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Montreal’s Bus Network: Solving the Identity Crisis

Leave a Comment / Buses, Design, Information Design, Signage /

Montreal’s recent introduction of a metropolitan bus pass, which allows travel across most regional buses with a single ticket, marks a major improvement in public transit. However, the bus network still struggles with visual and operational disunity. Each operator uses its own wayfinding and design, causing confusion about whether the buses operate as a unified system. To address this, I propose a standardized wayfinding system for all operators. Despite time constraints from working full-time and handling overtime, I focused on developing a design standard, particularly for bus stop signage. This effort, though limited in scope, aims to create a more integrated and user-friendly transit experience for Montreal.

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Making better signage for when things go haywire.

Leave a Comment / Buses, Design, Information Design, Signage /

This article discusses the critical need for clear and effective signage in public transportation, especially during service disruptions such as network shutdowns. Highlighting the importance of signage as a primary communication tool for transit users, a solution would be to improve service change communications and wayfinding, focusing on planned service closures where transit authorities have direct control. The article also discusses issues with current lackluster signs which fail to direct users effectively, leading to rider frustration. To combat this, I had provided detailed solutions including high-quality signage and visual wayfinding tools.

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The case for a regional fast and frequent service map.

Leave a Comment / Buses, Design, Information Design, Signage /

Despite, more and more people digitalizing, transit agencies are not good at creating the bridge between the digital world and the real world. This leaves a lot to be desired in signage, where it does not cater to the specific needs in the digital age, and it does not build on the shortcomings of digital technology. One area that signage could be massively improved is the network map. Transit maps are often good at conveying network information; however, they are not good at distinguishing which portion of their network is useful most of the time (i.e. frequent or fast lines), to the majority of users. This leaves a large gap between a simple rail diagram and the complex bus network map with hundreds of lines. What if there could be a map that shows at a regional level, all the frequent buses, along with a simple graphic in the legend that displays frequency…

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From a 10-minute network to purple buses.

Leave a Comment / Buses, Funding, Urban Planning /

Despite the STM offering 95% of pre-pandemic service, the service on Montreal’s most heavily-ridden bus routes have dropped by an average of 13%, and on some routes the drop has been over 30%. This problem had only been amplified post-pandemic, as Montreal endured the largest ridership downfall of any bus system in Canada between 2012 and 2017, while diverting service away from poorer neighborhoods in favor of richer ones.

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How Quebec’s continual investment in cars and divestment of public transport is putting Quebec’s economy behind.

Leave a Comment / Buses, Funding, Urban Planning /

We know that public transport is the best possible investment that a government could do to promote it’s economy. Therefore, it is confusing why Quebec’s provincial government is hesitant on providing proper funding to help it’s operations. In this article, I look deeper inside the numbers that prove that continuing to invest money inside our deficient road system is actually worse for Quebec’s economy than investing the same amount inside public transportation.

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Understanding your local bus network should not be as hard.

3 Comments / Buses, Design, Information Design, Long Runners /

Having a clear and simple signage system can be a catalyst to boost ridership. Since the Montreal region does not have this, I had decided to have some fun designing it myself. Basing myself on the best practices around the world, I think I pulled it off very well. Other cities have also been busy such as Boston which has the Silver Line and soon 30 “T” frequent bus routes. Vancouver has the Rapid Bus routes. Berlin has “X” express routes and “M” frequent bus routes. Seattle has lettered Rapid Ride bus routes. London is working on the Superloop bus routes. Winnipeg is working towards lettered frequent routes. It begs the question: Why not Montreal? Bus networks from coast to coast have been or are in the process of redrawing themselves, especially after the pandemic, following the successful model of the Houston METRO bus network redesign in 2015. Along with this redesign, many have reimagined the way to classify their routes in a bid to improve customer experience.

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Pie-IX busway: From hope to deception

Leave a Comment / Buses, Long Runners, Urban Planning /

The Pie-IX integrated bus rapid transit (BRT) project had been in the works for more than a decade. It had finally opened in 2022, but it’s sole success is the speed, but the user experience not so much. This articles dives deep into the history of the project, it’s ups and downs. It describes many issues (and fixes!) that should be considered on this transit corridor and many others in the planning phase.

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