Quebec is investing $23.5 million to improve bus service in Laval.
The third-largest city in Quebec will implement several plans to make buses move faster.
Those will include altering traffic lights and creating new bus lanes on major streets.
"We think that if public transit is reliable, punctual, and easy to take, more and more people will use it," said Mayor Marc Demers. "All the population will gain from that.”
The city said it will create reserved bus lanes on Corbusier Blvd., Carrefour Blvd., Curé Labelle Blvd. and other major thoroughfares by the end of the year.
The second measure being implemented will be to alter traffic lights on major routes to recognize STL buses.
The idea is that if a bus is approaching a green light that is about to change colour, the light will remain green until the bus goes through the intersection, and only change colour afterward.
“If we add those up, it comes to about 50,000 hours per year saved and those 50,000 hours per year saved, we can easily add more buses to the STL’s bus lanes,” said STL president David de Cotis.
Demers said he believes up to five minutes can be shaved off bus routes with these two steps, and let buses run more frequently.
"If you take your car and you're not stuck in a traffic jam, you will appreciate that there are more people in the buses," said Demers.
Meanwhile Laval transit is downplaying a lack increase in ridership last year.
After several years of increases of 2 to 3 per cent, there was no increase in 2015.
STL officials said they believe the low price of gasoline, coupled with a decrease in the economy, convinced people to either stay at home, or stay in their cars.
