I didn’t think it was coming because it wasn’t listed on the Planibus page, but it turns out the new No. 19 bus is being launched on June 21 after all.
19 Chabanel / Marché Central is a quick shuttle between the Crémazie metro station and Marché Central along Chabanel.
Unfortunately for eager Marché Central shoppers, it only runs after 8pm on weekdays. The idea, I imagine, is to take over from the 54 bus once it stops running at 7:30pm. The 54 connects Marché Central with Crémazie via St. Laurent, but also has parts east and west of those two places that the STM has probably judged aren’t worthy of service past 8pm.
The 19 will have 10 departures eastbound and 11 departures westbound between 8pm and 12:30/1am, Monday to Friday.
Those wanting to access Marché Central on weekends will still be stuck with the 179 from Acadie station, or taking a short walk from stops of the 100 (on Crémazie) or 146 (on Meilleur).
And here I was hoping for another work commute option. Oh well. =(
179’s a handy route, and as it passes through Park Ex it shares a number of stops with the 80/535, making transferring a breeze.
I’m surprised they didn’t just call it the 54X, all things considered.
I’m not a fan of the X route numbers, particularly because Montrealers aren’t used to them and can get frustrated or confused by them.
Yeah, what ARE the X routes anyway? I’ve been in Montréal for six years and haven’t ever seen official mention of them on the STM site or the like.
X routes are short-run routes that end before their terminus. They’re buses that are added to relieve the regular route of a burst in ridership, like say at a high school just after it lets out.
Then let’s call it 54A. ;)
The 80 is also an option. It’s only a 5 min walk from the Arena.
Way back in the day, in the days of streetcars, I believe that there was a regular, flull-fledged route known as the 3X. I have no idea, though, whst its route was.
As an employee of one of the shops at Marché Central, I’ve come acknowledged to the scarcity of bus service at night time. While this new line won’t benefit me on my commuting schedule, I know one group of people that will celebrate : store-closing transit users!!
#19 was the old Hampstead bus. Ran from Queen Mary and Decarie and percolated through Hampstead mazes. They used to have an old diesel bus. It was never full, but some used it.
That was a long time ago.
The number 19 was also used for an ill-fated downtown bus route that was supposed to compliment the 15.
Where exactly does one transfer from the Parc bus (either of them) to the 179?
This does seem to be an improvement, but a pointless confusion.
The Marché itself is of course pointless sprawl. Think they have a kind of shuttle bus, mostly for seniors who can’t walk from one end to the other. I can, but what a boring walk!
The 179, 80 and 535 use Bloomfield and Champagneur from Ogilvy to Jarry St.
179-80 connex ostensibly at the corner of Jarry and Champagneur/Bloomfield. Source: http://stm.info/bus/plan_lig/plan179.htm
Maria Gatti, you think that Marche Centrale is bad? Try Dix30. What is it, 5000 parking spaces? My blood boils.
SMS, I’ve never been to Dix30. I’d have to cross the river and cycle quite a way to get there. Le Marché central is not very far from where I live (near Jean-Talon Market) and right in central-northern Montréal, not a suburb. It is a most unfortunate design for its location. I can get there via Querbes through Parc-Ex, or going up one of the Villeray streets that cross under Crémazie (Henri-Julien? – think I have to go over one street as H-Julien goes south) and take another street over to Chabanel, then over the viaduct. But when it isn’t cyclable, it takes a long time by public transport for the relatively short distance.
Let us hope then that ridership on the 19 will warrant service during business hours 7 days a week!
Surely this would be useful to the theatre-goers at night…
Any serious urban planner knows that big box is a waste of space despite that it works well in the suburbs where land is plentiful and cheap… which leads me to surmise that the planners did this despite the fact that Marché Centrale isn’t located in suburbia. They just took advantage of the land available without thinking of the long term consequences (high fuel prices being one).
I remember at one point, they renamed the rush-hour 93 Jean-Talon as the 92X. Later, when they opened the Blue line, they shortened the 92, the 92X went back to being the 93 and became a full time route.