New bus service in Île-des-Sœurs and Cité-du-Havre

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and the borough of Verdun, in the presence of the ARTM, have unveiled today the new bus service in Île-des-Sœurs, which will be put into service when the REM becomes operational in late spring.

“I am pleased to announce this new bus service, the first step in our major project to redesign the bus network across the Island of Montréal. This network redesign, which started in 2018, is based on a meticulous, collaborative effort, particularly with stakeholders in the relevant sectors, and ties in with the rollout of major public transit projects, such as the commissioning of the REM in Île-des-Sœurs,” says Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the STM Board of Directors. “The residents of Île-des-Sœurs and Verdun helped us establish the new bus routes by voicing their needs and concerns during a public consultation in 2019. I am confident that this will ensure smooth and easy travel in the borough of Verdun, as well as on both sides of the St. Lawrence River.”

"The Borough of Verdun is proud to be associated with this announcement of the new bus service to L'Île-des-Soeurs, which will be operational when the REM is put into operation," said Marie-Andrée Mauger, Mayor of the Borough of Verdun and member of the City’s Executive Committee. I would like to thank the STM for taking into account the needs and concerns expressed by the public during the 2019 public consultation and I hope that this close collaboration with the Borough will continue in the years to come,” added Ms. Mauger.

"The ARTM would like to highlight the quality of the work done here by the STM teams. The consultative approach that puts people at the heart of the process demonstrates a commitment to provide services that are well aligned with the needs of the citizens of Ile-des-Soeurs. The recovery of public transit is underway and will remain focused on the changing needs of the population. Rethinking networks in light of a changing environment means investing in a more prosperous, inclusive and greener future,” said Benoît Gendron, Director General of the ARTM.

New bus service on Île-des-Soeurs

To make transfers to the Île-des-Sœurs REM station more efficient, two new high-frequency lines will be implemented to provide fast, direct service between the REM and all sectors of Île-des-Sœurs:

• 172 Chemin-Du-Golf, which will run on weekdays only
• 176 Berlioz, which will run daily

Additionally, the 12 Île-des-Sœurs and 168 Cité-du-Havre bus lines will keep their connection to De l’Église métro station and the downtown area, respectively. These two lines, which have been extended to the end of Pointe-Sud, will also serve the Île-des-Sœurs REM station, as follows:

• Line 12 will continue to run at the same frequency and has been modified to provide service to the REM and the Pointe-Nord area in both directions during the week.
• The route and service of line 168 have been modified to accommodate the new high-frequency lines and the arrival of the REM. The 168 will run on weekdays with a schedule adapted to the REM, since the REM will bring a large part of the ridership to the downtown area. This modified line will serve Berlioz Street and Robert-Bourassa Boulevard in both directions. Its downtown terminus has been moved to Lucien-L’Allier station due to the elimination of 178 Pointe-Nord/Île-des-Soeurs.
• To compensate for the service adjustment of the 168 between Cité-du-Havre, Cité du Multimédia and downtown, the 74 Bridge line has been upgraded and will now run in the evenings and on weekends. This line will run in both directions on Robert-Bourassa Boulevard throughout the week.

As a result of these changes, lines 21 Place-du-Commerce and 178 Pointe-Nord/Île-des-Sœurs have been eliminated. Customers currently relying on these lines can now use the modified 12 and 168 lines.

The bus network is a flexible mode of transportation because it is possible to adjust the level of service according to field observations and customer needs.

Discover the new routes

A location-based communications campaign will be launched in the Île-des-Sœurs sector using a combination of media, including digital and social media, as well as signage posted in bus shelters. Customers in the area will be able to learn more about the bus network and plan their new routes to connect to the REM. The campaign will also be featured in the Métro newspaper, on the STM’s website and in its newsletter. The STM is also encouraging customers to discover the new service by visiting refontebus.stm.info/ids.

About the bus network redesign

With major public transit projects such as the REM, the Blue line extension and the Pie-IX BRT on the horizon, the STM launched a collaborative process in 2018 to rethink the surface network to make it even more attractive and better adapted to the mobility needs of Montrealers. Using five guiding principles, the STM sought input from representative and expert stakeholders, the public and communities in different areas of the city to improve customer experience and review the design and architecture of its surface network. Along with sector consultations, the changes brought about by the redesign will be implemented gradually and aligned with the commissioning of major public transit infrastructure, notably the REM. To learn more about the bus network redesign.

Take a look at the media presentation (French only).

Map

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