Montreal River Shuttles See Record Ridership as Season Concludes
Montreal’s network of river shuttles has experienced a surge in popularity, achieving record ridership numbers this season. Managed by the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM), the service recorded over 541,000 trips across its six lines-connecting areas like Boucherville, Varennes, Pointe-aux-Trembles, and the Old Port-as mid-May.This represents a 15% increase compared to the previous year.
The increase is attributed to favorable weather conditions and an expanded service offering. Notably, more commuters are utilizing the river shuttles for daily travel, wiht work-related trips increasing by 3% this year.
“It is the citizens of the Montreal region who use it as much for recreational and tourist activities as for work activities. You know, work activities, for us in public transport, are essential, it ensures regular travel. And that’s a 3% increase in trips made for work reasons this year. The workers adopt it and come back,” said Philippe Dubé, director of operations and equipment management at the ARTM.
Operators also point to the reliability of the service as a key factor in building customer loyalty. Gilles Tanguay, operations director at Navark, noted a shift in perception: “We are happy, Montrealers, people from the South Shore are discovering more and more river shuttle services. Thay use them more and more. This is reflected in the traffic, but also in the extent of the season. In the past, it was more summer in people’s minds, river shuttles, but now we see that people realize that it is also spring and autumn.”
Launched as a pilot project in 2021, the ARTM is actively working to secure long-term funding to ensure the sustainability of the river shuttle service.
“It is certain that, for us, we have an intention and a desire to maintain this service. We are already in planning mode for the 2026 season. So, we are moving forward. We are having discussions with the government to ensure the sustainability of funding. We are awaiting a response from them. But you can be sure that we will be ready for the 2026 season,” Dubé stated.
The current river shuttle season concludes on Friday.
