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| Lifestyle Kit Index > Transportation | |||
 
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| You'll find that travelling
in Montréal and the West Island proves to be quick and smooth.
Winter storms that would paralyze other cities and their suburbs are
taken in stride here. Compared to most big cities, driving to and
around Montréal seems easy. Later in this section, you'll find tips about nearby airports and inside information on Greater Montréal's efficient public transport system - one of the world's best. Meanwhile, here's the scoop on getting your bearings; making sense of the road signs; cutting through red tape to bring your car to Canada; how to get your driver's license and what to do in case of a car accident. On the West Island, Autoroute 40, the Trans-Canada Highway, forms the backbone of the road system. Roads marked "est," for east, lead to Montréal, roads marked "ouest", for west, head to Ontario. Autoroute 20 runs parallel and south of the Trans-Canada highway. Autoroutes 13 and 15 lead "nord" - for north to the Laurentian Mountains and lakes country. Most West Islanders use Pont Champlain - Champlain Bridge - or Pont Mercier as gateways south - "sud" - across the St-Lawrence river to the Eastern Townships' rolling hills and lakes. 
Even numbered autoroutes run east/west, while odd
numbered ones run north/south. The signs for north, east, south and
west read: nord, est, sud and ouest - pronounced "nor, est, sood
and west."Three arteries connect the West Island's north and south: boulevards St-Charles, St-Jean and des-Sources. Boulevard Pierrefonds runs along the West Island's north shore. Chemin Bord-du-lac, or Lakeshore Road, bor-ders the south shore.
"Chemin" or Ch., means road, but to keep street names bilingual,
Montrealers often drop the chemins, avenues, autoroutes and boulevards.
Often, "St-Jean" is called "St. John," even in
the phonebook.From the centre of the West Island, where St-Jean crosses Autoroute Trans-Canada, you can drive to downtown Montréal in 25 minutes; to Dorval Airport in 10 minutes; to Roxboro, Pierrefonds ouest or Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue in 15 minutes. Allow extra time during rush hours. |
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 DRIVING
YOUR CAR |
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 ROAD SIGNS: Québec's
road signs show the next major city and the autoroutes' final
destination. So signs to the West Island from Montréal
read Dorion/Toronto or Vaudreuil/Ottawa. Each exit - "sortie"
- gives the street or boulevard name. Exit numbers show the distance
in kilometres from the start of the autoroute. Autoroute 20 and
40 begin at the Ontario border. Many road signs use international
symbols. HIGHWAY CODES: Québec's
highway code resembles that of other provinces' and the USA's,
however you cannot turn right on a red light in Québec.
Drivers and all passengers must wear seatbelts. Children under
5 must ride in safety seats (newborn to 40 pounds). You may rent
a seat from the Québec Safety League for a minimal fee.
Call 595-9110. Speed limits are posted
in kilometres. 100 km per hour means 60 mph. Québec uses
the demerit-point system plus fines, for traffic offenses. INSURANCE: The cost of
Québec's mandatory no-fault automobile insurance program
covering bodily injury is included in the price of your license
plate and driver's license. Drivers must arrange coverage for
material damages with private insurance companies. Payments for
injuries are limited by regulation.The Canadian Automobile Association (Québec) offers many services to drivers. |
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IN CASE OF ACCIDENTS: Police
respond to accidents only when someone is hurt. If that is the
case, call 911. Say where you are and describe
the injury. In the case of a fender bender with no injury, move your vehicle out of the way of the traffic. Both parties must fill out a joint Report of Automobile Accident and advise their insurance companies. Always keep a copy of the Joint Report (CONSTAT À
L'AMIABLE) in the car. Your insurance company can supply copies of
this two-page, two-column form. One driver fills in each column. Both
drivers sign and each takes a copy. Later, you complete the details
and send it to your insurance agent. Do not repair your car until it has been checked by
an insurance adjuster. |
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| DRIVER'S LICENSE |
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A Québec license is required within 90 days of permanent residency. You can exchange your valid driver's license from another Canadian province for a Québec permit after passing a vision test at the local office of the "Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec". Drivers from the USA, all countries of the European Union (as well as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey) can also obtain a Québec driver’s license without a written and practical examination. However, you must present an English or French translation of your valid current license as well as your passport and Canadian entry documents at the offices of the Société. Applicants from other countries need to complete written and practical tests at the Société. A new applicant must also take a full examination at the Société. Licenses are renewable every two years, on your birthday. The minimum age for a driver's license is 16 with the written consent of a parent. SOCIÉTÉ DE L'ASSURANCE AUTOMOBILE DU QUÉBEC 2350 Hymus Blvd., Dorval 873-7620 or www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/site/english.html Open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
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| CAR
REGISTRATION |
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| You have 90 days after you bring your car to Québec to register and obtain your Québec license plate. The single plate goes at the back of the vehicle. Make sure you obtain at least $50,000 coverage in liability
insurance for material damages from your insurance company before applying
for registration.You can get your license at the local office of the "Société de l'assurance automobile" at 2350 Hymus in Dorval, 873-7620 or at one of these locations: |
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| LACHINE 634-8464 www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/site/english.html 25, 18e avenue Lachine VILLE ST-LAURENT 339-9630 Association culturelle arménienne Tekeyan 2179 Marcel Laurin St-Laurent POINTE-CLAIRE 861-7575 CAA Pointe-Claire 1000 St-Jean Blvd. , room 90 Pointe-Claire If you bring your car from outside Québec, you will need these documents: Mechanical Inspection Certificate: Call an
accredited inspection station for an appointment. The most convenient ones
are:CENTRE DE VÉRIFICATION MÉCANIQUE ST-LAURENT 333-0211 2103 Halpern St-Laurent H4S 1S3 CENTRE DE VÉRIFICATION CAA 636-1309 550 boul. des Sources Dorval H9R 4M8 Sales Tax Exemption Form PV 23:
Pick up from the Québec Ministry of Revenue, 3 Complexe Desjardins,
basilaire #1, Montréal (at Ste-Catherine and St-Urbain opposite
Place des Arts) or write C.P. 3000,Succursale Desjardins, Montréal
H5B 1A4. Call 873-4692. Identification papers: birth certificate
or passport. Registration certificate: current or title
papers, if you arrive from the USA.
For information on personal importations contact:
Customs Information Centre, 400 Carré d'Youville,Montréal.
Call (506) 636-5064
or 1-800-461-9999 or
www.revcan.ca
on the internet. |
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| LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL |
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VIA RAIL: Via Rail connects
Montréal to Ontario cities. The VIA train station is east
of Côte-de-Liesse at the Dorval Circle, about 100 metres from
the commuter train station. For schedules call:
989-2626. Other trains leave from Montréal's Central
station for eastern Canada and New York. www.viarail.ca VOYAGEUR BUS: Greater Montréal's main
terminal is downtown above the Berri métro station. Buses to and
from Ontario stop in the West Island at the Beau Soir convenience store,
2875 Boulevard St-Charles in Kirkland (two blocks south of highway 40 -
next to Dunkin Donuts). For schedules call 630-4836. www.voyageur.com AIRPORTS: As of September, 1997, regularly
scheduled flights for all North American and International destinations
leave from Montréal's Dorval Airport, located handily on the West
Island. For information call (514) 394-7377. www.admtl.comMirabel airport, 45 minutes from Dorval is for all Canadian, North American and International charter flights. You can reach Mirabel via a connecting bus from Dorval Airport or by car: Take Autoroute 13 nord and follow the signs. |
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| PUBLIC TRANSIT |
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New West Islanders soon discover that everyone uses Montréal's efficient public transport - the STCUM (Société de transport de la communauté urbaine de Montréal). Besides being inexpensive and safe, STCUM saves your time and the expense of downtown parking. Some buses run all night. The route map "Prenez rendez-vous avec votre autobus" shows the transit network for buses, metros and commuter trains. You have many options with Montréal's public transport. For instance, you can park your car free, at a commuter station, then continue to town via bus or train. You can take a bus to the commuter station ... or to the métro. Or you can hop on a bus to travel within the West Island. For information dial "A-U-T-O-B-U-S" 288-6287 or www.stcum.qc.ca on the internet. Pick up information and route maps from any métro
ticket booth and on most buses.You need exact change for buses. Métro ticket sellers give change. You can buy tickets in strips of six at métro stations and certain ticket sales points (e.g. drugstores and convenience stores). For places to buy tickets call 288-6287 and give your postal code. Monthly passes allowing unlimited access to the transit system go on sale from the 25th of the month to the 5th of the following month. After these dates you can get a pass at the ser-vice desk at the BERRI métro station. Seniors over 65 and students under 18 pay less but need proper ID. Pick up an STCUM identification card at the BONAVENTURE métro station. Students must bring a letter from the school and their healthcare card. Call 280-5100. www.stcum.qc.ca WEST ISLAND BUS SERVICES: Drivers only accept
exact change or tickets. Tickets are available at the West Island's Fairview
terminus, and some train stations. For
information on transportation for physically handicapped people call
280-5341.All buses serving the West Island have route numbers in the 200's. Buses feed into three terminals. Fairview Shopping Centre, at St-Jean and Brunswick Boulevards, forms the hub of the area's bus network. Here, you can transfer from line to line. Outside rush hour, buses leave every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour -a big help in scheduling your day. For example: if the bus stops near your house at 10:10 a.m., then it will pass every 30 minutes before and after that.
Each bus stop has a dedicated phone number. If you
wish to know the time of the next bus at a particular stop close to
home, call the number and you will get the times for the next two
scheduled buses. So if you or your children use public transport,
keep the number on the fridge door.The other two terminals (in Dorval, north of Autoroute 20 and in Roxboro), link to the commuter train sta-tions. GOING DOWNTOWN: You'll often find that you
can get downtown faster using public transport rather than by car, particularly
during morning and evening rush hours.The DEUX-MONTAGNES (Two Mountains) train travels from Deux-Montagnes to Montréal's Central Station. It stops twice on the West Island, in Roxboro and Pierrefonds East. The MONTREAL-RIGAUD train follows Autoroute 20 to Windsor station, which links with métro stations. You can also transfer from the Lakeshore train to the métro at Vendôme station. The Lakeshore train takes 20 minutes from Dorval to Vendôme. From Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue allow 45 minutes to get downtown. There are ten stops on the West Island. The fare is one ticket to Dorval, and two west of Pine Beach. Both services are offered daily, with restricted service on weekends and holidays. Three express and four rush hour bus lines tie the West Island in with the métro system. In the southern section of the West Island, the 211 bus runs at least every 20 minutes throughout the day along Lakeshore and Autoroute 20, from Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue to métro station Lionel Groulx - pronounced "Lee O'Nell Grew". Express line 221 runs from Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue to Lionel Groulx métro station, stopping only at designated stops. In the northern section of the West Island, during rush hour, line 214 runs from Pierrefonds to du College métro station, line 225 runs from Fairview to the Côte Vertu métro, and line 218 runs from Pierrefonds to Fairview. Express line 216 runs from Fairview to Côte-Vertu metro station, and 268 from Pierrefonds to the Deux-Montagnes train station, stopping at designated stops only. |
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