Société de transport de l'Outaouais

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Société de transport de l'Outaouais
File:STO green logo.png
250px
Founded 1971
Headquarters 111 Rue Jean-Proulx
Locale Gatineau, Quebec
Service area Gatineau and Ottawa
Service type Bus service, paratransit
Routes 66
Stations 11
Fleet 302 buses
Annual ridership 19.4 million (2010)
Website sto.ca

Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) is the transit service of the Outaouais region of Quebec. It operates public transit routes in Gatineau, Quebec, including the Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors, plus limited service to suburban communities such as Chelsea and Cantley.

STO is located in Canada's National Capital Region, and operates numerous bus routes through Downtown Ottawa, Ontario. It was the last transit company that still operated fishbowl buses in Quebec, the last one: 7901 was preserved.

History

  • Before 1971, Public Transit in Gatineau was operated by the private sector. The company had 42 buses to serve 11 million clients in 1956, number reduced to 2.5 million clients in 1971.[1]
  • In 1969, the law on the Regional Outaouais Community (Communauté régionale de l'Outaouais) is adopted. In 1971, the Commission de transport de la communauté régionale de l'Outaouais (CTCRO) was created. In 1972, the CTCRO acquired their administrative headquarters, adopted their logo and official colours and for an amount of $2.25 million buys all three public transit companies operating in the region (Transport urbain de Hull, Transport Hull métropolitain, Transport d'écoliers du nord de l'Outaouais).
  • In 1973, the CTCRO creates an agreement with OC Transpo, to make the transfers between the two services easier.
  • In 1990, the CTCRO introduced its first fleet of air-conditioned buses. From this year forward, the company purchased only air-conditioned buses.
  • In 1991, CTCRO becomes la Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO)
  • In 1996, the STO celebrated its 25th anniversary. On a day, passengers were charged only 25 cents for one trip.
  • In 1998, the STO was named the Canadian public transit operator of the year by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA). It was at the same year that the company introduced a smart-card fare system, making it the first company not only in the Americas but the entire Western Hemisphere to have a smart-card system.[citation needed] Paper card bus passes were gradually retired until its official end in 2004 when smart cards became the exclusive bus pass.[2]
  • In 2002, the STO introduced its first fleet of low-floor buses from NovaBus. From this year forward, the company purchased low-floor only buses.
  • In 2005, the STO announced a strategic plan for the period 2005–2015 in which they are projecting a ridership of 21 million by 2015 up from 16.3 million in 2006. Ridership from 1995 to 2006 had grown about 50% . In addition to the Rapibus, the STO is planning on increasing the number of park and ride facilities across the city as well as the introduction of bike racks, the expansion or addition of garages, fleet expansion and a pilot project with routes increasing accessibility to people with reduced mobility.[3]
  • In 2012, STO introduced its fleet of Novabus LFS articulated buses.
  • In 2013, STO unveils its new visual identity - L'avenir en commun, as well as a new logo.

Rapibus

In 2003, the STO have announced plans to build a bus-only roadway similar to OC Transpo's transitway in Ottawa, called the Rapibus. The project was initially expected to be completed by 2011, and was finally opened in 2013.

Operations

Information current to July 2014:[4]

  • Fleet: 302 buses
  • Employees: 730, including 438 bus drivers.
  • Routes: 66
  • Shelters: 285
  • Ridership: 20 million in 2011[5]
  • Kilometres travelled each year: 13.4 million in 2009
  • Paratransit Service
  • Rapibus
  • Park-n-Ride: 19 with 2200 available spaces
  • Infobus service by phone or SMS

STO Bus Routes

  • As of January 27, 2014

Regular routes

Rush-hour regular routes

School Routes

The following routes are for students from Gatineau educational institutions only and numbers are not shown on the destination sign, on the bus flag, the Info-Plus information board or the User's Guide. It is mentioned only on the STO's website under the Students (Pour étudiants seulement) section. They are also not included in the InfoBus telephone information dispatcher system. They have three-digit numbers, and the last two indicate that it is using a route similar to its parent route (ex: 633 follows mostly Route 33). Generally, the name of the school is shown only on the destination sign, but sometimes it can also do the parent route's short trip. These routes runs only on school days from Late-August/Early-September to mid or late-June.

École secondaire de l'Île

École secondaire Grande-Rivière

École secondaire Mont-Bleu

Collège Saint-Alexandre

Collège Saint-Joseph

Collège Nouvelles-Frontières

Parent Routes by sectors or towns

  • Route 14 serves Chelsea;
  • Routes 15 and 16 serves Cantley;
  • Routes 10–39 serves the Hull sector (Route 20 is a Rapibus route);
  • Routes 40–59 serves the Aylmer sector;
  • Routes 60–79 serves the former city of Gatineau (Route 68 is a Rapibus route);
  • Routes 90-99 serves the Buckingham & Masson-Angers sectors;
  • Routes 100-810 are Rapibus routes.
  • It should be noted that some of these routes travel through more than one area. All Hull routes, Aylmer routes (except 49 through 58), 67, 200, 300 and 400 cross the Ottawa River to Ottawa. Routes 28 and 58 (Serve Tunney's Pasture).
  • Main terminals on the STO network includes de la Cité Station (replacing Les Promenades Gatineau (Gatineau)), Labrosse station (replacing Jean-René-Monette Park And Ride (Gatineau)), Freeman Park and Ride (Hull), CEGEP Gabrielle-Roy (Hull), des Allumettières Terminus(Aylmer), Rivermead Park And Ride (Aylmer) and Rideau street.
  • Other major transfer points includes the Hull hospital on Boulevard Lionel-Emond, the shopping district on Boulevard Saint-Joseph (at Montclair and Gamelin in Hull) and the downtown area (Terrasses de la Chaudière and Place du Portage).
  • STO adopted several changes from 2005 to 2007 to the service in every sector after public consultations. The most recent changes were adopted for the Aylmer and are in effect since June 25, 2007.[6]

Fleet

  • This is the current fleet of the STO Source

Active fleet

Note : All Classics are generally used in rush hour service only.

Retired fleet

  • This is the retired fleet of the STO Source

Fleet notes

File:Sto0404.jpg
A NovaBus low-floor bus
  • In the 2002 User's Guide, the STO was expected to convert half of its total bus fleet into low-floor buses by 2012. The low-floor buses are the NovaBus LFS models from 2002 to 2008. However, the more recent models contains a seating capacity for only 37 passengers, while most other models have a capacity of well over 40 seats. During rush hour, there is a higher chance to see overcrowded situations inside this type of bus.
  • Another flaw in these buses is that even though they are considered low-floor buses and seem to have wheelchair access (a wheelchair sticker, although very small, is located near the exit door in the center of the bus), there have been some technical issues that prevent wheelchair access to the bus. However, it does ease access for those on crutches, those who have mobility problems, seniors and pregnant women. This means that no STO regular buses are wheelchair accessible. They must rely on paratransit service. The only wheelchair-accessible buses in the fleet are the 2009 third-generation LFSs.
  • From 2001 to 2006, in order to satisfy growing demand, the STO purchased additional older buses from the Société de transport de Montréal, Société de transport de Laval, Société de transport de Sherbrooke and OC Transpo. All buses have been retired. 8202 was sold to a private collector in May 2009.
  • In 2006–07, fishbowl buses had their rollsigns replaced with Balios LED signs taken from 1996 and 1997 Classics, 8310 was the last bus still with a rollsign, since it has been retired, all buses are now equipped with electronic destination signs.
  • On February 15, 2007 the STO presented new hybrid buses and two of them were tested during the winter of 2007. Previously, it also tested a prototype bus from Ontario during the summer of 2002
  • On October 31, 2007, the STO announced in their 2008 budget that 19 new buses will be added in 2008 and 2010 and 20 in 2009. [1]
  • Seven buses were purchased from the STCUQ in 2007, they are currently in service, except 9130 which was retired.
  • During the summer of 2008, the STO has started a test trial of a prototype NovaBus articulated bus on several of its routes. The bus has 58 seats and a total capacity of 115 passengers. [2]
  • With the arrival of the '3rd-Gen' Nova LFSs, STO will begin offering more accessible service between 9 am and 3 pm on routes 36, 37, and 300 starting September 30, 2009. This is because that these buses feature the more reliable flip-out ramps, as opposed to the telescopic ramps on older LFSs which are disabled due to unreliability.
  • Nova LFS artics have been seen in the street of Gatineau late March 2012. It seem only one bus is driving around for route testing purposes. An additional 25 buses will hit the streets in July starting with the Canada Day shuttle service and other events. Will be used for routes 67 as well as express routes at first.

Fares

Fares in this section were effective January 1, 2014[7]

E-wallet (minimal load of $10)

  • Adult: $3.40
  • Student (12–20 years old): $2.60
  • Senior: $2.60

Cash fares

  • All categories: $3.90

Ticket fares (per ticket)

  • All categories: $3.50

Monthly passes (Adults)

  • Fidélité: $81.00
  • Regular: $90.00

Monthly passes (Seniors)

  • Fidélité: $35.10
  • Regular: $39.00

Monthly passes (Students 12-16)

  • Regular: $61.00
  • ZAP: $20.00 (evenings and week-ends)
  • Cam-Puce CÉGEP: $210.00 (4 months)
  • Summer: $91.50 (2 months)

Monthly passes (Students 17-20)

  • Regular: $61.00
  • Cam-Puce: $270.00 (4 months)
  • Cam-Puce UQO: $145.00 (4 months)
  • Summer: $91.50 (2 months)

Monthly passes (Students 21+)

  • Regular: $90.00
  • Cam-Puce CÉGEP: $210.00 (4 months)
  • Cam-Puce UQO: $145.00 (4 months)
  • Cam-Puce: $270.00 (4 months)

Family Fare The family fare is a promotion that allows children aged 11 and under who are accompanied by an adult to travel for free every weekend, on most school and statutory holidays and everyday of the week after 9 am during the summer (months of July and August). (STO Website)[8]

Passe-temps (day pass)

  • Regular: $8.50

Transfers

  • Transfers usually last for a maximum of 2 hours, except on Route 33 where it is a maximum of 3 hours (at least when you board at de la Cité Station).
  • There are no additional charge when boarding OC Transpo regular routes, although there are some premium charges on Express and Rural Express routes

OC Transpo Transfers and Passes

  • *Accepted without a supplement on the regular STO system. A supplement is required on express buses ($0.50) and on routes subject to interzone fares (students and seniors: $1.90 / adult: $2.60).
  • *After 9:00 am throughout the area served – Before 9:00 am only when boarding in the downtown Hull and sector Ottawa, unless accompanied by an Ontario residency card.
  • The OC Transpo day pass is also accepted on STO buses but can not be used as a family pass.
  • As of February 1, OC Transpo titles will not be accepted for the duration of the bus strike.

Ontario Residency Card

  • This photo ID card is available at STO issuing centres for $8.00, taxes included. It entitles the holder to use the STO's services with an OC Transpo pass at any time. The supplements required for the express and interzone buses apply

Miscellaneous

  • Other fares are available for groups, special cases, or persons with disabilities.

Smart card

  • Monthly passes are in the form of a wireless electronic "smart card" known as Multi (previously Passe-Partout Plus). The card itself has an initial cost of $8.00 and may be purchased from designated sales outlets. Monthly passes are also valid for connecting to OC Transpo routes in Ottawa.

See also

References

  1. ↑ About the STO – Looking Back
  2. ↑ About the STO -Kudos
  3. ↑ About the STO – STO's 2005–2015 Strategic Plan
  4. ↑ STO Data and Statistics
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Changes to the Network in the Aylmer Sector (Effective June 25, 2007)
  7. ↑ STO Fare Schedule
  8. ↑ STO Family Fare

External links

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