Laval, November 5, 2020 – Yesterday, the Société de transport de Laval (STL) was presented with the award during a virtual gala hosted by the Association québécoise du transport (AQTr) for its online tool that tells riders how crowded their bus should be. Launched last June, this tool stands out because it provides riders with an estimate of the number of passengers they should expect not only when they board, but also during the course of their entire bus trip – a first in Canada. With the COVID-19 pandemic having made social distancing in public transit situations a core concern for users, this tool supplies them with information tailored to them, so they can make informed decisions based on the level of bus crowdedness they are comfortable with: e.g. take an earlier or later bus, get on or off at a different bus stop, use another bus route nearby, etc.

STL buses have been equipped with GPS technology and passenger counters for years, which record on a daily basis how many passengers are on the bus at each stop, for each bus route, at each scheduled bus time. The new tool uses this information to derive the level of bus occupancy at a stop, at a specific time, for the entire length of a commute, based on the averages trending over the previous five business days. The calculations are updated daily. Available at stlaval.ca/passengers, on a computer or smartphone.

Quote from STL Board President Éric Morasse 
“We appreciate being recognized by the industry for an initiative we are especially proud of, developed during these unusual times, for the purpose of reassuring users so they may continue using public transit for their commutes as always. By democratizing access to green transportation, and doing so affordably while many families contend with tighter budgets, we are continuing to fulfill our mission of facilitating mobility for the Laval population.”