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Speed, frequency, and efficiency
The future of public transit linked to quality of service

In Denver, Colorado, there’s a one-mile stretch of the main downtown thoroughfare – 16^th Street – that is closed to cars. Instead, there is a seven-day-a-week bus shuttle called the Free MallRide. The vehicles used, hybrid electric buses powered by natural gas, produce few polluting emissions – a double benefit for the environment.

Despite the limited impact of such a measure, it clearly shows that public transit is still an essential component of sustainable urban development and is an example of a solution adapted to its environment.

The metropolitan triple crown
“In 2005, the development of public transit centres on a triple crown,” explains Joël Gauthier, president and CEO of the Agence métropolitaine de transport. “These three elements are sustainable development and the Kyoto agreements, economic development, and public health.”

With regard to the impact of automobile traffic on health and the environment, it should be remembered that 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec are caused by transportation, and this percentage jumps to no less than 47% in the metropolitan area. This is one reason the market share of public transit use, now 21% compared to all transport modes in Montreal, should be increased.

A considerable economic impact
In addition to helping to reduce the number of motor vehicles in circulation (and thus greenhouse gas emissions), public transit also has a considerable economic impact. According to a study published last December by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal in association with SECOR Consulting, the operating and infrastructure expenditures of the region’s mass transit authorities totaled $1.3 billion in 2003. The activities of these organizations support nearly 13,000 jobs annually and generate added value of more than $930 million.

“One of the really interesting aspects of this study is that in addition to highlighting the important contributions of public transit to the metropolitan economy, it clear shows there is a way to maximize those benefits, and that is by increasing the market share of public transit in trips taken in the metropolis,” notes Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade.

Another factor considered by the AMT is the economic losses resulting from heavy rush hour traffic on metropolitan roads. “The economic costs directly related to traffic congestion are about $880 million per year,” notes Gauthier.

Continuing to improve service
For Gauthier, the solution is clear: the way to attract more clients is by improving public transit service. “Higher quality service simply means that the alternatives to traveling by car are faster, more frequent, and more efficient,” he explains. “When these three conditions are met, people don’t hesitate to use public transit.”

In fact, Montreal ’s commuter rail system has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, with passenger traffic jumping by 100% in the past eight years, for a total of 14 million passengers.

Gauthier is also proud to point out that during each rush hour period, some 350 buses transport more than 17,000 people in the reserved lane on the Champlain Bridge – another initiative designed to free up space on metropolitan roads.

Finally, we should mention that the 23,600 park-and-ride spaces created near some metro and commuter rail stations to encourage the use of public transit are now more than 90% occupied – a clear sign they are meeting a need.

Encouraging signs
The steps taken in recent years to facilitate the use of public transit seem to be paying off. In fact, according to the results of the latest origin-destination survey, unveiled in January, the number of public-transit trips has grown by 8% in the past five years, while the number of car trips has grown by just 5%.

For Gauthier, these results are promising. They indicate that the efforts made in recent years to adapt mass transit services to demand have been successful.

“But, above all,” he claims, “there is now a consensus among economic decision-makers regarding the importance of not just the environmental, but also the economic contributions of mass transit.

“Business people are now showing a greater openness to public transit and a desire to contribute to improving services,” he concludes. “For example, many major corporations are participating in transportation initiatives, particularly by encouraging their employees to carpool.”

In late November, the Board of Trade was proud to co-chair with the AMT the fourth edition of the Salon Allégo, a one-day conference on carpooling, during which awards were presented to initiatives carried out within the Allégo program to promote this personalized approach to reducing the number of cars on our roads.