The events of 2003, particularly the November strike by maintenance workers, have shown that public transportation is a driving force in the economy of the entire metropolitan area, and that it is also the only way to get around the city for thousands of people, including workers, students and seniors (33% of Montréal residents do not own a car).

Moreover, to make up for the inconvenience to transit users during the November 17 – 23 strike, members of the Board of Directors agreed to compensate customers, a first in STM history. Thus, transit users could claim a rebate for $5 or $2.50 when purchasing a pass, a gesture that was appreciated by all.

Despite the hopes we held, the issue of financing for public transportation has still not been resolved. A number of actions were carried out to convince all levels of government of the importance of granting new sources of revenue to transit companies, but concrete measures have yet to be implemented. Making up for an $18 M shortfall, the City of Montréal increased its contribution by $6 M, while the STM reduced or deferred $6 M in expenses and had no choice but to increase fares a second time, in July, to add another $6 M to its revenues. Those were heart-wrenching decisions, because they inevitably have a negative impact on ridership and customer satisfaction. Worse still, they work in favour of the automobile, which continues to erode public transit’s overall market share.

If no action is taken, the situation will only deteriorate as the need for investment in the coming years are evaluated at around 3.3 billion dollars. The STM is facing huge challenges with respect to maintaining its infrastructure in good working order and modernizing its equipment, much of which has already reached the end of its useful life. The métro was inaugurated in 1966 and today requires a major overhaul to remain reliable and safe. The situation is the same with the STM’s bus maintenance installations.

In 2003, management undertook the task of analyzing the situation, assessing the corporation’s needs and drawing up a business plan for the next five years. The plan clearly outlines what the STM is committed to doing to improve services and develop public transportation if it enjoyed adequate financing. It also demonstrates the harsh realities the corporation will be confronted with if it does not soon have the money needed to invest in its network.

Despite the uncertainties, we forged ahead with our mission, efficiently delivering safe and reliable transit service at the lowest possible cost. The Bus Network delivered 99% of planned service, while the Métro Network saw the number of trips delayed by four minutes or more decrease slightly compared to the previous year, despite its increasingly obsolete equipment. Bus routes were created or improved upon to meet with the expectations of transit users, more public taxis were introduced, eleven bus routes were added to the accessible network, bringing the total number of bus routes that can be used by people in wheelchairs to 93. New transit information tools with enhanced performance were introduced, while other major projects stayed their course, most notably the new fare sales and collection system, which should be fully operational by the end of 2006.

The STM’s sound management was once again acknowledged by the credit rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS), who respectively maintained the A+ and A-1 credit ratings depending on the type of security, and confirmed the A (high) rating for our long-term debt.

The results we achieved in a particularly difficult context clearly show the STM’s capabilities, and they bear witness to the commitment of the corporation’s officers, managers and employees to carry out our vital mission. We can only imagine what our team could achieve with the necessary resources to improve upon its own performance… We can only hope that all levels of government will grant us the means to reach our full potential and make the right decisions now to ensure the future of public transit.