Société de transport de l'Outaouais

Infobox Bus transit
name = Société de transport de l'Outaouais

logo_size = 165


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parent =
founded =
headquarters = 111, rue Jean-Proulx, Gatineau
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service_area = Gatineau (urban area),
Cantley and Chelsea
service_type = bus service, paratransit
alliance =
routes = 56
destinations =
stops =
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stations =
lounge =
fleet = 259 buses
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website = [http://sto.ca/index_e.asp English Site]

Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) operates public transit routes in Gatineau, Quebec, including the Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors, plus limited service to suburban communities such as Chelsea and Cantley.

STO is located in Canada's National Capital Region, and operates numerous bus routes through downtown Ottawa, Ontario.

History

* Before 1971, Public Transit in Gatineau was operated by the private sector. The company had 42 buses to serve 11 million clients in 1956, number reduced to 2.5 million clients in 1971 [http://www.sto.ca/a_propos/historique_e.html] .

* In 1969, the law on the Regional Outaouais Community ("Communauté régionale de l'Outaouais") is adopted. In 1971, the "Commission de la communauté régionale de l'Outaouais" (CTCRO) was created. In 1972, the CTCRO acquired their administrative headquarters, adopted their logo and official colours and for an amount of $2.25 million buys all three public transit companies operating in the region (Transport urbain de Hull, Transport Hull métropolitain, Transport d'écoliers du nord de l'Outaouais).

* In 1973, the CTCRO creates an agreement with OC Transpo, to make the transfers between the two services easier.

* In 1991, CRCRO becomes la "Société de transport de l'Outaouais" (STO)

* In 1996, the STO celebrated its 25th anniversary. On a day, passengers were only charged 25 cents for one trip.

* In 1998, the STO was named the Canadian public transit operator of the year by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA). It was at the same year that the company introduced a smart-card fare system, making it the first company in the Americas to have a smart-card system.Fact|date=February 2007 Paper card bus passes were gradually retired until its official end in 2004 when smart cards became the exclusive bus pass. [http://www.sto.ca/a_propos/mentions_f.html]

* In 2002, the STO introduced its first fleet of low-floor buses from NovaBus. From this year forward, the company only purchased low-floor buses.

* In 2003, the STO have announced plans to built a bus-only roadway similar to OC Transpo's transitway in Ottawa, called the Rapibus. Currently under environmental assessments, the project is expected to be completed by 2010

* In 2005, the STO announced a strategic plan for the period 2005-2015 in which they are projecting a ridership of 21 million by 2015 up from 16.3 million in 2006. Ridership from 1995 to 2006 had grown about 50% . In addition to the Rapibus, the STO is planning on increasing the number of park and ride facilities across the city as well as the introduction of bike racks, the expansion or addition of garages, fleet expansion and a pilot project with routes increasing accessibility to people with reduced mobility. [http://www.sto.ca/a_propos/plan_strategique_e.html]

Operations

* Source: [http://www.sto.ca/a_propos/donnees_statistiques_e.html]

* Roster: 252 buses
* Employees: 357 bus drivers and over 80 mechanics.
* Routes: 56
* Shelters: 259
* Ridership: over 17 million
* Paratransit Service
* Rapibus (proposed)
* Park-n-Ride

TO Bus Routes

* As of August 31, 2008

Regular routes

Interzone routes

chool Routes

The following routes are for students from Gatineau educational institutions only and numbers are not shown on the destination sign, on the bus flag, the Info-Plus information board or the User's Guide. It is only mentioned on the STO's website under the Students (Pour étudiants seulement) section. They are also not included in the InfoBus telephone information dispatcher system. They have three-digit numbers and the last two indicate that it is using a route similar to its parent route (ex: 633 follows mostly Route 33). Generally, the name of the school is only shown on the destination sign, but sometimes it can also do the parent route's short trip. These routes runs only on school days from Late-August/Early-September to mid or late-June.

Parent Routes by sectors or towns

* Route 1 serves Chelsea
* Route 5 serves Cantley
* Routes 10-39 serves the Hull sector (11 and 17 are express routes)
* Routes 40-59 serves the Aylmer sector
* Routes 60-89 serves the former city of Gatineau although Route 90 was added because numbers in the 80's were exhausted. (80-90 are express routes)
* Routes 94-96-98 serves the Buckingham & Masson-Angers sectors (94 & 98 are interzone routes)

* It should be noted that some of these routes travel through more than one area. All Hull routes, Aylmer routes (except 49 through 58), 67, 77, all Gatineau express routes and interzone routes cross the Ottawa River to Ottawa. Routes 28 and 58 do not serve the downtown core.

* Main terminuses on the STO network includes Les Promenades de l'Outaouais (Gatineau), Jene-Rene Monette Park And Ride (Gatineau), Freeman Park and Ride (Hull), CEGEP Gabrielle-Roy (Hull), Front/Cormier (Aylmer), Rivermead Park And Ride (Aylmer) and King Edward Avenue (Ottawa).

* Other major transfer points includes the Hull hospital on Boulevard Lionel-Emond , the shopping district on Boulevard Saint-Joseph) (at Montclair and Gamelin in Hull) and the downtown area (Terrasses de la Chaudière and Place du Portage).

* STO adopted several changes from 2005 to 2007 to the service in every sector after public consultations. The most recent changes were adopted for the Aylmer and will be in effect starting on June 25, 2007. [http://www.sto.ca/actus_vie/nouveautes_reseau_secteur_aylmer_f.html]

Fleet

* This is the current fleet of the STO [http://www.angelfire.com/ca/TORONTO/outaouais.html Source]

Active fleet

Buses 1992 and older, 1996-1997 and RTS models are generally used in peak hours only, but can be in service during off-peak periods on weekdays.

Model	Year	Bus Numbers	No. In Fleet*	Notes
GMDD T6H-5307N	1977	7742 & 7757	2	Purchased from OC Transpo in 2005. Still in service and equipped with Balios destination signs
GMDD T6H-5307N	1979	7901-7907	7*	Only 7901 is still in service with a Balios electronic destination sign. It has been recently rebuilt. Since 8001's retirement in 2007, it is the last fishbowl that has always been the STO's property.
GMDD T6H-5307N	1982	8201-8204	4*	Purchased from the Société de transport de Sherbrooke. Only 8202 is still in service, it has a white steering wheel and a Balios electronic destination sign.
GMDD TC40-102N	1984	8401-8406 & 8413	7*	8401 and 8413 are the only ones active. 8413 was purchased from OC Transpo in 2005. 8401-8406 are gradually being retired.
GMDD TC40-102N	1985	8501-8509, 8536, 8539, 8544 & 8545	13*	8545 was purchased from OC Transpo in 2005 and was retired in May 2007. 8536, 8539 and 8544 were purchased from STCUQ in 2007 and are still active. 8501-8509 are gradually been retired with 8509 being the only active bus
GMDD TC40-102N	1986	8614, 8620 & 8624	3	Purchased from STCUQ in 2007
GMDD TC40-102N	1987	8785	1	Was purchased from OC Transpo in 2005
MCI TC40-102N	1988	8801-8808	8*	Initially equipped with pylon signs then switched to Luminator (green or orange). 8802 was previously decorated with an add from CKTF-FM in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 8803 and 8807 are retired.
MCI TC40-102N	1989	8901-8915	15*	Same as above. 8903, 8909-8913, and 8915 are retired.
MCI TC40-102N	1990	9001-9005	5*	Similar to the 88 and 89 model but has a large window at the back. All buses are equipped with Luminator Max (green). 9004 was previously decorated for the 25th anniversary of the STO in 1996 and was renumbered on the outside as 7196.
MCI SC40-102N	1990	9006-9007	2*	9006 and 9007 are suburban buses with no exit doors and only 9007 is in service. Similar to the 88 and 89 model but has a large window at the back. All buses are equipped with Luminator Max (green). 9006 has been retired. These are the last buses delivered to STO without A/C.
MCI TC40-102A	1990	9008-9015	8*	First buses equipped with A/C. However, it slows the acceleration of the bus. This problem only affects MCI models equipped with the feature. Like the 91 and 92 models (and buses 9101-9150 of OC Transpo), there are no back windows. 9008 was retired in late-June 2007 and that bus had during the early 90's a full ad wrap for Radio-Canada.
MCI TC40-102A	1991	9101-9130	30*	The front destination sign panel (inside the bus) is black. 9122 was retired in late-June 2007. 9130 was purchased from the STCUQ and is now retired.
MCI TC40-102A	1992	9201-9223	23*	9223 was previously decorated with an ad of the Le Regional newspapaer. Some buses including 9211 and 9220 are already retired.
NovaBus TC40-102A	1994	9401-9426	26	Equipped with Sutrak A/C on roof. 9401 was often used for evaluations for drivers applying for a job.
NovaBus TC40-102A	1995	9501-9520	20	Equipped with Sutrak A/C on roof. 9519 was previously decorated with the ad for the 200th year anniversary of Hull 9520 was previously decorated with an ad of La Revue de Gatineau
NovaBus TC40-102A	1996	9601-9603	3	They are suburban buses with rear exit doors. Equipped with Sutrak A/C on roof. 9603 was previously decorated with an ad from the Casino du Lac Leamy. These buses are powered by a Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine.
NovaBus TC40-102A	1997	9701-9705	5	Equipped with Sutrak A/C on roof. 9701 was previously decorated with Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival ad & 9702 was previously decorated with an ad from the Francophone Games. 9705 was the last Classic purchased by STO and was also the last Classic ever built with air conditioning. These buses are powered by a Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine.
NovaBus RT80-2W (RTS)	2000	0001-0012	12	They were the last high floor buses purchased. 0007-0012 are suburban buses but have rear exit doors. 0001 was previously decorated with an ad from the Francophone Games and Transcontinental Media. 0005 was previously decorated with an ad from the Casino du Lac Leamy, and was also previously decorated with an ad for CHOT-TV. There is no back window.
NovaBus LFS	2002	0201-0209	9	First low-floor buses. Equipped with Carrier A/C on the roof and orange destination signs.
NovaBus LFS	2003	0301-0328	28	Equipped with Carrier A/C on the roof and orange destination signs. 0306 currently has a rear wrap for Gatineau Toyota, identical to the one on 0707. 0301-0313 are equipped with Allison transmission. 0314-0328 equipped with ZF transmission. 0310 was previously decorated with the Yellow Pages ad. 0328 was previously decorated with the CKTF-FM ad.
NovaBus LFS	2004	0401-0417	17	Equipped with Carrier A/C on the roof and orange destination signs. 0412 was decorated with an ad of CHOT-TV and TAG-FM. 0413 was decorated with an ad from Couleur FM and TQS
NovaBus LFS	2005	0501-0517	17	Equipped with Carrier A/C on the roof and orange Balios destination signs.0516 & 0517 were decorated with an ad from Sunoco. 0505 is decorated with an ad from Transcontinental Media. 0506, 0507, and 0511 have ads from the city of Gatineau about safety on the roads.
NovaBus LFS	2006	0601-0617	17	Equipped with Carrier A/C on the roof and orange Balios destination signs. 0601 is decorated with an ad of the UQO foundation. 0602 is decorated with an ad from the Hippodrome d'Aylmer horse race track. 0606 was previously decorated with an ad from the Casino du Lac Leamy. 0614-0617 are used on STO's "Ligne Vert" and are decorated as such.
NovaBus LFS Hybrid	2007	0701-0702	2	0701 and 0702 are new hybrid buses purchased in 2007. Are in service since May 2007. Are both dedicated to STO's "Ligne Verte"
NovaBus LFS	2007	0703-0718	14	Are not hybrids, but the same as 02-06 models, except that these buses have Voith transmissions. 0703-0705 are dedicated to STO's "Ligne Verte" and are decorated as such. 0706 has a full wrap for CKTF-FM on the driver's side and CIMF-FM on the door's (right) side. 0707 has a rear wrap for Gatineau Toyota, 0708 has a full wrap for the University of Ottawa, 0709 has a rear wrap for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, and 0711 has a rear wrap for La Drave (a restaurant located at the Promenades).
NovaBus LFS	2008	0801-0819	19	0801 decorated with Casino Lac-Leamy wrap.

Retired fleet

* This is the retired fleet of the STO [http://www.angelfire.com/ca/TORONTO/outaouais.html Source]

Model	Year	Bus Numbers	No. In Fleet*	Notes
GMC TDH-4512	1957	5701-5702	2
CC&F CD-44A	1957	5703-5705	3
CC&FCD-52	1957	5706-5712	7
GMDD TDH-5303	1962	6201 & 6203-6208	7
GMDD SDM-5301	1962	6202	1
GMDD TDH-5303	1963	6301-6307	7
GMDD SDM-5301	1963	6308	1
GMDD TDH-5303	1965	6501 & 6502	2
GMDD TDH-5303	1966	6601-6607	7
GMDD T6H-5307N	1972	7201-7206	6
GMDD T6H-5307N	1973	7301-7320	20
GMDD T6H-5307N	1974	7401-7425	25
GMDD T6H-5307N	1975	7501-7520	20
GMDD T6H-5307N	1976	7601-7610	10
GMDD T6H-5307N	1977	7701-7710	10
GMDD T6H-5307N	1978	7801-7817	17
GMDD T6H-5307N	1979	8001-8005	5	8001 was equipped with a Balios electronic destination sign before retiring
GMDD T6H-5307N	1980	8006-8015	10	Some buses were sold to OC Transpo
GMDD T6H-5307N	1981	8101-8103	3	Where purchased from the Société de transport de Laval in the late 1990s and were retired in 2004-2005
GMDD T6H-5307N	1981	8110-8113	4	Purchased from the Société de transport de Montréal in 2002-2003.
GMDD T6H-5307N	1982	8310-8312	3*	Purchased from the Société de transport de Montréal in 2002-2003. 8310 was retired in 2007.
GMDD S6H-5307N	1983	8301-8308	8	They were suburban buses with no rear exit doors. Were fully retired by 2003.
GMDD TC40-102N	1986	8601-8604	4	8603 was the last active bus before been retired in July 2007.
OBI 02.501	1992	2192, 2292, 2392 & 2492	4	Were minibuses used for routes crossing Champlain Bridge prior to widen due to weight restrictions on the bridge before 2003. They were replaced by regular buses starting in 2004

Fleet notes

* In the 2002 User's Guide, the STO was expected to convert half of its total bus fleet into low-floor buses by 2012. The low-floor buses are the NovaBus LFS models from 2002 to 2008. However, the more recent models only contains a seating capacity for 37 passengers, while most other models have a capacity of well over 40 seats. During rush hour, there is a higher chance to see over-crowded situations inside this type of bus.

* Another flaw in these buses is that even though they are considered low-floor buses and seem to have wheelchair access (a wheelchair sticker, although very small, is located near the exit door in the center of the bus), there have been some technical issues that prevent wheelchair access to the bus. However, it does ease access for those on crutches, those who have mobility problems, seniors and pregnant women. This means that no STO regular buses are wheelchair accessible. They must rely on Para Transit Service.

* From 2001 to 2006, in order to satisfy growing demand, the STO purchased additional older buses from the Société de transport de Montréal, Société de transport de Laval, Société de transport de Sherbrooke and OC Transpo. 7742, 7757, 8202, 8413 and 8785 are the only ones active.

* In 2006-07, fishbowl buses had their rollsigns replaced with Balios LED signs taken from 1996 and 1997 Classics, 8310 was the last bus still with a rollsign, since it has been retired, all buses are now equipped with electronic destination signs.

* On February 15, 2007 the STO presented new hybrid buses and two of them were tested during the winter of 2007. Previously, it also tested a prototype bus from Ontario during the summer of 2002

* On October 31, 2007, the STO announced in their 2008 budget that 19 new buses will be added in 2008 and 2010 and 20 in 2009. [http://www.sto.ca/nouvelles/communique/071031_1_f.html]

* Seven buses were purchased from the STCUQ in 2007, they are currently in service, except 9130 which was retired.

* During the summer of 2008, the STO has started a test trial of a prototype NovaBus articulated bus on several of its routes. The bus has 58 seats and a total capacity of 115 passengers. [http://www.sto.ca/nouvelles/communique/080724_f.html]

Fares

Fares in this section were effective 1 January 2008.

STO's service consists of three types of bus routes:
* Regular: conventional bus routes, operating at all regular service hours
* Express: designated routes operating during rush hours
* Interzone: Routes 94 and 98 only, which reach the Masson-Angers and Buckingham sector

Cash fares
* Regular: $3.00, or 1 ticket
* Express: $3.50, or 1 ticket with $0.50
* Interzone: $5.25, or 2 tickets

Ticket fares (per ticket)
* Adult: $2.60
* Students & Seniors : $1.90

Monthly passes (Adults)

* Regular: $71.00
* Express: $86.50
* Interzone: $102.50

Day pass: $6.00
* unlimited use on Regular routes
* add $0.50 for Express routes, $2.40 for Interzone routes

Children and Students
* Cash fares are not discounted - the cash fare costs apply as above
* Regular monthly pass: $49.50
* Express monthly pass: $62.00
* Interzone monthly pass: $78.00

Seniors (at least age 65)
* Cash fares are not discounted - the cash fare costs apply as above
* Monthly pass (valid for Regular, Express or Interzone): $32.00

Transfers
* Transfers usually last for a maximum of 2 hours, except on Routes 33 and 39 where it is a maximum of 3 hours (at least when you board at Les Promenades de l'Outaouais terminal).
* There are no additional charge when boarding OC Transpo regular routes, although there are some premium charges on Express and Rural Express routes
* A supplement of $.50 is required when transferring to Express routes
* A supplement of $2.50 ($1.90 for students/seniors) is required when transferring to Interzone routes. Tickets are also accepted.

OC Transpo Transfers and Passes

* *Accepted without a supplement on the regular STO system. A supplement is required on express buses ($0.50) and on routes subject to interzone fares (students and seniors: $1.90 / adult: $2.60).
* *After 9:00 am throughout the area served - Before 9:00 am only when boarding in the downtown Hull and sector Ottawa, unless accompanied by an Ontario residency card.

*The OC Transpo day pass is aso accepted on the Sto but can not be used as a famley pass.

Ontario Residency Card

*This photo ID card is available at STO issuing centres for $8.00, taxes included. It entitles the holder to use the STO's services with an OC Transpo pass at any time. The supplements required for the express and interzone buses apply

Forfait CamPuce

An exclusive offer for UQO students, CamPuce is a promotion that offers four months for the price of three.

* Starting in September 2006, a pilot project with the Université du Québec en Outaouais was introduced in order to encourage students to use transit. Previously starting at $51 per semester (regular network), the cost jumped to $57 in January 2007 and $107 in September 2007 due to a lesser contribution by the city of Gatineau on the project. In 2008, the cost jump was even higher and is $213 per semester as of 2008. Costs for the express network is $259.50 per semester and $307.50 for the interzone network.

Miscellaneous

Other fares are available for groups, special cases, or persons with disabilities.

Smart card

Monthly passes are in the form of a wireless electronic "smart card" known as "Passe-Partout PLUS". The card itself has an initial cost of $8.00 and may be purchased from designated sales outlets. Monthly passes are also valid for connecting to OC Transpo routes in Ottawa.

Fare Hike (September 2008)

In an exceptional move, the STO approved a 4% fare-hike three months early then usual in order to balance the budget due to raising fuel costs. Adult passes will rise $3, student passes $2 and senior passes $1.50. Cash fare will rise $0.15, ticket fares $0.10. Smart cards and daypasses will remain unchanged [http://www.sto.ca/actus_vie/nouveaux_tarifs_sept08_f.html#2]

ee also

* List of park and rides in Gatineau
* OC Transpo

External links

* [http://sto.ca Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) Home Page]
* [http://www.sto.ca/pdf/carte_reseau.pdf STO Map Network]
* [http://www.busdrawings.com/Transit/Quebec/Hull/index.htm Peter McLaughlin's STO photo page]
* [http://barp.ca/bus/quebec/sto/index.html Barp.ca's STO bus gallery]