Innovations 1 November 2022

The STL lets Québec-based BusPas use its network for a pilot project

The STL is pleased to support a local company by letting them test out a new digital display prototype at its bus stops. With innovation in its DNA, the STL is proud to let the public transit industry conduct experiments on its network to improve the customer experience. It’s also a great opportunity to help develop local technological expertise. As the STL is not too big and not too small, it is the ideal lab for this type of project, by allowing a certain level of agility needed to test new concepts.

More than 25 of these BusPas digital displays will be rolled out at some of our stops on Des Laurentides Blvd. and De la Concorde Blvd. 

Displaying next bus arrival times in real time… 
… and much more!

This project will test several functionalities and components, particularly: 

• the solar energy power 
• data capture by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, such as:
  • the number of people at a bus stop 
  • the wait time 
  • the boarding time
• Resistance to bad weather and extreme temperatures.

We are letting them use our network for a period of up to 12 months to test the prototypes in all four seasons. It should be noted that the STL bus stop signs will stay in place throughout the term of the project as the BusPas equipment is not the STL’s property and will be eventually removed. 

The locations have been selected based on three main criteria: 

• Stops with high traffic on two targeted roads: Des Laurentides Blvd. and De la Concorde / Notre-Dame Blvd. *These two roads alone account for nearly 50% of the STL’s total ridership.
• Proximity between new displays to simplify maintenance during the project.
• Digital displays recently removed.

It’s excellent news for STL riders who will be able to get data in real time for the next bus arrival times at even more stops, in addition to indirectly helping with the development of future public transit technology. 

What do they look like?