The STL website has been revamped! - A new design, easier browsing and new applications

LAVAL, QC, June 19, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - As of today, the stl.laval.qc.ca website has a new look. The STL's website has been completed reworked. The new site will make browsing easier and more efficient thanks to a new layout, new content and new functions.

"I am very proud of our new website which is now more interactive, intuitive and client focused" said Marie-Céline Bourgault, Communications and Marketing Director for the STL. "It is the perfect reflection of the new and carefully thought out image for our brand; one that is designed to reinforce the presence of the STL in Laval. The new and updated look is simpler, more streamlined and is sure to please our clients."

In 2010, the STL was the first transportation company in Canada to launch a real time implemented website. At the time, it completely revolutionized the way information was provided to the users of public transportation.

The new site being launched today is even more ambitious. In addition to providing users with access to schedules for their buses in real time, they can also follow the progression of the next bus. The new site also provides access to AOT schedules around the entire metropolitan region. By creating a MY STL account, users can also save their favourite stops for any of the available AOTs listed on the website and get quick access to the next three upcoming buses.

"We used open data to offer our clients next level service and provide them with information in real time to help make travelling easier. The website is an essential tool for the STL. We consider ourselves social media front runners and we have been making use of it for quite a while now because of the many possibilities it offers" says Kevin Machabée, Technological Development and Innovations Consultant. "The new site is adapted for use with smart phones as well as tablets and a new social media section was also included to provide visitors with instant information via several platforms. "

The STL has also launched new applications for the Android and iPhone.  These new applications dovetail perfectly with our new website: finding real time and planned schedules, accessing your My STL profile and accessing

the planned schedules of other AOTs.  The new apps are available at no cost.

Responding to needs
The new website required more than 8 months of work and included the collaboration of several internal and external teams. Kevin Machabée worked with Tonik Groupimage who were tasked with supporting us in the development of the new website. To ensure that it responded perfectly to the needs and concerns of our clientele, the STL took into account the comments it had received over the past few months. These comments are a rich source of information because they shed light on the daily use of transportation and they reflect the needs of our clients.

The site was designed using WCAG 2.0 which makes websites more accessible for people with cognitive difficulties and for people with visual and auditory impairments. The new website allows visitors to increase the font size and navigate using a keyboard rather than a mouse. The layout is simple and structured to make it more accessible to people with cognitive limitations.

A new business section
The revamped STL website also has a new Business Services section. Designed as part of the STL's Sustainable Mobility Solution, the new business section allows Laval businesses to easily and efficiently search for solutions to solo automobile use and find ways to encourage their employees, collaborators and suppliers to find new means of travelling.

Ridesharing, cycling, walking and taking the metro are all part of the range of possible solutions that can be searched to find solutions that are based on their location and needs.

"The new stl.laval.qc.ca website is proof that we have opted to focus on our clients and offer them the tools and functions they require to meet their needs. Knowing when the bus is coming is the single most important issue and we have done everything we can to make this as efficient as possible - and that means doing it in real time " added David De Cotis, President of the STL's Board of Directors.

The new site will be continuously updated with new content and new communications tools. The STL is making the most of interactivity which allows us to continue strengthening our ties with the people of Laval.  Enjoy our new website!

Details about the new website

• A new streamlined design that reflects our new image
• Simplified navigation
• Adapted for use with smart phones and tablets
• Access to the schedules of other AOTs in the metropolitan area
• A calendar of events
• A new social media section
• A new business services section
• New iPhone and Android applications
• A new look for our terminals and screens

The STL in Facts and Figures

• The STL makes over 20 million trips annually.
• The STL has launched the STL Synchro system to informs transit users, in real-time, about bus schedules and routes.
• Our fare policy is designed to encourage families to use public transit: an adult paying a regular fare on weekends and holidays may be accompanied by up to five children of 11 years of age or under at no extra charge. This policy also applies to summer day fares from July 1 to Labour Day. Our new $1 fare on smog alert days over the summer is a first in Québec.
• The STL has also teamed up with the Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique, and Communauto.
• The STL is now posting news and announcing service notices on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.
• The STL offers transit users the opportunity to receive notices about their favourite bus routes and find out what's new at the STL by signing up for My STL.
• The STL has increased its on-time performance to nearly 90% since the introduction of its Vehicle Scheduling Control System in 2009.
• The STL has recently received a number of awards and distinctions including the Grand Prix for excellence in public transit from the AQTR in 2010 ranking it as an outstanding corporation.
• In 2011, the STL received the Communication Grand Public award from the AQTR for its Smog Alert program.
• In May 2012, the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) presented the STL with its Corporate Leadership Award in the Innovation category for its CLIC project: carpooling with electric vehicles.
• In May 2012, the STL launched the new STL Sustainable Mobility Solution service. This program is designed for companies and organizations concerned about finding ways to more efficiently manage commuting for their employees.
• In November 2012, the STL signed the International Association of Public Transport's UITP Charter on Sustainable Development.
• In March 2013, the STL became the first public transit corporation in Québec to be certified as a Healthy Enterprise.
• In May 2013, the AQTr awarded the STL their Coup de cœur du jury d'honneur award for two projects: Operational support and user information system for paratransit (SAEIV) and CLIC the electric carpooling project launched in conjunction with the AMT.
• In June 2013, the CUTA awarded the STL with two Corporate Leadership Awards: one in the Innovation category for its Operational support and user information system for paratransit (SAEIV) and other in the Marketing and Communications category for the Let's Develop Together contest.
• In November 2013, the STL received a special mention from the Institut de l'administration publique du Québec, in the e-Government category (Gouvernement en ligne) for its real time operational support and user information system for paratransit (OSIS).

SOURCE: Société de transport de Laval

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