Why bus preferential measures?
Bus preferential measures (BPM) consist of installations on the road system that ensure priority is given to public transit, thereby improving the reliability and on-time delivery of service, and increasing public transportation’s attractiveness and modal share.
Such measures make it possible to provide:
- faster, more regular and timely service giving public transit a competitive edge over cars;
- shorter travel times for passengers`;
- a lesser environmental impact thanks to fewer GHG emissions;
- and lower deployment costs.
BPMs include:
Reserved lanes
They allow buses and taxis, and sometimes bikes and cars including more than one passenger, to operate on an exclusive roadway, thus avoiding traffic congestion, while offering significant advantages in terms of reliability, timeliness and comfort for passengers.
They feature ground markings, separate signage (either lane-side or overhead) and are operational during rush hour, off-peak periods or 24 hours a day.
Queue bypass lanes
With road markings and special signage, queue bypass lanes enable buses to avoid traffic as they approach certain intersections.
« Candlestick » priority traffic signals for buses
On the island of Montrela, there are other bus priority measures than just reserved lanes. For example, have you ever noticed the candlestick lights? There are currently more than 400 of them on the island of Montréal.
These signals are a way to intervene in the road network and give priority to public transit, while improving the reliability and punctuality of bus service.
When the vertical white light appears on traffic signals, buses are given priority and a head start over motorists.
- Priority departure for buses at intersections
- 4- to 5-second head start
- In the direction of heaviest ridership
Active priority traffic lights
Buses request priority from traffic signals as they approach an intersection. Either the green light or white priority signal is extended, allowing the bus to drive through and avoid stopping for a red light.
SIGNALS
This white signal gives buses the right of way to enter the driving lane.
This white signal allows buses to make a protected left turn only.
This white signal allows buses to make a protected right turn only.
The word BUS in white tells bus drivers that protected turns are permitted in all directions.
The white triangle tells bus drivers that they have time to go ahead based on the same principle as yellow lights for vehicle movements.
Reserved lanes
Example - Boulevard Saint-Michel reserved lane
- 40,000 passenger rides a day on the 67 and 467 bus lines
- 15 to 20% shorter travel times, or 6 to 8 minutes saved
- On-time bus performance: 94.6%
- 45 tons of avoided GHG emissions
Opinions expressed by passengers
- 95% of customers believe bus preferential measures are useful and improve their ride
- 91% feel that bus schedules are complied with and investments are worthwhile
- 82% notice shorter travel times and 81% want reserved lanes for all bus service
- And 73% enjoy greater comfort
Source: STM passenger survey - 2010
Discover the new reserved lanes
2019
As of August 26, a new reserved lane for buses and taxis will be in operation on Papineau Avenue between Jean-Talon and Marie-Anne streets. In addition, bus priority measures will be provided temporarily south of Marie-Anne Street pending completion of road works on the section between Marie-Anne and Gauthier.
Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday
- West: 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- East: 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Bus lines impacted by the new reserved lane:
- 45 Papineau
- 445 Express Papineau
These measures will benefit approximately 15,000 daily trips, almost half of which are made during peak periods by customers on the 45 and 455 lines.
The new reserved lane on Bourbonnière will improve daily trips for users of the 139 Pie-IX northbound.
- Northbound, between Sherbrooke Street and Rosemont Boulevard.
- In service from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., during the work on the Pie-IX BRT on Pie-IX Boulevard.
Starting May 13, buses operating on the Côte-Vertu Boulevard will now travel in a reserved lane for buses, taxis and carpools, between Hervé-Saint-Martin and Montée de Liesse.
Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday
- Westbound : from 6 : 30 à 9 : 30 a.m.
- Eastbound : from 3 : 30 to 6 : 30 p.m.
Other bus priority measures (BPM) will be implemented in a second phase on Côte-Vertu Boulevard in 2019 with the replacement of traffic light controls to enable bus detection at intersections and respond to real-time requests for priority sent by buses to improve travel times.
These measures will benefit approximately 1,300 daily trips, including 820 mostly during peak periods, on the 174 Côte-Vertu westbound line.
More departures 174 Côte-Vertu-Ouest
Since January 2019, we offer departure times that correspond with the beginning and end of work shifts of businesses in the area. 24 departures per day were added on bus route 174.
This work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
2018
Buses operating on the Thimens Boulevard now travel in a reserved lane for buses, taxis and bikes between Alexis-Nihon and Henri-Bourassa Ouest (westbound) Boulevards as well as between Cousens Street and Alexis-Nihon (eastbound) Boulevard.
Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday
- Westbound : from 6 : 30 to 9 : 30 a.m.
- Eastbound : from 3 : 30 to 6 : 30 p.m.
Bus lines impacted by the new reserved lane:
- 128 - Ville-Saint-Laurent
- 171 – Henri-Bourassa
- 177 – Thimens
- 213 - Parc-Industriel-Saint-Laurent
- 225 – Hymus
Other bus priority measures (BPM) will be implemented in a second phase on Thimens Boulevard in 2018, with the addition of priority traffic lights (white candlestick lights), which will operate during off-peak periods. Buses will be given priority when crossing intersections where these lights are installed. In the second phase, these traffic lights will be upgraded with smart technology to respond to real-time requests for priority sent by buses to improve travel times.
These measures will benefit approximately 21,000 daily trips, including 8,000 made mostly during peak periods on those five bus lines.
This work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
Buses operating on the Sherbrooke street east now travel in a reserved lane for buses, taxis and carpools between Haig and Parthenais.
Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday between Haig and Parthenais
- Westbound : from 6 : 30 to 9 : 30 a.m.
- Eastbound : from 3 : 30 to 6 : 30 p.m.
Most sections of this new reserved lane will be open to carpools (two or more people).
Bus lines impacted by the new reserved lane:
- 24 Sherbrooke
- 185 Sherbrooke
- 432 Express Lacordaire lines
Other BPMs will also be implemented on Sherbrooke Street in 2018, with the addition of priority traffic lights (white candlestick lights) for buses, which will operate during off-peak periods. Buses will be given priority when crossing intersections where these signals are installed. A second phase of work will see these traffic lights upgraded with smart technology to respond to real-time requests for priority sent by buses to improve travel times.
These measures will benefit approximately 29,600 daily trips, including 9,000 mostly during peak periods, on those three bus lines.
This work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
New reserved lanes on the Maurice-Duplessis Boulevard
Buses operating on the Maurice-Duplessis Boulevard now travel in a reserved lane for buses, taxis and bikes on Maurice-Duplessis Boulevard.
Hours of operation :
Monday to Friday
Westbound :
- from 6 : 30 to 9 : 30 a.m. : 87 avenue to Saint-Jean-Baptiste Boul.
- from 6 : 30 to 9 : 00 a.m. : 56 avenue to Langelier Boul.
Eastbound :
- from 3 : 30 to 6 : 00 p.m.: Langelier Boul. to Rivière-des-Prairies Boul.
Bus lines impacted by the new reserved lanes:
- 49- Maurice-Duplessis
- 48- Perras, 43- Monselet
- 69- Gouin,
- 81 Saint-Jean-Baptiste (new line starting August 27)
- 86- Pointe-aux-Trembles
- 183- Gouin
- 444- Express Cégep Marie-Victorin
- 448- Express Maurice-Duplessis
- 449- Express Rivière-des-Prairies
- 428- Express Parcs industriels de l'Est
PRIORITY TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Other bus priority measures will also be implemented in a second phase on Maurice-Duplessis in 2018, with the addition of priority traffic lights (white candlestick lights) for buses, between the Désy Avenue and the Rivière-des-Prairies Boulevard, during off-peak periods. Buses will be given priority when crossing intersections where these signals are installed.
More spaces for bikes:
The Maurice-Duplessis reserved lane becomes the 3rd reserved bus-bike lane in Montreal. With these reserved lanes, cyclists benefit from an increase in space reserved for them. Sharing the road is thus easier, safer and more collaborative.
This work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
Bus preferential measures on Notre-Dame Est corridor
Buses operating on the Notre-Dame Est corridor now travel in reserved lanes, dedicated to buses.
- Notre-Dame Est reserved lane : 6: 30 to 9 : 00 a.m. Westbound between Georges-V and Beaurivage
- René-Lévesque reserved lane: 6: 30 to 9 : 30 a.m. Westbound and from 3: 30 to 6 : 30 p.m. Westbound between Papineau and Berri
Bus lines impacted by the new reserved lanes:
- 22 – Notre-Dame
- 150 – René-Lévesque
- 410 – Express Notre-Dame
- 430 – Express Pointe-aux-Trembles
Since 2017, priority traffic lights have gradually been installed on the Notre-Dame Est corridor and others will be over the coming months to complete all bus preferential measures. These bus preferential measures will benefit approximately 10,000 daily trips.
This work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
2017
Reserved lane along four sections of rue Wellington, between Rhéaume and Ann streets.
Buses are now travelling on a new reserved lane for buses and taxis, from Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation:
- From 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Southbound:
- between Jean-Talon and Bélanger.
- between saint-Zotique and Beaubien.
- From 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Northbound:
- between Saint-Zotique and Jean-Talon.
Bus lines impacted by new reserved lane:
- 44 – Armand-Bombardier
- 95 – Bélanger
- 460 – Express Métropolitaine
About 22,000 passenger rides are taken each day during rush hour aboard these bus lines.
New priority traffic lights will be installed between Jarry and Beaubien, in a second phase of work, to complete all bus preferential measures along that corridor.
The infrastructure work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
Reserved lane along four sections of rue Wellington, between Rhéaume and Ann streets.
Buses now travel on a new reserved lane project for buses, taxis and bikes, from Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation:
- From 6:30 to 9:00 a.m.
Eastbound:
- between Rhéaume and Gilberte-Dubé streets / bus-taxi lane.
- between Fortune and De la Sucrerie / bus-taxi-bike lane.
- between Peel and Ann streets / bus-taxi lane.
- From 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Eastbound:
- between Rhéaume and Gilberte-Dubé streets / bus-taxi lane.
Westbound:
- from De la Sucrerie to Charron / bus-taxi-bike lane.
- from the Highway 15 overpass to rue Gilberte-Dubé / bus-taxi-bike lane.
Bus lines impacted by new reserved lane:
- 21 – Place-du-Commerce
- 57 – Pointe-Saint-Charles
- 61 – Wellington,
- 71 – Du Centre
- 74 – Bridge
- 715 – Vieux-Port
About 1,700 passenger rides are taken each day during rush hour aboard these bus lines.
It's a second!
This is the second test of cohabitation between buses and bikes in a reserved lane.
New priority traffic lights will gradually be deployed between Woodland and Nazareth streets to complete the bus preferential measures program along that corridor. In a second phase of work, these traffic lights will be upgraded with smart technology to respond to requests for priority sent by buses, in real time, in order to improve travel times for nearly 11,000 passenger rides per day.
The infrastructure work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
For more information,
go to the press room
A new reserved lane for buses and taxis on boulevard Henri-Bourassa benefits some 4 000 passenger rides taken during rush hour, Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation:
From 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- Westbound: from Place Vermandère to Douglas-B.-Floreani
- Eastbound: from Douglas‐B.‐Floreani to Place Vermandère, except for the short stretch from de Miniac and Brabant‐Marineau
From 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Westbound only: from Place Vermandère to Douglas‐B.‐Floreani
Bus lines impacted by new reserved lane:
- 164 – Dudemaine
- 177 – Thimens
- 215 – Henri-Bourassa
- 225 – Hymus.
Bus priority lights will be installed in a second phase of work to complete all bus priority measures along this corridor.
The infrastructure work was made possible thanks to funding from the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification.
2016
A brand-new entrance is opened for users of lines 439 Express Pie-IX and 139 Pie-lX southbound. Located at the intersection of Boulevard Pie-lX and Rue d’Amos, this is the very first waiting area in operation under the Pie-lX BRT (Bus Rapid Transit service)
Watch out for the changes. The bus stop located on Boul. Pie-lX and Rue D’Amos is being moved to the AMOS station, and the bus stops located on Rue Arthur-Champoux and Rue Martial have been adjusted to the new southbound reserved lane between Boulevard Henri-Bourassa and Rue Charleroi.
The fares and schedules in force remain the same.
Advantages of the AMOS station
- Time saved thanks to the reserved lane section
- Safe access
- Spacious and comfortable weather-protected entrance
- Transit pass dispensers
- Validation of passes on OPUS card or L’Occasionnelle card before boarding
- Boarding by all doors of the bus;
Discover this integrated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service project on Boulevard Pie-IX by visiting:
https://rtm.quebec/en/news/projects/pie-ix-bus-rapid-transit
Between De Jumonville and Renoir
Buses operating on five lines now travel in a reserved lane, dedicated to buses, taxis and carpools, Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation
Southbound:
6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- between Amos and Charleroi; Grandes-Prairies and Galets; Paimpol and Jean-Talon; Saint-Zotique and Jumonville.
- Overall length: 4.25 km.
Northbound:
3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- between Jean-Talon and Paimpol; Galets and Grandes-Prairies; Charleroi and Renoir.
- Overall length: 2.9 km
Total overall length of reserved lane: 7.15 km
Buses lines using this new reserved lane:
Main bus lines: 32 – Lacordaire and 432 – Express Lacordaire
Bus lines operating on portions of reserved lane: 33 – Langelier, 69 – Gouin and 439 – Express Pie-IX
Cars with 2 or more passengers can also use the reserved lane.
This reserved lane for buses, taxis and carpools is made possible with the collaboration of the City of Montréal, the Montréal-Nord, Saint-Léonard and Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie boroughs and Transports Québec.
Between boulevard Rosemont and rue Sherbrooke
Bus lines 139 and 439 now travel on a new reserved lane for buses and taxis, from Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation
Southbound: from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This section of reserved lane is in operation because of the work to reconfigure the Pie-IX - Sherbrooke intersection and of the integrated project for bus rapid service (SRB) on boulevard Pie-IX.
To learn more about the Pie-IX SRB project, go to srbpieix.ca
2015
Between rue De Normanville and boulevard Pie-IX.
The 18 - Beaubien bus line now travels in a reserved lane for buses and taxis, Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation
Westbound:
- between 20e Avenue and 1ere Avenue, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- between avenue De Lorimier and rue Fabre, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Eastbound:
- between rue De Normanville and avenue De Lorimier, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- between 1ere Avenue and boulevard Pie-IX, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Note: This is actually an extension of the reserved lane with priority traffic lights initially deployed on rue Beaubien in 2009.
This reserved lane for buses and taxis was made possible in cooperation with the city of Montréal and Transport Québec (MTQ).
Between boulevard Gouin and avenue Saint-Louis
All 208 - Brunswick, 209 - Des Sources, 409 - Express Des Sources and 475 - Express Dollard-des-Ormeaux buses now travel in a new lane reserved for buses, taxis and carpools, Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation:
Southbound:
From 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- between Gouin and De Salaberry boulevards
- between Hymus boulevard and avenue Saint-Louis
Northbound:
From 3:30 to 18:30 p.m.
- between avenue Reverchon and boulevard Hymus
- between De Salaberry and De Pierrefonds boulevards
Cars with 2 or more occupants can use the reserved lane.
Parking on boulevard des Sources is prohibited at all time.
This reserved lane for buses, taxis and carpools is made possible with the cooperation of the city of Montréal, the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, the city of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, the city of Pointe Claire and Transports Québec.
Between Victor-Doré and De Beauharnois streets
All 179 de l’Acadie and 180 de Salaberry buses now travel in a new lane reserved for buses and taxis, Monday to Friday.
Hours of operation
Southbound:
- between Victor-Doré and Lavigerie streets, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- between Caroline-Béique and Beauharnois, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 18:30 p.m.
Northbound:
- between Legendre and Louvain streets, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 18:30 p.m.
- between Port-Royal and Place de l’Acadie, from 3:30 to 18:30 p.m.
Cars :
Car traffic and parking will be prohibited once the reserved lane is operational.
This reserved lane for buses and taxis is made possible with the cooperation of the city of Montréal and Transports Québec.
2014
Ride aboard the 64 Grenet and 468 Express Pierrefonds/Gouin bus lines and travel along a new reserved lane for buses and taxis, Monday to Friday.
Hours of service
- Southbound : between De Mésy and Deguire, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- Northbound : between Deguire and De Serres, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
On-street parking is permitted on opposite side of reserved lane during operation hours.
This reserved lane for buses and taxis is a joint initiative by the city of Montréal and Transports Québec.
Two new reserved lane segments are in service
- between De Viterbe and Saint-Zotique
- between Rosemont and Pierre-De Coubertin
Southbound: 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Northbound: 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m
Automobile traffic and parking are not permitted in the reserved lanes when in service
PILOT PROJECT - bus-bike-taxi reserved lane between Rosemont and Pierre-De Coubertin
Montréal is well known for its citizens’ interest in alternative methods of transportation including buses and bikes. This pilot project allowing for the cohabitation of these two forms of transportation.
Viau reserved lane offers several benefits:
- Trips that are more efficient
- Service that is more regular and more punctual
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions in your sector
- A safe and comfortable layout for the movement of buses and bikes
It’s a first!
This is the first test of cohabitation between buses and bikes in a reserved lane. We will conduct assessments and,depending on the results, this type of reserved lane could be implemented elsewhere in Montréal.
Ride aboard the 105 Sherbrooke and 420 Express Notre-Dame-de-Grâce bus lines and travel along a new reserved lane for buses and taxis, Monday to Friday.
Hours of service
- Eastbound : between Elmhurst and Girouard, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- Westbound : between Addington and West Broadway, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
On-street parking is permitted on opposite side of reserved lane during operation hours.
This reserved lane for buses and taxis is a joint initiative by the city of Montréal and Transports Québec.
