Sustainable, Accessible, and Inclusive Mobility

What if we reimagined the space dedicated to cars as a public good?

In Montreal, cars take up a disproportionate amount of space on our streets, despite their impact on the climate, road safety, and health. This “over-reliance on cars” often stems from habit or a lack of alternatives. This is what we call “over-motorization”: owning a car out of habit or necessity, when other modes of transportation are available. The goal of demotorization is not to eliminate all cars, but rather to make travel accessible and sustainable for as many people as possible. It also means rethinking public space so that it serves people first, not vehicles. In Montreal, the diversity of neighborhoods, territorial inequalities, and seasonal variations all present opportunities to envision and create a more resilient, equitable, and inclusive city.

May 2023 to present

A dedicated working group within the alliance

The Demotorization Working Group brings together people from all walks of life—neighborhoods, universities, institutions, and environmental groups—to collaboratively develop practical tools tailored to the realities of Montreal. Our mission: to raise awareness, mobilize, and take action—with and on behalf of neighborhood stakeholders—to prevent and reduce excessive car use in our communities.
Co-managed with
CRE Montréal
Blaise Rémillard

Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal (CRE)

Chloé Geoffroy
Martin Hamel

Coalition mobilité active Montréal

Geneviève Lapointe

Service de l'urbanisme et de la mobilité - Ville de Montréal

Theophil Haberstroh

Coop Carbone

Kali Abraham

Coordinator of the Demotorization Working Group & Project Manager - Urban Planning and Sustainable Mobility, CRE Montreal

Isabelle Poirier

LocoMotion

Fannie Joly-Emond

GRAME

Amélia Picard

LocoMotion

May 2024

Framework

Produced by the working group, *A Way Out: Freeing Our Communities from Car Dependence* is a resource for neighborhood stakeholders who want to take action to cap or reduce the number of registered vehicles in Montreal. Based on cutting-edge research, it is an essential resource for building a strong case and understanding the underlying issues of de-motorization.

April 2025

GHG Calculator: A Unique Tool for Neighborhood Stakeholders

The purpose of the calculator is to provide a common metric for civil society organizations and citizen groups to facilitate certain funding applications and accountability. Based on the most recent data from Montreal, this tool standardizes the assessment of GHG emissions avoided through your sustainable mobility projects, across various modes of personal transportation.

October 2025

A Montreal Directory of Initiatives to Reduce Car Use

Featuring more than 48 initiatives, this tool highlights a variety of current and past approaches that have helped address the challenges of excessive car use at the neighborhood level in Montreal. Several types of projects are listed, including those related to regulations, road design, as well as bicycle workshops, service offerings, and awareness campaigns. The tool’s evolving nature allows you to add new initiatives to the directory.

September 2025

The Alliance Takes a Stand on De-Motorization and Its Goals

As part of the alliance’s first official statement, the Demotorization Working Group met with and consulted alliance members over several months to refine and adopt a statement outlining various demands, positions, and commitments regarding demotorization in Montreal.

March 2025

5 neighborhood mobility projects in the spotlight at the first <i>Espace Solutions</i>!

In the relaxed and supportive atmosphere characteristic of Espace Solutions, about 60 participants from diverse backgrounds gathered to share their knowledge and skills in support of five neighborhood-scale mobility projects. Among the outcomes of the event were concrete solutions, new contacts, and insights to help take the projects to the next level.

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