SRB Sauvé/Côte-Vertu to open soon
An SRB (fast bus lane) to link Sauvé and Côte-Vertu stations (buckling a large part of the orange line) will go into service in a week or so. (I know “mi‑décembre” seems like a long way off, but it’s next week!)
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Kate
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Rebecca 11:00 on 2020-12-08 Permalink
Slightly more information (and a map!) is available on the STC site:
English: http://www.stm.info/en/about/major_projects/major-bus-projects/bus-priority-measures-bpm/srb-sauve-cote-vertu
Kate 11:31 on 2020-12-08 Permalink
Thank you, Rebecca!
DeWolf 14:18 on 2020-12-08 Permalink
What’s being built on Pie-IX is a true BRT/SRB. The stops look more like train stations, with platforms and shelters, and the buses will have their own dedicated right-of-way so they don’t have to interact with traffic at all. By contrast, what’s happening on Côte-Vertu seems more like a branding exercise, because it’s basically just a regular old reserved lane, albeit one that is in operation 24/7. The lane is still vulnerable to being blocks by illegally parked cars and drivers turning right.
It’s certainly not a bad effort but I think it’s misleading to call it an SRB, which may lead to similarly watered-down SRB lines in the future.
DeWolf 14:22 on 2020-12-08 Permalink
Also, another complaint: ever since the STM introduced the “10 minutes max” network of buses, the reality of these busy lines seems to have become “no more often than 10 minutes.” Before Coderre’s cuts to bus service, the 80 ran every 3-6 minutes throughout the day. Now that frequency has been reduced to 10 minutes. Not surprisingly, ridership has plummeted over the past decade.
With 40,000 riders a day, the 121 Sauvé bus should really be running every 5 minutes. 10 minute frequencies is the bare minimum for such a busy line and having a permanent reserved lane won’t do anything to address that problem.
Ephraim 11:38 on 2020-12-09 Permalink
There is one thing that I never understand about these lanes. Why don’t they add brick red tint to the asphalt, so you can clearly and unquestionably see that it’s a bus lane! I mean, there is a brick red asphalt tint for a reason… why not use it? And the colour is mixed in, so it’s not paint.