People who use public transit to get around Montreal and surrounding cities, will soon have to pay a bit more for their fares, except for single fares and two-trip tickets.
The regional transit planning agency for the Montreal area, known by its French acronym ARTM, announced Friday that starting July 1, the majority of fares will go up in price by about three per cent, which is the average fare indexation.
The ARTM says the increase represents the minimum threshold that’s been set for the fiscal year in an agreement between the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) and the provincial government.
For monthly transit passes, that will mean an increase of $5.50 to the regular rate in Zone A on the island of Montreal, bringing the new monthly total to $110. The increase for the reduced rate will be $3.25 for a new total of $66.
The cost of monthly all-mode passes will jump to $170 for travel within Zone AB, $206 within Zone ABC, and $281 across all the zones.
(The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM))
Monthly bus-only fares, meanwhile, will see a $4.75 increase on the regular rate, and $3.00 on the reduced rate.
Benoît Gendron, the ARTM’s executive director said in a release that the agency is fully aware that these fee increases come at a time when the cost of living is putting significant pressure on households.
“Our priority is to preserve the accessibility of public transit, which citizens rely on every day, while ensuring the financial stability and sustainability of the network,” he said.
Another change that will go into effect July 1 is that REM users on the South Shore will no longer be able to use transitional tickets, which have been in effect since 2023. Users will now have to purchase standard all-mode fares for travel by REM and buses.
You can learn more about regular fare changes, and reduced fare changes on the ARTM’s website.