STM celebrates 40 years of Transport adapté

Montréal, January 28, 2021 – In recognition of the 40th anniversary of Transport adapté, Montréal’s paratransit service, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is inviting customers to take part in a virtual celebration beginning tomorrow.

“After celebrating 100 years of bus service and 50 years of the métro, the time has come to do the same for the 40th anniversary of Transport adapté! To mark this happy occasion with our customers and employees, we are mainly turning to social media. Since the pandemic has not let up since the anniversary of our paratransit service—which officially debuted on April 1, 1980—we have decided to hold a virtual celebration,” said Philippe Schnobb, Chair of the STM Board of Directors.

“To commemorate 40 years of paratransit in Montréal, we have chosen to emphasize not only the service’s history but also its mission of humanity and inclusion, which is demonstrated by the door-to-door service that we deliver every day. Over the years, this accessible service has also built up a sense of family that persists to this day,” said Luc Tremblay, Chief Executive Officer of the STM.

The STM will use its various social media accounts to raise awareness about Transport adapté and the ways it has evolved through the years. Montrealers are invited to follow STM - Mouvement collectif on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram to take part in the festivities, including:

• An exclusive video tribute to employees and customers
• Never-before-seen historical archives presented in a photo album
• A time capsule showing the world of paratransit through the eyes of customers past and present
• A challenge to the curious in the form of a quiz that will test how much you’ve learned from the Transport adapté web page

Transport adapté through the years

• 1973: Brothers Jacques and Jean-Marc Forest found paratransit company Minibus Forest.
• 1980: The Commission de transport de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal (CTCUM) takes over from Minibus Forest as paratransit provider.
• 1984: The CTCUM begins a pilot project to provide paratransit via taxi, which becomes a permanent service in 1986.
• 1992: Transport adapté moves into the old Saint-Michel bus garage on Jarry Street East.
• 1994: Ridership hits one million trips per year.
• 2018: Real-time vehicle tracking and imminent arrival notifications are introduced.

You can learn more about the history of Transport adapté:

Information : Medias@stm.info