My Alerts Montréal, September 19, 2012 – Ms. Monica Ricourt, member of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) Board of Directors and Montréal-Nord borough councillor, along with Pierre Gagnier, mayor of Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, and Ms. Anie Samson, mayor of Villeray – Saint-Michel – Parc-Extension borough, today greeted the one-millionth passenger aboard the 41 - Quartier Saint-Michel / Ahuntsic bus line. Together, they added to the festive mood by handing out promotional objects to transit users aboard the “millionaire bus”.
“After being in service for a little more than one year, this local bus line serving neighbourhoods in Saint-Michel, Ahuntsic and Montréal-Nord is a huge success, as it makes it easier for residents to go to work, school or their recreational activities. Since its introduction in spring of 2011, the number of passenger rides has grown by more than 25% to reach some 4,600 rides a day per average weekday. This bus line is the result of borough officials from Villeray – Saint-Michel – Parc-Extension and Ahuntsic-Cartierville working closely together, along with the Vivre Saint-Michel en santé (VSMS) association,” declared Ms. Ricourt.
“By being here today and focussing on the “millionaires” of the 41 bus line, we are clearly seeing the extent to which this service fills a huge need felt by Saint-Michel residents. The mobility of residents in that section of Saint-Michel has always been a problem because of the overwhelming presence of two huge open cut mines. The STM’s openness to requests by citizens shows us there is always a solution to any problem,” added Ms. Samson.
“I want to thank local residents who use public transit because, in their own way, they are contributing to Montréal’s development, in a harmonious and sensible way. Major efforts are put into improving public transit’s accessibility in specific areas, and proof of that lies in how popular the 41 bus has become,” added Mr. Gagnier.
“This new bus route has made it possible to open up the sector by linking the east, south and west portions of the neighbourhood. It provides residents with improved access to local businesses and services. More importantly, it allows our local youth to reach their high school without as many transfers as before. The 41 bus has enabled Saint-Michel residents to reclaim their neighbourhood,” said Ms. Ève-Isabelle Chevrier, director of Vivre Saint-Michel en santé.
Introduced into service March 28, 2011, the 41 - Quartier Saint-Michel / Ahuntsic bus runs Monday to Friday, from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (roughly every 20 minutes during the day) and provides direct access to Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, bypassing the nearby mines. Its itinerary features 57 stops in each direction, with a connection to L-J Papineau and J-F Perrault schools, Ahuntsic cegep, Boulevard and Forrest shopping centres, Promenade Fleury and CLSC Saint-Michel. Furthermore, passengers can transfer at both Saint-Michel and Sauvé metro stations located on the Blue and Orange lines respectively. The bus line was created as part of the STM’s service improvement program, financed equally by Transport Québec and Montréal urban agglomeration.
Transit users can check the Planibus for timetables. They can also get schedule information by telephone by calling AUTOBUS (514 288-6287), from the website at www.stm.info, mobile site at m.stm.info, by SMS messaging by entering 52786 or by using our iPhone app.
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