STM - Society in motion
Montréal already features 16 reserved lanes where buses have priority and traffic flows more smoothly. But why stop there? In cooperation with the city of Montréal, the STM will expand the length of its reserved lanes from 92 to more than 350 kilometres, a five-fold increase in corridors where buses have priority.
And that’s not all: a series of measures will be introduced to make our bus network more reliable, on-time and up to 15% to 30% faster to better compete with cars.
These new bus priority measures will make travelling by bus easier:
> Introducing more bus routes with a limited number of stops for faster travel times (such as the 467 Express Saint-Michel)
> Introducing reserved lanes such as those on Saint-Michel, Beaubien and Rosemont roads
> Introducing bus rapid transit services, such as those on Pie-IX and Henri-Bourassa boulevards
> Extending the green light to allow buses through the intersection
> Extending the green light after passengers have boarded
> Introducing a bus priority signal at traffic lights to allow buses to leave before other vehicles such as those on Saint-Michel, Beaubien and Rosemont corridors
> Improved signage for rapid bus services
Learn more about Bus priority:
By investing in its bus fleet, the STM is helping to promote public transportation use, which is more environmentally friendly and less stressful than driving a car around town.
By the end of 2009, the STM will have taken delivery of 350 new buses and, by 2011, some 1,000 new buses, including 202 articulated ones, will have expanded and rejuvenated the STM bus fleet, raising the number of buses to more than 1,800.
These new buses will enable the STM to expand its service: 100,000 hours of service have already been added in 2008, and 1,100 additional departures were scheduled during rush hour on the network’s busiest routes since the beginning of 2009. In all, the STM plans on adding 220,000 hours of service during the year.
As a result, more buses, some of them having more room inside, will be at your stop more often. Good enough reasons to convince more Montréalers to gradually change their habits, from using their car to using public transit. Once or twice a week is enough to help maintain an environmental balance.
Psst! Keep an eye on our buses’ new colours, as they are representative of our Society in Motion.
Learn more about the new bus fleet :
The STM is obviously concerned with offering quality services at all times. So both bus and métro people got together, highly motivated to do just that, to increase the offer of service.
Renée Amilcar, Deputy Director, Strategic Planning, Réseau des bus
MORE BUSES
And also, with the massive replacement of older buses, this allows us to have a newer bus fleet and to ensure greater reliability.
This is good news, because these are new vehicles, and so they should be more reliable. Because a bus that’s being repaired is a bus that’s not picking up clients.
Alain Sansfaçon, Foreman
An additional 350 new buses put into service between 2009 and 2011
There are three major improvements on these buses. First, we have that famous foldover ramp at the front, designed specifically so people with limited mobility can enjoy a better quality of service. And for that, we had to modify our doors. So now we have these doors that we call “1/3 – 2/3,” because only two-thirds open when the ramp isn’t being deployed. And finally, because of our concern for the environment, these buses run on a clean engine, equipped with particle filters, leading to better air quality for our clients.
At bus stops, service is frequent, and transit users notice this... From 7-minute intervals, buses now run every 5 minutes. Clients realize there are more buses, and because these are clean, attractive buses, well, clients notice them even more.
Pierre Lemay, Head of division - Logistics, Réseau des bus
In terms of reliability too, these are new buses, so they should prove more reliable.
I am very proud to have a super team, motivated and mobilized, working to provide quality service. It’s quite tangible !
Martin Lévesque, in charge of Maintenance Integration, Réseau des autobus
SOCIETY IN MOTION STM
Better performance, better reliability and more eco-friendly than ever, the new metro cars will take the tracks by storm in fall 2011, before 342 new cars are gradually introduced into service starting in 2013. They will replace first-generation cars acquired in the 1960s, each one having travelled some 3.5 million kilometres, equal to circling the Earth more than 80 times!
Improved design, considerably more space and room to move—the open concept throughout the length of the train allowing passengers to move easily from one car to the next—smoother ride, more comfortable seats, superior lighting and public address systems are some of the main features on the next generation of metro cars.
Because they are more spacious than standard metro cars and they run more often, the new cars will reduce both waiting and travel times. What better way to serve our ever-growing passenger base.
Learn more about The metro’s new cars :
Dominique Lemay, senior director, Métro
The biggest difference with the new métro cars, compared to the older ones, is the fact that they are « boa » trains, meaning that passengers can move throughout the length of the train without encountering any obstacles or doors. That’s 152 metres of train in which people can stand between cars while travelling.
New métro cars
Martine Ouellet, Head of division, Client communications, information and creation
Among the improvements that are on the MR-08, we will have a new public address system, so it will be clearer, it will be more easy to hear. The screens, more like televisions, will bring a more visual type of information. Clients will know sooner what is going on.
342 new métro cars put into service
A number of employees were consulted about the design for the new metro cars. We also consulted clients to find out which improvements would be required for our clients. And there are many that will be included in the new rolling stock.
Claude Barbe, métro operator
What will be the easiest for operators is our work environment: for one, we can be seated, in the middle, and all command levers are better positioned. I think it will make things a lot easier.
Stevens Joseph, in charge of rolling stock maintenance (EMR)
With the new trains, the overhanging seats will make it easier for the clean-up crews. The frequency for train cleaning will be increased. We will be able to do so much more at a time. Inevitably, customers will also feel it.
It’s obvious that the new métro cars will be more reliable than the current ones. The new cars will be build in the 21st century, while our most recent cars date back to 1976 and the ones we are replacing are from 1966.
The new technology for the new trains is an auto-diagnostic feature that provides a quick answer when breakdowns happen, that would allow for less waiting time for trains to be repaired, and trains being put back into passenger service faster too.
We have a small project team, that we call MR-08 project team, that does great work to ensure the trains that are delivered to us will be among the best in the world. It’s clear that Montréal will be proud of this, so will our employees, something we can all be collectively proud of.
With the new OPUS card, every transit fare one might need, whether these are STM, AMT, STL, RTL or RTC fares, can safely be charged on a single card.
Rechargeable as early as the 20th of the previous month, smartcards help you save time. And because they are so durable, they also help you protect the environment.
In addition, you can register your OPUS card, so that if your card is lost or stolen, you can recover the card’s fare balance and load it onto a new card.
Thanks to its leading-edge technology, OPUS cards also give you access to personalized discounts, annual subscriptions, preferred rates, exclusive promotional offers and so much more.
Learn more about OPUS cards :
What I like the most about the OPUS card is that I can recharge it.
Compared to the previous type of fare card, it’s really practical and we go through the turnstiles a lot faster.
What I like about the OPUS card is that I don’t have to get a new one each month.
It’s solid and easy to use.
Practical
Reusable
Durable
It’s also eco-friendly, because you don’t need to use up paper and plastic to produce it each month.
How long can it last?
The card? I’d say five years, at least.
Sure, the card is durable. Depending on the type of client, people can keep it anywhere from two to seven years.
The STM also introduced a whole new fare sales and collection system to put an end to fraud.
And how much money has it recouped?
- You mean, about the fraud?
- At least $300,000 to $400,000
- $5 million a year
- $100,000
- I don’t know, I’d say $5,000
- $20 million? Super!
Answer : Up to $20 million a year.
Smart cards are a plus for clients, a plus for the STM, and a plus for the environment.
