Category: Press Release

“ Our government is proud to support the City of Laval, which is implementing various concrete initiatives to support the reduction of GHG emissions in its territory. This subsidy is not only a step in the right direction, but it will also help to encourage the participation of new citizens and the use of this service, as well as promote the deployment of new carsharing stations throughout Laval. ”
– Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight against climate change, Wildlife and Parks and minister responsible for the Laurentides region

“We are very proud to diversify the mobility options available to the people of Laval. We are offering an efficient and accessible option to reduce solo driving, while taking into account the daily travel realities of Laval residents. Several new stations set up on municipal land will be tested in a pilot project between the City and the company, with the new stations becoming permanent if there is sufficient interest. It is with the aim of offering sustainable and practical alternatives that we also invite people to use the subsidy we have put in place to promote the development of carsharing.”

— Christine Poirier, Municipal Councillor for Duvernay-Pont-Viau and in charge of issues related to land use planning

“Thanks to the pilot project of the City and the expansions planned by Communauto in Chomedey and Laval-des-Rapides, the carsharing offering in Laval will immediately double, increasing from 26 to 52 cars distributed across 33 different service points. This initiative, driven by the innovative vision of the City of Laval, marks just the beginning of a development phase for carsharing. It aims to remove an increased number of cars from circulation, reduce their use, while simultaneously offering a wider variety of mobility solutions to the residents of Laval.”  

— Marco Viviani, vice president of strategic development, Communauto

Highlights

• The financial aid program aims to partially reimburse the costs of using a carsharing service. Thus, each citizen of Laval is eligible for a maximum of two $250 subsidies, for a total of $500. Anyone residing in Laval and who has joined a carsharing service after January 1, 2024, can apply. The application form will be available to the public starting May 6, on the city’s website. 
    
• The expansion of Communauto in Laval involves the addition of 16 additional vehicles distributed across 9 locations, including Laval-des-Rapides and Chomedey.  

• As part of the pilot project between the City and Communauto, 10 vehicles will be added at 10 locations in the peripheral areas of Laval.

• Finally, the project funded by the Government of Quebec involves leasing 10 hybrid cars by the City, which will be used by staff during the day and available to the public in the evenings and on weekends.  

• Until July 31, 2024, the citizens of Laval can get a $45 discount on registration for the Open Plus or any of the Value plans, with the promo code LAVAL45, valid only on the first year of subscription, for any first-time registration to the service, provided all eligibility conditions are met. Laval residents are invited to sign up online now at laval.communauto.com to take advantage of this exclusive offer.   

• Exo adds to the complementarity of sustainable transport modes by offering parking spaces reserved for Communauto vehicles at the Vimont and Sainte-Rose train stations. Users of the suburban train line 12 – Saint-Jérôme will be able to complete their journey aboard a Communauto.

About Laval climat plan 

The City of Laval has adopted the Climate plan – Horizon 2035 to reduce its GHG emissions by 33% and increase its resilience to climate hazards. The enhancement measures of the carsharing service complement the actions already in place for reducing GHG emissions, such as financial aids for replacing oil heating systems or for promoting bike sharing.

About the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy

This project benefits from financial aid from the Government of Quebec, as part of the measure 4.2.1.2 “Accelerate local climate transition” of the Plan for a Green Economy 2030 (PEV 2030). Let us recall that the 2023-2028 Implementation Plan (PMO) of PEV 2030 aims for all municipalities in Quebec to have assessed their climate risks and to have a climate plan by 2030.

More information about the future stations

List of the 10 planned locations in the peripheral sectors of Laval as part of the pilot project.

Addresses of future stations in the peripheral sectors of Laval as part of the pilot project.   

Usine de filtration Ste-Rose (Water Interpretation Center): 12 Hotte Street, Laval, QC H7L 2R3

Community Center for Youth (Old Ste-Rose): 155 Blvd Je-Me-Souviens, Laval, QC H7L 1V6

Ste-Rose Station (with exo): 99 Blvd Sainte-Rose E, Laval, QC H7H 1N9

Auteuil Community Center: 6200 Boulevard des Laurentides, Laval, QC H7H 1N5

Lausanne Park: 324 Lausanne Street, Laval, QC H7K 3V4

Vimont Station (with Exo): 150 Bellerose Blvd W, Laval, QC H7K 3B6

Vimont Sector: location to be confirmed

Raymond-Fortin Community Center: 1885 Dumouchel Ave, Laval, QC H7S 1J7

Sablon Centre: 755 Sablon Road, Laval, QC H7W 4H5

Martin St-Louis Arena: 655 Sylvie Street, Laval, QC H7X 2X2

– 30 –

Information: 
Marco Viviani,
Vice President, Strategic Development, Communauto,
drp@communauto.ca

Montreal, April 15, 2024 – Communauto, the leader in carsharing in Canada, and the City of Montreal announce a significant expansion of the service for 2024 to meet the growing demand observed throughout Montreal. Among the new developments, we would like to highlight the addition of more than 1,100 cars across Montreal, the development of station zones, which were very successful last year, as well as the arrival of Communauto in the Lachine borough, thanks to the addition of a brand new FLEX zone.

Fleet expansion and growing adoption 

In 2023, Communauto had already expanded its fleet in Montreal by adding 900 vehicles. This brought the number of vehicles in Montreal to 3,700. These additions allowed 14% of Montreal households to use Communauto services, an increase of 22% compared to the previous year. These households made 2.9 million reservations, traveling 95 million kilometers.  

In 2024, to meet growing demand, Communauto will gradually add, over the course of the year, 1,100 new cars, including 900 in stations and 200 in the FLEX service.

Expansion of the FLEX service: new areas served

Communauto’s FLEX service will now be available in Lachine, following approval from the borough council. In addition, other sectors of Montreal, such as Rivière-des-Prairies and the Bois-Franc sector, in Saint-Laurent, will benefit from the expansion of the FLEX service, in addition to the round-trip station service.  

Among the more than 50 new “fixed” stations that will be added in 2024, some will be deployed in sectors previously less well served, such as Dorval, Cartierville, Montréal-Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies and Bois-Franc.  

Continuation of the station zones project in collaboration with the City of Montreal  

In partnership with the City of Montreal, Communauto is renewing its station zone project in 2024, with 500 cars associated to around 100 station zones, spread across 10 boroughs. This initiative has proven to be a great success in 2023, offering users increased flexibility in their travel, while integrating harmoniously with existing parking rules. This innovative concept responds to the real needs of users by offering vehicles according to demand, in an identified area, but without being limited by parking constraints. It thus makes it possible to make 500 cars available, which would have been impossible otherwise.  

Fleet diversity and continuous improvement

The new cars, which will be gradually introduced throughout 2024, will include 85 electric cars and 70 minivans, providing more choice and comfort to users. In addition, towards the end of the year, 400 vehicles will be withdrawn and replaced with newer and more efficient models, to guarantee the quality and reliability of the service.

Communauto thus continues to play an essential role in promoting sustainable mobility and carsharing in Montreal, offering practical and ecological solutions for urban travel.

 “Communauto is a leading partner in reducing the number of cars on our roads, considering that each carshare car replaces between 7 and 11 vehicles. We are very proud to offer Montrealers additional, fast and efficient transportation options. Today we are also fulfilling our commitment to offer more carshare stations in Montreal. The arrival of Communauto FLEX in Lachine confirms our determination to continue to offer more and more mobility options to the four corners of the island.”
– Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal. 

“The enthusiasm of Montrealers for Communauto is felt more than ever! To meet growing demand, we are proud to support, once again this year, the remarkable expansion of the service offered by Communauto. I am particularly delighted with the addition of 1,100 new cars, which will soon be plying the city’s streets, and the return of the station zones, which will offer even more shared vehicles to meet the needs of users. The City of Montreal is a leading player in the development of carsharing, and we are pleased that this expansion contributes to diversifying the mobility options offered to citizens, to reducing the use of solo cars, to decongest our roads and decarbonize our transportation, while improving the quality of life of Montrealers. ” 
– Sophie Mauzerolle, responsible for transport and mobility on the executive committee of the City of Montreal  

“While the demand for carsharing and more sustainable mobility is growing exponentially, Communauto is firmly committed to responding to this call, thus playing a crucial role in the demotorization of households. We are delighted to be able to count on the support of the City of Montreal. Without this support, it would be impossible for us to play our role effectively. By joining forces, we aim to offer greener and more convenient transportation solutions, helping to shape a more sustainable future for our city and its residents.”
– Benoît Robert, president and founder of Communauto.

For more information, click here.

About Communauto

Founded in Quebec in 1994, Communauto is the largest carsharing service in Canada and the oldest in America. Present on two continents in 19 cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Halifax and Paris, it operates round-trip and free-floating services. With almost 6,000 cars, Communauto has the largest fleet of shared electric vehicles in Canada and among the largest in America. As a company with a social, environmental and urbanistic vocation, its mission is to reduce the impact of the car on cities while improving access to mobility, by offering an alternative to the private car.

Information:  
Marco Viviani,
Vice-président, développement stratégique,
Communauto,
drp@communauto.ca