The STM begins its service improvement program

Montreal, January 3, 2008 - In the wake of implementation of its service improvement program, Société de transport de Montréal (STM) today announced that, effective January 7, 2008, it will offer an average of 17% more service on métro Lines 1, 2 and 5, mainly outside rush hour.

To this effect, the customers can benefit from more service in each direction with an overall addition of 70 weekday starts on Lines 1, 2 and 5, as well as 37 Saturday starts and 38 Sunday starts on Lines 1 and 2. This measure thus translates into a significant reduction in the interval, which will decrease from:

• 7.5 to 5 minutes at the end of the weekday morning and evening rush hours on Lines 1, 2 and 5;

• 7.5 to 6 minutes on weekdays, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Lines 1 and 2;

• 8 to 6.5 minutes on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on Lines 1 and 2;

• 13.5 to 11 minutes maximum late evening waiting time on weekdays and weekends on Lines 1 and 2.

The STM will also increase service on Lines 18 – Beaubien, 24 – Sherbrooke and 121 – Sauvé/Côte-Vertu by extending the morning and afternoon rush hours, starting January 7, 2008.

In addition, the STM, in collaboration with the Borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, will add service at this time by extending the daytime schedule of Line 54 – Charland/Chabanel. Already offered in rush hour, this line will operate Monday to Friday from now on, from morning to late afternoon.

“This is the first major initiative under the STM’s five-year plan. This plan, in line with the Québec Public Transit Policy, which aims to expand service by 16%, thus increasing ridership by 8% within five years, will be carried out with the support of the ministère des Transports du Québec and Ville de Montréal, which are making equal contributions to its funding,” pointed out Claude Trudel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the STM.

To plan their trips well, the customers are invited to consult the Planibus or call
A-U-T-O-B-U-S (514 288-6287). For any other information, including routes on the Island of Montréal, they only have to call STM-INFO (514 786 4636). The STM website (www.stm.info) contains a wide range of useful information, including all Planibus and the full list of five-digit bus stop codes.

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