they’re beginning a new phase of testing new long-range electric buses.

Scheduled for completion in 2024, an REM light rail line covering 67 km of the metropolitan area will take passengers between Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and downtown in just 20 minutes.

Montréal’s iconic Olympic Stadium and the Space for Life use a fleet of self-driving EZ10 passenger shuttles to transport the millions of annual visitors who visit the area.

Active transport, active city

When it comes to clean transport, it’s not all sci-fi. Montréal holds the ranking as North America’s most bike-friendly city, with 901 kilometres of bike lanes and paths — 590 km of which are still accessible throughout the winter months. Additionally, the BIXI bike-sharing network of over 10,000 bikes is available to locals and visitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from April through November, including the Electric BIXI!

For those who prefer keeping their feet on the ground, the RÉSO underground network is also the world’s largest, with over 32 kilometres of linked shops, hotels, restaurants and universities used by over 500,000 people daily.

A directory of game-changing transportation organizations and institutes

Montréal is home to a rapidly growing sector of clean transport innovators, and their work is changing the face of how we get from points A to B. Keep your eyes on these organizations:

Intelligent transportation and sustainable mobility research chairs and institutes

Inter-university Research Centre on Enterprise Networks, Logistics and Transportation (CIRRELT)
Mobility Chair and Canada Research Chair in Personal Mobility and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Data Science for RealTime Decision Making at the Polytechnique Montréal
In.SITU Chair in Innovation and Integrated Transportation / Urban Planning Strategies at UQÀM
Sustainable Mobility Observatory at the University of Montréal
Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO)
Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI)
InnovÉÉ (Innovation in Electric Power)
Electric Mobility Canada

Industrial clusters and associations in clean, electric and intelligent transportation

World leaders in intelligent transportation and artificial intelligence

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