40% increase in ridership and a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per kilometre - The STL launches its 2013-2022 Strategy Plan

LAVAL, QC, March 25, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The president of the Société de transport de Laval's Board of Directors and Municipal Counsellor, Mr. David De Cotis, has officially unveiled the STL's 2013-2022 strategy plan. The plan was approved by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) last June and by the city of Laval in August.

This plan is a logical continuation of the 2004-2013 strategy plan and it reflects the shared visions of the city of Laval and the STL in their desire to take an active role in sustainable transportation. We have made substantial improvements to our services over the past few years and we have concentrated on improved communication with our clientele. These initiatives have translated into improved service, increased reliability and exceptional punctuality. Since the opening of the Laval Metro, the STL's services have increased by 36%.

"New urban development, constant population growth and environmental, economic and social issues required a renewal of our vision for public transit in Laval. The 2013-2022 strategy plan is a reflection of the STL's two ambitious goals: increasing ridership by 40% and reducing 25% of its own greenhouse gas emissions per kilometre by the 2022 deadline" declared David De Cotis.

Three guiding strategies are being implemented to reach these goals: rolling out an attractive and competitive service offer, making the STL a more environmentally sensitive organization and rethinking our vision of urban mobility and development.

"The next decade will be crucial for both the STL and the city of Laval" says Mr. Guy Picard, general manager of the STL. "In order to make public transit a competitive alternative to travelling by car, the STL firmly believes that implementing preferential measures is our best course of action. These measures (reserved lanes, priority traffic lights for buses, etc.) are designed to increase the speed, punctuality and reliability of bus travel. The ministère des Transports du Québec announced last September that they will be fully subsidizing projects of this type when implemented by December 31, 2016. With a total predicted investment of over 40 million dollars, our Strategy Plan will therefore be put into action immediately. "

This work dovetails perfectly with the vision expressed in the STL's new Strategy Plan and several main arteries have already been identified. The works being implemented for the preferential measures will concentrate on the main thoroughfares of public transit including: Le Corbusier, des Laurentides, Notre-Dame, de la Concorde and Curé-Labelle. The STL hopes to gradually transform these bus corridors into a rapid transit system (RTS).

"We want to create reserved lanes, but where physical constraints make this impossible, we plan on introducing other, lighter measures that will facilitate bus travel in congested areas by incorporating concepts such as prolonging green lights, having prioritized traffic lights or even by extending the stopping zones. We will therefore be working on this project in collaboration with the city of Laval and the AMT. These projects will also be subject to consultation with stakeholders including citizens, residents, business owners, elected officials, etc." says Mr. Pierre Lavigueur, Head of Development Commercialization and Innovation for the STL.

The 2013-2022 strategy plan is a testimonial to the STL's desire to play and more proactive role in sustainable mobility for Laval and to improving quality of life by creating a city that is not reliant on cars. It is also an excellent opportunity to promote a new brand image. In fact, according to the majority of citizens, the design of the various component parts of transportation has a strong impact on their opinion of customer service. This is why the STL has decided to renew its brand positioning in order to better reflect its innovative nature and the invaluable service it provides to the community.

Marc Demers, the Mayor of Laval is ecstatic about the new role played by public transit in Laval. "A new strategy plan, concrete projects for preferential measures and a new brand image will certainly contribute to achieving our goals for mobility as well as for the rejuvenation of our city. Laval is committed to public transit and it will be called upon to play a larger and more strategic role in the next few years. Whether that means increasing their services to attract more drivers, acquiring cleaner running vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or by collaborating with the city to harmonize more closely with changes to infrastructure and public transit, the STL will be an important player in the solution. "

If you would like to learn more about the 2013-2022 Strategy Plan, please visit stl.laval.qc.ca.

The STL in Facts and Figures

• The STL makes over 20 million trips annually.
• The STL has launched the STL Synchro system to informs transit users, in real-time, about bus schedules and routes.
• Our fare policy is designed to encourage families to use public transit: an adult paying a regular fare on weekends and holidays may be accompanied by up to five children of 11 years of age or under at no extra charge. This policy also applies to summer day fares from July 1 to Labour Day. Our new $1 fare on smog alert days over the summer is a first in Québec.
• The STL has also teamed up with the Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique, and Communauto.
• The STL is now posting news and announcing service notices on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.
• The STL offers transit users the opportunity to receive notices about their favourite bus routes and find out what's new at the STL by signing up for My STL.
• The STL has increased its on-time performance to nearly 90% since the introduction of its Vehicle Scheduling Control System in 2009.
• The STL has recently received a number of awards and distinctions including the Grand Prix for excellence in public transit from the AQTR in 2010 ranking it as an outstanding corporation.
• In 2011, the STL received the Communication Grand Public award from the AQTR for its Smog Alert program.
• In May 2012, the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) presented the STL with its Corporate Leadership Award in the Innovation category for its CLIC project: carpooling with electric vehicles.
• In May 2012, the STL launched the new STL Sustainable Mobility Solution service. This program is designed for companies and organizations concerned about finding ways to more efficiently manage commuting for their employees.
• In November 2012, the STL signed the International Association of Public Transport's UITP Charter on Sustainable Development.
• In March 2013, the STL became the first public transit corporation in Québec to be certified as a Healthy Enterprise.
• In May 2013, the AQTr awarded the STL their Coup de cœur du jury d'honneur award for two projects: Operational support and user information system for paratransit (SAEIV) and CLIC the electric carpooling project launched in conjunction with the AMT.
• In June 2013, the CUTA awarded the STL with two Corporate Leadership Awards: one in the Innovation category for its Operational support and user information system for paratransit (SAEIV) and other in the Marketing and Communications category for the Let's Develop Together contest.
• In November 2013, the STL received a special mention from the Institut de l'administration publique du Québec, in the e-Government category (Gouvernement en ligne) for its real time operational support and user information system for paratransit (OSIS).

SOURCE: Société de transport de Laval

Marie-Céline Bourgault, Communications and Marketing Director, Société de transport de Laval, 450 662-5429, [email protected]