As soon as July 2023, Montrealers aged 65 and older will be able to ride the STM for free, Mayor Valérie Plante announced on Instagram on November 23.

She said the measure would apply to Montreal Island. It's so far unclear if that also includes Montreal's Île-des-Soeurs, Île Sainte-Hélène, Île-Notre-Dame and Île-Bizard, or all of Zone A in the relatively new transit fare setup.

The mayor also suggested all public transit would be free, possibly including the forthcoming REM light-rail network.

Plante celebrated the measure as a way to help older people "participate fully in society" and even contribute to fighting climate change. "And it's a good way to fight inflation!" she added.

The current transit fare for one trip in Zone A costs $3.50 and only $1.25 for those older than 65. Seniors receive the cheapest fare price of any paying group identified by the STM — even 16-year-olds pay more at $2.50 for one trip.

This measure will make Montreal's public transit system more accessible, a goal the STM is also advancing toward with improvements to many metro stations, including Pie-IX and Villa-Maria. The two stations now have fully operational elevators, bringing the total number of universally accessible stations across the network to 23.