Côte Saint-Luc seniors want STM shuttle service extended

A group of seniors from Côte Saint-Luc say they rely on the STM shuttle bus service that goes to Carrefour Angrignon shopping centre, but right now, it doesn't go far enough. 

The current route drops passengers off in the mall parking lot, making it more difficult to access nearby big box stores on the other side of a busy intersection on foot.

"To cross the Angrignon Boulevard, you take your life into your hands," said Maureen Deery, a resident of St. Patrick Square, an apartment community for those 55 and up on Côte St-Luc Road.

As it stands, the shuttle's last stop is at the mall. The group wants the STM to add a stop in front of the Walmart across the street. From there, they would have easier access to other big box stores.

The proposed stop would be about a kilometre away, which doesn't seem far, but it's a long way to walk for those who aren't as spry as they used to be.

Shuttle provides 'vital access'

The bus line is one of the STM's last remaining "Navette Or" services designated specifically for seniors. It only runs three times a week and many passengers use it to get all their shopping done in one trip.

"The shuttle is a vital access," Deery told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

Another St. Patrick Square resident, Jackie MacDonnell, says crossing the six-lane intersection, especially when loaded up with heavy shopping bags, can be a struggle.

"It's hard to get to Walmart because it's quite a long walk, we have to cross busy streets and all that," she told CBC.

Some of the users have been pushing for the change since 2015, and even submitted a petition.

The STM declined to give an interview on the topic but did issue a statement saying that there's a moratorium on changing seniors' shuttle bus routes and that no changes were being considered for the 262.

'Huge gain for the seniors'

Côte Saint-Luc city Coun. Dida Berku told CBC that she plans to put pressure on the STM to reconsider.

The proposed change would mean "a minor modification for a huge gain for the seniors," she said.

Berku said the extra five minutes could be easily accommodated by cutting another, rarely used stop on the 262 line.

"It wouldn't take much to simply modify the route," she said. "This is why this shuttle was created."