The STM unveils today the Mouvement orange, an initiative aiming to improve public transit in Montréal in the busiest area of the métro, with various measures for the bus and métro networks.
Montréal, May 13, 2019 – In 2018, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) began extensive work on the future of the bus network, which will culminate with the completion of its 2025 Strategic Organizational Plan. In this context, today the STM is unveiling a strategy for the central Island of Montréal, which includes Ville-Marie, Mile-End, Plateau-Mont-Royal and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie. The Mouvement orange is a multi-phase strategy that involves implementing various measures in the bus and métro network along the Orange line between Beaubien and Berri-UQAM stations. The initiative aims to improve public transit service in Montréal in the busiest area of the métro network, specifically by offering fast, efficient bus alternatives with service to downtown.
Creation of a new Express bus line
In September 2019, the STM will implement the new 445 Express Papineau bus with service to downtown. This line will begin at Beaubien Street, run along Papineau Avenue, where a reserved bus lane will gradually be implemented all along the route and continue along René-Lévesque Boulevard to the heart of downtown. The route will go into downtown in the morning and leave from downtown in the afternoon. The 445 Express Papineau bus will offer passengers an interesting alternative to the métro, similar to the 427 Express Saint-Joseph bus, which was promoted as “the other orange line” when it was created in 2010.
Consolidation of existing bus lines
Building on its success, the 427 bus will also be enhanced at this time. Moreover, this fall, the STM will consolidate its service on Parc Avenue, another major corridor located about a kilometre from the Orange line. The 435 Express du Parc/Côte-des-Neiges bus will be divided into two new buses to provide enhanced service that is better adjusted to morning and afternoon peak periods, namely the 480 Express du Parc bus and the 465 Express Côte-des-Neiges bus. Service in the Parc and Côte-des-Neiges corridors will also be enhanced on the local 80 du Parc and 165 Côte-des-Neiges buses in the non-peak directions during peak periods. (lien web vers les fiches techniques)
Enhancement of service on the Orange line
In September 2019, the STM will enhance service on the Orange line with the addition of two trains during morning and afternoon peak periods. The additional trains will bring the number of trains leaving from Henri-Bourassa station from seven to nine during the morning peak-period.
A new preventive measure on the Orange line
Moreover, the STM will have three trains located near three stations to allow service adjustments to be made as needed: Crémazie during the morning peak period and Berri-UQAM and Lionel-Groulx during the afternoon peak period. This is a new preventive measure for maintaining the planned interval between trains in the event of a service disruption.
Quotes
“The STM’s proposed Mouvement orange provides concrete measures for Montrealers who experience congestion on the Orange line daily. All the proposed measures, whether on the bus or métro network, are aimed at improving public transit conditions for our citizens in this critical area of our city. This will certainly help take pressure off the Orange line in the short term, in anticipation of heavy infrastructure in the longer term,” says Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante.
“The STM is reviewing its entire bus network and wants to have this mode of transportation play a bigger role by adapting the network to current and future realities. With the creation of the new express line on Papineau and the enhancement of existing lines offering direct service to downtown, the Mouvement orange offers very appealing bus alternatives about a kilometre east and west of the Orange line,” says Philippe Schnobb, Chairman of the STM Board of Directors.
“It is essential that the service offered by the STM be improved in the short and medium term to provide travel options, not only to take pressure off the eastern portion of the métro’s Orange line but also to preserve and improve public transit services to downtown. We are confident that this strong and sustainable action will improve the fluidity, reliability and attractiveness of public transit in Montréal,” adds Luc Tremblay, STM Chief Executive Officer.
The STM, with the City’s support, is also working on developing a comprehensive strategy for bus priority measures (BPM) in critical corridors. The aim of this process is to encourage a clear sharing of public space in favour of public transit to improve the reliability and on-time delivery of service and to optimize the growth of the bus fleet, support the bus network redesign and begin a real modal shift.
Technical files on the new bus lines
Plans of the new bus lines
Click on thumbnail to view in high-definition
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Isabelle A. Tremblay
Affaires publiques
Société de transport de Montréal
medias@stm.info
Geneviève Jutras
Attachée de presse de la mairesse
Cabinet de la mairesse de Montréal et du comité exécutif
514 243-1268
genevieve.jutras@ville.montreal.qc.ca