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Tramway, TOD, tram-cargo and bike-cargo study

in an integrated decarbonization perspective for Montréal

the context
The objectives
DOCUMENTATION & DELIVERABLES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
OUR PARTNERS

The tramway is certainly one of the most promising missing links in our sustainable mobility strategy. We study this mode of transport, in a variety of contexts, to highlight its benefits, limitations and conditions for success, for both passenger and freight transport.

Background to the study project

Rethinking city planning

At a time when environmental issues - and climate change in particular - are forcing us to rethink our economic and social models, the planning and organization of cities are at the heart of our questioning. While the impact of human activity on the environment takes many forms and can be observed in many ways, the calculation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is the most widely used indicator for measuring it.

The transportation sector: Quebec's biggest GHG emitter

In Quebec, as elsewhere in the world, the transportation sector is the largest source of GHG emissions. In 2019, this sector accounted for 43.3% of the province's total emissions (MELCC, 2021). Given that Quebec has set itself a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, it is clear that transportation must be at the heart of the transitional action plan.

The future Lachine-Est eco-district: a testing ground

It is against this backdrop that GRAME has been examining the future of passenger and freight transport in Montreal. Beyond the challenges associated with mobility in the region, the future eco-neighbourhood project in Lachine-Est – which aims to apply best practice in terms of sustainable planning and quality of living environments – struck us as an ideal testing ground for analysing alternatives and measures to reduce solo car use and lorry traffic.

Lachine, at the heart of freight flows

At the same time, given Lachine's industrial park and proximity to the highway network, trucking accounts for a significant proportion of transport flows through the area. What's more, the recent installation of an Amazon shipping center in the area is contributing to an intensification of freight transport. This gives the GRAME a privileged vantage point from which to observe and analyze the effects of the intensification of transport activities on its territory, and to propose appropriate solutions.

Study objectives

  1. Broadening the vision of transportation in Québec
  2. Assessing the potential of streetcars in Montreal
    • Analyze the benefits, advantages and challenges of a structured tramway network.
    • Highlight the environmental, social and economic benefits of the tramway.
    • Integrate the tramway into a vision of TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) neighbourhoods.
  3. Explore the use of tramways for freight transport (“tram-cargo”):
    • Maximize the use of a potential tramway network by adapting it for freight delivery without compromising passenger service
    • Reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of freight transport.
  4. Deploy complementary “last mile” solutions:
    • Study the integration of cargo bikes for local deliveries, particularly in and around Lachine.
Expanding the transportation vision in Quebec

Assessing the potential of streetcars in Montreal

  • Analyze the benefits, advantages and challenges of a structured tramway network.
  • Highlight the environmental, social and economic benefits of the tramway.
  • Integrating the tramway into a vision of TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) neighborhoods

Exploring the use of tramways for freight transport (“tram-cargo”)

  • Maximize the use of a potential tramway network by adapting it for freight delivery without compromising passenger service.
  • Reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of freight transport.

Deploying complementary “last mile” solutions

Study the integration of cargo bikes for local deliveries, particularly in and around Lachine.

Our analysis will be deployed through three dimensions that we have previously identified:

  • Study of freight flows
  • Evaluation of alternatives to trucking in the sector: tram-cargo and bike-cargo.
  • Proposal of recommendations and scenarios adapted to the sector and potential for implementation elsewhere in Montreal

Documentation and deliverables

Final study: Tramway, TOD, tram-cargo and bike-cargo in an integrated decarbonization strategy for Montreal
This study takes place against the backdrop of the redeployment of streetcars in Quebec and, more broadly, in Canada’s major metropolises. While Montreal’s Urban Mobility Plan (PUM) now includes streetcars as a structuring solution, projects are already underway in Quebec City, Gatineau and Montreal East. Our study is part of this movement, exploring the feasibility and benefits of streetcars, while extending our thinking to carbon-free urban logistics with tram-cargo and bike-cargo.

CONSULT

The economic stakeholders relevant to the project, as well as their degree and potential modes of involvement, were identified.

CONSULT

The project’s strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities have been assessed.

CONSULT

This report details a simulation model developed to analyze and optimize last-mile parcel delivery logistics in Lachine, Montreal. The main objective is to quantitatively evaluate seven distinct delivery scenarios, ranging from traditional van routes to new hub-and-spoke models using cargo bikes.

CONSULT

This study assesses the capacity of the tramway network to deliver parcels during a typical simulated workday using the agent-based MATSim framework. It models a representative day according to two configurations: the Greater Southwest Network and the City of Montréal Priority Network, including shared tramway scenarios for the simultaneous transport of passengers and parcels.

CONSULT

GRAME (Groupe de recommandations et d’actions pour un meilleur environnement) commissioned Léger to conduct a survey of the Montreal population to gauge opinion and interest in a tramway project in Montreal.

CONSULT

This study compares the door-to-door travel times between a surface train with driver (tramway) and an automatic light rail system (REM), both of which are proposed as part of the Projet structurant de l’Est (PSE). The analysis takes into account the quality of local service, i.e. the number of stations, as well as their universal accessibility.

CONSULT

This report was commissioned by GRAME – Groupe de recommandations et d’actions pour un meilleur environnement – to examine the relevance of the tramway in facilitating the deployment of cyclologistics in Montreal. First and foremost, the tramway meets people’s mobility needs through a structuring mode of transport. The question is whether optimizing this mode through a complementary use in logistics can provide new and relevant solutions for last-mile delivery.

CONSULT

For this project, Coop Carbone has called on Gomove’s logistics expertise. The first objective is to identify the most suitable locations and conditions for the deployment of a network of shared micro-consolidation centers (MCCs) for parcel delivery. The second aspect is to quantify the impact of this network in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, kilometers avoided and transferred, costs and other relevant metrics.

CONSULT

Conducted as part of GRAME’s opportunity study on the implementation of tram-cargo and bike-cargo freight transportation systems in Lachine, this report was submitted in July 2022 to the Borough of Lachine and published in summer 2025 by the Groupe de recommandations et d’actions pour un meilleur environnement (GRAME) and Imagine Lachine-Est.

CONSULT

Infographics on decarbonization scenarios.

CONSULT

Brief submitted to the Office de consultation publique de Montréal.

CONSULT

To go further!

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