The STM’s 2021 budget and 2021-2030 Capital Expenditures Program: Relaunching Montréal public transit

Press release

In the midst of the pandemic, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is releasing its $1.5B 2021 budget, centred on the challenge of relaunching public transit in Montréal, and its 2021-2030 Capital Expenditures Program, with which it plans to invest an amount of $18B.

“The COVID-19 crisis has affected us deeply, with its first wave causing our ridership to drop by almost 90%. The loss of revenue combined with the costs related to the major health measures that we have implemented sent us into a serious financial crisis. Preparing the 2021 budget therefore posed a significant challenge. However, we are pleased with the results, considering the circumstances, as we have prioritized maintaining our service offering. We would also like to thank the government bodies that have supported us financially,” said Philippe Schnobb, Chair of the STM Board of Directors.

Maintaining our service offering

In order to maintain a sufficient level of service for our customers’ needs—particularly those of essential service workers—and ensure a safe environment that allows for some physical distancing, the STM will maintain its 2019 level of service through fall 2020 and 2021. It will also continue to roll out various adaptive measures for its sanitary equipment and maintenance. It is clear that these efforts have been worthwhile, as no COVID-19 outbreaks related to public transit use have been reported.

“This year was a turning point, during which the STM made a crucial decision for our future and the future of public transit in Montreal. Beyond balancing the budget, we are endeavoring to preserve our achievements and maintain service for our customers. We have chosen to reach the targets set for us without reducing our service offering. For the first time in many years, supply is not being determined by demand, but by our moral obligation to make sure that we and our 11,000 employees are providing our customers with the safest service possible, and rightly so,” said Luc Tremblay, STM Chief Executive Officer.

More 2021 budget highlights

  • Arrival of the last of 300 new buses
  • Continued construction of the Bellechasse bus garage and completion of expansion work at three other bus garages to house the 300 buses
  • Arrival of the final 17 additional Azur trains (seven in 2020 and 10 in 2021)
  • Increase in Transport adapté ridership with 3 million trips, up 16% from the expected trips for 2020
  • Rollout of new, faster card readers on buses
  • Continuation of Universal Accessibility work in the métro network
  • Deployment of “Service +” in 53 stations, providing easy access to after-sale service, in addition to the 16 existing Espaces clients
  • Further consultations on the bus network redesign

The 2021 STM budget is built on rigorous, responsible financial management of expenditures. Having considered the total costs related to investments, service adjustments and other operating expenses, the STM has achieved a 2021 budget decrease of $9.5M, down 0.6% from 2020. The 2021 budget strikes a balance between financial discipline and an acceptable level of service.

2021-2030 Capital Expenditures Program

Despite the difficulties, the STM will continue to invest in its infrastructure by allocating $18B over the next 10 years to improving the reliability of its infrastructure and service offering. This level of investment is stable in comparison with last year’s Capital Expenditures Program. With investments averaging $2B per year, the STM will fund several important projects, including its bus network electrification, the Blue line extension, métro station renovations and various accessibility projects throughout the métro network.

Documents

2021 Budget

2021-2030 Capital Expenditure Program