New gadgets at the STM
TVA is talking about new ticket readers in STM buses, more metro trains, progress on new facilities less visible to users, like bus and metro garages, and an entire list of new improvements to come.
Metro talked to Philippe Schnobb about upcoming improvement work.
Joey 09:40 on 2019-01-04 Permalink
“De nouvelles valideuses apparaîtront dans les autobus de la Société de transport de Montréal (STM) cette année, permettant aux passagers d’entrer par la porte arrière et, éventuellement, de payer avec une carte de crédit ou de débit en plus de la carte OPUS.”
Long overdue. Making boarding/fare validation quicker is about the only thing the STM can do to speed up the bus network. Here’s hoping the new card readers work more quickly than the existing ones.
Chris 12:14 on 2019-01-04 Permalink
Joey, how do you figure it’s “about the only thing the STM can do to speed up the bus network”? Do you mean things that can be done without the government collaborating? Because it seems to me more buses, more reserved lanes, etc. could also speed up the network.
Joey 13:19 on 2019-01-04 Permalink
Exactly – reserved lanes, etc., obviously would improve the bus network (not just its speed – its robustness, reliability, etc.), but these are improvements that need external government actors to prioritize. Shortening boarding times is the kind of low-hanging fruit that the STM is certainly capable of achieving on its own. How about Opus card readers at bus stops so that riders can pre-pay their fare as the bus is approaching? The objective should be that riders can go from bus stop to spot in the bus without having to stop to dip their card or pay their fare.
Kevin 15:53 on 2019-01-05 Permalink
Opus cards did slow down bus loading, especially at terminals.
Kate 14:05 on 2019-01-06 Permalink
Relative to what era, Kevin? Previous to Opus we had strips of tickets, which had to go into a machine that then gave out a transfer. I’m not sure that was faster. I don’t remember which year bus drivers stopped selling tickets, but I’m old enough to remember when they did, and that certainly slowed things down.
Even to this day, you can use change in a bus, and you can hear sighs of annoyance when someone at the head of a long lineup is dropping in a pocketful of quarters.
Ian 18:28 on 2019-01-06 Permalink
When you just showed your passes while boarding that was much faster. I distinctly remember a slowdown when the OPUS readers came into play as each person had to place their card, wait, and then get a response. They do seem to be performing more reliably and responding quicker so I suspect there has been a lot of tweaking of the system over time. The first year they would often stop working if it got over 30 or below -20 out.
Joey 18:30 on 2019-01-06 Permalink
What Ian said – Opis readers are much slower than the old “flash your monthly pass” system. I seem to recall the old system for tickets was drop your ticket in the container and grab a transfer out of the box (which would automatically) prep the next transfer.
Kate 20:00 on 2019-01-06 Permalink
Joey, as I recall, you weren’t supposed to take the transfer from the machine yourself, on the bus. The driver would take it and hand it to you. I don’t know why, but it was so.
But yes, I’d forgotten we just showed our passes, or dropped the paper tickets into the box on the bus, and that the magnetic strip was only for the metro.
Joey 23:00 on 2019-01-06 Permalink
That’s what I remember as well (re the transfers).