STM - Society in motion
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Fully committed to the fight against global warming, the STM will convert its entire surface transport network to electricity by 2025, as outlined in its 2020 Strategic Plan.
Michel Labrecque live Electrifying public transit, september 15, 9 a.m to noon
Electrification of Montréal’s public transit network will be carried out in phases. Starting in 2012, the STM will purchase hybrid diesel-electric buses only, gradually moving away from diesel drives. Over time, the bus fleet will consume less fuel and emit less greenhouse gases.
The STM will also test electric buses that use rechargeable batteries and become an expert in terms of « rapid charging ». The technology means buses can recharge their batteries at each extremity of a given route or along the way. With rapid charging batteries, the 100% electric propulsion mode runs silently and produces zero GHG emissions. Working with Hydro-Québec, the STM will conduct a demonstration project for this technology as early as in 2011.
Moreover, through its partnership with the City of Montréal and Hydro-Québec, the STM plans on deploying a limited trolleybus network to better assess that transportation mode. The trolleybus has a proven track record, while having a positive impact on the environment, and would be right at home along the city’s busy traffic arteries. Deploying a trolleybus route on Saint-Michel boulevard, for example, could lower GHG emissions by some 2500 tons a year.
Electrifying public transportation is 100% good news for the environment.
For more information:
Ministère des Transports du Québec
Association du transport urbain du Québec (French only)
Plan d’action 2011-2020 sur les véhicules électriques (French only)
Plan stratégique 2020 de la STM (French only)
The STM calls for tenders to acquire mid-size electric buses
Voix off:
Next destination, electrification !
Michel Labrecque: We are celebrating 150 years of public transportation in Montréal, and the reason I am mentioning this is because, for years, we’ve had electric means of transportation in Montréal. Once, we had nearly 500 km of tracks for tramways running on electricity, we had trolleybuses in the 50s and 60s, and we dismantled everything. Big mistake ! In 1966, we introduced another electric mode of transportation, very efficient, and that was the métro. About two-thirds of all STM rides are taken by métro, so entirely powered by electricity. The Government of Québec has just announced a major program for electrifying all transportation over the next few years. Of course, that means turning to electric cars, but also electric public transit. So, slowly but surely, you will be seeing STM buses now running on diesel being replaced by a fleet of diesel-electric, hybrid buses. Starting now, we’ll be initiating pilot projects with other transit companies, particularly with Laval and Longueuil, or we’ll be testing electric buses with overhead wires, that’s how you supply buses or trolleys with electricity, or testing boost charging, where a bus arrives at a stop and quickly recharges its electrical supply, or buses running on batteries. They go back to the garage once or twice a day, where robots swap the bus batteries for fully charged ones before being sent back on the road. For the STM, it’s an exciting project, and I would like to hear what you have to say. We have a plan for 2020, it’s all part of this plan. The Chairman has a blog, that’s me, so you can share your opinions with me, what you think of all this. We are talking about major investments here, but I think that for Québec’s environment and economy, it’s the right choice. That’s what we’ll be blogging about, so you can tell me what you think. Thanks again and so long !
You can now ride public transit every night aboard one of 23 bus lines, as a number of service improvements were made to the night network.
Three new bus routes were established: in the east end, the 353 – Lacordaire / Maurice-Duplessis; in the west end, the 354 – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue / Centre-ville and the 376 – Pierrefonds / Centre-ville.
For faster and more efficient transportation, night buses run more often between Atwater and Frontenac metro stations, as the night network was redesigned to meet the specific needs of customers travelling in the downtown area.
Moreover, nine existing bus lines are extended for improved commuting, from east to west, north to south, and within the central part of the island. Buses run more frequently, while the number of transfers is now considerably lower, making your transit rides both faster and safer.
Listen carefully for a radio ad campaign featuring our message about the advantages of the night bus, broadcast by major French and English-speaking radio stations.Listen there: STM-Night time service
Once your night shift is over, ride the 353, 354, 355… or any other one in the 3-5-0…
Testing air-conditioned buses all summer
The subject quickly found its way into public opinion about public transit in Montréal. Should we and/or can we air-condition buses, the metro and minibuses ?
The question could make many break into a sweat, but at the STM, cooler heads prevailed. A major procurement order for new buses presented the STM with an opportunity to purchase a few more vehicles with air-conditioning, to test and compare them against standard buses. These tests will assess the impact of air-conditioning on the efficiency of buses, by comparing their fuel consumption, GHG emissions, and improvements in winter heating and de-icing. Will the costs related to an air-conditioning system be similar to those of operating standard buses ?
9 air-conditioned buses on the 10, 24, 103, 165, 173 and 535 lines
8 air-conditioned buses on the 747 Express bus
Some 17 air-conditioned buses already travel along city streets. Testing with actual passengers is carried out on bus lines chosen for their ridership levels and route.
The ambient temperature is kept at à 21°C aboard these buses. Set to continue until August 26, the testing of air-conditioned buses will serve to determine if it is possible to air-condition buses at a lower cost. And, last but not least, to find out if clients want air-conditioning, survey staff will gather opinions expressed by clients aboard these buses.
Once testing is complete, the STM will be able to make a decision about air-conditioning its vehicles.
Bins and trash cans will soon be on the move beacause of our own waste management plan throughout the métro network! Over the coming weeks, the 1 600 wall-mounted trash 
cans and 245 paper collection bins will be gradually removed from the platforms throughout the métro network. They will be replaced by 336 “islands” featuring two sections, one for trash and the other for the collection of recyclable materials – plastic, glass, metal, newspapers, cardboard – that will share space primarily in the entrances and on the mezzanines of the métro stations. In the short term, the objective of this major change is to cut the quantity of trash in half and double the quantity of recycled materials. In the long term, we would like to ensure that there is as little trash as possible and more recyclable materials.
A benchmarking study in other transit companies and an examination of international standards revealed that placing collection bins and trash cans on the upper level of stations makes it easier to manage the pick-up of trash and recyclable items as well as safety on the platforms.
The project will also have a major impact on the habits of transit users, and nothing will be left to chance in relation to awareness, information and signage to guide them through the transition period. Directional signage, among other things, should ease the way for clients enabling them to quickly establish a routine and easily find the proper containers into which to throw their trash and recyclable materials.
