Laval transit agency launches public consultation to redesign bus network
The Société de transport de Laval says the consultation will inform a planned overhaul of its main network by 2028.
LAVAL — The Société de transport de Laval has launched a public consultation to gather feedback for a planned redesign of its main bus network by 2028.
"Better adapting our bus network to the current needs of the population is a priority," Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer said in a statement.
The STL said the consultation, running until the end of October, aims to collect information on the needs, concerns and ideas of residents, users and stakeholders.
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"Our neighborhoods and habits have changed considerably over the past twenty years," Boyer said. "Now, more Laval residents travel within their own city rather than to Montreal. In this context, it is important to offer everyone an efficient option so that more Laval residents choose public transit for their daily commutes."
STL president Pierre Brabant said the current network structure dates to the opening of Metro stations in Laval in 2007. "Since then, our city has experienced sustained urban growth, new sectors are developing, activity hubs are transforming, and our population’s travel habits are changing," he said in an interview with The Laval News.
"This evolution presents an opportunity for the STL to redesign its network to make it more frequent, simpler, more efficient and above all, better adapted to the urban development of the region."
The agency said the feedback will serve as a basis to optimize the network "while making it better suited to today’s and tomorrow’s mobility realities."
Josée Roy, general manager of the STL, said the agency is listening to the community. "With the consultation process we are launching today, we are listening to the ideas and concerns of the Laval community to envision a network tailored to its needs, while taking into account the existing financial framework and the metropolitan mobility objectives defined by the Regional Metropolitan Transportation Authority," Roy said.
The STL said the redesign is structured around three main objectives: rethinking service to better meet travel needs within Laval and to neighbouring municipalities, improving network efficiency, and adapting to current and future mobility patterns.
The consultation will use three methods. A dedicated website offers online tools including a questionnaire. In early October, teams will meet citizens in high traffic locations to gather direct feedback. The STL said particular attention will be paid to consulting young people, who represent nearly 60 per cent of ridership.
Three participatory public sessions will also be held for thematic discussions with citizens, customers and associations. Dates and locations will be posted on the project website.
Brabant insisted the agency intends to take public feedback seriously, adding that no decisions have been made. He said the STL has not followed Montreal's transit agency in rationalizing services, such as reducing bus stops, and has no plans to take such actions until after the consultation.
The information gathered will inform a network scenario to be presented in a public information phase scheduled for spring 2027.
"For the STL, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, this initiative represents a unique opportunity to work closely with the community to build a network capable of supporting Laval’s growth and the evolving needs of its population," Brabant said.
"The redesign of the regular network is therefore a key lever to promote smoother, more efficient, and truly sustainable mobility."
Residents can visit stlaval.ca/consultations for more information.
With files from The Laval News