In the context of a budget deficit, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) announced on Friday that it had to readjust its offer and end its promise of one bus every 10 minutes maximum on the eight lines that were still offering this service at the time of point.
“Due to the current context, the frequency of passages has been readjusted according to traffic: an interval of more than 10 minutes could therefore be observed between two passages on our 10 Max lines, during rush hour”, now indicates the STM on its website.
This decision was made due to the upheaval in the transport habits of users since the pandemic, explains in an interview Justine Lord-Dufour, spokesperson for public affairs for the STM. “People don’t necessarily go as much to the city center at rush hour anymore, so it varies and we adapt to travel habits by optimizing service,” she points out.
Before the pandemic, 31 bus lines were part of the STM’s “ten minutes max” high-frequency network. Then, this number went down to eight bus lines, namely 18 Beaubien, 24 Sherbrooke, 33 Langelier, 64 Grenet, 103 Monkland, 106 Newman, 141 Jean-Talon Est and 406 Express Newman.
“The lines in this network [vont continuer] to be very frequent, assures Mme Lord Dufour. It’s just that we can’t promise the 10 min maximum anymore. We judge that they [vont continuer de] meet the current needs of customers, but it will be 12 minutes between two buses to places [par exemple]. »
In order to avoid overcrowding in buses, the STM specifies on its website that “this adjustment affects the least busy lines and directions”.
Risk of losing users
“A high-frequency network has significant advantages for public transit users,” analyzes Geneviève Boisjoly, professor specializing in transportation at Polytechnique Montréal. Waiting times are highly devalued, compared to the use of the vehicle,” she recalls.
With this new decision by the STM, there is therefore a risk of losing public transit users in Montreal in the sectors served by this network. But these adjustments will also affect people who have no choice but to take the bus, underlines the specialist. “For those who are said to be captives of public transport, those who have to live with it, they will have an impact on their daily use. »
The STM bases its choices on ridership data collected and then analyzed, explains Mr.me Lord Dufour. New sectors, for example industrial, are growing, she says. In addition, there is no withdrawal of buses on Montreal roads, but rather a redistribution of them. “Of course, the message we want to send is that we are adapting to changes in people’s habits and that we want the best service optimized for the new reality,” she says. .
The STM is working in parallel on the overhaul of its bus network in order to adjust to the upcoming arrival of the Metropolitan Express Network (REM), the deployment of the Pie-IX SRB and the extension of the blue metro line.
“It is sure that we must better reorganize the service, supports Mme Boisjoly, but by lowering the line service offer in central districts, there is a risk of losing public transport users… or not finding new ones. »
Budget deficit
Last November, the STM announced a budget hole of $78 million. “We are facing a difficult economic context. We have a slower return of traffic than expected. It is certain that there is an immense pressure on the finances of the STM and on our donors, “said at the press conference the general manager of the company, Marie-Claude Léonard.
The indexation of remuneration and services in a context of inflation, the increase in costs per trip and the arrival of “essential” expenses, such as the maintenance of the AZUR trains, explain the deficit, indicated the STM at the time.
The Company had already, at that time, raised the possibility of reducing the frequency on certain high-frequency bus lines and downtown services. Its objective was to maintain the service offer on 80% of lines.
“The ideal scenario would be not to have a drop in service, observes Mme Boisjoly, but that amounts to not having a drop in funding. »
With Henri Ouellette-Vézina, The Press