RTC Page
Bus
service in Quebec City, population 491,000, is provided by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale,
formerly known as the STCUQ. The RTC operates
a fleet of about 470 buses, consisting mostly of NovaBus
Classic and low-floor LFS and LFS articulated buses, along with some small
electric buses for Ecolobus service in the old
city. There are four levels of bus
service in Quebec City: the Métrobus cross-regional service, which relies on
reserved bus lanes to provide speedy service between major destinations
throughout the city; leBus, which covers the local
routes; the eXpress, which provides quick peak-period
service from major employment areas in central Quebec City and Ste-Foy to the
suburbs; and the écolobus, which is a low-priced
service that operates in the old Quebec, historic Lower Town and Parliament
Hill districts using small electric buses.
All photos are by the webmaster.
General Motors New Look
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6120 was a 1961 GM TDH-5301 originally sold as Autobus Drolet 66, becoming Autobus Fournier 428 in January 1969 before it was inherited by the CTCUQ in February 1971. It was later owned by the Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation and was spotted behind OC Transpo’s St. Laurent garage in Ottawa on May 16, 2006. |
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7811 was a 1978 GM T6H-5307N, an STCUQ original, shown parked behind the RTC garage on with 8177, originally Denver 4892, and 8505, another original bus. This photo was taken on June 28, 2005. |
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8136 was a 1981 GM T8H-5307A, originally San Diego Transit 940. This bus was spotted behind the RTC garage on June 28, 2005. |
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8165, formerly Denver RTD 4802, was a 1981 GM T6H-5307N equipped with a 6V92 engine. When the bus was sold to Quebec City, it was equipped with a roof-mounted air-conditioner. This bus was on boul. René-Lévesque on Aug. 6, 2002. |
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8560 was a 1985 GM T8H-5307A, and was originally Santa Monica 5151. This photo was taken on Aug. 6, 2002 when the bus was on boul. René-Lévesque. |
GM/MCI/NovaBus
Classic
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8336 was a 1983 GM TC-40102N, shown behind the RTC garage parked in retirement with 8410 on June 28, 2005. |
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8404 was a 1984 GM TC-40102N, seen on avenue Honoré-Mercier on Aug. 6, 2002. |
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8620 was a 1986 GM TC-40102N, shown on boul. René-Lévesque near the Hôtel du Parlement on Aug. 3, 2004. This bus was sold to the STO in Gatineau in 2008 where it was still in service as of January 2012. To see a photo of the bus in Gatineau, click here. |
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8801 was a 1988 MCI TC-40102A, originally purchased for use by Gray Line Sightseeing during the tourist season. This bus is still painted in the original paint scheme, but it is now used for suburban service. This photo was taken at the Quebec City train station on Aug. 5, 2002. |
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8904 was a 1989 MCI TC-40102A, also in the Gray Line livery, spotted on boul. Charest at rue de la Couronne on June 28, 2005. |
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8907 was another 1989 MCI TC-40102A, but this bus has been repainted into the standard STCUQ livery. It is seen on boul. René-Lévesque on Aug. 6, 2002 |
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9116 is shown laying up at the Galleries Charlesbourg park and ride on June 22, 2008. |
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9116 was spotted again resting on 41e rue Ouest in Charlesbourg on June 22, 2008. |
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9118 is seen on boul. Laurier, across from Place Laurier, which until 2006 was the largest shopping mall in the province of Quebec, on Feb. 10, 2001. This bus was a 1991 MCI TC-40102N. The 800-series routes are Metrobus routes, which rely on reserved bus lanes to provide speedy service between major destinations. |
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9216 was a 1992 MCI TC-40102N, repainted into the new RTC livery, shown on rue de la Couronne on June 28, 2005. |
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9219 was another 1992 MCI Classic, seen on rue Dalhousie near the Quebec ferry terminal on Feb. 9, 2001. The last of the RTC’s MCI Classic buses were retired in August 2010. |
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9403 is a 1994 Nova TC-40102N, seen in the old city near Quebec City Hall on Feb. 9, 2001. |
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9426 is another 1994 Novabus Classic, spotted on Côte d’Abraham turning onto rue de la Couronne on June 28, 2005. This bus has been repainted into the RTC scheme. |
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9431 is a 1994 Nova TC-40102N, seen at the downtown bus terminal at the corner of rue St-Jean and rue d’Youville. These photos were taken on Feb. 10, 2001. |
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9436 is a 1994 Nova Classic in the RTC livery, spotted on rue Bourlamaque waiting to enter service on June 22, 2008. This bus was one of many used to carry pilgrims to and from the open-air mass on the Plains of Abraham, the final event of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress. |
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9457 is shown laying up near Terminus d’Youville on June 28, 2005. |
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9458 was spotted waiting for passengers at the Galleries Charlesbourg on June 22, 2008. |
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9546 is a 1996 Nova TC-40102N shown on boul. René-Lévesque on Feb. 10, 2001. This bus was numbered in the 9500 series to make room for the new LFS buses being numbered in the 9600 series. |
NovaBus LFS
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9618 is a 1996 NovaBus LFS, still painted in the old STCUQ paint scheme. This bus was spotted on rue St-Jean at Côte du Palais in the old city on Aug. 3, 2004. |
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9622 is another 1996 LFS, shown resting on 41e rue Ouest near the Galleries Charlesbourg on June 22, 2008. |
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9623 was spotted on avenue Honoré-Mercier on Feb. 10, 2001. |
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9628 was seen at the Galleries Charlesbourg on June 22, 2008. |
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9907 is a 1999 LFS, painted in the new RTC livery, shown on boul. René-Lévesque on Aug. 3, 2004. |
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9920 is another 1999 LFS, shown on avenue Honoré-Mercier at the corner of boul. René-Levesque on Feb. 10, 2001. |
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0013 is a 2000 LFS, seen on boul. René-Lévesque near the provincial legislature. This photo was taken on a very windy Feb. 10, 2001, where the gusts reached 75 mph, or 120 km/h, knocking over the barriers in the middle of the street as shown here. |
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0014 is another 2000 LFS, spotted resting on 41e rue Ouest in Charlesbourg on June 22, 2008. |
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0102 is a 2001 LFS, shown on boul. René-Lévesque near the Hôtel du Parlement on Aug. 3, 2004. |
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0108 is shown waiting to enter service near Montmorency Falls. This photo was taken on Aug. 3, 2004. |
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0112 is another 2001 LFS, seen boarding passengers on boul. René-Lévesque on Aug. 6, 2002. |
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0120 was spotted on boul. René-Lévesque on Aug. 3, 2004. |
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0225 is a 2002 NovaBus LFS shown at a transfer point on rue Roi at rue de la Couronne on June 28, 2005. |
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0240 is another 2002 LFS. This photo was taken on boul. René-Lévesque on Aug. 3, 2004. The 2002 buses were the first to be delivered in the new RTC paint scheme. |
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0310 is a 2003 LFS, shown on boul. René-Lévesque with 0226 and a 1994 Classic on Aug. 3, 2004. |
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0327 is another 2003 LFS, spotted on Aug. 3, 2004, on boul. René-Lévesque near the Hôtel du Parlement. |
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0330 is another 2003 LFS, shown on avenue Honoré-Mercier on June 28, 2005 |
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0412 is a 2004 NovaBus LFS shown on rue de la Couronne in Quebec City on June 28, 2005 |
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0420 is another 2004 LFS, shown on rue Bourlamaque near the Plains of Abraham on June 22, 2008. |
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0518 is a 2005 NovaBus LFS, spotted at the transfer point on rue Roi on June 28, 2005. |
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0603 is a 2006 Nova LFS, seen at the Terminus Beauport on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0708 is a 2007 LFS, spotted resting at the Galleries Charlesbourg on June 22, 2008. This photo shows the ribbon decoration used on many RTC buses to mark Quebec City’s 400th anniversary in 2008. |
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0747 is another 2007 LFS, seen on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0823 is a 2008 Nova LFS, spotted on Grande Allée Est waiting for Eucharistic Congress pilgrims on June 22, 2008. |
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0848 is another 2008 LFS, shown waiting to resume service on avenue d’Estimauville near Terminus Beauport on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0906 is a 2009 NovaBus LFS, seen on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0923 is a 3rd-Generation NovaBus LFS, spotted on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. These buses feature full-width rear windows along with smaller headlamps spaced farther apart to make room for a bicycle rack. |
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0929 is another 2009 Nova LFS, shown boarding passengers at Terminus Beauport on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0951 is a 2009 NovaBus LFS Artic, shown on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0953 is another 2009 LFS Artic, seen boarding riders at Terminus Beauport on Sept. 17, 2010. The LFS Artics all have a special livery and are only used on the Métrobus routes, though some Métrobus routes use regular non-articulated buses in the normal RTC scheme. |
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0953 was spotted again on boul. René-Levesque later in the day on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0959 is shown turning from avenue Honoré-Mercier onto boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0962 is seen on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0966 is shown on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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1002 is a 2010 NovaBus LFS, seen on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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1002 was seen again on Sept. 17, 2010, and again on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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1012 is another 2010 LFS, shown turning from boul. René-Levesque onto avenue Honoré-Mercier on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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1058 is a 2010 Nova LFS Artic, seen on avenue Honoré-Mercier on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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1061 is another 2010 LFS Artic, spotted on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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1070 is shown on boul. René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. |
Technobus Gulliver
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0893 is a 2008 Technobus
Gulliver electric bus, seen on rue d’Auteuil in old
Quebec on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0893 was spotted again on boul.
René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. These
electric buses are used solely on the écolobus
route in the old city and surrounding areas, and can operate for up to twelve
hours or 100 km at a top speed of 33 km/h (20 mph),
with a charging time of eight hours. |
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0894 is another écolobus, seen on boul. René-Levesque turning onto avenue
Honoré-Mercier on Sept. 17, 2010. |
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0897 is shown on boul.
René-Levesque on Sept. 17, 2010. The
RTC purchased eight of these buses after a successful pilot project in 2007,
though reliability problems forced the RTC to substitute regular LFS buses for
a period in 2011. |
Miscellaneous Photos
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These three photos were taken at the RTC garage on rue des Rocailles on June 28, 2005. There are many retired GM New Looks, both original and second-hand, and GM Classics on the premises, along with a few newer buses such as the MCI Classic shown in the bottom photograph. |
