The STL Extends its Accessibility Starting August 25!

LAVAL, QC, Aug. 22, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Starting August 25, the Société de transport de Laval (STL) will be extending its accessibility on Route 60. From now on, riders in wheelchairs or on four-wheel electric scooters along this route will be able to use the STL's regular transit network at all times, Monday through Sunday, thanks to buses equipped with an access ramp.

This access ramp service was launched back in November 2011, on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and has been gradually increased ever since. Moreover, the STL's Accessibility Plan, which it had submitted to the Ministère des transports du Québec, received the MTQ's approval in March 2012. In keeping with this plan, which stipulated that wheelchair accessibility on Route 60 would be "extended to weekdays, starting summer 2012," the buses on Route 60 are equipped with an access ramp from now on. Accessible stop signs are identified by a wheelchair pictogram and are also indicated in this way on the STL's website.

"We're pleased to be able to continue offering services to our transit users that are more and more accessible. We believe that these new facilities will make it easier for our riders to get from place to place in Laval, every day of the week," pointed out Jean-Jacques Beldié, Chairman of the STL's Board of Directors.

The STL wishes to remind transit users that they must check to make sure that the dimensions of their wheelchairs are not over the maximum dimensions allowed. Full details in this regard may be found on the STL's website (www.stl.laval.qc.ca), under Paratransit Service / User Guide. As for the accessible stops along STL's regular transit network, these are indicated under Services & Fares / Accessible Stops. For further information, don't hesitate to phone the STL's Customer Contact Centre at 450 688-6520.

The STL, facts and figures

• The STL operates over 20 million runs annually.
• The STL has rolled out its STLSynchro system, which informs transit users, in real time, about bus schedules and progress along the routes.
• The overhaul of its bus network, made necessary by the extension of the metro to Laval, has given rise to a 32% increase in service, faster trips, more direct bus routes and a greater frequency of buses outside rush hours, on evenings and weekends along 12 routes.
• The STL has also joined forces with the Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique, Communauto and the Carpooling Network, to promote sustainable transportation in Laval.
• The fare policy is particularly designed to encourage families to use public transit: All adults paying their fare on weekends and holidays may be accompanied, free of charge, by up to five children age 11 and under. This policy also applies to every day in the summer, July 1 - Labour Day. In addition, the STL's $1 fares on summer smog days are a first in Québec.
• All vehicles on its fleet use biodiesel B5.
• The STL is registered on Twitter and has its own Facebook page, where it announces service notices.
• The STL offers riders the opportunity to register on MySTL in order to receive notices on the bus routes that they usually take.
• Since the roll-out, in 2009, of its vehicle scheduling control system, the STL's on-time performance rates continue to improve and, to date, it has succeeded in achieving rates of over 92%.
• The STL has received a number of awards of distinction, including one from the AQTR in 2010—the Grand Prix for excellence in mass transit—positioning it as an outstanding corporation.
• In 2011, the STL was honoured with the AQTR's general public communication award for its Smog Alert program.
• In 2011, the STL undertook a feasibility study to examine the viability of implementing an aerial tramway (gondola service) on its territory. This study is an additional project over and above the measures in the Sustainable Mobility Plan. The steps being taken in this regard are supported by Ville de Laval, the Agence métropolitaine de transport and Hydro-Québec.
• A new program—STL Sustainable Mobility Solution—was launched in May 2012. This program is designed for organizations concerned with finding ways of more efficiently managing their employees' commuting.
• In May 2012, the STL was honoured with the 2012 Corporate Leadership Award in the Innovation category, for its CLIC carpooling project with electric vehicles.

SOURCE: SOCIETE DE TRANSPORT DE LAVAL

Marie-Céline Bourgault
Director, Communications and Marketing
Société de transport de Laval
450 662-5429
[email protected]