STM - Society in motion
Fare collectors at your service ! May 14, 2013
When you enter a metro station, the fare collector is often your first contact with the STM. If there are lineups at the automatic fare vending machines or at a colleague’s booth, the fare collector is there to assist you. Sometimes behind the counter, at other times in the station, according to the needs of transit users, the fare collector is key to identifying any risks and responding safely to any given situation. The fare collector also ensures that people flow smoothly through the station.
398 349 773 passenger rides, what a record ! December 22, 2011
You care about public transit… and you are eloquent in showing us so. By the end of this year, 2011, we will exceed the 400 million mark for passenger rides, which means that bus and métro ridership has now reached a level unmatched… since 1947.
This record is all the more significant as it coincides with Montréal public transit’s 150th anniversary. Indeed, the very first horse-drawn vehicles took to the streets of Old Montréal on November 27, 1861 !
Times are changing
In 1947, the public transit network run by the Montréal Tramways Company operated tramways, buses and trolleybuses. At the time, some 80% of Montrealers used public transit to get around the city, and only 29% used a car. The city, with a population slightly above 1.2 million inhabitants, is not as expansive as today in 2011, and people made a habit of riding public transit, as gas was strictly rationed during the second world war (1939-1945).
The 1950s and 60s became the golden age for car use, the establishment of a highway network and the creation of suburbs. The car became king of the road. Nowadays, the majority of people use their car for all their daily transportation needs, even for only buying a quart of milk.
However, hope is not all lost, and we are starting to see a reversal in that trend, particularly on the island of Montréal. Since 2007, we have witnessed an increase in ridership of more than 11%, while the number of car trips has decreased by 6%. More than 60% of all trips toward the downtown core are carried out by bus, metro and bicycle.
Our Society in Motion is gaining in strength. Such growth in ridership is enough for us to expand our services and improve their quality. It more than justifies our request at all levels of government for dedicated, indexed and recurrent sources of funding to further promote public transportation in Québec.
I trust we will continue to increase our ridership by convincing more and more people of adding public transit to their transportation cocktail.
By using public transit, at times, sometimes, more often, all the time…. you are doing your share for the environment and you are contributing to the quality of life of all Montrealers. Thank you !
The STM 2020 strategic plan February 3, 2011
Making Montréal an outstanding city in North America for public and active transportation is the challenge facing our society !
The STM 2020 Strategic Plan aims for a 40% growth in ridership over 10 years. Such performance will rest on an enhanced client experience regarding frequency, speed, punctuality and comfort, on major investments to maintain critical assets, as well as on strategic investments related to an increased offer of service, in addition to diversified and electrified modes of transportation.
Along with a series of measures designed to reduce single car use planned by the city of Montreal, this concerted approach will enable the STM to reach 540 million passenger rides annually by 2020, while significantly reducing society’s reliance on cars. Moreover, the plan meets the GHG reduction targets of 20% and 30% (with 1990 as the reference year) respectively set by the Québec government and the city of Montreal.
An overview of the 2020 Strategic Plan is now available on the STM website (French only). To find out more, click here
OPUS cards February 11, 2009
With the new OPUS card, every transit fare one might need, whether these are STM, ATM, 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.
