747 Montreal-Trudeau/Downtown

747 Montreal-Trudeau/Downtown
Founded 29 March 2010[1]
Service type Shuttle bus service
Stops 11
Destinations Bus station-Airport
Fleet Nova Bus LFS
Daily ridership 4,000 [2]
Annual ridership 1.5 million (estimated based on daily ridership
Fuel type diesel fuel
Operator Société de transport de Montréal
Website 747 Aéroport P.-E.-Trudeau / Centre-ville shuttle bus

The 747 Montreal-Trudeau/Downtown is a shuttle bus service that runs between Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Gare d'autocars de Montreal, the downtown bus terminal, which is connected to the Montreal Metro at the Berri-UQAM station. There are nine additional stops in the city: Lionel-Groulx Metro station, Guy at René Lévesque Boulevard; along René Lévesque at Drummond, Peel, Mansfield (Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Central Station and Place Ville Marie), Jeanne-Mance and Saint-Laurent; on Berri at Sainte-Catherine and at de Maisonneuve.

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) 747 Shuttle Bus replaced the Aerobus that was privately operated by Groupe La Québécoise as a direct connection between the former Montreal central bus station and the airport.[3]

Even though the buses are regularly delayed in the highway traffic, the line is generally considered a big success and reached one million passengers a little over a year after opening.[4]

The route is named after the Boeing 747.

Schedule

747 bus terminus at Montreal-Trudeau

The service operates year-round, 24 hours a day, the only STM bus route to do so.[1] When service first started buses ran every 30 minutes during off-peak hours and at 20-minute intervals during the afternoon rush hour, but due to increasing demand buses, in 2010 the frequency of services was increased to every 10–12 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m, every 30 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and every hour from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.[5] Subsequently, afternoon and evening service frequencies have improved further. As at autumn 2013, buses now operate every 5–7 minutes on certain busy moments.[6]

Accepted transit fares

Contrary to all the other STM transit services, the 747 Shuttle bus does not accept single tickets and unlimited-evening tickets.

The following STM transit fares are accepted:

  • 24-hour pass;
  • 3-day pass;
  • Unlimited-weekend pass (Friday 6 p.m. - Monday 5 a.m.);
  • Weekly pass (Monday - Sunday);
  • Monthly CAM;
  • Monthly TRAM (zones 1-8);
  • 4-monthly CAM.

The first three tickets are available on a non-rechargeable Occasionnelle ticket through the STM vending machines. Longer tickets can only be charged on an OPUS smart card (sold for CA$6.00 at ticket counters).

Passengers without ticket are required to pay a $10.00 fee in the bus; exact change in coins only. Passengers paying in cash will still receive a ticket that allows to transfer to any STM service within 24 hours.[7][8]

Vehicles

The interior of one of the 16 adapted 747 shuttle buses.

The route is operated using distinctively branded 2010 (29-149 to 29-156) and 2011 (31-001 to 31-008) Nova Bus LFS vehicles equipped with luggage racks. These buses have a modified livery to indicate they operate the 747 service, with a blue chevron logo with an aircraft pictogram in the centre of the chevron near the rear, replacing the standard STM one.

Since 2011 the 16 dedicated buses have been fitted with free wifi hotspots and buses numbered 31-001 to 31-008 also have air conditioning, the only buses in STM's entire fleet so equipped with such until a new order of hybrid buses in 2016.[4]

Due to the high demand additional conventionally decorated Nova Bus LFS are also used on this route.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Anne Sutherland (29 March 2010). "New 747 bus cuts travel time to Trudeau airport". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "The STM reveals historic ridership results". STM. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  3. ↑ Steve Faguy (11 March 2010). "STM's 747 Airport Express launches March 29". Fastein (weblog). Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 "The one-millionth passenger climbs aboard the 747 express bus!". STM. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Increased service for the 747 Express Bus". STM. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  6. ↑ 747 Bus Planibus time schedule September 2013 Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine..
  7. ↑ "More about the 747 Aéroport P.-E.-Trudeau / Centre-ville shuttle". STM. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Fares". STM. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
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