A growing population, real estate developments, operating budget, satisfaction surveys…Planning a bus route is so much more than connecting dots on a map! These are all details the Planning Department has to factor into the creation of new bus routes – that’s on top of optimizing the schedules of existing bus routes in line with the weather, transfers, traffic, etc.

“Juggling with all of the criteria and requirements associated with successfully providing a service that facilitates the commutes of Laval residents is a stimulating exercise,” says François Valiquette, Project Coordination Advisor. “We must offer the best possible service while ensuring that costs are optimized and considering the number of drivers and buses available.”

This is why Valiquette and his colleagues use ridership data provided by the systems aboard the buses, specialized software and feedback from drivers and riders. Annick Lacombe, Junior Engineer and Planning Advisor, points out the logistical challenge of the integrated school service. These buses move thousands of students from everywhere in the city, who will often switch up their commutes, all within a very short time. “When we have overcrowded buses in one area and nearly empty buses in another, allocating vehicles without penalizing other users across the network is a complex undertaking,” says Lacombe.

During the health crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Planning team first worked relentlessly on adapting the service for the lockdown. The next step was to monitor the ridership data to try to limit the number of full buses. Valiquette and Lacombe know that it is challenging to practice physical distancing on buses. They recommend avoiding peak hours and using the bus crowdedness estimator to pick a bus or bus time with fewer passengers on board. Ultimately, planning bus routes requires a high level of expertise and extensive analysis in order to deliver the best possible service with the resources at your disposal.