Good News: CycloBus Is Back on STL Buses!

LAVAL, QC, April 17, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The good weather days are back, and with them, so is the CycloBus, for the second year in a row. This comes as wonderful news for cyclers! Consisting of a free, easy-to-use bike rack system, the CycloBus option—as it may be recalled—was offered on the buses along the STL's Route 60 last year, all summer long and part of the fall. Since the results were conclusive, bike racks will therefore gradually be installed on all STL buses, and will be available for use from May 1 until October 31 inclusively.

A bicycle rack on each bus
Installed on the front of each vehicle, every bicycle rack can accommodate a maximum of two bicycles. The racks may be used during the following times of day, which have been established based on sunrise and sunset times:

• May 1 - August 17: 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• August 18 - September 18: 5 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• September 19 - October 31: 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

A combination with many advantages
With this "bus + bike duo", cyclers can save time and cover longer distances when commuting to work or going to and from their leisure activities. They can even bring their bicycles with them into the first few cars of the metro as well as aboard certain identified cars of commuter trains. In addition to providing people with an opportunity to keep in shape, this "bus + bike duo" is an economical, reliable way to get around.

"The Société de transport de Laval introduced this option to help Laval residents hop on their bikes and travel around more actively. We want to encourage them to cut down on the use of single-occupancy vehicles, by supporting alternate means of transportation," mentioned STL's General Manager Guy Picard, as a reminder. "Promoting active transportation is one of the 21 measures in Laval's Sustainable Mobility Plan, and equipping our buses with bike racks is one of the STL's many ways of playing a role in this Plan."

As it may be recalled, Laval boasts dozens and dozens of kilometres of bicycle paths for its residents, including the 32 kilometres of the Route Verte. Forty-six percent of Laval's cycling network is completely separate from the roadway and 42% consists of bicycle lanes along the sides of the streets. Bicycle paths officially open on April 15. The complete online map (the Vélo-carte) of Laval's bicycle paths may be downloaded at: http://www.ville.laval.qc.ca/wlav3/index.php?pid=3066.

So… are you ready to adopt the active duo this summer? Consult the STL's website (stl.laval.qc.ca) in the Services & fares section, under CycloBus, for more information on the procedures in using CycloBus bike racks or phone the Customer Contact Center at 450 688-6520.

The STL, Facts and Figures

• The STL operates over 20 million trips annually.
• The STL has rolled out its STL Synchro system, which informs transit users, in real time, about bus schedules and progress along its routes.
• The overhaul of its bus network, made necessary by the extension of the metro to Laval, gave rise to a 32% increase in service, faster trips, more direct bus routes and an increase in ridership outside rush hours, on evenings and weekends, on 12 routes.
• The fare policy is aimed at encouraging 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 every summer day from July 1 to Labour Day. Moreover, the $1 fare on smog alert days in summer is a first in Québec.
• The STL has also teamed up with the Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique, Communauto and The Carpooling Network, to promote sustainable transportation in Laval.
• All of the vehicles on the STL's fleet use B5 biodiesel fuel.
• The STL announces news and service notices on its Facebook and Twitter pages.
• The STL offers its transit users the opportunity to register on My STL in order to receive notices on the bus routes that they usually take and obtain information on what's new at the STL.
• Since the introduction of its Vehicle Scheduling Control System in 2009, the STL has increased its on-time performance to nearly 90%.
• The STL has received a number of awards of distinction, 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 STL launched its new service: STL Sustainable Mobility Solution, designed for companies and organizations concerned about finding ways of more efficiently managing their employees' commutes.
• 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 November 2012, the STL signed the Charter on Sustainable Development of the UITP (International Association of Public Transport), as a pledge signatory.
• In March 2013, the STL became the first public transit corporation in Québec to be certified as a "Healthy Enterprise".

SOURCE: Société de transport de Laval

For further information:

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