More Metros, more buses, better service promised across the STM starting today

If you are a public transit user in Montreal, today is the day your life is supposed to get a little easier.

As of today, the STM is increasing the number of trains on the Metro's Green, Orange and Blue lines during peak hours. In the evening, there will bea maximum interval of fiveminutes between trains.

Service on the Blue line will also be extended by 30 minutes in the evening. Right now, the last trains leave the terminal stations at 12:15 a.m.

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When it comes to buses, 100,000 hours of service will be added, in large part to mitigate the effects of the roadwork that has taken over city streets.

"If we look at the annual statistics, 2016 was still a good year, but we want [service] to be more efficientin 2017," said STM chairman Philippe Schnobb.

In addition to those changes, the STM also plans to:

• Increase the number of adapted transport rides given to fourmillion,five per cent more than the 2016 total.
• Introduce 18 AZUR trains and 107 air-conditioned hybrid buses.
• Implement the iBUS system, which will allow users to track buses in real time.
• Inaugurate elevators at Place-d'Armes and Honor-Beaugrand stations.

The STM did not raise its fares in January, but an increase for July isn't out of the question.