The Société de transport de Laval's budget - FARE INCREASES BELOW INFLATION

LAVAL, QC, Dec. 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Last evening, the Société de transport de Laval (STL) presented its 2011 budget, which provides for a 1.3% increase in fares, below Greater Montréal's current level of inflation, which stands at 1.4%.

Starting January 1, cash fare will cost $2.80 and a regular monthly pass will rise to $79.

"It is thanks, in particular, to the City's exemplary contribution-which is up another 3.6%, to now account for 53.1% of our revenue-that the fares we are charging our transit users continue to be so modest," pointed out STL President Jean-Jacques Beldié. "No other municipality in Québec finances public transit as much."

The addition of a new bus route as soon as the Autoroute 25 bridge is inaugurated and the strength of the economic recovery should contribute toward a significant increase in passenger volume over the next year.

The three-year capital investment program for 2011-2013 provides for investments of $81.7 million, earmarked for the acquisition of vehicles, the expansion of facilities, the development of services and the roll-out of new functionalities in the STLSynchro passenger information system, which is one of the most advanced in all of Canada.

The STL, facts and figures

• The STL operates over 20 million runs annually.
• The STL has rolled out its STLSynchro system, which informs transit users, in real time, about bus schedules and progress along the routes.
• The overhaul of the bus network, made necessary by the extension of the metro to Laval, gave rise to a 28% increase in service, faster trips and more direct bus routes.
• The frequency of buses outside rush hours, on evenings and weekends, has doubled on 12 routes since August 2009.
• The fare policy is particularly designed to encourage families to use public transit: All adults paying their fare on weekends and holidays may be accompanied, free of charge, by up to five children age 11 and under. This policy also applies to every day in the summer, July 1 - Labour Day. In addition, the STL's $1 fares on summer smog days are a first in Québec.
• All vehicles on its fleet use biodiesel B5.
• The STL has its own page on Facebook, where it announces service notices, and is registered on Twitter.
• The STL offers riders the opportunity to register on MySTL to receive notices on the bus routes that they usually take.
• Since the roll-out, in 2009, of its vehicle scheduling control system, the STL's on-time performance has been on the rise, to over 92%.
• The STL has received a number of awards of distinction, including one from the AQTR: the Grand Prix for excellence in mass transit, positioning it as an outstanding corporation.

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GRILLE TARIFAIRE

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Tarification en vigueur
Le 1^er janvier 2011

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Comptant

• Tarif ordinaire :   2,80 $

Droit de passage

• Tarif ordinaire :  19,00 $ bloc de 8 droits de passage (2,38 $/droit)
• Tarif réduit** :    13,50 $ bloc de 8 droits de passage (1,69 $/droit)

Abonnement « STL » mensuel

• Tarif ordinaire :   79,00 $
• Tarif étudiant* :  63,00 $
• Tarif réduit** :    47,50 $

Journée SMOG

• Tarification comptant à 1,00 $

  * Tarif étudiant : étudiants de plus de 17 ans et de moins de 26 ans au 31 octobre de l'année scolaire en cours

** Tarif réduit : étudiants de moins de 18 ans au 31 octobre de l'année scolaire en cours et personnes âgées de 65 ans et plus.

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