STM - Society in motion
Be on the lookout! Starting in fall 2009, new articulated buses will be running along Montréal’s busiest roads. With 19 metres in length (62 feet), these articulated giants are 6 metres longer (20 feet) than standard buses, which allows them to carry a greater number of passengers.
Introduced into service after two years of testing, these leading-technology vehicles provide 50% more seats, while ensuring more comfort, more room to move about and better security.
By 2011, some 202 articulated buses will have replaced as many standard buses, enabling the STM to serve a greater number of passengers each time the bus goes by. Proof that public transit is On the move…
Learn more about Articulated buses :
Have you noticed? When no one uses the escalator in the metro for a while, it slows down. And as soon as someone steps onto it, his presence is detected, signalling for a gradual return to the escalator’s normal operating speed.
Several specially marked metro escalators are fitted with this energy-saving device, as it is designed to extend its service life, while lowering maintenance and electricity costs.
All escalators will eventually be energy-saving escalators. Another smart thought, another small action.
Learn more: about Energy-saving escalators:
Are you familiar with the process for retreading tires? The worn tire tread is sanded off and a new tread is applied to the casing. Depending on the tire’s condition, it can be retread up to three times.
A new tire is good for about 120,000 km; retreading can add another 60,000 km to its service life. Better still, manufacturing a bus tire requires almost 84 litres of oil, while retreading one only takes about 27.
Once the tires have exhausted their service life, they are sent to Recyc-Québec, who will make sure they are recycled by all means. And metro tires? Thanks to an STM initiative, the 110 tons of metro tires worn out each year are shipped to rubber recycling plants where they are turned into carpets, and to cement factories who convert them into energy. A small action that goes a long way!
Learn more:
SERGE PERRIER, foreman, tire shop
Retreading means replacing the outer part of the tire, the tread, that wears out with use. It’s more economical and certainly more environmentally responsible to only replace the worn-out part instead of the whole tire.
NEW TIRE: 120,000 KM ON THE ROAD
RETREAD TIRE: ADDITIONAL 60,000 KM
ABOUT 3,000 TIRES ARE RETREAD EACH YEAR
We manage to make a tire that will last, that performs as well as a new one, at half the cost.
SOCIETY IN MOTION
Determined to fight against deteriorating air quality in Montreal as well as global warming, three years ago, the STM undertook the task of teaching green driving techniques to its drivers. Today, the majority of them have embraced the new approach.
Green driving rests on a basic principle: the quantity of CO2 emissions, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, and of other polluting emissions are proportional to fuel consumption.
Green driving focuses mainly on anticipating traffic movements and traffic light changes to slow down and speed up smoothly. And this results in a reduction in fuel consumption and in greenhouse gas emissions.
In a little over three years, introducing this programme has lead to fuel savings of over two million litres. No doubt about it: the more you ease up on the gas pedal, the greener the drive!
Learn more:
- Greater financial savings
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- A gentler approach to driving
Green Driving Techniques
- Alain Beaudry, STM driving instructor
"When you maximize the use of your engine compression like that, you slow down. Now, we’re nearing the end of the route. You apply the brakes gently, and you come to a really smooth stop."
- Éric Lourmède, STM instructor
"You know, being on time is very important for bus drivers. So, yes, the challenge for drivers is: Can I stay on schedule even though I’m using green driving techniques?"
- Marie-Reine Clairoux, STM bus driver
"The training made me realize all the benefits of it. And so, naturally, I apply it more consistently. In concrete terms, I’m more relaxed when I drive this way. Just feeling my vehicle, I know that the passengers at the back are not being tossed about."
- Alain Beaudry, STM driving instructor
"From the STM’s point of view, we reduce our emissions by 5% and we reduce our energy bill by 5%. It’s phenomenal. With all these little things we do, it’s easy to think it’s just a drop in the bucket, but it starts to add up, day after day."
Green Driving Techniques
Society in Motion
