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montreal bus

stm montreal

Tap payments are finally being tested on STM buses and metros — But access is limited

If you've ever stood at an STM turnstile fumbling for your OPUS card, your life might get a little easier soon — at least if you're one of the chosen few.

First announced by La Presse on Monday, May 26, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) confirmed to MTL Blog that it will begin testing mobile tap payments on STM buses and metro stations this summer. Starting in July, a limited group of users will be able to buy transit fares through the Chrono app and validate them with their smartphone at card readers and turnstiles.

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The STM revealed Montreal's top 5 busiest bus lines and metro stations

If you take the bus or metro in Montreal, you can probably relate to being overcome with panic when the door slides open and you're forced to pack yourself in like a sardine. On the flip side, it's always a relief to get a seat and a little breathing room.

While you likely have your unofficial guesses as to which Montreal bus lines and metro stations are the busiest, we now have the official rankings thanks to the Société de transport de Montréal (STM)'s 2023 Annual Report, which was released earlier this year.

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Bye, OPUS cards — Here's when Montreal transit riders can expect to pay with smartphones

Montreal's public transportation authority has taken the first step toward giving transit riders the option to trade OPUS cards for smartphones. So, kiss your OPUS card goodbye (though not actually because it's probably filthy and you'll still need it for quite a while) and get ready to (eventually) pay your fare by tapping your phone.*

On August 6, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) officially issued a 'call for tenders' for the "Implementation of mobile OPUS card emulation solutions" on the Système électronique d'appel d'offres du gouvernement du Québec. This essentially means the ARTM has kicked off the process of digitizing OPUS cards by asking IT contractors to bid for the opportunity to work on the project with them.

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These are the STM's 9 most common complaints of the past year

Raise your hand (or OPUS card) in the air if you've ever been annoyed or angry with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) because of something related to the bus or metro? In 2023, that would equate to around 37,943 of you — at least, that's the number of complaints that were actually filed, according to a new report.

And an STM spokesperson has shared the main reasons for those complaints with MTL Blog.

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How Not To Be A D*ck On A Montreal Bus: 8 Terms & Conditions Of The Social Contract

Montreal bus drivers are among the city's most unsung heroes, despite serving a crucial role in connecting commuters to their work, loved ones, errands and escapades. As their grateful riders, we sit in the drivers' massive, ambling vehicles for but a brief moment. But in that time, much can happen, from the heartwarming (aww, that baby smiled at me!) to the deeply infuriating (that young adult is taking up five people's worth of space and I just want to RELAX).

We've all been the bad guy on the bus at least once in our lives — unless you're some kind of straightedge beacon of light and love who never forgets to give up their seat. Good for you, but the rest of us need a gentle reminder of the expectations in the social contract we sign every time we tap an OPUS card against those newfangled fare checkers.

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Montreal Metro & Bus Ticket Prices Are Going Up This Summer

Montrealers will have to pay a bit more for transit rides starting this summer. The regional transit authority, the ARTM, announced fare increases — by a weighted average of 3% — will take effect July 1. That means slightly higher prices for many Montreal metro and bus passes.

The changes affect all four fare zones: the Agglomeration of Montreal (Zone A), Laval and the Agglomeration of Longueuil (Zone B), the North and rest of the South Shore (Zone C), and the outlying municipalities of Marieville, Rigaud, Sainte-Madeleine, Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Sainte-Martine, L’Épiphanie and Saint-Hyacinthe (Zone D).

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Montreal Is Carving Out Space From 4 More Major Streets To Create Reserved STM Bus Lanes

Montreal is set to add new reserved bus lanes to parts of four major thoroughfares, adding to its extensive network of public transit corridors. The city already claims to have the most kilometres of bus-only lanes on the continent. The additional lanes will bring Montreal's total to 300 kilometres, facilitating upwards of 20,000 daily trips, officials say.

The new lanes will be on chemin de la Côte-Saint-Luc and rue Sherbrooke Ouest in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, rue Provost in the borough of Lachine, and boulevard Saint-Laurent in the boroughs of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension.

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The STM Will Soon Be Free For Your Parents & Grandparents — Here's How They Can Get Their Fare

Starting July 1, 2023, the metro, bus, exo train and paratransit networks will be free for people age 65 and older on Montreal Island. As of April 19, qualifying riders can load their OPUS cards with the free fares, which will start working in July.

The STM and City of Montreal announced the measure in 2022 with the goal of making transit more accessible for seniors.

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Montreal Was Ranked Among The Best Cities In The World For Public Transit

A new ranking measuring the cities with the best public transit dropped and Montreal is the only Canadian city to have made the cut. Time Out released its ranking on April 3, 2023, and highlighted 19 cities across the globe that know a thing or two about public transportation.

In order for Time Out to identify the top 19 cities, the global magazine surveyed more than 20,000 city-dwellers across the world from more than 50 different cities.

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You'll Soon Be Able To Recharge A Montreal OPUS Card From Your Phone

The miserable monthly ritual of waiting in a line of undercaffeinated metro riders to recharge your Montreal OPUS card is coming to an end. Montreal's regional transit authority is officially moving forward with a plan to introduce mobile OPUS recharging, which would allow riders to buy transit passes from a smartphone.

The project is still in its early days. The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) has so far only issued what's called a call for tenders (appel d'offres, in French) to seek a private-sector partner who can create a platform that would allow mobile OPUS purchases.

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The STM Is Turning To AI To Tell You Where The Hell Your Bus Went

Instead of offering a blood sacrifice to the gods for a miraculous sign pointing you to the location of your missing bus, you can now turn to a robot — kind of. The STM has launched a new AI-powered tool to map bus detours and temporary stops.

The tool works by tracking real-time bus locations using STM data and the Transit app. According to the STM, the tool updates route maps when it detects that three buses in a row on a given line have detoured. It can also pinpoint the location of temporary stops by tracking bus speeds.

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The Desperately Broke STM Is Hacking Away At Its Costs... Again

The STM will continue to hack away at its costs with a goal of saving $18 million in 2023. If successful, these cuts would bring the transit company's deficit down to a mere $60 million.

So far, the STM says the spending reductions won't affect service. So customers wouldn't see changes to their bus or metro schedule this time around. Instead, the STM says it's focusing on non-recurring internal expenses.

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