The STM is promising to increase bus and metro service in 2017 as it implements the largest increase in service in a decade.
The transit agency will add six percent more trips to daily metro service, decreasing the maximum wait for a train to five minutes during the evening.
Metro trains will also run 30 minutes later each weeknight beginning in March.
Transit users said it was great news that has been a long time coming.
"This is a budget we should have seen three years ago," said Philippe Cousineau-Morin of Transport 2000.
The chair of the STM, Philippe Schnobb, said despite the problems encountered in the past two weeks, the metro and bus are working very well.
"98% of the time it works well. I think people who are not clients have to know that," said Schnobb.
In the past two weeks there have been several well-publicized delays on the metro lines, all for different reasons.
People have been caught on multiple occasions walking on the tracks, so many that this week the STM installed new signs on platforms telling people not to get on the tracks to retrieve lost items.
Metro trains have also been delayed because of cigarette butts tossed onto the tracks, a smoky fire in one station, and problems with two separate communications systems.
"Nothing's perfect," admitted Schnobb, but he said most of these problems can be corrected -- and changes have been made to protocols so some problems will not happen again.
The STM is trying to increase ridership after a decrease in users in 2015.
To that end the agency is also adding more buses -- paid for in part by the provincial government.
There will be a two percent increase in bus trips in 2017 as the STM adds 107 new hybrid buses.
Those buses will be added to areas that are affected by road construction.
"We want to make sure that more people are taking public transit so to do so we need to provide services, but at the same time, we need to show that it's working," said Schnobb.
The STM is also adding 310 new bus shelters, and installing elevators in Place D'Armes, Rosemont, and Honoré Beaugrand metro stations.
Opposition councillors in Montreal said the increase in service is not sufficient.
"We should have 2,000 buses in our fleet right now, but there's only 1,800," said Craig Sauvé.
But users are pleased with the additions, even if they would have preferred to see them implemented years ago.
"It's great news for public transit users, more service, better service," said Cousineau-Morin.
The last bit of good news concerns price hikes.
Once again the STM is not raising prices in January -- although it will likely hike fares in July.
