Although Montreal has an excellent public transportation system, many tourists prefer driving in Montreal. The following are basic information about driving in Montreal.
Taxis and Rideshare
Taxis and rideshare programs such as uber are also quite common in Montreal, especially around the downtown core and other tourist areas. There are also many carshare programs like car2go and communauto , which lets users drive and park around Montreal in special. Of course, many of the traditional car rental companies like Hertz and Alamo can also be found in Montreal as well.
Parking
Downtown Montreal has plenty of fee-parking lots as well as parking meters, which are free of charge after business hours (but mind your meter-they are checked often!). Most parking meters have been replaced by automatic pay stations. Numbered blue and white signs indicate where these parking spaces are available. Simply park your automobile and take note of the number of the parking spot. Next, go to the nearest automated pay station to pay the desired parking duration and take your ticket with you-there's no need to leave it in your vehicle.
Road signs and speed limit
Montreal and the entire province of Québec uses the metric system. That is why speed signs are indicated in kilometers and gas is sold in liters.
Right turns
Although turning right on a red light is authorized across Québec, rights on reds are strictly prohibited on the Island of Montreal. Montreal and New York City are the only two major cities in North America where right turns on red are prohibited.
Cell Phone
Use of a hand-held cell phone that does not have a "hands-free" function is prohibited while driving. It may be tempting to check your text messages while waiting at a red traffic light, but if you do – and you’re caught – you’ll probably regret it. The police in Montreal take this rule very seriously and it comes with a hefty fine. The current fine for using a cellphone while driving is C$115 for a first infraction.
