How to boost the use of public transit in a post-pandemic context?

How to boost the use of public transit in a post-pandemic context?

Challenge open to Teams

Challenge proposed by

Challenge proposed by

Challenge award: $10,000
+ accompaniment from Hydro-Québec experts

Challenge award: $10,000
+ accompaniment from Hydro-Québec experts


This challenge is tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals:

Collision Challenge
Challenge proposed by an industry leader organization that wants to encourage the ALPHA and BETA teams to solve a real and pressing issue in the industry. The partner undertakes to follow the winning team of the Challenge for a period of 3 months afterwards the end of the Cooperathon.


This challenge is tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals:

Collision Challenge
Challenge proposed by an industry leader organization that wants to encourage the ALPHA and BETA teams to solve a real and pressing issue in the industry. The partner undertakes to follow the winning team of the Challenge for a period of 3 months afterwards the end of the Cooperathon.

Background

The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montreal metropolitan community) includes 82 municipalities and had a population of nearly 4 million in 2016. More than half of the population of the Montreal metropolitan area lives off the island of Montreal (Laval, Longueuil, North and South Shores). The region is projected to grow by 4.6 million by 2036, an increase of 16%, and half of this growth is expected to occur outside Montreal. Population growth will therefore increase the demand for public transit in the region.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the 3 transit authorities—exo, Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) and Société de transport de Laval (STL)—which operate in Montreal’s northern and southern suburbs, have seen a significant decline in ridership. In 2020, public transit ridership in the region averaged about 40% of that in 2019.

Since the pandemic, several factors have influenced users’ choice to opt for public transit:

  • Telework has become the new norm and is gaining popularity, with an estimated 20% to 30% of workers in the region continuing to work part-time over the next few years (source: CMM)
  • Fear of contracting COVID-19: 43% of Quebecers still fear contracting the virus (weekly Léger study – Base: 1,515 Canadians, including 409 Quebecers, surveyed August 13–15, 2021)
  • The use of solo cars is gaining market share because users see them as more flexible and safer

In parallel to this health crisis, the climate crisis persists and carriers agree that, more than ever, public transit is the cornerstone of sustainable urban development. Travel needs, traffic jams and climate change will still be with us once the pandemic is over.

Given the situation, the 3 transit authorities are convinced that developing efficient public transit services and innovative solutions adapted to the needs of users is essential to ensure the recovery of public transit.

Key transportation stimulus initiatives underway by the 3 associations:

The pandemic has led to a significant drop in public transit ridership in Montreal’s suburbs and North and South Shores, as in the rest of the world. This has forced transit companies to adapt their service offering to this new reality. For several months and following the progress of the vaccination campaign, transit authorities have implemented several initiatives to boost public transit use. More details of each initiative by association are available in the “Statistics, articles and available data” section of this challenge.

Challenge as part of the Cooperathon 2021

exo, Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) and Société de transport de Laval (STL) are seeking innovative solutions and ideas that would help, in the next 12 to 18 months, boost public transit use in the interest of sustainable mobility and in a post-pandemic context. Competition participants and entrepreneurs must identify their solution or service that will encourage citizens to use public transit, and build it into a “transit cocktail” with economic, social and environmental benefits.

Solutions or services sought:

  • Develop approaches with easy-to-use tools enabling users to integrate public transit into their new travel reality.
  • Develop a tool or platform to help residents better respond to changes in their travel behaviour and allow transit authorities to be more proactive. This solution will have to be part of an overall strategy for ridership recovery.
  • Develop business models or partnerships to encourage companies to prioritize transit in their in-person/hybrid return-to-work plans.
  • Develop any type of initiative to enhance the customer experience and encourage commuters to use public transit.

Learn more about the 3 transit authorities:

exo operates public bus and paratransit services in Montreal’s North and South Shores, as well as the commuter train network in the greater Montreal area.

Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) is the main player in the mobility of people on the territory of the 5 cities of the agglomeration of Longueuil, on Montreal’s South Shore.

Société de transport de Laval (STL) develops and operates an integrated network of buses, school transportation, public taxis and specialized transportation in Laval, a northern suburb of Montreal.

Data, articles & information

Unlock this information on GLOBAL, the participants’ platform, by registering today to Cooperathon 2021

Key transportation stimulus initiatives underway by the 3 associations

  • Deployed health measures to ensure customer safety, including daily disinfection of vehicles, use of cameras to ensure compliance with physical distancing, and mask distribution campaigns
  • Deployed a real-time onboard ridership monitoring application
  • Partnerships with businesses and schools
  • Data analysis to help make decisions about service adjustments
  • Service improvements to prepare for the gradual resumption of activity in downtown Montreal, to support the revival of economic activities in the agglomeration, and to meet new needs in the agglomeration’s industrial parks

Tackle this challenge and let the adventure begin!

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