Les non-initiés dévisagent l’autobus articulé, fascinés, envoûtés presque, par ces engins automoteurs qui envahiront notre ville dans les mois à suivre.
J’ai hâte de voir les prochaines innovations de la part de la STM.
Sur l’avenue du Parc devant le Monument George-Étienne-Cartier.
6 comments
they didn’t make the bus stops any longer and now I frequently see these articulated buses blocking all or part of an intersection with their tail end. Ex. Cote Vertu est at O’brien in st-laurent – anyone going south on O’brien gets to enjoy the entire traffic light cycle unable to cross the intersection. Oh joy.
Some people are never happy.
They’ve been running on the 67 on St Michel the last couple months
Here’s an interesting fact: The rear half has the motor and it essentially pushes the front half. Imagine if your U-haul trailer had the motor and pushed your car?
Somehow the laws of physics allow this articulo-bus to move through city streets.
Maybe by this they will regain some of the huge loss of efficiency brought by those wheels inside the cabin of the new low buses.
I’ve ridden these often on the 69 (Gouin) line as they have been running there for some time during morning and evening rush hour.
Some things I noticed:
– Drivers drive faster because they can manage turning 90 degrees (at street corners) much more easily and at a greater speed without hitting the curb or cars in the opposite lane.
– The interior is optimized for standing space: lots of things (bars and rubber handles) to hold on to.
– The combination of the last two is a no-brainer because let me tell you, when the driver takes that street corner on, you’ll need something to hold on to!
– I personally think the seats are better in this version of the bus than in earlier iterations. However, my mother also rides this and commented that they are very uncomfortable and that she almost slides right off the seat when the bus turns. She said the interior and the seats are “cheap”.
– Gone is the yellow cord to signal for a stop that anyone over 70 almost always had a hard time reaching and pulling, and this for as long as I can remember riding the bus in Montreal! Moms and pops are now ushered into the 21st century as a red push-button is now accessible from almost every sitting and standing position (on walls between windows, and on poles).
– Not only that, but the subtle “dong” noise that once rang out as you called out your stop has now been replaced by a more deafening electronic-sounding “DONG!”. I was rather startled the first few times I heard it because of how much louder it is now.
– Standing in the rotating portion is an experience enjoyed by most kids and teens that like to stand there as the bus turns, but it is definitely hazardous as there isn’t much to hold on to in that area.
All in all, I’m not too disappointed with the experience, but the speed the drivers go up to really seems unsafe, as even I have trouble holding on sometimes, and I’m a sturdy 30-year old spring chicken!
Good point about the bus stops not being made any longer, and I can see how that could be an issue when getting off. Maybe the STM should have thought of that before they put the bus into service.