It’s the middle of September, which means that the city’s traffic woes are back in full swing. It seems that, regardless of the transportation method you choose, you’re pretty much SOL these days. We’ve got:
- Russian bridge roulette. Take the Champlain Bridge to work? You may be taking your life in your hands, according to an SRC report over the weekend that exposed severe damage to the structure. The government’s answer? Yeah, it’s bad, but other bridges are worse. Comforting.
- Metro woes. This week’s metro stoppages on the orange line, which left thousands of passengers stranded, were supposedly caused by “excessive humidity” over the weekend that shorted out the electrical circuits. There’s nothing quite like being packed into a crowded metro train at rush hour like sardines, and having the power go out in the middle of the tunnel.
- Bus overcrowding. With fewer buses on the road, the all-too-familiar experiences of packing onto a bus like a sardine in a can is once again the realities for anyone unlucky enough to be stuck taking the bus to work. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to live near the beginning of a route; for those later in the route, good luck getting a bus to even stop.
- On Two Wheels. Cycling is a great solution for about 8 months a year in Montreal, if you’re crazy enough to take your life in your hands every day. I’m not. So I don’t cycle. If you do, however, make sure to lock your bike indoors, as bike thefts are reportedly on the rise.
- Walk, walk, walk. That’s been my preferred solution to all of the above, especially in this nice, crisp fall weather. I’m lucky enough to live a mere half-hour walk from my office. By walking, I manage to avoid crowded buses, metro stoppages, traffic, parking and construction, and even stop for a cup of coffee on the way. As I walk past traffic inching along at a snail’s pace, I can’t help but laugh at the unenlightened. At least until the minus-30 temperatures hit, this is definitely the way to go. Here are some great walking to work tips.