Open roads autonomous shuttle begins operations in Montreal
Montreal, Quebec, launched a new transportation option the last week of June with the start of operations of a public autonomous shuttle that will operate on open roads. The city has partnered with Transdev Canada on the project, which will run through Aug. 4, 2019, and operates on a 1.4-km (0.87-mile) circuit.
The city and Transdev Canada worked together on several test projects, including one within Montreal’s Olympic Park and Stadium, prior to the start of this service. The current project, which operates using two EasyMile EZ10 autonomous shuttles, will serve for planning purposes and help determine the technology’s potential for sustainable public transit in Montreal.
The shuttles can accommodate up to 12 passengers and while the vehicles are autonomous, an operator will be on board to intervene should the need arise. The shuttles take approximately six minutes to traverse the route between Montreal’s Maisonneuve Market and the Olympic Stadium and travel at an average speed of 15 km/h (9.3 mph). The vehicles will stop at all intersections and will be able to detect obstacles using GPS, cameras and LIDAR; additionally, the intersections where the shuttles operate have been equipped with intelligent traffic signals that communicate with the shuttle.
Arthur Nicolet, CEO of Transdev Canada, emphasized, “Each step of this deployment allows us to address technological challenges, as well as to test consumer acceptance of these new modes of transport. We are proud to contribute to the development of autonomous mobility in Canada, and especially here in Montreal, and are committed to safely evolve. People in Montreal are very open to discovering new mobility options that will shape the future and we are very pleased to offer this carefully designed pilot option to them.”
Transdev is operating the service, EasyMile provided the shuttles and Stantec performed all engineering work required to make the shuttle service safe and standard-compliant, including route analysis and optimization, design validation for vehicle-infrastructure communications and installation of temporary traffic lights.
“This is an important step in the evolution of mobility,” says Martin Thibault, Stantec’s vice president of transportation in the province of Quebec. “We are proud to have applied our engineering and ITS expertise to improving transportation for Montrealers, in a safe and reliable environment. Our team is excited to be part of the innovations that will transform transportation in Quebec and around the world.”
The shuttle is open to the public and will operate free of charge, Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, through Aug. 4, 2019.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
