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As of Jan. 1, a monthly adult transit pass in Montreal costs $82, which is 34 per cent more than it cost in 2005. That increase is twice the rate of inflation and much higher than the increase in the average Montreal family’s income over that time.

But compared to other metrics, the increase isn’t nearly as outrageous as it may seem.

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The Montreal Gazette analyzed budget documents of the Société de transport de Montréal from 2005 to 2013. They show that while the adult monthly fare price increased by 26 per cent in that time, there was a corresponding increase in service. The distance travelled by STM buses and métro trains increased by 28 and 33 per cent, respectively, from 129 to 168 million kilometres total. This was thanks to more frequent bus departures, the creation of the 10 Minutes Max bus network and an increase in the frequency of métro trains outside of rush hour (not to mention those three new métro stations in Laval).