Communauto car-sharing networks expands services in Gatineau
Sophie Demers
Communauto will be adding 10 new stations and 12 additional vehicles in Gatineau in collaboration with Gatineau and Société de transport Outaouais (STO). Gatineau will now have 35 stations and 46 car-sharing vehicles on its territory. The goal is to increase intermodality,
which means using two or more modes of transportation to complete a journey. For example, taking the bus part way to a location and then using Communauto to complete the last part of the trip.
Of the 10 new stations, four are at community centers including Belmont, des Trembles, Eugène-Sauvageau, and Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf. The rest are located at: Des Jonquilles et Saint-Raymond, École du Plateau, Maison Mathieu Froment Savoie, Office d’Habitation de l’Outaouais both the Arthur-Buies Street and North Street locations, and the Parc-o-bus and station de la Gappe du corridor rapibus station.
The Cholette area station and the station at the intersection des Blvd. de la Gappe and de l’Hôpital are getting a second vehicle.
“Thank you to the City of Gatineau and STO for supporting and making it even more accessible
car sharing, said Marco Viviani, Vice-President, Strategic Development at Communauto. “These additions also strengthen our goal of fostering more sustainable, active and shared mobility at the heart of communities.”
According to CAA, in Quebec in 2020 the average annual budget for a personal vehicle was $11,000. Car sharing is an opportunity to reduce transportation or vehicle costs. The partnering organizations highlight that each car-sharing vehicle replaces approximately 10 personal vehicles and can result in a 30-40% reduction in kilometers of travel. This results in the reduction of 1.2 tons of CO2 emissions for each user.
“Gatineau is proud to participate in this initiative by making municipal land available for the
fleet of carsharing vehicles. This is a concrete gesture to offer a real alternative
for citizens and thus reduce the use of cars in our territory,” said France Bélisle, Gatineau Mayor. “Together, make Gatineau a low-carbon, resilient, inclusive and engaged city to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and car use.”
STO users can unlock the Communauto cars with their STO Multi smart card and benefit from a $40 discount on various Communauto subscriptions. Individuals that subscribe to the STO’s annual program can save 10% on regular public transit and will be exempt from the $500 Communauto membership fee.
Photo caption: Courtesy of Communauto.
