Bridge tolls can help Montreal pay for public transit, and the city is ready to bring them back, said municipal Coun. André Lavallée.

Montreal's executive council is studying financing options, including one that would see tolls paid to a common transportation fund that would be disbursed to municipalities for public transit projects.

"We are firmly convinced that Montreal's future lies in new, permanent and efficient public transit infrastructure," Lavallée said during a speech to members of the Quebec Transportation and Road Association (AQTR) on Thursday.

"This requires substantial investment," he said in the French speech. "What we're proposing today, is another way — socially responsible tolls. These tolls are conceived in a way to encourage behaviour that contributes to achieving collective objectives such as air quality, quality of life and social equality."

The proposed tolls would be collected electronically and would not hinder traffic, said Lavallée, a member of Mayor Gérald Tremblay's administration.

Tolls would be charged according to the type of vehicle and time of day. Passage would be free at night and on the weekends, while emergency vehicles, buses and taxis would be exempt.

Montreal plans to hold public consultations on bridge tolls in the fall.