Increased ridership at the Société de transport de Laval

A record increase of 8.4% for September 2013

LAVAL, QC, Oct. 17, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Société de transport de Laval set a new record for ridership for September 2013 with an increase of 8.4%. This considerable jump was warmly welcomed by President Jean-Jacques Beldié who applauded the numerous actions taken by the STL over the past few years to promote the use of public transit in Laval.

"This increase is the result of years of hard work that we have put into operating and developing our bus network and by focusing on quality and performance in order to attract and retain our clientele. The results that we see today are an eloquent testimony to the fact that all this hard work and dedication is bearing fruit."

Since the beginning of the year, we have seen an average increase in ridership of 4.5% which represents nearly a million trips. We haven't seen that kind of growth since 2001.

Aside from the improvements made to quality and the services offered, the considerable increase seen in September is particularly attributable to In Town Without My Car Day which was an immense success.  For this year's one day event, 12,947 passengers took advantage of a special $1 fare. That is an increase in ridership of nearly 5.7% which represents an additional 4,586 trips and more importantly, it means a reduction of 2,000 vehicles on the road in Laval.

When we compare September 2013 with September 2012, it is important to remember that there was a student strike last year in Quebec that affected the return to classes which were pushed back to the month of October.

"Despite this context, our loyalty and punctuality is among the best in the entire world" says Guy Picard, General Manager of the STL. "We managed to make the most of the difficult economic climate and the skyrocketing increase in the price of gas. We are also working with Laval businesses to help manage the mobility of their staff and the commuting habits of their workers. We are working to improve accessibility to job locations and reduce the use of cars with single passengers as well as promoting alternative means of transportation including ride sharing."

Among the projects that are currently on the table for the STL are continued research into the use of electric buses, increasing services on the busiest roads (Curé-Labelle, Le Corbusier, des Laurentides, Notre-Dame, de la Concorde, Dagenais and Saint-Martin), a rapid transit bus service (RTBS) along Le Corbusier, implementing temporary and permanently reserved bus lanes as well as prioritization of the traffic lights at various intersections.

"We are truly on the path to success for our challenge to reduce per person greenhouse gas emissions related to the transportation of Laval citizens by 50% by 2031" says Jean-Jacques Beldié. "The amazing response we have received from the people of Laval in terms of increased ridership is great motivation to continue our efforts."

The STL, taking action

• The STL is responsible for over 20 million trips annually.
• The STL has rolled out the STL Synchro system to keep its clients informed in real time about its schedules and buses.
• The STL's fare policy is geared to encourage families to use public transit: an adult who pays a regular fare during the week or on statutory holidays can be accompanied by up to five children under the age of 12 for free. This policy is also applicable on smog days between July 1^st and Labour Day. The $1 reduced fare on smog days during the summer period is a first in Quebec.
• The STL has partnered with the Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique, Communauto and the Réseau de covoiturage to encourage the use of sustainable transportation in Laval.
• We are using our Facebook and Twitter accounts to share our news and travel notices.
• We created My STL to offer our clients the opportunity to receive updates about their regular bus lines and to find out what's new at the STL.
• Since the launch of our Operational support and user information system in 2009, we have increased our punctuality rate to nearly 90 %.
• The STL has received several awards and distinctions including the AQTr'S Grand prix d'excellence en transport en commun in 2010, which solidified our reputation for excellence.
• In 2011, the STL took the AQTr Communication Grand Public prize for its Smog alert program.
• In May 2012, the STL received the CUTA Prix de leadership des entreprises in the Innovation category for the CLIC carpooling project.
• In May 2013, the AQTr awarded the STL their Coup de cœur du jury d'honneur award for two projects: The Operational support and user information system for paratransit (OSIS) and CLIC the electric carpooling project launched in conjunction with the AMT.
• In June 2013, CUTA honoured the STL with two Corporate Leadership Awards: one in the Innovation category for our Operational support and user information system for paratransit (OSIS) and the other in the Marketing and Communications category for the "Let's Develop Together" contest!
• In May 2012, the STL launched its new STL Sustainable mobility solution for businesses and organizations that are conscious of managing the travels of their employees more efficiently.
• In November 2012, the STL signed the International Union of Public Transport's (IUPT) Charter on Sustainable Development.
• In March 2013, the STL became the first transportation company in Quebec to be a certified "Healthy Enterprise"!

SOURCE: Société de transport de Laval

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