April 28, 2023
OC Transpo has launched a Bus Route Review which will look at how bus routes are planned in our city. You can provide your feedback now by taking a short survey. This is for residents all over Ottawa not just #OttTransit users.
https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/bus-route-review
OC Transpo has launched a Bus Route Review which will look at how bus routes are planned in our city. You can provide your feedback now by taking a short survey. This is for residents all over Ottawa not just #OttTransit users.
https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/bus-route-review
January 25th, 2023
Severe Storm Schedule Update
OC TRANSPO UPDATE
There was temporary signage with incorrect information about OC Transpo’s Severe Storm Schedule posted at 25 bus stops at locations across Kanata South and Kanata North.
These signs include incorrect information about bus route changes in the event that a Severe Storm schedule is implemented. These signs will be removed by end of day today and will be replaced with the correct information. OC Transpo will also be sending a clarification through their social media platforms to provide an update directly to residents.
For clarity, I can confirm that the information on the website is correct (Included below). As you are aware, this winter, OC Transpo is piloting a special Severe Storm Schedule for buses on weekdays. It will be in effect when 31 cm or more of snow is expected. Other severe weather conditions that could impact bus operation may also bring this special schedule in effect. This could include a mixture of wet, heavy snow, ice, and freezing rain.
Should residents wish to plan or prepare for their trips for when a Severe Storm Schedule is effect, they may use the Severe Storm Schedule travel planner on the website (Included below). All routes listed in the Severe Storm Schedule travel planner are in operation on those days.
Website: https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/severe-storm-schedule/
Severe Storm Schedule travel planner: https://plan.octranspo.com/plan/RouteSchedules?Date=2023-4-21&ShowOptions=false&TimingPointsOnly=true
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call my office at 613-580-2752 or email [email protected]
Severe Storm Schedule Update
OC TRANSPO UPDATE
There was temporary signage with incorrect information about OC Transpo’s Severe Storm Schedule posted at 25 bus stops at locations across Kanata South and Kanata North.
These signs include incorrect information about bus route changes in the event that a Severe Storm schedule is implemented. These signs will be removed by end of day today and will be replaced with the correct information. OC Transpo will also be sending a clarification through their social media platforms to provide an update directly to residents.
For clarity, I can confirm that the information on the website is correct (Included below). As you are aware, this winter, OC Transpo is piloting a special Severe Storm Schedule for buses on weekdays. It will be in effect when 31 cm or more of snow is expected. Other severe weather conditions that could impact bus operation may also bring this special schedule in effect. This could include a mixture of wet, heavy snow, ice, and freezing rain.
Should residents wish to plan or prepare for their trips for when a Severe Storm Schedule is effect, they may use the Severe Storm Schedule travel planner on the website (Included below). All routes listed in the Severe Storm Schedule travel planner are in operation on those days.
Website: https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/severe-storm-schedule/
Severe Storm Schedule travel planner: https://plan.octranspo.com/plan/RouteSchedules?Date=2023-4-21&ShowOptions=false&TimingPointsOnly=true
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call my office at 613-580-2752 or email [email protected]
November 17, 2022
This post is concerning GPS related difficulties with the Bus Buddy app, OC Transpo cannot comment of third party applications or any issue potentially arising from the use of third party applications. They recommend that user for that app forward their feedback to the app developer. Real-time bus schedules are available through text-messages on your cell phone by texting your 4-digit bus stop number to 560-560. OC Transpo recommends the use of the OC Transpo app, text 560560 or call 613-560-1000, plus your 4-digit bus stop number, to receive the latest updated arrival information, including all delays and trip cancellations, standard rates apply. The 560 service always has the most recent information from GPS bus locations and from the OC Transpo Control Centre, where cancellations and replacement buses are first identified. Should residents have any further questions or comments, you may reach OC Transpo directly at 613-560-5000 or via their customer feedback form
This post is concerning GPS related difficulties with the Bus Buddy app, OC Transpo cannot comment of third party applications or any issue potentially arising from the use of third party applications. They recommend that user for that app forward their feedback to the app developer. Real-time bus schedules are available through text-messages on your cell phone by texting your 4-digit bus stop number to 560-560. OC Transpo recommends the use of the OC Transpo app, text 560560 or call 613-560-1000, plus your 4-digit bus stop number, to receive the latest updated arrival information, including all delays and trip cancellations, standard rates apply. The 560 service always has the most recent information from GPS bus locations and from the OC Transpo Control Centre, where cancellations and replacement buses are first identified. Should residents have any further questions or comments, you may reach OC Transpo directly at 613-560-5000 or via their customer feedback form
April 14, 2022
OC Transpo’s new My Para Transpo application makes it easier for customers to book a trip online
Ottawa – Para Transpo customers now have more self-service options to book and track trips. Today, OC Transpo launched the new My Para Transpo online application.
With this new application, Para Transpo customers can now:
The browser-based application is mobile friendly and can accommodate various device platforms.
My Para Transpo has been developed in collaboration with Para Transpo customers. Since December 2020, a working group of customers has been testing the application and an early adopters’ group has been piloting the service since July 2021.
My Para Transpo will continue to improve as new functions are added and technology improves. Future releases will include enhancements requested through customer feedback, including functionality that allows designated support persons and institutions to book or cancel trips on behalf of their clients or loved ones, customer notifications for upcoming trips, and a downloadable mobile application.
To ensure a seamless transition to My Para Transpo, the existing web forms that have been available to customers for bookings and cancellations will be maintained for an overlap period of 12 weeks.
To learn more about OC Transpo’s My Para Transpo online application, you can visit octranspo.com.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Launch of My Para Transpo – April 14, 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is My Para Transpo?
My Para Transpo is a new online tool that allows Para Transpo customers or their designated support persons to self-serve when booking a trip for the next day, cancelling a booked trip, tracking the location of a vehicle for an imminent trip, and managing their customer profile information.
2. When will My Para Transpo be available?
My Para Transpo is now available for all Para Transpo customers. Since December 2020, a working group of customers has been testing the application to ensure it is ready for launch. Since mid-July 2021 testing has been ongoing by a small group of early adopters, the first version of My Para Transpo is now available to all Para Transpo customers.
This first version includes online booking of next-day trips and advanced booking seven (7) days for holidays; viewing a calendar of booked trips; trip cancellation; and vehicle tracking functionality, including a countdown to arrival. All functions have been certified for accessibility and meet WCAG 2.0AA standards.
3. Will the existing web forms for booking and cancellation still be available?
The existing web forms will continue to be available for an overlap period of twelve weeks before they’re taken down, to ensure the online booking and cancellation functions have been fully tested and made available to all customers. More information will be provided to customers as this changeover happens.
4. What type of enhancements will be available in future versions of the My Para Transpo release?
Future phases of the My Para Transpo project will include enhancements requested through customer feedback, including functionality that allows designated support persons and institutions to book or cancel trips on behalf of their clients; trip notification functionality via phone, text or email; a downloadable mobile application; and WCAG 2.1AA accessibility compliance.
5. Will there be a mobile app for My Para Transpo?
This first release will be in a mobile-friendly web application (i.e., a regular website). When you open it on your phone or tablet, it will adjust the look and feel to the size of your screen.
A downloadable smartphone app will come in a future phase.
6. Will we be able to track the location of the vehicle coming to pick us up?
Yes. You will be able to track the location of the vehicle in the trip details on the web page from your computer or by using the mobile-friendly website on your phone.
7. When will we get a reminder about our trip as part of My Para Transpo?
A trip notification service will also be explored as part of a future phase of the project, which may be able to include a “your ride is on the way” style of notification.
As part of the current release, you can still see your trips by logging into the My Para Transpo website on your phone or computer.
8. Will we get the “Uber” experience?
My Para Transpo will have a lot of the same functions. You can reserve or cancel your trip, track your vehicle, and more on the mobile-friendly website.
A downloadable smartphone app will come in a future phase of the project.
9. How will I log into My Para Transpo?
You will enroll from the My Para Transpo login page. You’ll be asked for your email, and the system will send you a link, via email, which you can use to complete your enrollment, including setting a password. You can then login with your account by entering your Para Transpo customer number or email address and password at the login page.
10. Do I have to have an email address to use the online booking system?
Yes, you will need an email address to use My Para Transpo.
11. Will I get confirmation of my bookings or cancellations?
Not at this time. You can track your trips booked or cancelled in the trips calendar or list views in the My Para Transpo application. A notification service solution is being explored as part of a future phase, which will provide reminder via phone, text or email.
12. Can I change a booking once it’s been made?
Changes will need to be made over the phone. You can cancel the booking and set up a new booking online.
13. Can someone book on my behalf?
A system called WebCare will be available later in 2022, which will allow an authorized individual to book on your behalf without you having to provide them your personal password. The customer will need to authorize their access in advance.
WebCare is especially important for group homes, long-term care institutions and day programs, as they can book or cancel trips for groups of people without having to know each person’s password.
14. If I’m booking for my partner and I, and we both have Para Transpo customer IDs, should I book them as a companion?
No. Please book your partner under their own customer ID number. This ensures that their contact information is updated, and that we register any other relevant information, such as mobility devices and support persons.
15. I work for an institution, and we sometimes use the temporary booking number until our client is registered. Can we book online using the temporary booking number?
Not in this phase of the project. We need certain information from you that can’t currently be collected online, and you should continue to call.
16. As an institution, on Fridays, we book for Monday because nobody is on duty over the weekend. Can we do this online using the WebCare program?
Not at this time. In this current phase, My Para Transpo can only accept bookings one day in advance, other than for statutory holidays. Please continue to call.
17. I couldn’t book a midnight trip – why?
This is the first version of the program, and we do have a few features that are not yet working, including booking for midnight. Please call, and we can book your trip by phone, or you can book for 11:45 pm.
This issue will be addressed in a future phase of the project.
18. I always travel with a wheelchair. Why do I have to select my wheelchair in the mobility devices every time I book?
Not everyone will always travel with their mobility device. As such, even if you have only one mobility device and use it all the time, you will have to select it.
In future phases, we will work to enhance the system to have a mobility device filled out automatically for customers who always travel with the same mobility device.
19. Why can’t I cancel my subscription booking for next week?
It shows on the calendar, but the cancel option isn’t there. The online system will not allow you to cancel a trip until it is in the scheduling window, meaning the day prior to the scheduled booking. If you need to cancel earlier, you can cancel by phone or using the existing web form.
Subscription booking cancellations will come in a future phase of the project.
Please note that cancelling a subscription booking the day before is no longer considered a late cancellation, as long as you cancel at least three (3) hours prior to the scheduled trip time.
OC Transpo’s new My Para Transpo application makes it easier for customers to book a trip online
Ottawa – Para Transpo customers now have more self-service options to book and track trips. Today, OC Transpo launched the new My Para Transpo online application.
With this new application, Para Transpo customers can now:
- Book a next-day trip
- Cancel a booked trip
- Track the location of a vehicle for an imminent trip
- Manage their customer profile information
The browser-based application is mobile friendly and can accommodate various device platforms.
My Para Transpo has been developed in collaboration with Para Transpo customers. Since December 2020, a working group of customers has been testing the application and an early adopters’ group has been piloting the service since July 2021.
My Para Transpo will continue to improve as new functions are added and technology improves. Future releases will include enhancements requested through customer feedback, including functionality that allows designated support persons and institutions to book or cancel trips on behalf of their clients or loved ones, customer notifications for upcoming trips, and a downloadable mobile application.
To ensure a seamless transition to My Para Transpo, the existing web forms that have been available to customers for bookings and cancellations will be maintained for an overlap period of 12 weeks.
To learn more about OC Transpo’s My Para Transpo online application, you can visit octranspo.com.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Launch of My Para Transpo – April 14, 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is My Para Transpo?
My Para Transpo is a new online tool that allows Para Transpo customers or their designated support persons to self-serve when booking a trip for the next day, cancelling a booked trip, tracking the location of a vehicle for an imminent trip, and managing their customer profile information.
2. When will My Para Transpo be available?
My Para Transpo is now available for all Para Transpo customers. Since December 2020, a working group of customers has been testing the application to ensure it is ready for launch. Since mid-July 2021 testing has been ongoing by a small group of early adopters, the first version of My Para Transpo is now available to all Para Transpo customers.
This first version includes online booking of next-day trips and advanced booking seven (7) days for holidays; viewing a calendar of booked trips; trip cancellation; and vehicle tracking functionality, including a countdown to arrival. All functions have been certified for accessibility and meet WCAG 2.0AA standards.
3. Will the existing web forms for booking and cancellation still be available?
The existing web forms will continue to be available for an overlap period of twelve weeks before they’re taken down, to ensure the online booking and cancellation functions have been fully tested and made available to all customers. More information will be provided to customers as this changeover happens.
4. What type of enhancements will be available in future versions of the My Para Transpo release?
Future phases of the My Para Transpo project will include enhancements requested through customer feedback, including functionality that allows designated support persons and institutions to book or cancel trips on behalf of their clients; trip notification functionality via phone, text or email; a downloadable mobile application; and WCAG 2.1AA accessibility compliance.
5. Will there be a mobile app for My Para Transpo?
This first release will be in a mobile-friendly web application (i.e., a regular website). When you open it on your phone or tablet, it will adjust the look and feel to the size of your screen.
A downloadable smartphone app will come in a future phase.
6. Will we be able to track the location of the vehicle coming to pick us up?
Yes. You will be able to track the location of the vehicle in the trip details on the web page from your computer or by using the mobile-friendly website on your phone.
7. When will we get a reminder about our trip as part of My Para Transpo?
A trip notification service will also be explored as part of a future phase of the project, which may be able to include a “your ride is on the way” style of notification.
As part of the current release, you can still see your trips by logging into the My Para Transpo website on your phone or computer.
8. Will we get the “Uber” experience?
My Para Transpo will have a lot of the same functions. You can reserve or cancel your trip, track your vehicle, and more on the mobile-friendly website.
A downloadable smartphone app will come in a future phase of the project.
9. How will I log into My Para Transpo?
You will enroll from the My Para Transpo login page. You’ll be asked for your email, and the system will send you a link, via email, which you can use to complete your enrollment, including setting a password. You can then login with your account by entering your Para Transpo customer number or email address and password at the login page.
10. Do I have to have an email address to use the online booking system?
Yes, you will need an email address to use My Para Transpo.
11. Will I get confirmation of my bookings or cancellations?
Not at this time. You can track your trips booked or cancelled in the trips calendar or list views in the My Para Transpo application. A notification service solution is being explored as part of a future phase, which will provide reminder via phone, text or email.
12. Can I change a booking once it’s been made?
Changes will need to be made over the phone. You can cancel the booking and set up a new booking online.
13. Can someone book on my behalf?
A system called WebCare will be available later in 2022, which will allow an authorized individual to book on your behalf without you having to provide them your personal password. The customer will need to authorize their access in advance.
WebCare is especially important for group homes, long-term care institutions and day programs, as they can book or cancel trips for groups of people without having to know each person’s password.
14. If I’m booking for my partner and I, and we both have Para Transpo customer IDs, should I book them as a companion?
No. Please book your partner under their own customer ID number. This ensures that their contact information is updated, and that we register any other relevant information, such as mobility devices and support persons.
15. I work for an institution, and we sometimes use the temporary booking number until our client is registered. Can we book online using the temporary booking number?
Not in this phase of the project. We need certain information from you that can’t currently be collected online, and you should continue to call.
16. As an institution, on Fridays, we book for Monday because nobody is on duty over the weekend. Can we do this online using the WebCare program?
Not at this time. In this current phase, My Para Transpo can only accept bookings one day in advance, other than for statutory holidays. Please continue to call.
17. I couldn’t book a midnight trip – why?
This is the first version of the program, and we do have a few features that are not yet working, including booking for midnight. Please call, and we can book your trip by phone, or you can book for 11:45 pm.
This issue will be addressed in a future phase of the project.
18. I always travel with a wheelchair. Why do I have to select my wheelchair in the mobility devices every time I book?
Not everyone will always travel with their mobility device. As such, even if you have only one mobility device and use it all the time, you will have to select it.
In future phases, we will work to enhance the system to have a mobility device filled out automatically for customers who always travel with the same mobility device.
19. Why can’t I cancel my subscription booking for next week?
It shows on the calendar, but the cancel option isn’t there. The online system will not allow you to cancel a trip until it is in the scheduling window, meaning the day prior to the scheduled booking. If you need to cancel earlier, you can cancel by phone or using the existing web form.
Subscription booking cancellations will come in a future phase of the project.
Please note that cancelling a subscription booking the day before is no longer considered a late cancellation, as long as you cancel at least three (3) hours prior to the scheduled trip time.
March 25, 2022
A spring service change highlight: as Stage 2 O-Train construction progresses, additional sections of the Transitway will close for the conversion to light-rail facilities. Details of these changes and additional service adjustments are described below.
Service Adjustments
Service Adjustments for Construction
Stage 2 O-Train Construction
Seasonal Construction
Seasonal Service Changes
A spring service change highlight: as Stage 2 O-Train construction progresses, additional sections of the Transitway will close for the conversion to light-rail facilities. Details of these changes and additional service adjustments are described below.
Service Adjustments
- The 12:30 am westbound Route 99 trip from Riverview Station to Barrhaven Centre will be withdrawn due to no ridership.
- Route 167 will be renumbered Route 67 and adjusted to provide improved service from new areas in Stittsville, with peak period service to Tunney’s Pasture Station in the morning, and from Tunney’s Pasture in the afternoon. As part of this change, adjustments will be made to Route 61, including converting some trips into Route 67 trips and extending select trips between Terry Fox Station and Stittsville to maintain 15-minute service. Route 252 will be shortened slightly, as Route 67 will provide Abbottsville Crossing and Blackstone residents with a connection to O-Train Line 1 at Tunney’s Pasture Station. These changes follow the completion of new streets in the area and are being made based on discussion with the ward Councillor.
- Routes 198 and 299 will be adjusted to serve transit customers in the new area south of Earl Armstrong and along River Road. Route 198 will have two new trips northbound in the morning and two new trips southbound in the afternoon which will start and end on Borbridge Avenue. Route 299 will be adjusted to travel along Borbridge and Brian Good avenues. These changes follow the completion of new streets in the area and are being made based on discussion with the ward Councillors.
- Overnight service on Route N39 will be adjusted to serve Hurdman Station, improving connections with other late night and overnight routes.
- Select trips on overnight service on Routes N39, N45, N57, N61, N75, and N97 will have schedule or pattern adjustments to better align with O-Train Line 1 hours of operation.
- Some school trips will be adjusted to better align with current school travel needs. Details will be communicated directly to the schools and will also be made available on octranspo.com. These changes are based on discussion with the school transportation authorities.
- Weekend schedules will be adjusted on the O-Train Line 2 replacement bus service and on Routes 11, 25, 34, 35, 42, 44, 46, 55, 56, 57, 80, 85, 88, 99, 110, 138, 168 and 170, to improve the reliability of service.
Service Adjustments for Construction
Stage 2 O-Train Construction
- The Transitway will permanently close between Pinecrest and Bayshore stations to allow continued construction of the Stage 2 O-Train extension to Moodie Station. Buses will be detoured onto adjacent corridors. As part of this work, bus stops at Bayshore Station will be adjusted.
- Westbound, all bus routes will travel along Highway 417 from Pinecrest Road to Bayshore Drive and to Woodridge Crescent to reach Bayshore Station.
- Eastbound, routes will follow one of two patterns:
- Routes 61, 62, 303, and 660 will maintain connections to Bayshore and Pinecrest stations. These routes will travel from Highway 417 to Holly Acres and to Bayshore Station. Buses will continue eastbound on Richmond Road, Highway 417, and Greenbank Road, to Pinecrest Station, and will return to their current routing there.
- Routes 63, 64, 66, 252, 256, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 267, 268, and 283 will bypass Pinecrest and Bayshore stations. These buses will exit Highway 417 at Holly Acres, serve the bus stop on Holly Acres, which provides transfer connections to routes serving Bayshore Station, and then continue on Richmond Road, Highway 417 to the Greenbank exit to provide service at the bus stop on the eastbound on-ramp, before continuing on their current routing onto Highway 417.
- Platforms and platform assignment will be adjusted at Blair Station to accommodate ongoing Stage 2 construction.
Seasonal Construction
- Reconstruction of Albert, Queen, Slater and Bronson – Routes 10 and 16 will have additional running time to account for associated delays during the weekday peak periods.
- Montréal Road – Service will operate on detour due to ongoing construction resulting in lane reductions and road closures (see map in Appendix A below). Compared to the fall of 2021, there will be slight modifications to detours and travel times on Routes 15, 20, 615, and 616.
Seasonal Service Changes
- Route 25 and O-Train Line 2 replacement bus frequency will be reduced in certain time periods, to reflect reduced seasonal ridership levels at Carleton University and La Cité.
- Weekday frequency will be reduced in certain time periods on the Line 2 replacement bus service and on Routes 10, 11, 12, 24, 25, 39, 40, 44, 56, 57, 66, 73, 75, 84, 221, 231, 237, 258, 261, 263, 264, 270, and 283, to match seasonal changes in ridership.
- Rack and Roll Program – The Rack and Roll program of bicycle racks on buses will be reinstated in full this spring. All buses in the fleet will be equipped with a bike rack.
Holidays:
Victoria Day which falls on Monday, May 23 will use a Sunday schedule.
Customer information
Full details of these service changes will be communicated to customers throughout April. OC Transpo has several customer-friendly applications and tools to assist customers in accessing timely information about our service while on the go. These include texting 560560 for real-time bus schedule information, downloading the OC Transpo iPhone app or an independent app, signing up for text alerts on octranspo.com to receive the latest information, checking transit information screens at many major stations, as well as visiting octranspo.com from a smartphone. Real-time information is also available by calling 613-560-1000 plus the bus stop number.
Once spring service changes begin on April 24, customers can find up-to-date schedules and real-time information by using these applications and tools. Please direct customers to octranspo.com or to the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre (613-560-5000) for more information.
These spring service changes will be evaluated based on feedback we collect from customers and operating staff, as well as ridership and operational data measurements. Our goal is to continue to provide excellent service for customers as their travel needs change.
Appendix A
Montreal Road detours
Victoria Day which falls on Monday, May 23 will use a Sunday schedule.
Customer information
Full details of these service changes will be communicated to customers throughout April. OC Transpo has several customer-friendly applications and tools to assist customers in accessing timely information about our service while on the go. These include texting 560560 for real-time bus schedule information, downloading the OC Transpo iPhone app or an independent app, signing up for text alerts on octranspo.com to receive the latest information, checking transit information screens at many major stations, as well as visiting octranspo.com from a smartphone. Real-time information is also available by calling 613-560-1000 plus the bus stop number.
Once spring service changes begin on April 24, customers can find up-to-date schedules and real-time information by using these applications and tools. Please direct customers to octranspo.com or to the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre (613-560-5000) for more information.
These spring service changes will be evaluated based on feedback we collect from customers and operating staff, as well as ridership and operational data measurements. Our goal is to continue to provide excellent service for customers as their travel needs change.
Appendix A
Montreal Road detours
March 21, 2022
2022 Bus Stop Improvement Program
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December 16, 2021
OC Transpo winter service begins Sunday, December 19
Ottawa – OC Transpo is implementing Stage 2 construction detours, school service improvements and service adjustments, starting Sunday, December 19. A special holiday service will be in place from Monday, December 20 to Saturday, January 1. New winter schedules and holiday schedules are available at octranspo.com or by calling 613-560-5000.
Detours – Highway 417 westbound off-ramp at Pinecrest Road
To accommodate construction of the Stage 2 O-Train west extension, and closure of the Highway 417 westbound off-ramp at Pinecrest Road, customers should note changes to the following routes:
Customers travelling westbound on all affected routes should plan for increased travel times. Some boarding locations at Lincoln Fields and Bayshore Stations will be changed and station signage will help direct customers to their new bus stops.
There will be no changes to eastbound service.
Montréal Road Revitalization project
Montréal Road will temporarily reopen in both directions for the winter, affecting the detours that have been in place since the spring.
Service frequencies will remain unchanged.
School service improvements
Improvements to school service are being made to provide more direct service and reduce walking distances for students.
Service adjustments
Special holiday service
OC Transpo holiday service will run from December 20 to January 1. Shopper routes will operate on a normal schedule throughout the holiday period.
Visit octranspo.com for information on hours of operation, frequency adjustments and schedules for bus routes and O-Train Line 1 during the holidays. Customers can get real-time schedule information, 24 hours a day, by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus their four-digit bus stop number or first three letters of the station name.
Para Transpo holiday bookings
Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Regular scheduled trips are automatically cancelled, but customers may book trips for these days by calling 613-560-5000, or by using the online web form, up to seven days prior to the holiday. Customers are reminded to suspend their regular booking if they will be on vacation during the holiday season. Para Transpo services will be extended until 3 am on New Year’s Eve (with the last trips booked for 2:30 am).
Reminder: Unlimited no-charge transit in December
Throughout December, you can ride OC Transpo all day, without having to pay. No-charge transit is available on all buses, the O-Train and Para Transpo. Plan your trip at octranspo.com or by calling 613-560-5000.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
OC Transpo winter service begins Sunday, December 19
Ottawa – OC Transpo is implementing Stage 2 construction detours, school service improvements and service adjustments, starting Sunday, December 19. A special holiday service will be in place from Monday, December 20 to Saturday, January 1. New winter schedules and holiday schedules are available at octranspo.com or by calling 613-560-5000.
Detours – Highway 417 westbound off-ramp at Pinecrest Road
To accommodate construction of the Stage 2 O-Train west extension, and closure of the Highway 417 westbound off-ramp at Pinecrest Road, customers should note changes to the following routes:
- Routes 61, 62, 282, 283, 301, 303 and 404 will travel to Pinecrest Station via Carling, Richmond and Pinecrest, and then will return to their regular routing.
- Routes 63, 64, 66, 258, 406 and 454 will remain on their regular routes but will bypass Pinecrest Station, travelling directly to Bayshore Station, serving the local bus loop at Bayshore Station.
- Customers at Pinecrest Station destined to Kanata North can take Routes 61 or 62 and connect to Routes 63 or 64 at Moodie Station.
Customers travelling westbound on all affected routes should plan for increased travel times. Some boarding locations at Lincoln Fields and Bayshore Stations will be changed and station signage will help direct customers to their new bus stops.
There will be no changes to eastbound service.
Montréal Road Revitalization project
Montréal Road will temporarily reopen in both directions for the winter, affecting the detours that have been in place since the spring.
- Routes 15 and 20 will return to their regular routing on Montréal Road between Vanier Parkway and St-Laurent Boulevard.
- Route 12 will continue to operate between Blair and St-Laurent Stations.
Service frequencies will remain unchanged.
School service improvements
Improvements to school service are being made to provide more direct service and reduce walking distances for students.
- Earl of March Secondary School: New school Route 664 will provide direct service to and from Kanata Lakes, replacing trips on Route 168.
- John McCrae Secondary School: New school Routes 671 and 672 will provide direct service to and from South Barrhaven, replacing trips on Routes 75, 171 and 173.
- Merivale High School: New school Route 680 will provide direct service to and from Riverside South, replacing trips on Routes 80 and 99. Route 80 school trips to and from Tunney’s Pasture Station will be shortened to start and end at Merivale and Burris.
- St. Mother Teresa High School: New school Route 676 will provide direct service to Riverside South, replacing trips on Route 278. School trips on Route 171 will be shortened to end and start at the school, and the morning pattern will be adjusted to operate via Earl Mulligan and Mount Shannon.
Service adjustments
- Route 55: An early morning eastbound trip that currently starts at The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, at 6:09 a.m. and travels to Elmvale will be withdrawn due to very low ridership. No other trips on the route will be affected.
- Routes 99 and 110: Trip times will be adjusted to better accommodate the shift times at the new Amazon facility in Barrhaven, expected to open early in 2022.
Special holiday service
OC Transpo holiday service will run from December 20 to January 1. Shopper routes will operate on a normal schedule throughout the holiday period.
Visit octranspo.com for information on hours of operation, frequency adjustments and schedules for bus routes and O-Train Line 1 during the holidays. Customers can get real-time schedule information, 24 hours a day, by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus their four-digit bus stop number or first three letters of the station name.
Para Transpo holiday bookings
Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Regular scheduled trips are automatically cancelled, but customers may book trips for these days by calling 613-560-5000, or by using the online web form, up to seven days prior to the holiday. Customers are reminded to suspend their regular booking if they will be on vacation during the holiday season. Para Transpo services will be extended until 3 am on New Year’s Eve (with the last trips booked for 2:30 am).
Reminder: Unlimited no-charge transit in December
Throughout December, you can ride OC Transpo all day, without having to pay. No-charge transit is available on all buses, the O-Train and Para Transpo. Plan your trip at octranspo.com or by calling 613-560-5000.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
December 9, 2021
This year’s 37th annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive was yet another success for the Ottawa Food Bank, and a much-needed support to the most vulnerable members of our community at a time of year they need it most.
I am pleased to announce that we delivered a total of 103,415 pounds of non-perishable food and $15,000 in cash and food vouchers to the Ottawa Food Bank over the weekend. These donations will help keep the shelves stocked for the upcoming holiday season.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s campaign – whether you helped organize this year’s food drive, donated non-perishable food items, made a monetary donation or volunteered at a store location this past Saturday.
Your overwhelming generosity reminds me why this city is such an incredible place to live.
This year’s 37th annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive was yet another success for the Ottawa Food Bank, and a much-needed support to the most vulnerable members of our community at a time of year they need it most.
I am pleased to announce that we delivered a total of 103,415 pounds of non-perishable food and $15,000 in cash and food vouchers to the Ottawa Food Bank over the weekend. These donations will help keep the shelves stocked for the upcoming holiday season.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s campaign – whether you helped organize this year’s food drive, donated non-perishable food items, made a monetary donation or volunteered at a store location this past Saturday.
Your overwhelming generosity reminds me why this city is such an incredible place to live.
November 23, 2021
The 37th Annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive ends in just over a week! Due to the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s food drive is again virtual, and is as important as ever! Let’s work together to help those in our community who are struggling to make ends meet during what continues to be a challenging time.
Want to get involved? Here’s how you can help!
Volunteer your time!
Volunteers make the food drive a success year after year, and we still need your help! Staff and their family and friends can volunteer for a shift on Saturday, December 4 between 10 am and 5 pm at participating stores. This volunteer opportunity qualifies as community service hours for high school students. If you are interested, please visit the Ottawa Food Bank’s new online volunteer registration site.
Make a virtual donation
You can make a virtual donation through the Ottawa Food Bank’s website between November 1 and December 3.
Sharing is caring! Sharing the link to the page is easy – you can post it on your social media accounts for friends and family to see.
Make an in-person donation on Saturday, December 4
Donate non-perishable items or make a monetary donation through store cashiers on Saturday, December 4 at participating grocery stores by placing items in Ottawa Food Bank donation bins. Items such as: rice, soup, tuna, pasta, diapers, baby food, baby formula, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and stews make great donation items.
Check out In the Loop for more information on the food drive and a complete list of participating grocery stores.
Thank you for all your efforts so far—let’s continue working together to supply even more food to families in need across our city
The 37th Annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive ends in just over a week! Due to the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s food drive is again virtual, and is as important as ever! Let’s work together to help those in our community who are struggling to make ends meet during what continues to be a challenging time.
Want to get involved? Here’s how you can help!
Volunteer your time!
Volunteers make the food drive a success year after year, and we still need your help! Staff and their family and friends can volunteer for a shift on Saturday, December 4 between 10 am and 5 pm at participating stores. This volunteer opportunity qualifies as community service hours for high school students. If you are interested, please visit the Ottawa Food Bank’s new online volunteer registration site.
Make a virtual donation
You can make a virtual donation through the Ottawa Food Bank’s website between November 1 and December 3.
Sharing is caring! Sharing the link to the page is easy – you can post it on your social media accounts for friends and family to see.
Make an in-person donation on Saturday, December 4
Donate non-perishable items or make a monetary donation through store cashiers on Saturday, December 4 at participating grocery stores by placing items in Ottawa Food Bank donation bins. Items such as: rice, soup, tuna, pasta, diapers, baby food, baby formula, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and stews make great donation items.
Check out In the Loop for more information on the food drive and a complete list of participating grocery stores.
Thank you for all your efforts so far—let’s continue working together to supply even more food to families in need across our city
November 23, 2021
OC Transpo winter service changes
OC Transpo winter service changes
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November 12, 2021
Unlimited No-Charge Transit in December
Unlimited No-Charge Transit in December
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October 26, 2021
Rideau Transit Group proposed full return-to-service
Rideau Transit Group proposed full return-to-service
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October 12, 2021
Operation Mask Up campaign
OC Transpo will be running a two-day Operation Mask Up campaign on Wednesday, October 13 and Thursday, October 14 at Blair, Tunney’s Pasture and Hurdman stations.
As you may recall, OC Transpo ran Operation Mask Up on two previous occasions: from October 9 to 23, 2020 and on February 3, 2021 to remind transit customers to comply with OC Transpo’s mandatory mask policy. Following these campaigns, Special Constables have continued to provide education and enforcement of the Transit By-law, and customer compliance has remained high.
The purpose of running this two-day campaign is to reinforce the importance of wearing a mask given recent customer feedback regarding mask compliance on R1 replacement bus service routes.
OC Transpo Special Constables will issue fines of $260 under the Transit By-Law to customers not wearing a mask. They will also reinforce how to properly wear a mask and will provide customers with a disposable mask if they do not have their own mask.
There are some customers who are unable to wear a mask for a variety of reasons. Young children as well as customers who identify themselves as having a disability or medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask will not be issued a fine.
Customers who refuse to wear a mask, and do not have any medical or other restrictions, will not be permitted to enter the transit system.
September 24, 2021
As part of our ongoing effort to enhance R1 replacement bus service, several improvements will be made in the coming days:
Starting on Friday September 24
Starting Monday September 27
Below is a summary of the enhancements already implemented this week to the R1 replacement bus service that was launched on Sunday September 19.:
Monday September 20
Tuesday September 21
Wednesday September 22
OC Transpo and Traffic Services staff are working together to monitor operations and to ensure that traffic signal timing is adjusted to keep R1 bus service moving well along its entire route.
As part of our ongoing effort to enhance R1 replacement bus service, several improvements will be made in the coming days:
Starting on Friday September 24
- Direct trips from downtown to Blair Station in the afternoon peak period will operate every 10 minutes
- New schedules for R1 bus service will be in place based on observed operating conditions. These will increase reliability of service.
- Additional trips will be cancelled on other routes as buses are reassigned to R1 bus service.
Starting Monday September 27
- All R1 buses will bypass Cyrville Station in both directions to make travel times faster for most customers.
- A special shuttle bus will run frequently between Cyrville Station and St-Laurent Station.
- The special shuttle bus will operate using Para Transpo minibuses, but there will be no impact on Para Transpo service levels, and we continue to accommodate all Para Transpo trip requests.
Below is a summary of the enhancements already implemented this week to the R1 replacement bus service that was launched on Sunday September 19.:
Monday September 20
- R1 bus service operated over the full line for the full day.
- Extra trips added from key points, dispatched as required by ridership levels.
Tuesday September 21
- Schedules for R1 bus service available in customer information systems.
- Direct trips added from Blair Station to downtown in the morning peak period, dispatched as required by ridership levels.
- R1 bus service operated primarily with high-capacity articulated and double-decker buses. These were removed from other routes and reassigned to R1 bus service.
- Some trips cancelled on other routes as buses were reassigned to R1 bus service.
Wednesday September 22
- More direct trips added from Blair Station to downtown in the morning peak period, now operating every 10 minutes, with schedules available in customer information systems.
- Planned bus service reduced for RedBlacks game based on expected attendance and buses reallocated to R1 bus service.
OC Transpo and Traffic Services staff are working together to monitor operations and to ensure that traffic signal timing is adjusted to keep R1 bus service moving well along its entire route.
September 20, 2021
Transit Commission receives operational update on O-Train Line 1 and bus service and approves status report on Q2 transit operating and capital budgetOttawa – The Transit Commission today received an update on O-Train Line 1 and bus service operations. Staff provided details of the August 8 Line 1 incident involving an axle bearing issue on an out-of-service train leaving Tunney’s Pasture Station. The update outlined OC Transpo’s incident response framework, steps taken to identify and remediate root causes of the incident, as well as steps taken to safely resume service on Line 1 on August 14. Staff also briefed the Transit Commission on an incident involving the derailment of a westbound Line 1 train between Tremblay and Hurdman Stations on the afternoon of Sunday, September 19, which has resulted in the temporary replacement of Line 1 service with R1 bus service to allow for investigation and repairs. In addition, staff provided regular updates on train service reliability, along with updates on wheel inspections and Rideau Transit Group’s (RTG) rectification plan. The update also confirmed that ridership has been climbing steadily since Step 1 of the Province’s COVID-19 reopening on June 11, climbing to 29 percent as of Step 3 on July 16, and reaching 34 percent of normal levels in August. The Transit Commission approved a motion calling for the City Manager to consult with the Regulatory Monitor and Compliance Officer to identify and retain an independent expert or experts to confirm the safety of the plan for return to service and report back to City Council and Transit Commission with a work plan and timelines for this independent safety review. The Transit Commission also received a report, 2021 Transit Operating and Capital Budget Q2 Status, indicating a $3.8 million surplus for the second quarter of 2021, mainly due to lower compensation costs resulting from vacant positions, as revenue shortfalls and additional expenditures due to COVID-19 were offset by federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement (SRA) funding for transit. The end-of-year forecast is a deficit of $17 million, made up of $26.3 million in projected revenue loss and added costs from COVID-19, offset by $9.3 million in savings due to vacant positions and the temporary service reductions. Finally, the Transit Commission received for information a report on OC Transpo’s delegated authority for contracts awarded for the period of July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 and approved a recommendation to waive Section 39 of the Procurement By-law, permitting 2021 semi-annual reports of the details relevant to the exercise of delegated authority for all OC Transpo contracts equal to or exceeding $25,000 to be delivered as one consolidated report in Q2 2022. For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Friday, September 17th, 2021
As may be aware, I have been working with OC Transpo to help Kanata and Stittsville residents get to their specialized programs at Merivale H.S. and Canterbury H.S. after transportation for Kanata/Stittsville residents was cut by OSTA this Fall due to a driver shortage. When looking at the cancelled routes, it came to my attention that almost half of the cut routes were from Kanata and Stittsville. I have sent OSTA the below letter this morning to ask how they determined which routes were cut and why so many routes have come from 3 wards. Friday September 17th, 2021
Update- Dedicated Buses to Merivale and Canterbury H.S. We have received some good news from OC Transpo today and I am pleased to provide you with an update. Based off the numbers we have currently, OC Transpo will be providing two buses for students who are attending Merivale High School and one bus for students headed to Canterbury High School, starting Monday September 20th, 2021. These new routes will start at Terry Fox station in Kanata North and travel to Hazeldean Mall in Kanata South before travelling to each school. The new routes will run as follows: Route 88 will run from Terry Fox to Canterbury – leaving Terry Fox at 7:35 a.m. stopping at Hazeldean Mall at 7:47 a.m. and arriving at Canterbury at 8:58 a.m. Route 88 will run from Canterbury to Terry Fox – leaving Canterbury at 3:27 p.m. Route 688 will run from Terry Fox to Merivale High School – two buses leaving Terry Fox at 7 a.m., stopping at Hazeldean Mall at 7:10 a.m. and arriving at Merivale High School at 7:50 a.m. Route 688 will run from Merivale High School to Terry Fox – leaving Merivale at 2:30 p.m. OC Transpo will continue to monitor these new routes and additional capacity may be added if needed. OC Transpo fall service starts September 5
Ottawa – OC Transpo is implementing service improvements, Stage 2 construction detours and seasonal adjustments, starting Sunday, September 5. Before heading out, use the Travel Planner on octranspo.com to plan your trip. Service improvements
Stage 2 light rail construction at Moodie and Bayshore Stations Bayshore Station Due to construction of the Stage 2 O-Train extension, the local bus platforms at Bayshore Station will move to the northwest corner of the station area. The Transitway platforms will remain unchanged. Connections between the new local platform, Transitway platforms and surrounding neighbourhood will be maintained. Signs posted throughout the station will help guide customers to new stop locations and to and from the shopping centre. Moodie Station Moodie Station will be temporarily relocated and the Transitway between Moodie Station and Holly Acres will close for construction of the Stage 2 O-Train extension. Bus service will be relocated to stops near the Moodie Drive and Highway 417 ramp intersections. The passenger pick-up and drop-off area and bike facilities will not be available during construction of the new station. Alternative passenger pick-up and drop-off locations are available at Eagleson and Baseline Stations for customers connecting to transit by vehicle or taxi.
Customers in the Crystal Beach neighbourhood will continue to have access to local transit service on Routes 58 and 258 along Corkstown Road, Crystal Beach Drive and Carling Avenue. Connections to Transitway service for customers in the Crystal Beach neighbourhood can be made from Routes 58 and 258 at Bayshore Station. For everyone’s safety, customers and pedestrians are reminded to obey traffic signals, use designated crosswalks and be aware of increased construction vehicles in the area as construction continues at Bayshore and Moodie Stations. Seasonal adjustments
School service School trips and 600-series routes will resume. Changes to school service have been made in consultation with school boards and based on current travel needs. Additional capacity will be provided on key routes to accommodate some students previously transported by yellow bus service. For the latest information on school service, use the Travel Planner on octranspo.com. For more information, visit octranspo.com or call 613-560-5000. August 26, 2021
O-Train Line 1 incidents Mayor, Members of Council and Members of the Transit Commission, This email is to provide an overview of two incidents that occurred this morning on O-Train Line 1. At approximately 6am an eastbound train arriving at Lyon Station experienced a coupler issue and the safety systems brought the train to a safe stop, as designed. A coupler issue can occur when, sensors that allow the two cars in a double train to communicate with each other are not correctly aligned. These issues do sometimes happen on rail systems, and we have processes in place to provide notice and ensure the safety of customers. The operator attempted to rectify the issue, but troubleshooting could not resolve it. The operator was able to open the doors and all customers disembarked the train at Lyon Station safely. A Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) technician was required to attend the train to remove it from service. The affected train has now returned to the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) for diagnosis and repairs, unrelated to the axle-bearing issue impacting other trains. During this incident, service continued to operate along the entire line. Some customers may have experienced longer travel times as they were required to transfer at Lyon Station to continue their journey. Customers were notified via announcements in the trains, in stations, on our social media accounts, as well as our other regular channels. Normal service resumed shortly after 7am. Separate from this incident, at approximately 7am, another train at Blair Station experienced an issue with its heating and cooling system. There were no customers on the train at the time. The train was parked at Blair Station in order to allow service to continue without interruption. All trains continued to service one platform without delays to customers. Due to the current and anticipated temperatures today, the train was removed from the line and returned to the MSF around 7:30am, without affecting ongoing rail service. Line 1 is currently operating with 10 trains, providing service every 5 to 6 minutes. Thank you, John Manconi General Manager, Transportation Services Department Directeur général, Direction générale des transports August 25, 2021
My statement re: Calls for emergency Transit meeting “We will continue to provide all the information available through the almost daily updates being provided to the Commission and to the public including media, from the Transit experts. It is unfortunate that some would want to suggest information is being withheld from council and the public with zero evidence to support such a claim. This tells me the reputation of council and the hard-working men and women of OC Transpo and our partners in this review is being sacrificed to political grandstand, and that is frankly very sad and uncalled for. Again, I want to assure our ridership that the review continues, and all available information will be shared once it is validated. Whether that can be done in time for council in early September remains to be confirmed. There is no ‘governing by memo’ happening here. Staff are doing their best to share information with Council, the public and media as quickly as they can and sending out a memo is the fastest way to get that information out. The Mayor and I want staff to take the time to be very through in their review to ensure every possibility is explored to maintain the safety of our ridership and employees. Certainly, I believe the majority of council and the citizens of Ottawa agree we need to not rush and possibly miss key data in this process. The safety of our ridership remains my highest priority and that means supporting staff in this process while ensuring safe daily Transit services are available.” August 23, 2021
O-Train Line 1 Update The purpose of this memo is to provide an update to Members of Council and the Transit Commission on the service resumption following the August 8 incident on O-Train Line 1. As well, this memo will address a number of additional questions Staff have received regarding ongoing rail and bus operations. Eleven trains were in operation over the weekend, providing customers with service every five minutes. This is the normal service level for weekends. This morning, service operated with 12 trains, running every four to five minutes. This service level continues to meet current ridership needs. We are working with Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) to increase service further, in preparation for the likelihood of increased ridership in September. Updates on service continue to be communicated to customers through all channels, including customer alerts, social media updates, signage at Line 1 stations, and octranspo.com. Customers can visit octranspo.com for travel planning assistance or call 613-741-4390. Schedules are available by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the bus stop number. In addition, we have received a number of specific inquiries regarding the August 8 incident and ongoing axle assembly investigation, as well as other questions related to rail and bus operations. These questions and responses are provided below.
In late May, there were some delays to customers as RTM performed track related work due to hot weather. The planned maintenance undertaken in June improved track conditions and has meant service has continued to operate normally during the rest of the summer. Regarding the August 8 incident, the investigation is ongoing. The root cause analysis will determine the cause of the axle bearing issue, however at this time, it does not appear to be weather related.
Holding back the train in order to inspect and verify all systems are functioning properly is a standard operating practice, performed to ensure that all trains entering service are safe and ready to respond normally. Coupler issues were previously reported to the Transit Commission, and, since the rectification work was completed this spring, this is no longer a frequent issue affecting service. These issues do sometimes happen on rail systems, and this is why we have processes in place to provide advance notice in order to assess potential issues prior to entering service.
Further to details provided on Friday afternoon regarding a train that stopped near Hurdman Station causing a service delay for customers, RTM has confirmed that the stopped vehicle was caused by the loosening of a connector within the braking system. The train’s safety systems functioned as designed, and the train came to an immediate stop when the connector started to loosen. Some customers needed to be transferred from the affected train to another, and customers on the system may have experienced longer wait or travel times. In accordance with all applicable safety procedures, the technician on site was required to access the train from the outside of the cab to manually release the brakes and return it to the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) for repairs. This sort of issue can occur on trains, and all applicable safety processes and procedures were followed throughout the event. In a separate incident, at approximately 8:15pm a train travelling eastbound at Tremblay Station experienced a brief traction power issue and our control centre proactively decided to remove it from the line to ensure ongoing service. This was unrelated to the issue in the afternoon, or with the ongoing axle assembly issue affecting other trains. The train was delayed several minutes from exiting the track to return to the MSF. Unfortunately, this short delay was further compounded by an operational drill that was taking place at that time and contributed to the delays customers experienced. Service continued to operate across the entire line during this incident, however, during this time, customers may have experienced longer travel times of approximately 10 to 15 minutes. We will be conducting a review of this event as well as our communications, which may not have accurately conveyed the service delay to customers.
While investigating the odour at Rideau Station it was determined that groundwater was the cause. Minor water infiltration is common in tunnels and, when identified, injection grouting is used to seal the area. RTM continues to monitor this situation and perform injection grouting as needed. RTM is also monitoring air quality within the station. The results of this monitoring indicate that the air in the station is safe and well below any thresholds for concern. As grouting continues the odour experienced in the area is anticipated to subside. The investigation into the cause of the odour at Parliament Station is ongoing and the source has yet to be identified. However, as the grouting continues, it is anticipated that the odour experienced in the area should subside. Investigation by an environmental engineering firm confirmed that the odours do not pose any hazard. City staff present in stations will continue to report occurrences of odours to aid in the ongoing remediation efforts. Additionally, staff are working with RTM to explore other options to increase ventilation within the downtown tunnel stations. On Friday, there were reports of a strong odour in Parliament Station and surrounding areas. Staff attended but could find no smell or cause.
In 2015, OC Transpo added fire suppression systems to the engine area of all new double decker buses. When activated, the suppression system sprays a special foam in the engine compartment to prevent a fire from spreading to other areas. This built in system further reduces the risk of serious fire in double decker buses, and fire suppression systems are now a part of purchasing requirements on future bus models. We continue to monitor new technology and industry trends for emerging safety technology that can further benefit our fleet and customers. Should you have any questions, please contact Troy Charter, Director, Transit Operations, at ext. 52160 or myself at ext. 52111. Original signed by John Manconi cc: Senior Leadership Team Transportation Services Departmental Leadership Team Director, Public Information and Media Relations August 20, 2021 O-Train Line 1 Update The purpose of this memo is to provide an update to Members of Council and the Transit Commission on the ongoing service resumption on O-Train Line 1. Over the course of this week, Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) has completed the initial inspection of all but two of the rail vehicles, as previously stated. They have now begun the process of regular, planned inspections of each rail car to ensure safe operation until the root cause analysis is complete and a final adjustment to address the axle bearing assembly issue is in place. Again, all vehicles that are in service have passed the safety inspection process and will continue to be inspected and monitored to ensure their ongoing safe operation. While in-service train numbers have fluctuated throughout the week, train service for most of the week was operating approximately every 5 minutes during peak periods, which meets current ridership needs. Today, 14 double-car trains were running on the line during the morning rush hour, with service running approximately every three to four minutes. We continue to work with RTM to increase service further, in preparation for the likelihood of increased ridership in September. RTM has also advised they have begun implementing the necessary repairs to the nine single cars identified in the inspection process. As work on each train car is finished and, as on-going inspections are done, they will be returned to service. The car involved in the initial incident on August 8 is part of the root cause investigation and requires more thorough inspections before repairs can be made to return it safely to service. The root cause investigation is ongoing at this time. A fulsome update on this investigation will be presented at the Transit Commission meeting on September 20, 2021. Updates on service continue to be communicated to customers through all channels, including customer alerts, social media updates, signage at Line 1 stations, and octranspo.com. Customers can visit octranspo.com for travel planning assistance or call 613-741-4390. Schedules are available by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the bus stop number. Staff will continue to provide updates and are available to answer any questions from members of Council. Should you have any questions, please contact Troy Charter, Director, Transit Operations, at ext. 52160 or myself at ext. 52111. Original signed by John Manconi cc: Senior Leadership Team Transportation Services Departmental Leadership Team Director, Public Information and Media Relations
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August 16, 2021
O-Train Line 1 Update The purpose of this memo is to provide an update to Members of Council and the Transit Commission on the ongoing service resumption on O-Train Line 1 and inspection of the train fleet. As noted in the updates to Council this weekend, we were able to safely restore service to our customers and, as inspections continued throughout the weekend, vehicles meeting the strict safety inspections were released into service. I can confirm that the inspections have been moving forward efficiently and effectively and that safety certified processes are in place to inspect vehicles at regular frequency until the work on the root cause is completed and permanent modifications or adjustments are implemented. A large portion of the fleet have passed the strict inspection protocols, resulting in the O-Train Line 1today operating with 12 trains, providing service every 5 minutes or more frequently. We anticipate that the rail line will operate with 11 to 13 trains throughout this week, including a spare vehicle on standby, meaning customers can expect service every 5 minutes or more often. This is in line with the service provided over the past several months, and based on recent ridership counts, will provide enough capacity to accommodate weekday customers. Again, all vehicles that are in service have passed the safety inspection process and are re-inspected at regular intervals until the root cause adjustment is made. The entire fleet is made up of 39 individual train cars, and each operational train is made up of two cars. Of these 39 cars, two still require inspection and eight cars did not meet established thresholds when tested and will require repairs. These four trains will have components of the axle assembly replaced before they are put into service and they will be subject to the same ongoing inspection requirements as the rest of the fleet. Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) has confirmed they have the required components and the required work will commence shortly. On Saturday, RTM issued a statement regarding the service disruption to acknowledge the impact on customers. As previously stated in memos to Council last week, the ongoing investigation into the root cause and vehicle inspection means new information continues to come up and updates are being provided as we learn more. We understand that the statement may have led some to believe that new issues were being discovered that were not reported to Council. We can confirm this is not the case. The issue affecting last week’s service is as noted in the updates to Council. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Together with RTM, the focus remains on regular, ongoing inspections of the entire fleet to ensure safe operation, component repairs to the four trains identified through the initial inspection, and ultimately, implementation of a resolution to the wheel bearing assembly issue. We continue to work with RTM to increase service further, in preparation for the likelihood of increased ridership in September. Further to some reports last week, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has informed staff that they are not currently conducting a formal investigation but are assessing the situation. OC Transpo staff continue to communicate and engage all partners including Transport Canada, TSB and the Regulatory Monitoring Compliance Officer (RMCO) throughout the vehicle inspection and root cause investigation. Updates on service continue to be communicated to customers through all channels, including customer alerts, social media updates, signage at Line 1 stations, and octranspo.com. Customers can visit octranspo.com for travel planning assistance or call 613-741-4390. Schedules are available by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the bus stop number. Staff will continue to provide updates and are available to answer any questions from members of Council. Should you have any questions, please contact Troy Charter, Director, Transit Operations, at ext. 52160 or myself at ext. 52111. Original signed by John Manconi cc: Senior Leadership Team Transportation Services Departmental Leadership Team Director, Public Information and Media Relations August 9, 2021
Fall 2021 Transit Service Changes The OC Transpo service changes will start on Sunday, September 5, 2021. Regular schedule adjustments take place four times a year – April, June, September and December – and are provided to the Transit Commission and City Council members in advance of each new schedule period. As of the end of July, transit ridership in Ottawa has returned to approximately 30 percent of the pre-pandemic level, up from 15 to 17 percent earlier in the year. On the basis that the current positive public health situation continues, ridership is expected to continue to increase, as more students return to in-person learning in September, as more workplaces reopen, and as events and out-of-home activities resume. The current service levels are sufficient to accommodate increased ridership. The routes that have been temporarily suspended because of low ridership will continue to be suspended for the remainder of the year. Staff will continue to monitor ridership levels on every trip of every route and will make arrangements for additional capacity where required. Staff are in contact with all school boards, universities and colleges, and will ensure that the travel needs of their students are met. The fall service change includes several types of changes:
In addition, the first four battery-electric buses are expected to be placed into service this fall, operating on a variety of routes across the city. OC Transpo will provide further updates as this project continues. Service Improvements
Construction Detours Stage 2 Construction:
Seasonal Construction:
Seasonal Service Changes Seasonal Capacity Adjustments: With the start of the fall semester, weekday seasonal reductions will end on Route 25 serving La Cité and Line 2 Buses serving Carleton University, restoring weekday frequency to pre-pandemic fall/winter service levels. School Services:
Summer Weekend Service to Seasonal Destinations: Monday, September 6 will be the last day of operation for the seasonal service on Route 25 to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Route 139 to Petrie Island, and Route 185 to the Canada Agriculture Museum. NCC Weekend Bike Days: The NCC Weekend Bike Days will continue in the early fall, through to October 11 (Thanksgiving), requiring a detour on Routes 57, 61, 62, 63, 74, 75, and 87. Holidays:
Full details of these service changes will be communicated to customers throughout August using a variety of transit information materials and outreach. OC Transpo has a number of customer-friendly applications and tools so that customers can access timely information about our service while on the go. These include texting 560560 for real-time bus schedule information, downloading the OC Transpo iPhone app or an independent app, signing up for text alerts on octranspo.com to receive the latest information, checking transit information screens at many major stations, as well as visiting octranspo.com from a smartphone. Real time information is also available by calling 613-560-1000 plus the bus stop number. Once the fall service changes begin on September 5, customers can find up-to-date schedules and real-time information by using these applications and tools. Please direct customers to octranspo.com or to the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre (613-560-5000) for more information. These fall service changes will be evaluated based on feedback we collect from customers and operating staff, as well as ridership and operational data measurements. Our goal is to continue to provide excellent service for customers as their travel needs change. OC Transpo has put in place the Transit Service Recovery Plan to help make transit safer for customers and employees. This includes making masks mandatory for employees and customers, implementing a soft barrier around the bus driver, and adjusting service levels on the system. Customers are required to continue wearing masks, use hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the transit system and stay home if they are feeling unwell. July 7, 2021
OC Transpo launches one phone number for all services As of July 6, OC Transpo is simplifying and streamlining access to its services by directing all calls to one phone number. Customers will now be able to call one convenient number, 613-560-5000, to connect with all OC Transpo services. This new system routes customer calls efficiently and easily and allows them to select from a variety of self-serve options. This increases the speed at which we can serve customers and reduces the length of phone queuing and misdirected calls. The new automated call flow is very user-friendly. The most popular call topics will be presented first, followed by self-serve options. Customers will connect with the service they require by using keypad numbers on their phone; they can reach a customer service representative or go back to the previous menu every time they make a selection. This service will be available in both English and French. The new number will be advertised through a variety of digital and print customer information channels, including: octranspo.com, social media, the next-stop announcement system on buses, as well as advertisements in stations, on buses and trains. All existing phone numbers, for both OC Transpo and Para Transpo will remain active and work in parallel with the new number, to ensure all customers have sufficient time to transition to the new number. The use of one convenient phone number to reach OC Transpo services is the latest step in a series of recent customer service improvements, with more in progress. These prior improvements have included: the elimination of call time restrictions for Para Transpo customers, the implementation of virtual queuing at Customer Service Centres, the establishment of a Para Transpo Customer Working Group and the introduction of a remote application for discounted passes. Staff are continuing to work on more projects to deliver better customer service to all OC Transpo and Para Transpo customers. |
June 28, 2021
Proposed Bus Stop Improvements for 2021
Each year, OC Transpo has the opportunity to improve a limited number of existing bus stops city-wide as part of their annual Bus Stop Improvement Program. Using the warrant evaluation modeling process, staff have developed a list of the bus stops city-wide that most warrant shelters and/or improvements to the accessible bus stop landing pad. The below stops, shown in the table below, have been identified for improvements in Kanata South. In the table, you will find details of the locations along with sketches of the proposed modifications, which show the extent of the improvements. All bus stop improvements will meet OC Transpo’s and the City of Ottawa’s current standards for bus stop design and accessibility.
Please note that some bus stop improvements identified below include a minor relocation of the bus stop in order to meet our bus stop standards and locate the bus stop in the most suitable location to accommodate the improvements.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, and pending your approval, construction for these stop improvements is proposed to commence this Summer/Fall, with all locations anticipated to be complete by the end of 2021.
Should you have any questions about any of the below work, please email me at [email protected] . Thank you.
Stonehaven W Sawyer Way FS
Stonehaven S Summitview NS
Irwin Gate W Pickford FS
Steeplechase S Mattawa NS
Bridgestone W Equestrian FS
Steeplechase E Inwood NS
Stonehaven N Pinehill FS
Stonehaven E Grassy Plains FS
Proposed Bus Stop Improvements for 2021
Each year, OC Transpo has the opportunity to improve a limited number of existing bus stops city-wide as part of their annual Bus Stop Improvement Program. Using the warrant evaluation modeling process, staff have developed a list of the bus stops city-wide that most warrant shelters and/or improvements to the accessible bus stop landing pad. The below stops, shown in the table below, have been identified for improvements in Kanata South. In the table, you will find details of the locations along with sketches of the proposed modifications, which show the extent of the improvements. All bus stop improvements will meet OC Transpo’s and the City of Ottawa’s current standards for bus stop design and accessibility.
Please note that some bus stop improvements identified below include a minor relocation of the bus stop in order to meet our bus stop standards and locate the bus stop in the most suitable location to accommodate the improvements.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, and pending your approval, construction for these stop improvements is proposed to commence this Summer/Fall, with all locations anticipated to be complete by the end of 2021.
Should you have any questions about any of the below work, please email me at [email protected] . Thank you.
Stonehaven W Sawyer Way FS
- Construct a new +/- 2.5m X 15m concrete pad (full depth of boulevard)
Stonehaven S Summitview NS
- Construct a new 2.5m X 15m concrete pad (full depth of boulevard)
Irwin Gate W Pickford FS
- Construct a new +/- 1.0m X 15m concrete pad (full depth of boulevard).
Steeplechase S Mattawa NS
- Construct a new 10m X 1.8m concrete pad with a 5m X +/- 4.0m landing pad (full depth of the boulevard). Total bus pad length to be 15m.
Bridgestone W Equestrian FS
- Construct a new +/- 1.8m X 15m concrete pad (full depth of boulevard).
Steeplechase E Inwood NS
- Bus stop to be relocated +/- 80m further north to nearside Bonnechere Dr.
- Construct a new 1.8m X 15m concrete pad with a 1.8m wide connective path (full depth of boulevard +/- 3.4m) to the existing sidewalk
- Homeowner should be notified of the improvements
Stonehaven N Pinehill FS
- Construct a new +/- 2.7m X 15m concrete pad (full width of boulevard)
Stonehaven E Grassy Plains FS
- Construct a standard 2.2m X 5.8m concrete shelter pad behind the sidewalk
June 17, 2021
OC Transpo summer service to begin Sunday, June 20
Ottawa – OC Transpo’s summer service will begin on Sunday, June 20 with service improvements, seasonal adjustments and COVID-19 service changes. OC Transpo is making COVID-19 service changes to balance connectivity and capacity with the needs of customers while ridership remains low. For full details, visit octranspo.com and use the Travel Planner to find out how your trips will change.
Service improvements
Service will be improved on a number of routes, with an emphasis on hospitals, shopping districts, and growing employment and residential areas.
Peak-period route suspensions
Routes most impacted by low ridership due to customers working or learning from home will be suspended until ridership increases closer to normal levels. In all cases, alternative routes are available.
Route adjustments
Some routes are being adjusted where parallel service exists. There is enough room on remaining routes for current customers and some ridership growth.
Frequency adjustments
Frequency adjustments are planned on most routes. Service will accommodate current customers and leave room for ridership to grow. Frequency of service will be increased as transit ridership recovers.
The following routes will be adjusted: Line 2 buses, 5, 6, 7, 9, 18, 19, 26, 28, 30, 33, 34, 38, 39, 40, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 57, 61, 62, 63, 66, 73, 75, 80, 81, 82, 86, 88, 89, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, 111, 164, 171, 175, 231, 232, 234, 236, 237, 252, 256, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 268, 270, 271, 272, 273, 277, 278, 282, 290, 291 and 294.
Seasonal adjustments
Reminder: STO service in Ottawa changes Monday, June 21
On Monday, June 21, all STO routes in downtown Ottawa will change to better connect with O-Train Line 1 and OC Transpo bus service, and to improve transit service for all customers travelling between Ottawa and Gatineau. All STO routes that serve downtown Ottawa will connect with O-Train Line 1 at Lyon Station, serving bus stops on Lyon and Queen streets, Kent and Sparks streets and Wellington at Lyon streets. Some STO routes will serve Parliament Station on Bank Street north of Queen Street and on Albert Street, as well as Mackenzie King Bridge. For more information, visit octranspo.com or sto.ca.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
OC Transpo summer service to begin Sunday, June 20
Ottawa – OC Transpo’s summer service will begin on Sunday, June 20 with service improvements, seasonal adjustments and COVID-19 service changes. OC Transpo is making COVID-19 service changes to balance connectivity and capacity with the needs of customers while ridership remains low. For full details, visit octranspo.com and use the Travel Planner to find out how your trips will change.
Service improvements
Service will be improved on a number of routes, with an emphasis on hospitals, shopping districts, and growing employment and residential areas.
- Route 11 – Trips departing Bayshore Station will be extended across the Mackenzie King Bridge to improve connections to the Rideau Centre and University of Ottawa.
- Route 19 – Service will be extended to Hurdman Station during retail hours at Ottawa Train Yards to improve connections between Vanier, Overbrook and the Ottawa Train Yards shopping area.
- Route 32 – Weekday trips will be extended to end at Chapel Hill Station to increase connections to the Innes Road corridor and introduce some midday service to areas around Mer Bleue.
- Route 33 – Midday weekday service will increase to every 30 minutes, with trips starting and ending at Place d’Orléans Station.
- Route 53 – All trips will operate via Holland Avenue instead of Parkdale Avenue to reduce travel times and improve reliability.
- Route 55 – Sunday service will be extended from The Ottawa Hospital – General Campus to Westgate Shopping Centre.
- Route 56 – All trips will operate via Parkdale Avenue instead of Holland Avenue to replace service provided by Route 53. New trips will be introduced between Tunney’s Pasture Station and The Ottawa Hospital – Civic Campus, matching the previous hours of service on Route 53.
- Route 62 – To improve travel options in Stittsville, most trips will start and end at CARDELREC Recreation Complex Goulbourn. Frequency will increase to every 30 minutes.
- Route 88 – On Saturdays, frequency will increase to every 15 minutes for most of the day.
- Route 98 – On Sundays, frequency will increase to every 30 minutes during mornings and evenings, and to every 15 minutes during the afternoon.
- Route 110 – A new local route will provide new connections between Barrhaven and Kanata, with improved service to the CitiGate area, including the new Amazon building. Buses will run between Fallowfield Station and Innovation Station, replacing service offered by Route 179 and some trips on Route 63.
- Route 170 – All trips will operate on portions of Citigate Drive and Systemhouse Street.
- Route 294 – All trips will operate on Kelly Farm Drive between Dun Skipper Drive and Leitrim Road to reduce walking distances through Findlay Creek and better serve growing areas.
Peak-period route suspensions
Routes most impacted by low ridership due to customers working or learning from home will be suspended until ridership increases closer to normal levels. In all cases, alternative routes are available.
- Route 17 from Wateridge – Customers can use Routes 7 and 27.
- Route 179 – Customers can use new Route 110, which permanently replaces Route 179.
- Route 224 from Beacon Hill – Customers can use Route 24 to connect to Blair Station.
- Route 225 from Orléans and Chapel Hill South – Customers can use Route 34 and adjusted Route 32, with a new early morning and a late afternoon trip, to connect to Blair Station.
- Route 233 from Orléans – Customers can use Route 33 to connect to Blair Station.
- Route 235 from Orléans – Customers can use Route 35 to connect to Blair Station. Northbound service in the morning and southbound service in the afternoon will be added on Route 35.
- Route 251 from Bells Corners – Customers can use Route 57 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station.
- Route 266 from Kanata – Customers can use Routes 63 and 64 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station.
- Route 275 from Barrhaven – Customers can use Route 75 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station.
- Route 284 from Manordale – Customers can use adjusted Route 82 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station. All trips on Route 82 will operate via Newhaven Street and Majestic Drive.
Route adjustments
Some routes are being adjusted where parallel service exists. There is enough room on remaining routes for current customers and some ridership growth.
- Route 15 – Midday service on weekdays between Parliament Station and the Museum of History in Gatineau will be removed. Customers can use STO Route 67 to travel between Lyon Station and the Canadian Museum of History.
- Route 37 – All trips will start and end at Place d’Orléans Station. Customers can connect to Route 39 and other routes to continue to or from Blair Station.
- Route 40 – All trips that currently extend via the Transitway will start and end at Greenboro Station. Customers can connect to Routes 97, 98 and other routes to continue to or from Hurdman Station.
- Route 55 – Service will start and end at Westgate Shopping Centre seven days a week. Customers can connect to Route 85 to continue to or from Bayshore Station.
- Route 58 – All trips will start and end at Lincoln Fields Station. Customers can connect to Routes 57, 61, 62, 63, 64, 74, 75 and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
- Route 74 – All trips will start and end at Nepean Woods Station. Customers can connect to Route 99 to continue to or from Riverview Station. On Route 99, early morning and late evening trips have been added between Riverview and Barrhaven Centre.
- Route 83 – All trips will start or end at Baseline Station. Customers can connect to Routes 74, 75 and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
- Route 84 – All trips will start or end at Baseline Station. Customers can connect to Routes 74, 75 and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
Frequency adjustments
Frequency adjustments are planned on most routes. Service will accommodate current customers and leave room for ridership to grow. Frequency of service will be increased as transit ridership recovers.
The following routes will be adjusted: Line 2 buses, 5, 6, 7, 9, 18, 19, 26, 28, 30, 33, 34, 38, 39, 40, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 57, 61, 62, 63, 66, 73, 75, 80, 81, 82, 86, 88, 89, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, 111, 164, 171, 175, 231, 232, 234, 236, 237, 252, 256, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 268, 270, 271, 272, 273, 277, 278, 282, 290, 291 and 294.
Seasonal adjustments
- OC Transpo will make frequency adjustments on Routes 25, 82 and Line 2 buses during certain time periods to reflect reduced seasonal ridership in the summer months.
- Weekend service to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and Canada Aviation and Space Museum will return as provincial COVID-19 restrictions permit. Start dates will be available on octranspo.com.
- Service to Petrie Island on Route 139 will begin Saturday, June 19.
- Special school service will not operate during the summer.
Reminder: STO service in Ottawa changes Monday, June 21
On Monday, June 21, all STO routes in downtown Ottawa will change to better connect with O-Train Line 1 and OC Transpo bus service, and to improve transit service for all customers travelling between Ottawa and Gatineau. All STO routes that serve downtown Ottawa will connect with O-Train Line 1 at Lyon Station, serving bus stops on Lyon and Queen streets, Kent and Sparks streets and Wellington at Lyon streets. Some STO routes will serve Parliament Station on Bank Street north of Queen Street and on Albert Street, as well as Mackenzie King Bridge. For more information, visit octranspo.com or sto.ca.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
June 7, 2021
The Canada Infrastructure Bank commits up to $400 million in the City of Ottawa’s historic
450 zero-emission bus expansion
Largest-ever single increase in zero-emission buses for public transit in Canada
OTTAWA – Canadian municipalities are leaders in taking action on climate change and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is partnering with them to significantly increase sustainable public transit.
The CIB and the City of Ottawa are proud to announce their agreement in principle, which would see the CIB invest up to $400 million, supporting OC Transpo’s adoption of 450 zero-emission buses (ZEBs) by 2027. This is the CIB’s second ZEB investment commitment with a large municipality and supports the largest conversion of public transit vehicles in Canada to date.
ZEBs can improve the quality of life for residents who will benefit from cleaner commuting options which also helps protect the environment. Transitioning from greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting public transit buses to ZEBs will help municipalities shift toward more sustainable transportation with a lower carbon footprint.
The ZEB investment commitment is another important step towards achieving the Government of Canada’s goal of 5,000 ZEBs.
The electrification of vehicles is a key initiative to help the City's goal of reducing GHG emissions in City operations by 100 percent by 2040 and demonstrates the City’s commitment to lead by example. Each battery-electric bus will provide a savings of 35,000 litres of fuel every year, which is the annual consumption of a conventional diesel-powered bus.
Today the City of Ottawa will release a report, Zero-Emission Buses for OC Transpo, to be considered by the Transit Commission on June 16, 2021, requesting approval from Ottawa City Council to enter into an agreement with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB). As part of the City’s 2022 capital budget, OC Transpo will recommend purchasing 74 40-foot battery-electric buses and the required charging infrastructure, for entry into service in 2023.
The CIB’s loan will cover the higher upfront capital costs of ZEBs compared to diesel buses, helping to accelerate the electrification of the City’s bus fleet. Financial savings are estimated to be substantial, as lifetime operating costs for ZEBs could be as much as 35 per cent lower than diesel buses.
Energy supply and charging infrastructure for this proposed transition will be supplied through an agreement with Hydro Ottawa.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank has a commitment to invest $1.5 billion in zero-emission buses and associated infrastructure, which will be coordinated with Infrastructure Canada’s new funding for zero-emission transit. This program, expected to formally launch in the near future, will support the purchase of zero-emission public transit and school buses.
Endorsements:
Cleaner air, quieter streets, and a planet safe for our kids - that’s the goal. By partnering with the City of Ottawa, the Canada Infrastructure Bank will help bring 450 new zero-emission buses to the streets of Ottawa, towards our commitment of 5,000 more zero emission buses across the country. It’s part of the Government’s plan to create good jobs and kickstart the economy, tackle climate change, and build more inclusive communities.
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Switching from diesel buses to battery-electric is one of the most impactful actions we can take to meet Ottawa's goal of reducing by 100 per cent the GHGs emitted from City operations by 2040. This historic investment in zero-emission transit brings us one a step closer to achieving that goal and transitioning Ottawa into a clean, renewable and resilient city that is ready for the future.
Jim Watson, Mayor, City of Ottawa
I am delighted the CIB is making a major investment in the City of Ottawa’s ZEB initiative. 450 new zero-emission buses is a really big deal. Our partnership will help the City meet its climate targets and provide cleaner public transportation for future generations. This is a tremendous opportunity to modernize municipal infrastructure and build healthier communities. The CIB looks to invest in projects which improve the quality of life for Canadians, and this is a great example of that.
Ehren Cory, President and CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank
Ottawa's energy future isn't just about being green, it's about being sustainable. Our role at
Hydro Ottawa is two-fold; to build the reliable electric infrastructure necessary to support our City's commitment for a smart energy future; and to bring electricity into the 21st century by making sure the energy we use is generated with clean, renewable power. The electrification of our public transit system is critical for our city and nation's capital to meet its energy and climate targets, and we are proud to play a part in helping achieve those goals.
Bryce Conrad, President and CEO, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.
Quick Facts:
• The CIB’s $1.5 billion zero-emission bus initiative assists transit agencies and school bus operators to transition their fleets to modern, environmentally friendly vehicles.
• The CIB seeks to invest up to CAD $5 billion into public transit projects that are in the public interest and support Canadian sustainable economic growth.
• The CIB’s investments are subject to due diligence and approval by its Board of Directors.
Learn More:
www.cib-bic-ca
www.ottawa.ca
www.octranspo.com
The Canada Infrastructure Bank commits up to $400 million in the City of Ottawa’s historic
450 zero-emission bus expansion
Largest-ever single increase in zero-emission buses for public transit in Canada
OTTAWA – Canadian municipalities are leaders in taking action on climate change and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is partnering with them to significantly increase sustainable public transit.
The CIB and the City of Ottawa are proud to announce their agreement in principle, which would see the CIB invest up to $400 million, supporting OC Transpo’s adoption of 450 zero-emission buses (ZEBs) by 2027. This is the CIB’s second ZEB investment commitment with a large municipality and supports the largest conversion of public transit vehicles in Canada to date.
ZEBs can improve the quality of life for residents who will benefit from cleaner commuting options which also helps protect the environment. Transitioning from greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting public transit buses to ZEBs will help municipalities shift toward more sustainable transportation with a lower carbon footprint.
The ZEB investment commitment is another important step towards achieving the Government of Canada’s goal of 5,000 ZEBs.
The electrification of vehicles is a key initiative to help the City's goal of reducing GHG emissions in City operations by 100 percent by 2040 and demonstrates the City’s commitment to lead by example. Each battery-electric bus will provide a savings of 35,000 litres of fuel every year, which is the annual consumption of a conventional diesel-powered bus.
Today the City of Ottawa will release a report, Zero-Emission Buses for OC Transpo, to be considered by the Transit Commission on June 16, 2021, requesting approval from Ottawa City Council to enter into an agreement with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB). As part of the City’s 2022 capital budget, OC Transpo will recommend purchasing 74 40-foot battery-electric buses and the required charging infrastructure, for entry into service in 2023.
The CIB’s loan will cover the higher upfront capital costs of ZEBs compared to diesel buses, helping to accelerate the electrification of the City’s bus fleet. Financial savings are estimated to be substantial, as lifetime operating costs for ZEBs could be as much as 35 per cent lower than diesel buses.
Energy supply and charging infrastructure for this proposed transition will be supplied through an agreement with Hydro Ottawa.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank has a commitment to invest $1.5 billion in zero-emission buses and associated infrastructure, which will be coordinated with Infrastructure Canada’s new funding for zero-emission transit. This program, expected to formally launch in the near future, will support the purchase of zero-emission public transit and school buses.
Endorsements:
Cleaner air, quieter streets, and a planet safe for our kids - that’s the goal. By partnering with the City of Ottawa, the Canada Infrastructure Bank will help bring 450 new zero-emission buses to the streets of Ottawa, towards our commitment of 5,000 more zero emission buses across the country. It’s part of the Government’s plan to create good jobs and kickstart the economy, tackle climate change, and build more inclusive communities.
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Switching from diesel buses to battery-electric is one of the most impactful actions we can take to meet Ottawa's goal of reducing by 100 per cent the GHGs emitted from City operations by 2040. This historic investment in zero-emission transit brings us one a step closer to achieving that goal and transitioning Ottawa into a clean, renewable and resilient city that is ready for the future.
Jim Watson, Mayor, City of Ottawa
I am delighted the CIB is making a major investment in the City of Ottawa’s ZEB initiative. 450 new zero-emission buses is a really big deal. Our partnership will help the City meet its climate targets and provide cleaner public transportation for future generations. This is a tremendous opportunity to modernize municipal infrastructure and build healthier communities. The CIB looks to invest in projects which improve the quality of life for Canadians, and this is a great example of that.
Ehren Cory, President and CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank
Ottawa's energy future isn't just about being green, it's about being sustainable. Our role at
Hydro Ottawa is two-fold; to build the reliable electric infrastructure necessary to support our City's commitment for a smart energy future; and to bring electricity into the 21st century by making sure the energy we use is generated with clean, renewable power. The electrification of our public transit system is critical for our city and nation's capital to meet its energy and climate targets, and we are proud to play a part in helping achieve those goals.
Bryce Conrad, President and CEO, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.
Quick Facts:
• The CIB’s $1.5 billion zero-emission bus initiative assists transit agencies and school bus operators to transition their fleets to modern, environmentally friendly vehicles.
• The CIB seeks to invest up to CAD $5 billion into public transit projects that are in the public interest and support Canadian sustainable economic growth.
• The CIB’s investments are subject to due diligence and approval by its Board of Directors.
Learn More:
www.cib-bic-ca
www.ottawa.ca
www.octranspo.com
May 25, 2021
OC Transpo Summer Service starts on June 20
OC Transpo service changes will start on Sunday, June 20, 2021. Regular schedule adjustments take place four times a year – April, June, September and December – and are provided to the Transit Commission and City Council members in advance of each new schedule period. As presented at the special Transit Commission meeting held on March 31, 2021, in addition to the typical summer adjustments, COVID-19 service adjustments are being made to align connectivity and capacity with the current needs of transit customers while ridership levels remain low.
The COVID-19 adjustments include the temporary suspension of service on select peak-period routes, reductions in frequency on certain routes to match current ridership levels, the shortening of some routes where they operate in parallel to other, busier, routes, and service improvements on select routes to accommodate customers’ current and emerging travel patterns. Service will be reinstated as ridership returns closer to normal levels. In total, 95 routes will have some type of service change as part of the summer 2021 schedules.
The summer service changes also include service adjustments for construction and seasonal service changes.
Temporary Suspension of Selected Peak-Period Routes
Connexion routes primarily provide a direct service from residential areas to major transfer stations on O-Train Line 1 and are mostly used by customers travelling to work or university. These routes are most affected by the current conditions around working from home and distanced learning. The following Connexion routes, and one local route, that provides service to downtown will be temporarily suspended until system ridership recovers closer to normal levels.
Frequency Reductions
The frequency adjustments below have been planned so that service levels on all these routes will be enough to accommodate all current customers while leaving room for ridership to grow. Staff will monitor ridership levels on all of these routes, and the frequency of service will be increased as transit ridership recovers closer to normal levels.
Peak Period Adjustments:
Connexion Routes 231, 232, 234, 236, 237, 252, 256, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 268, 270, 271, 272, 273, 277, 278, 282, 290, 291, and 294 will operate approximately every 30 minutes. The times of the first and last trip will be close to the current times.
Service will be reduced on Rapid Routes 57, 75 and 98, on Frequent Routes 6, 7, 80, 88, and 111, and on Local Routes 9 (in the peak direction), 30, 33 (in the afternoon), 38 (in the afternoon), 46, 66, 86 (in the peak direction), 89 (in the peak direction), and 93. In all of these cases, service will continue to be provided every 15 minutes or more frequently. Also, during peak periods, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on Rapid Route 62 (in the afternoon) and on the extensions to Gatineau of Rapid Routes 61, 63, and 75.
Buses will operate approximately every 30 minutes on Local Routes 5, 9 (in the off-peak direction), 18, 19, 26, 28, 33 (in the morning only, with additional trips in the busiest hour), 34, 38 (in the morning only), 48, 49, 50, 54, 73 (with additional trips in the busiest hour), 81, 82, 86 (in the off-peak direction), 89 (in the off-peak direction), 92, 96, and 171. Service will operate every hour on Local Routes 164 and 175.
All-Day Adjustments
At all times from Monday to Friday, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on the section of Frequent Route 51 west of Lincoln Fields Station to Britannia. There will be no change to the service level between Tunney’s Pasture Station and Lincoln Fields Station.
Seven days per week, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on the section of Rapid Route 97 south of South Keys Station to the airport. There will be no change to the service level between Hurdman Station and South Keys Station.
Off-Peak Period Adjustments
In the midday on weekdays, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on Local Route 9.
In the evening, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes after 10:00 p.m. seven days per week on Rapid Route 39, and service will be reduced to every hour Monday to Friday after 6:30 p.m. on Local Route 54.
On Saturdays and Sundays, service will be reduced to every 15 minutes on O-Train Line 2 replacement buses. On Sunday afternoons, service will be reduced to every 15 minutes on Frequent Routes 6 and 7.
Select late night or early morning trips on Routes 40, 55 and 97 will be removed where ridership is at or near zero.
Routes Shortened where Parallel Service is Available
Eight routes are being revised where they parallel other services providing the same connectivity. Enough capacity is available on the remaining routes to accommodate all customers at the current ridership level, and to accommodate some ridership growth.
Service Improvements
Service will be improved on a number of routes to better support current travel needs, with an emphasis on hospitals, shopping districts, and growing employment areas.
Service Adjustments for Construction
Seasonal Service Changes
Seasonal Adjustments – The frequency of Routes 25, 82, and Line 2 replacement bus service will be reduced in certain time periods to reflect reduced seasonal ridership levels normally seen throughout the transit network.
Special School Service – School services will not operate during the summer.
Summer Weekend Service to Seasonal Destinations – As these destinations are reopened, summer weekend service will return on Route 25 to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, on Route 139 to Petrie Island, and on Route 185 to the Canada Agriculture Museum. Specific start dates will be provided on octranspo.com.
Holidays and Special Events:
Full details of these service changes will be communicated to customers throughout June using a variety of transit information materials and outreach. OC Transpo has a number of customer-friendly applications and tools so that customers can access timely information about our service while on the go. These include texting 560560 for real-time bus schedule information, downloading the OC Transpo iPhone app or an independent app, signing up for text alerts on octranspo.com to receive the latest information, checking transit information screens at many major stations, as well as visiting octranspo.com from a smartphone. Real time information is also available by calling 613-560-1000 plus the bus stop number.
Once the summer service changes begin on June 20, customers can find up-to-date schedules and real-time information by using these applications and tools. Please direct customers to octranspo.com or to the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre (613-741-4390) for more information.
OC Transpo Summer Service starts on June 20
OC Transpo service changes will start on Sunday, June 20, 2021. Regular schedule adjustments take place four times a year – April, June, September and December – and are provided to the Transit Commission and City Council members in advance of each new schedule period. As presented at the special Transit Commission meeting held on March 31, 2021, in addition to the typical summer adjustments, COVID-19 service adjustments are being made to align connectivity and capacity with the current needs of transit customers while ridership levels remain low.
The COVID-19 adjustments include the temporary suspension of service on select peak-period routes, reductions in frequency on certain routes to match current ridership levels, the shortening of some routes where they operate in parallel to other, busier, routes, and service improvements on select routes to accommodate customers’ current and emerging travel patterns. Service will be reinstated as ridership returns closer to normal levels. In total, 95 routes will have some type of service change as part of the summer 2021 schedules.
The summer service changes also include service adjustments for construction and seasonal service changes.
Temporary Suspension of Selected Peak-Period Routes
Connexion routes primarily provide a direct service from residential areas to major transfer stations on O-Train Line 1 and are mostly used by customers travelling to work or university. These routes are most affected by the current conditions around working from home and distanced learning. The following Connexion routes, and one local route, that provides service to downtown will be temporarily suspended until system ridership recovers closer to normal levels.
- Route 17 from Wateridge – Customers can use Routes 7 and 27
- Route 224 from Beacon Hill – Customers can use Route 24 to connect to Blair Station
- Route 225 from Orléans and Chapel Hill South – Customers can use Route 34 and adjusted Route 32 to connect to Blair Station
- Route 233 from Orléans – Customers can use Route 33 to connect to Blair Station
- Route 235 from Orléans – Customers can use Route 35 to connect to Blair Station. Northbound service during the morning and southbound service during the afternoon will be added on Route 35, operating every 30 minutes, to provide the same span of service as Route 235.
- Route 251 from Bells Corners – Customers can use Route 57 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station
- Route 266 from Kanata – Customers can use Routes 63 and 64 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station
- Route 275 from Barrhaven – Customers can use Route 75 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station
- Route 284 from Manordale – Customers can use adjusted Route 82 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station. All trips on Route 82 will operate via Newhaven Street and Majestic Drive.
Frequency Reductions
The frequency adjustments below have been planned so that service levels on all these routes will be enough to accommodate all current customers while leaving room for ridership to grow. Staff will monitor ridership levels on all of these routes, and the frequency of service will be increased as transit ridership recovers closer to normal levels.
Peak Period Adjustments:
Connexion Routes 231, 232, 234, 236, 237, 252, 256, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 268, 270, 271, 272, 273, 277, 278, 282, 290, 291, and 294 will operate approximately every 30 minutes. The times of the first and last trip will be close to the current times.
Service will be reduced on Rapid Routes 57, 75 and 98, on Frequent Routes 6, 7, 80, 88, and 111, and on Local Routes 9 (in the peak direction), 30, 33 (in the afternoon), 38 (in the afternoon), 46, 66, 86 (in the peak direction), 89 (in the peak direction), and 93. In all of these cases, service will continue to be provided every 15 minutes or more frequently. Also, during peak periods, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on Rapid Route 62 (in the afternoon) and on the extensions to Gatineau of Rapid Routes 61, 63, and 75.
Buses will operate approximately every 30 minutes on Local Routes 5, 9 (in the off-peak direction), 18, 19, 26, 28, 33 (in the morning only, with additional trips in the busiest hour), 34, 38 (in the morning only), 48, 49, 50, 54, 73 (with additional trips in the busiest hour), 81, 82, 86 (in the off-peak direction), 89 (in the off-peak direction), 92, 96, and 171. Service will operate every hour on Local Routes 164 and 175.
All-Day Adjustments
At all times from Monday to Friday, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on the section of Frequent Route 51 west of Lincoln Fields Station to Britannia. There will be no change to the service level between Tunney’s Pasture Station and Lincoln Fields Station.
Seven days per week, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on the section of Rapid Route 97 south of South Keys Station to the airport. There will be no change to the service level between Hurdman Station and South Keys Station.
Off-Peak Period Adjustments
In the midday on weekdays, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes on Local Route 9.
In the evening, service will be reduced to every 30 minutes after 10:00 p.m. seven days per week on Rapid Route 39, and service will be reduced to every hour Monday to Friday after 6:30 p.m. on Local Route 54.
On Saturdays and Sundays, service will be reduced to every 15 minutes on O-Train Line 2 replacement buses. On Sunday afternoons, service will be reduced to every 15 minutes on Frequent Routes 6 and 7.
Select late night or early morning trips on Routes 40, 55 and 97 will be removed where ridership is at or near zero.
Routes Shortened where Parallel Service is Available
Eight routes are being revised where they parallel other services providing the same connectivity. Enough capacity is available on the remaining routes to accommodate all customers at the current ridership level, and to accommodate some ridership growth.
- Route 15 – Midday service on weekdays between Parliament Station and the Museum of History in Gatineau will be removed. Customers can use STO Route 67 for travel between Lyon Station and the Museum.
- Route 37 – All trips will start and end at Place d’Orléans Station. Customers can transfer to Route 39 and other routes to continue to or from Blair Station.
- Route 40 – All trips which currently extend via the Transitway will start and end at Greenboro Station. Customers can transfer to Routes 97, 98, and other routes to continue to or from Hurdman Station.
- Route 55 – Service will start and end at Westgate Shopping Centre. Customers can transfer to Route 85 to continue to or from Bayshore Station.
- Route 58 – All trips will start and end at Lincoln Fields Station. Customers can transfer to Routes 57, 61, 62, 63, 64, 74, 75, and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
- Route 74 – All trips which currently extend via the Vimy Memorial Bridge will start and end at Nepean Woods Station. Customers can transfer to Route 99 to continue to or from Riverview Station.
- Route 83 – All trips will start or end at Baseline Station. Customers can transfer to Routes 74, 75, and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
- Route 84 – All trips will start or end at Baseline Station. Customers can transfer to Routes 74, 75, and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
Service Improvements
Service will be improved on a number of routes to better support current travel needs, with an emphasis on hospitals, shopping districts, and growing employment areas.
- Route 11 – All trips departing Bayshore Station will be extended across the Mackenzie King Bridge, improving connectivity to the Rideau Centre and the University of Ottawa.
- Route 19 – Service will be extended to Hurdman Station seven days per week during most time periods, improving connectivity between Vanier / Overbrook and shopping destinations at the Trainyards.
- Route 32 – All weekday trips will be extended to end at Chapel Hill Station, increasing connections to the Innes Road corridor and introducing limited midday service to the areas around Mer Bleue, south of Innes.
- Route 33 – Weekday service will be improved to provide service every 30 minutes through the middle of the day. These midday trips will start and end at Place d’Orléans Station.
- Route 53 – All trips will be adjusted to operate via Holland Avenue, instead of Parkdale Avenue, to reduce travel times and improve reliability.
- Route 55 – Sunday service will be extended from The Ottawa Hospital – General Campus to Westgate Shopping Centre, improving connectivity to healthcare facilities and shopping.
- Route 56 – All trips will be adjusted to operate via Parkdale Avenue, instead of Holland Avenue, to replace service currently provided by Route 53. New trips will be introduced between Tunney’s Pasture Station and The Ottawa Hospital – Civic Campus at certain times to maintain the seven-days-per-week span of service provided by Route 53.
- Route 62 – To improve travel options in Stittsville, most trips will start and end at CARDELREC Recreation Complex Goulbourn, and periods with hourly frequency will be improved to 30 minutes.
- Route 88 – On Saturdays, frequency will be increased so that buses run every 15 minutes throughout more of the day.
- Route 98 – On Sundays, frequency will be increased so that buses run every 30 minutes in the morning and evening, and every 15 minutes in the afternoon.
- Route 110 – A new local route will be added to increase connectivity between Barrhaven and Kanata and to provide improved connections to the CitiGate area, including the new Amazon building. Buses will run between Fallowfield Station and Innovation Station, replacing service offered by the existing Route 179 and some trips on Route 63.
- Route 170 – All trips will be adjusted to operate on portions of Citigate Drive and Systemhouse Street, as these streets have recently been extended.
- Route 294 – All trips will be adjusted to operate on Kelly Farm Drive, between Dun Skipper Drive and Leitrim Road, to reduce walking distances throughout the Findlay Creek neighbourhood.
Service Adjustments for Construction
- Routes 176 and 305 will be detoured starting in late May to accommodate construction on Barnsdale Road, continuing through the summer.
- Route 228 will be detoured starting in late May to accommodate Navan Road utility work, which is expected to continue for six to eight months.
Seasonal Service Changes
Seasonal Adjustments – The frequency of Routes 25, 82, and Line 2 replacement bus service will be reduced in certain time periods to reflect reduced seasonal ridership levels normally seen throughout the transit network.
Special School Service – School services will not operate during the summer.
Summer Weekend Service to Seasonal Destinations – As these destinations are reopened, summer weekend service will return on Route 25 to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, on Route 139 to Petrie Island, and on Route 185 to the Canada Agriculture Museum. Specific start dates will be provided on octranspo.com.
Holidays and Special Events:
- Canada Day – On Thursday, July 1, bus service will operate on a Sunday schedule, with additional buses available to provide more capacity on busy routes where needed. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule until 1 a.m. with increased evening frequency. Line 2 replacement buses will operate on a Saturday schedule with service extended to 1 a.m.
- Colonel By Day (Civic Holiday) – On Monday, August 2, bus service will operate on a Sunday schedule, with additional service scheduled on busy routes, and select trips on Routes 61, 63, and 75 will be extended to Gatineau (where it is not a holiday) during peak periods. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule. Line 2 replacement bus service will operate on a Sunday schedule.
Full details of these service changes will be communicated to customers throughout June using a variety of transit information materials and outreach. OC Transpo has a number of customer-friendly applications and tools so that customers can access timely information about our service while on the go. These include texting 560560 for real-time bus schedule information, downloading the OC Transpo iPhone app or an independent app, signing up for text alerts on octranspo.com to receive the latest information, checking transit information screens at many major stations, as well as visiting octranspo.com from a smartphone. Real time information is also available by calling 613-560-1000 plus the bus stop number.
Once the summer service changes begin on June 20, customers can find up-to-date schedules and real-time information by using these applications and tools. Please direct customers to octranspo.com or to the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre (613-741-4390) for more information.
May 19, 2021
New OC Transpo Route 110
I’m happy to announce that Kanata South will soon have a new bus route that will connect our community to Kanata North and Barrhaven.
Route 110 will begin running in June and will travel from the Kanata North business area to the Hazeldean Mall and onto Citigate in Barrhaven.
The new route will operate every 30 minutes on weekdays and selected times on weekends to match the shift times at the new Amazon building.
New OC Transpo Route 110
I’m happy to announce that Kanata South will soon have a new bus route that will connect our community to Kanata North and Barrhaven.
Route 110 will begin running in June and will travel from the Kanata North business area to the Hazeldean Mall and onto Citigate in Barrhaven.
The new route will operate every 30 minutes on weekdays and selected times on weekends to match the shift times at the new Amazon building.
April 26, 2021
Permanent operator barriers
Starting in late April, permanent operator barriers are being installed on OC Transpo's bus fleet. Over 750 articulated, double-decker, and 40-foot buses will be equipped with an operator barrier by the end of August 2021.
Operator barriers, also known as shields, improve the workplace safety of our bus operators and enhance the overall safety of our customers by:
The permanent operator barriers are made of a hard plastic and will replace the soft plastic barriers that were temporarily installed in spring 2020. Installation of the new barriers begins at the end of April and will continue throughout the summer with no impact to service. Moving forward, any new buses entering the fleet will be equipped with a permanent barrier.
In April 2019, OC Transpo undertook a pilot project that tested two different barrier types on 12 buses in operation on a variety of routes. Feedback received during the testing period from bus operators and customers helped to determine the final barrier type and installation.
Permanent operator barriers
Starting in late April, permanent operator barriers are being installed on OC Transpo's bus fleet. Over 750 articulated, double-decker, and 40-foot buses will be equipped with an operator barrier by the end of August 2021.
Operator barriers, also known as shields, improve the workplace safety of our bus operators and enhance the overall safety of our customers by:
- preventing access to the bus operator’s area and
- helping to prevent the transmission of viruses, like COVID-19.
The permanent operator barriers are made of a hard plastic and will replace the soft plastic barriers that were temporarily installed in spring 2020. Installation of the new barriers begins at the end of April and will continue throughout the summer with no impact to service. Moving forward, any new buses entering the fleet will be equipped with a permanent barrier.
In April 2019, OC Transpo undertook a pilot project that tested two different barrier types on 12 buses in operation on a variety of routes. Feedback received during the testing period from bus operators and customers helped to determine the final barrier type and installation.
April 13, 2021
OC Transpo spring service begins April 18
April 13, 2021 – Spring changes to OC Transpo service begin on Sunday, April 18. OC Transpo will roll into the season with the expansion of Rack & Roll to its entire bus network, further adjustments will be introduced due to the ongoing pandemic, and new detours will accommodate construction projects. Customers are encouraged to visit octranspo.com to see if their regular trips are affected by the upcoming changes or construction this spring.
Rack & Roll
For the first time ever, all buses will have bike racks installed to help customers make connections to transit using their bikes. Tips on how to use the bike racks are available on the OC Transpo website. Rack & Roll is available each year from spring until fall.
Service adjustments
Montréal Road Revitalization detours
Routes 12, 14, 15 and 20 will be changed for Montréal Road Revitalization project construction. Detours will be in place from April until December, while Montréal Road is reduced to only one westbound lane between St-Laurent Boulevard and Vanier Parkway. For a full list of affected stops, schedules, maps and school service changes, visit octranspo.com.
Route 222 detour begins May 3
Service will be detoured due to a road closure on Piperville Road between Farmers Way and Russell Road in order to accommodate the replacement of the Piperville Road bridge over Bear Brook, near Carlsbad Springs.
OC Transpo spring service begins April 18
April 13, 2021 – Spring changes to OC Transpo service begin on Sunday, April 18. OC Transpo will roll into the season with the expansion of Rack & Roll to its entire bus network, further adjustments will be introduced due to the ongoing pandemic, and new detours will accommodate construction projects. Customers are encouraged to visit octranspo.com to see if their regular trips are affected by the upcoming changes or construction this spring.
Rack & Roll
For the first time ever, all buses will have bike racks installed to help customers make connections to transit using their bikes. Tips on how to use the bike racks are available on the OC Transpo website. Rack & Roll is available each year from spring until fall.
Service adjustments
- Due to less auto traffic because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most routes will see reduced travel times during weekday peak periods.
- Weekend schedules will be adjusted on Routes 6, 16, 24, 30, 35, 39, 40, 53, 61, 62, 74, 75, 81, 83, 85, 88, 90, 93, 98, 131, 138, 162, 171, and 190 to improve service reliability.
- Minor schedule changes will be made on weekdays on Routes 20, 61, 63, 75, 80, 83, 89, 261, 262, and 275.
- Service on Routes 10, 25, 111 and Line 2 buses will be reduced to reflect lower seasonal ridership levels to Carleton University and La Cité normally seen each spring with the end of the school year and beginning of the summer semester.
Montréal Road Revitalization detours
Routes 12, 14, 15 and 20 will be changed for Montréal Road Revitalization project construction. Detours will be in place from April until December, while Montréal Road is reduced to only one westbound lane between St-Laurent Boulevard and Vanier Parkway. For a full list of affected stops, schedules, maps and school service changes, visit octranspo.com.
- Route 12: To provide a faster connection to the O-Train Line 1, for customers travelling downtown, Route 12 will temporarily operate between St-Laurent and Blair stations seven days a week. Route 12 school trips will move to Route 15 and new Routes 615 and 616.
- Route 14: Will maintain the current routing and will have a longer travel time.
- Route 15: Will be detoured through and around the construction zone and will operate as a frequent all-day route to and from downtown, operating seven days a week. Weekday daytime trips will travel between Blair Station and Montréal Road using Bathgate Drive and Den Haag Drive with service to downtown and Gatineau. Evening and weekend trips will use Blair Road and will end at Parliament Station.
- Route 20: Eastbound service will be detoured and have a longer travel time.
Route 222 detour begins May 3
Service will be detoured due to a road closure on Piperville Road between Farmers Way and Russell Road in order to accommodate the replacement of the Piperville Road bridge over Bear Brook, near Carlsbad Springs.
March 31, 2021
At today's special meeting of the Transit Commission, OC Transpo staff presented an update on the COVID-19 Service Adjustments.
You can view the documents here:
At today's special meeting of the Transit Commission, OC Transpo staff presented an update on the COVID-19 Service Adjustments.
You can view the documents here:
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March 22, 2021
A special meeting of the city's Transit Commission has been called for March 31, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.
An update on the COVID-19 Service Adjustments will be presented by OC Transpo.
Here is the report:
A special meeting of the city's Transit Commission has been called for March 31, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.
An update on the COVID-19 Service Adjustments will be presented by OC Transpo.
Here is the report:
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
March 17, 2021
OC Transpo provides update on 12 priority projects in 2020 Business Plan
Ottawa – The Transit Commission today received a report entitled Transit Services 2021 Business Plan and Reporting on 2020 Business Plan, which provides an update on progress made on the 12 key departmental priorities identified in the 2020 Business Plan and identifies the 10 key projects that Transportation Services staff will work to deliver in 2021.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, all projects in the 2020 Business Plan were initiated and are either completed or are nearly complete. Some highlights of completed work include:
- Introduced the ability for customers to renew their Community Pass, EquiPass, or Access Pass remotely.
- Established the Virtual Line which ends the need for physical line ups at the Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre and in the future will allow customers to book an appointment in advance.
- Introduced the ability for Para Transpo customers to register their monthly Presto pass in advance and use it to pay fares, eliminating the need to carry a receipt. The tap function inside Para Transpo vehicles is planned to launch later in 2021.
- Launched a customer trial for a new touchless way to pay fares using credit cards and smartphones at O-Train Line 1’s Rideau Station. A full roll-out across all buses and fare gates is anticipated later in 2021.
- Presented the first Regulatory Monitor and Compliance Officer annual independent compliance report to Transit Commission and Council in February 2020.
- Developed a new performance measures and reporting structure, with the first report going to Transit Commission in April 2021.
- Opened the first Happy Goat Coffee concession stand at Blair Station in December 2020, with the Hurdman, Rideau, and Tunney’s Pasture locations expected to open in early 2021.
- Issued a contract for the supply of four battery-electric buses. New Flyer was awarded the contract and the buses will go into service in fall 2021.
- The Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) and OC Transpo, along with the Ville de Gatineau, have worked together since 2017 to prepare for a new STO bus route alignment through downtown to provide better connections with O-Train Line 1. It goes into effect in June 2021.
The 10 key priorities for 2021 are:
- Operational Response to COVID-19
- Battery-Electric Bus Project
- Transit Fare Working Group
- On-Demand Transit
- Enhanced Real-Time Information for Customers
- Permanent Bus Operator Barriers
- Legislated Improvements to Operator Breaks
- O-Train Line 1 Station Improvements
- Rail Simulator Upgrades
- Stage 2 O-Train Project Construction
In 2018, the City appointed a Regulatory Monitor and Compliance Officer (RMCO) to perform regulatory compliance monitoring for O-Train Line 1 when in operation. The annual RMCO Report for 2020 was presented to the Transit Commission today, and focused on inspections and repairs of tracks, light rail vehicles and the overhead catenary system. The report showed that OC Transpo was in full compliance, and that the contractors (Rideau Transit Maintenance and Alstom) require more consistent documentation to be fully compliant. There has been progress made by the contractors, as 17 of the 23 remedial actions identified in the report have been completed.
An operational update on O-Train Line 1 showed that Rideau Transit Group (RTG) continues to advance through the rectification plan. Train service has been reliable since upgrade work was completed on December 6, and throughout the winter, the improved switch heaters installed on the line have proven to operate reliably in all weather conditions. To date, issues have been rectified regarding the overhead catenary system, vehicle switch heater failures, traction power, vehicle passenger doors, and vehicle heating, ventilation and air conditioning. RTG also continues to progress towards completing the work related to vehicle auxiliary power and fine-tuning of vehicle braking systems.
Wheel replacement continues on light trail vehicles. Rideau Transit Maintenance will continue to perform the daily inspections on the remainder of the train fleet until all impacted wheels have been replaced. The City continues to engage industry experts and will continue to work with the Transportation Safety Board as their independent investigation continues.
The Commission approved a recommendation to move into an agreement with the City’s current transit advertising contractor to expand the existing advertising contract to include O-Train Line 1 trains and stations, as well as extend the contract until all Stage 2 extensions are open. In July 2020, the Transit Commission directed staff to commence a procurement process to identify potential revenue opportunities from advertising on O-Train Line 1. Today’s report outlines that by adding Line 1 to the current contract with Pattison Outdoor Advertising covering bus and Transitway stations, it will create opportunities for additional revenue. By having a single contractor responsible for managing all advertising assets, including those within the Stage 2 extensions, it will result in operational efficiencies and higher revenues.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
March 3, 2021
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February 16 2021
OC Transpo offers new touchless way to pay your fare
Ottawa – OC Transpo is launching a customer trial this afternoon for a new touchless way to pay fares using credit cards and smartphones at O-Train Line 1’s Rideau Station.
One gate on the west side of the station has been set up to accept Visa and Mastercard, as well as smart phones and watches that use Apple Pay or Google Pay loaded with Visa or Mastercard. During the trial period, customers can easily pay an Adult single-ride fare by tapping the specially marked fare gate with their enabled Visa, Mastercard or associated mobile wallet. During the test period, customers paying by credit card or mobile wallet will only be able to transfer to buses inside the fare paid zone at Tunney’s Pasture, Hurdman and Blair Stations. Presto cards remain a payment option.
When the trial wraps up in 2021, OC Transpo expects to roll out the new touchless payment options to all fare gates and buses. We are already working on future upgrades that will bring contactless debit payments to the system.
The trial is a partnership with Scheidt & Bachmann and will give OC Transpo one of the most advanced fare payment systems in Canada. The trial has been fast-tracked so that OC Transpo can offer customers more ways to pay their fare while reducing touch points during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can view OC Transpo’s promotional video.
Visit octranspo.com for more information on the new touchless fare payment options.
OC Transpo offers new touchless way to pay your fare
Ottawa – OC Transpo is launching a customer trial this afternoon for a new touchless way to pay fares using credit cards and smartphones at O-Train Line 1’s Rideau Station.
One gate on the west side of the station has been set up to accept Visa and Mastercard, as well as smart phones and watches that use Apple Pay or Google Pay loaded with Visa or Mastercard. During the trial period, customers can easily pay an Adult single-ride fare by tapping the specially marked fare gate with their enabled Visa, Mastercard or associated mobile wallet. During the test period, customers paying by credit card or mobile wallet will only be able to transfer to buses inside the fare paid zone at Tunney’s Pasture, Hurdman and Blair Stations. Presto cards remain a payment option.
When the trial wraps up in 2021, OC Transpo expects to roll out the new touchless payment options to all fare gates and buses. We are already working on future upgrades that will bring contactless debit payments to the system.
The trial is a partnership with Scheidt & Bachmann and will give OC Transpo one of the most advanced fare payment systems in Canada. The trial has been fast-tracked so that OC Transpo can offer customers more ways to pay their fare while reducing touch points during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can view OC Transpo’s promotional video.
Visit octranspo.com for more information on the new touchless fare payment options.
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Internal 36th Annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive
This year, OC Transpo is holding its internal 36th Annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive from November 23 to December 18, followed by an in-person food drive at participating Loblaws stores on Saturday, December 19 from 10 am to 5 pm.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s food drive is especially important! Let’s work together to help those in our community who are struggling with food insecurity and to make ends meet during this difficult time.
Over the past 36 years we’ve been able to work together to make the OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive the single biggest food drive in Ottawa. Since the Food Drive began in 1984, it has raised over three million pounds of food and thousands of dollars in cash donations. Every day, 28,000 pounds of food leaves the Ottawa Food Bank’s Michael Street warehouse to support 112 member agencies with supplies to feed 39,000 people each month (with 37 per cent being children). In 2019, the OC Transpo/Loblaw Food Drive collected 118,047 food and non-perishable items and raised $25,521 in cash and food vouchers to support the work that the Ottawa Food Bank does every day.
Together, we can donate and volunteer to make this year another huge success.
In close collaboration with Ottawa Public Health, this year’s Food Drive incorporates extra health and safety precautions to make sure everyone is as safe as possible. In past years, donation bins were placed at many City buildings for the internal food drive, but this year it will be done virtually.
Want to get involved? Here’s how you can help!
Make a virtual donationDid you know that for every dollar you donate, the Ottawa Food Bank—because of its wholesale purchasing power—can deliver about $5 worth of food to residents in need? You can make a virtual donation through the Ottawa Food Bank’s online donation page between November 23 and December 18.
Sharing is caring!
Sharing the link to the Ottawa Food Bank’s online donation page is easy—you can post it on your social media accounts for friends and family to see.
Volunteer your time!
Although the number of volunteers required for this year has decreased from 500 to 225 due to health and safety measures, we still need your help!
Staff and their family and friends can volunteer for a shift on Saturday, December 19 between 10 am and 5 pm at participating Loblaws stores. This volunteer opportunity qualifies as community service hours for high school students. If you are interested, please visit the Ottawa Food Bank’s new online volunteer registration page.
For more information on grocery store locations, please visit In The Loop.
Make an in-person donation on Saturday, December 19
Donate non-perishable items or make a monetary donation through store cashiers on Saturday, December 19 at participating Loblaws stores by placing items in Ottawa Food Bank donation bins. Items like rice, soup, tuna, pasta, diapers, baby food, baby formula, peanut butter, tomato sauce and stews make great donation items.
I want to say a heartfelt thank you in advance for your continued support of this incredible tradition. And please remember that every donation—whether big or small—goes a long way in helping the most vulnerable residents in our community.
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Cette année, OC Transpo tiendra sa 36e Collecte annuelle d’aliments à l’interne pour Noël du 23 novembre au 18 décembre; une collecte en personne aura ensuite lieu dans les magasins Loblaws participants, le samedi 19 décembre, de 10 h à 17 h.
Comme la pandémie de COVID-19 est toujours en cours, l’édition de cette année est particulièrement importante! Serrons-nous les coudes afin d’aider celles et ceux qui font face à l’insécurité alimentaire et qui peinent à joindre les deux bouts en cette période difficile.
Au cours des 36 dernières années, nous avons réussi à faire de cette collecte la plus importante d’Ottawa. Depuis 1984, la Collecte annuelle d’aliments pour Noël d’OC Transpo et de Loblaw aura amassé plus de trois millions de livres de nourriture et des milliers de dollars en dons. Chaque jour, pas moins de 28 000 livres d’aliments quittent l’entrepôt sur la rue Michael de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa à destination de 112 organismes membres qui contribueront à nourrir 39 000 personnes par mois (dont 37 % sont des enfants). La collecte de 2019 a permis de recueillir 118 047 articles et denrées non périssables et 25 521 $ en argent et en bons alimentaires pour appuyer les activités courantes de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa.
Ensemble, nous pouvons – que ce soit par des dons ou du bénévolat – faire de cette édition un retentissant succès.
Cette année, par le concours de Santé publique Ottawa, des précautions supplémentaires en matière de santé et de sécurité sont prévues pour la collecte d’aliments afin d’assurer sans défaut la sécurité de tous les participants. Par le passé, on installait des boîtes de dons un peu partout dans les édifices de la Ville pour la collecte d’aliments interne; or, cette année, tout cela se fera de façon virtuelle.
Vous voulez participer? Voici comment faire!
Faire un don en ligne
Saviez-vous que grâce à son pouvoir d’achat en gros, la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa peut se procurer, pour chaque dollar donné, une quantité d’aliments d’une valeur d’environ 5 $? Vous pouvez facilement faire un don en ligne sur la page de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa. Vous pouvez faire un don en ligne sur la page de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa, du 23 novembre au 18 décembre.
Partager, c’est un geste d’amour!
Pour partager le lien vers la page de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa, rien de plus simple : publiez-la sur vos comptes de médias sociaux pour la faire connaître de vos proches!
Devenir bénévole
Bien que le nombre de bénévoles requis cette année soit passé de 500 à 225 en raison des mesures de santé et de sécurité, votre aide est toujours la bienvenue! Les membres du personnel et leurs proches peuvent donner de leur temps pour un quart de travail dans un magasin Loblaws participant, le samedi 19 décembre, entre 10 h et 17 h. Pour les élèves du secondaire, ces heures de bénévolat pourront compter pour du service communautaire. Pour participer, rendez-vous sur la nouvelle page d’inscription en ligne des bénévoles de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa.
Pour en savoir plus sur les épiceries participantes, consultez Au courant.
Faire un don en personne, le samedi 19 décembre
Vous pourrez faire vos dons dans les magasins Loblaws participants le samedi 19 décembre : les denrées non périssables seront déposées dans des boîtes de don de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa, et les dons en argent, remis aux caisses. Voici certains des articles les plus en demande : du riz, de la soupe, du thon en conserve, des pâtes, des couches, de la nourriture pour bébé, des préparations pour nourrisson, du beurre d’arachides, de la sauce tomate et du ragoût.
Je vous remercie chaleureusement à l’avance de garder vivante cette merveilleuse tradition par votre immense générosité. N’oubliez pas que chaque don, si petit ou grand soit-il, contribue à améliorer la vie des plus vulnérables résidents de notre ville.
This year, OC Transpo is holding its internal 36th Annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive from November 23 to December 18, followed by an in-person food drive at participating Loblaws stores on Saturday, December 19 from 10 am to 5 pm.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s food drive is especially important! Let’s work together to help those in our community who are struggling with food insecurity and to make ends meet during this difficult time.
Over the past 36 years we’ve been able to work together to make the OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive the single biggest food drive in Ottawa. Since the Food Drive began in 1984, it has raised over three million pounds of food and thousands of dollars in cash donations. Every day, 28,000 pounds of food leaves the Ottawa Food Bank’s Michael Street warehouse to support 112 member agencies with supplies to feed 39,000 people each month (with 37 per cent being children). In 2019, the OC Transpo/Loblaw Food Drive collected 118,047 food and non-perishable items and raised $25,521 in cash and food vouchers to support the work that the Ottawa Food Bank does every day.
Together, we can donate and volunteer to make this year another huge success.
In close collaboration with Ottawa Public Health, this year’s Food Drive incorporates extra health and safety precautions to make sure everyone is as safe as possible. In past years, donation bins were placed at many City buildings for the internal food drive, but this year it will be done virtually.
Want to get involved? Here’s how you can help!
Make a virtual donationDid you know that for every dollar you donate, the Ottawa Food Bank—because of its wholesale purchasing power—can deliver about $5 worth of food to residents in need? You can make a virtual donation through the Ottawa Food Bank’s online donation page between November 23 and December 18.
Sharing is caring!
Sharing the link to the Ottawa Food Bank’s online donation page is easy—you can post it on your social media accounts for friends and family to see.
Volunteer your time!
Although the number of volunteers required for this year has decreased from 500 to 225 due to health and safety measures, we still need your help!
Staff and their family and friends can volunteer for a shift on Saturday, December 19 between 10 am and 5 pm at participating Loblaws stores. This volunteer opportunity qualifies as community service hours for high school students. If you are interested, please visit the Ottawa Food Bank’s new online volunteer registration page.
For more information on grocery store locations, please visit In The Loop.
Make an in-person donation on Saturday, December 19
Donate non-perishable items or make a monetary donation through store cashiers on Saturday, December 19 at participating Loblaws stores by placing items in Ottawa Food Bank donation bins. Items like rice, soup, tuna, pasta, diapers, baby food, baby formula, peanut butter, tomato sauce and stews make great donation items.
I want to say a heartfelt thank you in advance for your continued support of this incredible tradition. And please remember that every donation—whether big or small—goes a long way in helping the most vulnerable residents in our community.
____________________________________________
Cette année, OC Transpo tiendra sa 36e Collecte annuelle d’aliments à l’interne pour Noël du 23 novembre au 18 décembre; une collecte en personne aura ensuite lieu dans les magasins Loblaws participants, le samedi 19 décembre, de 10 h à 17 h.
Comme la pandémie de COVID-19 est toujours en cours, l’édition de cette année est particulièrement importante! Serrons-nous les coudes afin d’aider celles et ceux qui font face à l’insécurité alimentaire et qui peinent à joindre les deux bouts en cette période difficile.
Au cours des 36 dernières années, nous avons réussi à faire de cette collecte la plus importante d’Ottawa. Depuis 1984, la Collecte annuelle d’aliments pour Noël d’OC Transpo et de Loblaw aura amassé plus de trois millions de livres de nourriture et des milliers de dollars en dons. Chaque jour, pas moins de 28 000 livres d’aliments quittent l’entrepôt sur la rue Michael de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa à destination de 112 organismes membres qui contribueront à nourrir 39 000 personnes par mois (dont 37 % sont des enfants). La collecte de 2019 a permis de recueillir 118 047 articles et denrées non périssables et 25 521 $ en argent et en bons alimentaires pour appuyer les activités courantes de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa.
Ensemble, nous pouvons – que ce soit par des dons ou du bénévolat – faire de cette édition un retentissant succès.
Cette année, par le concours de Santé publique Ottawa, des précautions supplémentaires en matière de santé et de sécurité sont prévues pour la collecte d’aliments afin d’assurer sans défaut la sécurité de tous les participants. Par le passé, on installait des boîtes de dons un peu partout dans les édifices de la Ville pour la collecte d’aliments interne; or, cette année, tout cela se fera de façon virtuelle.
Vous voulez participer? Voici comment faire!
Faire un don en ligne
Saviez-vous que grâce à son pouvoir d’achat en gros, la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa peut se procurer, pour chaque dollar donné, une quantité d’aliments d’une valeur d’environ 5 $? Vous pouvez facilement faire un don en ligne sur la page de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa. Vous pouvez faire un don en ligne sur la page de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa, du 23 novembre au 18 décembre.
Partager, c’est un geste d’amour!
Pour partager le lien vers la page de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa, rien de plus simple : publiez-la sur vos comptes de médias sociaux pour la faire connaître de vos proches!
Devenir bénévole
Bien que le nombre de bénévoles requis cette année soit passé de 500 à 225 en raison des mesures de santé et de sécurité, votre aide est toujours la bienvenue! Les membres du personnel et leurs proches peuvent donner de leur temps pour un quart de travail dans un magasin Loblaws participant, le samedi 19 décembre, entre 10 h et 17 h. Pour les élèves du secondaire, ces heures de bénévolat pourront compter pour du service communautaire. Pour participer, rendez-vous sur la nouvelle page d’inscription en ligne des bénévoles de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa.
Pour en savoir plus sur les épiceries participantes, consultez Au courant.
Faire un don en personne, le samedi 19 décembre
Vous pourrez faire vos dons dans les magasins Loblaws participants le samedi 19 décembre : les denrées non périssables seront déposées dans des boîtes de don de la Banque d’alimentation d’Ottawa, et les dons en argent, remis aux caisses. Voici certains des articles les plus en demande : du riz, de la soupe, du thon en conserve, des pâtes, des couches, de la nourriture pour bébé, des préparations pour nourrisson, du beurre d’arachides, de la sauce tomate et du ragoût.
Je vous remercie chaleureusement à l’avance de garder vivante cette merveilleuse tradition par votre immense générosité. N’oubliez pas que chaque don, si petit ou grand soit-il, contribue à améliorer la vie des plus vulnérables résidents de notre ville.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of public transit operation in Ottawa.
To celebrate, OC Transpo has launched a new interactive “Virtual Museum” on octranspo.com, where you can explore exciting moments that have defined our city’s transit system.
Ottawa celebrates 150 years of public transit and OC Transpo launches Virtual Museum
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of public transit operation in Ottawa. From streetcars that were once pulled by horses to the modern, air-conditioned, red and white transit fleet that you see all around our nation’s capital, we’ve come a long way!
Where it all began
The Ottawa City Passenger Railway Company was incorporated on August 18, 1866. It took the company several years to gather the required funding and launch the system. The first day of service was July 21, 1870; the company ran a test beginning at 5 am that morning, and by 5 pm that night service commenced. The railway company began operation with 36 horses, six horse-drawn cars and five bobsleds (to allow winter operation) – a big difference from OC Transpo’s current fleet of transit vehicles.
Ottawa celebrates 150 years of public transit and OC Transpo launches Virtual Museum
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of public transit operation in Ottawa. From streetcars that were once pulled by horses to the modern, air-conditioned, red and white transit fleet that you see all around our nation’s capital, we’ve come a long way!
Where it all began
The Ottawa City Passenger Railway Company was incorporated on August 18, 1866. It took the company several years to gather the required funding and launch the system. The first day of service was July 21, 1870; the company ran a test beginning at 5 am that morning, and by 5 pm that night service commenced. The railway company began operation with 36 horses, six horse-drawn cars and five bobsleds (to allow winter operation) – a big difference from OC Transpo’s current fleet of transit vehicles.
Ottawa City Passenger Railway Company, horse drawn streetcar c. 1871.City of Ottawa Archives/CA001505
Over the past 150 years, through thick and thin, transit has been there to keep us moving. Here is a snapshot of Ottawa public transit milestones over the past 150 years:
1800s
Over the past 150 years, through thick and thin, transit has been there to keep us moving. Here is a snapshot of Ottawa public transit milestones over the past 150 years:
1800s
- 1870: The Ottawa City Passenger Railway Company (OCPR) launched the very first mass public transit service in Ottawa.
- 1891: Electric streetcar service made its debut. The Ottawa Electric Street Railway Company (OER) was incorporated.
Streetcars at the corner of Bank and Sparks St. c. 1912. City of Ottawa Archives/CA001522
1900s
1900s
- 1900: Ottawa’s transit network expanded westward to Britannia Village. On May 24, the opening day of the Britannia Park, the OER carried upwards of 15,000 people.
- 1914-1918: The OER provided advertising space to help fund the war effort during the First World War.
- 1918: During the Influenza “Spanish Flu” epidemic, the streetcars were better cleaned and fumigated. This kept them moving, enabling customers to go about their daily lives.
- 1924: The OER experimented with motorized buses for the first time. Both businesses and residents found they were quieter.
- 1935-1945: With an influx of civilian and military personnel during the Second World War, the OER needed to increase efficiency to provide better service. The company implemented rear-door boarding and removed more than 100 underused stops. They also secured five new buses that were painted khaki green in case they were needed for the war effort.
- 1948: The City of Ottawa bought the OER for $6.3 million and formed the Ottawa Transportation Commission.
- 1959: Streetcars, a significant part of daily life for 68 years, ceased service on Ottawa streets.
- 1960s: Customer improvements including detailed route maps, route signs in busses’ rear windows, as well as informative bus stop signs and shelters were introduced. In addition, urban planners adopted a “public transit-first” philosophy in 1969, which included active public participation in transit projects.
- 1972: The Ottawa-Carleton (OC) Regional Transit Commission took over and the following year called the service OC Transpo.1973: Buses got the distinctive red and white look.
- 1975: A new pilot transit service, offering door-to-door rides for people with disabilities, began operation. It was later named Para Transpo.
- 1983: The first sections of the Southeast Transitway opened, completing 200,000 customer-trips each weekday.
- 1996: With the Internet in its infancy, OC Transpo registered its domain name –
- – to provide information to customers at their fingertips.
Last day of the streetcar, May 1, 1959. Photo: City of Ottawa Archives/RG045.
2000s
2000s
- 2001: OC Transpo became part of the newly amalgamated City of Ottawa and the O-Train launched on October 15.
- 2012: City Council awarded the design, construction and maintenance contract for a new high-capacity light rail system, to be known as O-Train Line 1.
- 2019: Line 1, Ottawa’s largest infrastructure project since the building of the Rideau Canal almost 200 years earlier in the 1800s, launched on September 14.
- 2020: On March 17, the Province of Ontario declared a State of Emergency as COVID-19 began to spread. Transit use was encouraged only for essential trips, and additional health and safety measures to keep people as safe as possible while travelling were put in place. OC Transpo service continues to be essential to move people and our city forward during the economic recovery.
OC Transpo implements health and safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic to help keep everyone as safe as possible. Image courtesy of OC Transpo.
NEW! Interactive OC Transpo Virtual Museum
To celebrate this incredible anniversary, OC Transpo has launched an interactive virtual museum online. Explore moments that defined our city’s transit system – like the ones mentioned above – and try downloading one of several black and white, historical photographs and digitally colourizing them using a graphics program of your choice. Visit octranspo.com for more information.
NEW! Interactive OC Transpo Virtual Museum
To celebrate this incredible anniversary, OC Transpo has launched an interactive virtual museum online. Explore moments that defined our city’s transit system – like the ones mentioned above – and try downloading one of several black and white, historical photographs and digitally colourizing them using a graphics program of your choice. Visit octranspo.com for more information.
October 6, 2020
Riding transit? Mask up!
Ottawa – OC Transpo will carry out “Operation Mask Up” from October 9 to 23 to help change the behavior of the small number of customers failing to comply with OC Transpo’s mandatory mask policy.
Wearing a mask has been mandatory on OC Transpo since June 15. Education about mask wearing has been ongoing since then, and most people wear one. During Operation Mask Up, OC Transpo Special Constables will be travelling across the transit system and talking to those customers not wearing a mask to remind them of the requirement. Those who continue to not wear a mask will receive a written warning under the City’s Temporary Mandatory Mask By-law and will be provided with a disposable mask. Special Constables may ask customers not to enter stations it they are not wearing a mask.
Not all disabilities or conditions are obvious. Remember to be COVID Kind: young children and customers with a disability or medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask are exempt and will not be issued warnings. Customers who aren’t wearing a mask correctly will be given direction on proper mask wearing.
Operators will continue to let all customers onboard whether they are wearing a mask or not. Customers are reminded not to approach or engage other customers who are not wearing a mask.
City of Ottawa By-law officers have been laying charges since September 17, and this could be an eventual next step for transit customers who continue to use OC Transpo without masking up.
Wearing a mask plays an important role in stopping the spread of COVID-19 when people are unable to maintain 2 metres of physical distance. Being COVID Wise is how we are able to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and resume economic and social activities while COVID-19 is still in our community.
OC Transpo was the first transit agency in Canada to implement mandatory masks. We remain committed to the health and safety of our community. We’re following official public health guidelines. We ask customers to follow them, too. We’re all in this together.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Riding transit? Mask up!
Ottawa – OC Transpo will carry out “Operation Mask Up” from October 9 to 23 to help change the behavior of the small number of customers failing to comply with OC Transpo’s mandatory mask policy.
Wearing a mask has been mandatory on OC Transpo since June 15. Education about mask wearing has been ongoing since then, and most people wear one. During Operation Mask Up, OC Transpo Special Constables will be travelling across the transit system and talking to those customers not wearing a mask to remind them of the requirement. Those who continue to not wear a mask will receive a written warning under the City’s Temporary Mandatory Mask By-law and will be provided with a disposable mask. Special Constables may ask customers not to enter stations it they are not wearing a mask.
Not all disabilities or conditions are obvious. Remember to be COVID Kind: young children and customers with a disability or medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask are exempt and will not be issued warnings. Customers who aren’t wearing a mask correctly will be given direction on proper mask wearing.
Operators will continue to let all customers onboard whether they are wearing a mask or not. Customers are reminded not to approach or engage other customers who are not wearing a mask.
City of Ottawa By-law officers have been laying charges since September 17, and this could be an eventual next step for transit customers who continue to use OC Transpo without masking up.
Wearing a mask plays an important role in stopping the spread of COVID-19 when people are unable to maintain 2 metres of physical distance. Being COVID Wise is how we are able to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and resume economic and social activities while COVID-19 is still in our community.
OC Transpo was the first transit agency in Canada to implement mandatory masks. We remain committed to the health and safety of our community. We’re following official public health guidelines. We ask customers to follow them, too. We’re all in this together.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
August 27, 2020
OC Transpo fall service returns August 30
Ottawa – OC Transpo’s fall service returns on August 30. To welcome back students this fall, school service resumes, as well as increased trips to post-secondary schools.
Customers should visit octranspo.com and use the Travel Planner to see if their regular trips are affected by the return to fall schedules. Schedules are also available by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the four‑digit bus stop number, or first three letters of the station name.
Fall schedules
Back to school service for students
OC Transpo will be there for students and parents to provide service to Ottawa high schools and middle schools in early September. Students and parents should check the Travel Planner for schedules before school starts. Some details are still being finalized, so be sure to keep checking. You can easily plan a trip to your school on the Destinations page. Some trip times are changing to accommodate school start and end times due to COVID-19 measures or to better match ridership.
School bus stop changes
At Place d’Orléans Station, some school routes will be reassigned to new stops. Customers can check octranspo.com and look for signage at the station to help with the changes.
Post-secondary school bus service
Routes serving post-secondary schools will return to fall service levels. Service will be increased on Routes 10 and 111 and Line 2 buses, serving Carleton University, and on Route 25, serving La Cité.
Fall U-Pass
The U-Pass program is back this fall and available to full-time students at Algonquin College, Carleton University, Saint Paul University, and the University of Ottawa. Fall U-Pass cards are valid starting September 1, 2020. Due to COVID-19 and a decrease in on-campus learning, changes have been made to the delivery of the U-Pass program at each post-secondary institution. Students should check their institution’s website for up-to-date information on the program. Additional information is available on octranspo.com.
Construction detours
Construction projects continue this fall and will affect several routes. Customers on the following routes should give themselves extra travel time and check octranspo.com for the latest service updates:
Labour Day
On Labour Day, Monday, September 7, OC Transpo will operate on a Sunday schedule. O-Train Line 1 will run from 8 am to 11 pm, and Line 2 buses will operate from 7:30 am to 11 pm. Labour Day also marks the last day of special service on Routes 185, 25 and 139 to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum and Petrie Island.
OC Transpo Customer Service (613-741-4390) will be open from 7 am to 9 pm, and the Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre will be open from 10 am to 6 pm.
Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Labour Day. Regular scheduled trips are automatically cancelled, but customers may book trips for Labour Day by calling 613-244-7272 on or after August 31. Para Transpo’s reservation line (613-244-7272) will be open from 7 am to 5 pm and the cancellation line (613-244-4636) will be open from 6 am until midnight. Reservations and cancellations can also be made online.
Keeping you safer
OC Transpo continues to make public transit as safe as possible for everyone with mandatory masks, enhanced cleaning, hand sanitizer dispensers in stations and protective shields around bus operators. For the latest information, visit octranspo.com.
OC Transpo fall service returns August 30
Ottawa – OC Transpo’s fall service returns on August 30. To welcome back students this fall, school service resumes, as well as increased trips to post-secondary schools.
Customers should visit octranspo.com and use the Travel Planner to see if their regular trips are affected by the return to fall schedules. Schedules are also available by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the four‑digit bus stop number, or first three letters of the station name.
Fall schedules
- Service on O-Train Line 1 will run every three to four minutes during the morning peak period.
- Select trip times on Routes 30 and 34 will be adjusted slightly to provide a more consistent frequency between trips.
- Weekday overnight service on Routes N39, N57, N75 and N97 will be adjusted to reduce wait times for connections downtown.
- Some trips on the following routes will be temporarily suspended due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and reduced ridership: 6, 7, 10, 12, 18, 25, 39, 40, 44, 61, 63, 66, 75, 87, 88, 93, 99, 111, 179, 234, 235, 236, 256, 257, 270, 272 and 277.
Back to school service for students
OC Transpo will be there for students and parents to provide service to Ottawa high schools and middle schools in early September. Students and parents should check the Travel Planner for schedules before school starts. Some details are still being finalized, so be sure to keep checking. You can easily plan a trip to your school on the Destinations page. Some trip times are changing to accommodate school start and end times due to COVID-19 measures or to better match ridership.
School bus stop changes
At Place d’Orléans Station, some school routes will be reassigned to new stops. Customers can check octranspo.com and look for signage at the station to help with the changes.
Post-secondary school bus service
Routes serving post-secondary schools will return to fall service levels. Service will be increased on Routes 10 and 111 and Line 2 buses, serving Carleton University, and on Route 25, serving La Cité.
Fall U-Pass
The U-Pass program is back this fall and available to full-time students at Algonquin College, Carleton University, Saint Paul University, and the University of Ottawa. Fall U-Pass cards are valid starting September 1, 2020. Due to COVID-19 and a decrease in on-campus learning, changes have been made to the delivery of the U-Pass program at each post-secondary institution. Students should check their institution’s website for up-to-date information on the program. Additional information is available on octranspo.com.
Construction detours
Construction projects continue this fall and will affect several routes. Customers on the following routes should give themselves extra travel time and check octranspo.com for the latest service updates:
- Rideau Street between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street – Routes 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 114, N39, N45, N57, N61, N75, N97, 602 and 624
- Montréal Road between North River Road and St-Laurent Boulevard – Routes 12, 14, 15, 18 and 19
- Old Richmond Road between West Hunt Club Road and Hope Side Road – Routes 252 and 256
- Scott Street between Island Park Drive and Ross Avenue – Routes 16, 50, 81 and 153
- Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre – Routes 11, 51, and 153
Labour Day
On Labour Day, Monday, September 7, OC Transpo will operate on a Sunday schedule. O-Train Line 1 will run from 8 am to 11 pm, and Line 2 buses will operate from 7:30 am to 11 pm. Labour Day also marks the last day of special service on Routes 185, 25 and 139 to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum and Petrie Island.
OC Transpo Customer Service (613-741-4390) will be open from 7 am to 9 pm, and the Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre will be open from 10 am to 6 pm.
Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Labour Day. Regular scheduled trips are automatically cancelled, but customers may book trips for Labour Day by calling 613-244-7272 on or after August 31. Para Transpo’s reservation line (613-244-7272) will be open from 7 am to 5 pm and the cancellation line (613-244-4636) will be open from 6 am until midnight. Reservations and cancellations can also be made online.
Keeping you safer
OC Transpo continues to make public transit as safe as possible for everyone with mandatory masks, enhanced cleaning, hand sanitizer dispensers in stations and protective shields around bus operators. For the latest information, visit octranspo.com.
August 21, 2020
Partnership will advance new contactless payment feature for OC Transpo
Ottawa – OC Transpo is pleased to announce a new agreement with Scheidt & Bachmann (S&B) to fast track additional contactless fare payment technology on its bus fleet and at O-Train stations with fare gates.
Over the next several months, OC Transpo and S&B will work together to develop and test the technology that will allow riders to tap a credit card at fare card readers on buses and at O-Train station fare gates. Testing will take place throughout 2020, with the new system anticipated to be ready for customers next year.
This partnership will result in OC Transpo having one of the most advanced fare payment systems in Canada, giving customers flexibility to choose from a range of payment options.
This enhancement builds on the innovative technology in OC Transpo’s fare gates and ticket vending machines installed at O-Train Stations. The addition of new payment options at faregates and fare card readers on buses is being fast tracked in light of the COVID-19 pandemic so that OC Transpo can offer customers additional options to easily pay their transit fare while reducing contact points along the system.
When launched, the new card readers will accept payments made with VISA and MasterCard, or by tapping a smartphone with Apple Pay or Google Pay. In the initial phase, the payment system will only be used for adult single-ride fares but can over time be expanded to other fare types.
As part of testing, customers will have an opportunity to use the new payment system at a fare gate at one O-Train Station by the end of 2020. Subject to the successful results of this trial, it is currently expected that the new payment option will be available on all buses and at all fare gates in 2021.
For more information on transit fares, programs and services, please visit octranspo.com.
Quotes
“This is an exciting partnership that shows how OC Transpo is finding new ways to improve the transit experience for our residents. Contactless payment using a personal credit card is a leading-edge service on transit systems worldwide, and I look forward to using this user-friendly technology on our transit system here in Ottawa.”
Mayor Jim Watson
“Flexible, customizable fare payment is just one way we can attract new or infrequent transit riders to the transit system. Riders can determine the fare payment option that makes the most sense for them and how they use the system. By fast tracking the development of this new software, OC Transpo is looking ahead at positive ways to foster growth in the system.”
Councillor Alan Hubley, Chair, Transit Commission
“S&B is delighted to expand our partnership with the City of Ottawa to deliver a contactless Pay As You Go transit payment solution. This innovative solution will provide customers with the option of using their mobile phone or credit card to pay their fare in a safe touchless manner.”
Karen Swanborough, Regional Vice President, Scheidt & Bachmann
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Partnership will advance new contactless payment feature for OC Transpo
Ottawa – OC Transpo is pleased to announce a new agreement with Scheidt & Bachmann (S&B) to fast track additional contactless fare payment technology on its bus fleet and at O-Train stations with fare gates.
Over the next several months, OC Transpo and S&B will work together to develop and test the technology that will allow riders to tap a credit card at fare card readers on buses and at O-Train station fare gates. Testing will take place throughout 2020, with the new system anticipated to be ready for customers next year.
This partnership will result in OC Transpo having one of the most advanced fare payment systems in Canada, giving customers flexibility to choose from a range of payment options.
This enhancement builds on the innovative technology in OC Transpo’s fare gates and ticket vending machines installed at O-Train Stations. The addition of new payment options at faregates and fare card readers on buses is being fast tracked in light of the COVID-19 pandemic so that OC Transpo can offer customers additional options to easily pay their transit fare while reducing contact points along the system.
When launched, the new card readers will accept payments made with VISA and MasterCard, or by tapping a smartphone with Apple Pay or Google Pay. In the initial phase, the payment system will only be used for adult single-ride fares but can over time be expanded to other fare types.
As part of testing, customers will have an opportunity to use the new payment system at a fare gate at one O-Train Station by the end of 2020. Subject to the successful results of this trial, it is currently expected that the new payment option will be available on all buses and at all fare gates in 2021.
For more information on transit fares, programs and services, please visit octranspo.com.
Quotes
“This is an exciting partnership that shows how OC Transpo is finding new ways to improve the transit experience for our residents. Contactless payment using a personal credit card is a leading-edge service on transit systems worldwide, and I look forward to using this user-friendly technology on our transit system here in Ottawa.”
Mayor Jim Watson
“Flexible, customizable fare payment is just one way we can attract new or infrequent transit riders to the transit system. Riders can determine the fare payment option that makes the most sense for them and how they use the system. By fast tracking the development of this new software, OC Transpo is looking ahead at positive ways to foster growth in the system.”
Councillor Alan Hubley, Chair, Transit Commission
“S&B is delighted to expand our partnership with the City of Ottawa to deliver a contactless Pay As You Go transit payment solution. This innovative solution will provide customers with the option of using their mobile phone or credit card to pay their fare in a safe touchless manner.”
Karen Swanborough, Regional Vice President, Scheidt & Bachmann
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
August 5, 2020
LRT Stage 2 - Station Naming
OC Transpo has launched an online public consultation on octranspo.com/stage2_station_names to select the names of the 24 new Stage 2 stations along the west, east and south O-Train extensions.
On March 6, 2019, City Council approved the contract awards for the Stage 2 light rail project. Detailed design of the stations is underway, which requires names to be selected for the stations in the coming months.
The public consultation will run from August 5 to 26, and will provide customers, residents and stakeholders with an opportunity to provide input on the recommended names or to propose alternative names for the new stations.
List of 24 suggested names
Stage 2 West – Baseline Branch
Stage 2 South
The recommended names were chosen based on established criteria and transit industry best practices, including:
Ward Councillors who have Stage 2 stations in their wards were consulted on the names. Detailed rationales behind each proposed name is outlined on octranspo.com/stage2_station_names.
How to provide feedback
Customers and residents are invited to provide comments on the proposed names or suggest new names through the following ways:
Next Steps
Once the public consultation has come to an end on August 26, a panel consisting of OC Transpo staff, members of Council and myself will meet to finalize the 24 chosen names, based on feedback from the consultation. The chosen names will be communicated to Council members and members of the Transit Commission in fall 2020.
LRT Stage 2 - Station Naming
OC Transpo has launched an online public consultation on octranspo.com/stage2_station_names to select the names of the 24 new Stage 2 stations along the west, east and south O-Train extensions.
On March 6, 2019, City Council approved the contract awards for the Stage 2 light rail project. Detailed design of the stations is underway, which requires names to be selected for the stations in the coming months.
The public consultation will run from August 5 to 26, and will provide customers, residents and stakeholders with an opportunity to provide input on the recommended names or to propose alternative names for the new stations.
List of 24 suggested names
Stage 2 West – Baseline Branch
- Westboro
- Kìchì Sìbì
- Sherbourne
- New Orchard
- Lincoln Fields
- Iris
- Algonquin
- Queensview
- Pinecrest
- Bayshore
- Moodie
- Montréal
- Jeanne‑d’Arc
- Convent Glen
- Place d’Orléans
- Trim
Stage 2 South
- Gladstone
- Walkley
- South Keys
- Leitrim
- Bowesville
- Limebank
- Uplands
- Airport / Aéroport
The recommended names were chosen based on established criteria and transit industry best practices, including:
- Meaningful geographic reference;
- Easy to understand in French and English;
- Easy to pronounce;
- Easy to write;
- Unique from other stations and city locations; and,
- Established Transitway station names.
Ward Councillors who have Stage 2 stations in their wards were consulted on the names. Detailed rationales behind each proposed name is outlined on octranspo.com/stage2_station_names.
How to provide feedback
Customers and residents are invited to provide comments on the proposed names or suggest new names through the following ways:
- On the online consultation forum on octranspo.com/stage2_station_names
- By phone at 613-741-4390 (TTY: 613-741-5280)
- By writing to: 925 Belfast Rd Ottawa ON K1G 0Z4 (Attention: Stage 2 Station Names)
Next Steps
Once the public consultation has come to an end on August 26, a panel consisting of OC Transpo staff, members of Council and myself will meet to finalize the 24 chosen names, based on feedback from the consultation. The chosen names will be communicated to Council members and members of the Transit Commission in fall 2020.
August 4, 2020
OC Transpo U-Pass program
The Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass) is offered through a partnership with certain educational institutions (St. Paul University, Carleton University, Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa) which provides a discounted transit fare to all eligible students.
Due to COVID-19 and the changes that the institutions are making to on-campus versus distance learning, changes are being made to the ways that the institutions are delivering the U-Pass program this fall semester:
St. Paul University:
Carleton University:
Algonquin College:
Transit customers who need specific information related to the educational institution they are attending should direct their questions to the institution.
OC Transpo U-Pass program
The Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass) is offered through a partnership with certain educational institutions (St. Paul University, Carleton University, Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa) which provides a discounted transit fare to all eligible students.
Due to COVID-19 and the changes that the institutions are making to on-campus versus distance learning, changes are being made to the ways that the institutions are delivering the U-Pass program this fall semester:
St. Paul University:
- Regular distribution of the U-Pass cards to all full-time students.
- Students who are exclusively studying online may elect to opt-out from the U-Pass program.
Carleton University:
- Regular distribution of the U-Pass cards to all full-time students.
- Students who are exclusively studying online may elect to opt-out from the U-Pass program.
Algonquin College:
- For the fall semester 2020, new U-Pass cards will be made available to all full-time students.
- Students who are studying online exclusively or in-part may elect to opt-out from the U-Pass program in which case the U-Pass card will not be issued to those students.
- During the fall semester 2020, U-Pass cards will be distributed only to full-time students that are scheduled to have classes on campus.
- The remaining students who are exclusively studying online will not receive the cards; however, will have the option to opt-in.
Transit customers who need specific information related to the educational institution they are attending should direct their questions to the institution.
June 25, 2020
Transit Summer Service
OC Transpo returning to full summer service on Sunday, June 28
June 25, 2020 – OC Transpo will resume full summer service starting Sunday, June 28, to give more travel options as more customers begin using transit. OC Transpo will reinstate all bus routes except for special school services, and return service frequencies to normal summer-service levels. Ensuring more space for customers on buses and trains remains a key part of OC Transpo’s plan to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Service improvements, including new trips, schedule adjustments and bus stop changes at stations will also be implemented on June 28.
Service improvements
Schedule improvements
Seasonal schedule adjustments
Bus stop changes at stations
Bus stop changes will be implemented at Blair, Lincoln Fields and Place d’Orléans stations. These changes will reduce platform crowding and group together routes with similar destinations to simplify customer options. Consult station signage or octranspo.com for more information about changes to boarding locations.
No need to pay on Canada Day
Transit service will be no-charge all day on Canada Day, July 1. There will be no Canada-Day celebrations downtown this year and events will be held virtually. Buses will run on a Sunday schedule. Night service will begin at 11 pm on routes N39, N45, N57, N61, N75 and N97. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule, with increased evening service until 1 am. Line 2 bus service will operate on a Saturday schedule, with increased service in the evening until midnight.
Special service to recreational destinations
Summer weekend service will return on route 139 to Petrie Island starting on Saturday, June 27. Buses to recreational destinations will run every 30 minutes during the day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until Monday, September 7. Summer weekend service to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum will begin when those museums open.
Construction and detours
Construction projects are ramping up this summer and will affect several routes. Customers on the following routes should give themselves extra travel time and check octranspo.com for the latest service updates:
Rideau Street Renewal and O-Train Line 2 closure
Rideau Street will remain closed between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street until the end of the year. Routes 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 114, as well as overnight routes, are detoured away from Rideau Street. Most bus service is being relocated to Mackenzie King Bridge.
O-Train Line 2 remains closed until 2022 for the Line 2 expansion. Line 2 bus service operates every 12 to 15 minutes. Buses serve each O-Train station plus South Keys, Walkley and Heron Stations, as well as Gladstone and Preston.
Customers are reminded to give themselves additional travel time when travelling on routes impacted by the Rideau Street closure or on Line 2 buses.
What we’re doing to keep you safer
To prepare for increased ridership and the return to normal seasonal service levels, the following health and safety measures are now in place:
Customer Service Centre
The Customer Service Centre in the Rideau Centre will reopen on Monday, June 29. Hours of operation will be from 11 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday, and 11 am to 6 pm, on Sunday. New health and safety measures will be implemented for the safety of customers and employees. When possible, please avoid the line and take advantage of these alternatives when loading or buying a new Presto card: Prestocard.ca, the Presto App, ticket machines at O-Train stations, as well as Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations. EquiPass, Community Pass and Access Pass discount applications can also be submitted by mail or by fax.
For more information on transit services, visit octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Transit Summer Service
OC Transpo returning to full summer service on Sunday, June 28
June 25, 2020 – OC Transpo will resume full summer service starting Sunday, June 28, to give more travel options as more customers begin using transit. OC Transpo will reinstate all bus routes except for special school services, and return service frequencies to normal summer-service levels. Ensuring more space for customers on buses and trains remains a key part of OC Transpo’s plan to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Service improvements, including new trips, schedule adjustments and bus stop changes at stations will also be implemented on June 28.
Service improvements
- Route 55 will travel via Chapel Street and Mann Avenue to improve service for customers in Sandy Hill. Frequency will increase to every 15 minutes during early mornings and midday, as well as westbound during the afternoon peak period, to maintain improved service to hospitals.
- Route 98 frequency will increase northbound in the early morning with the addition of a new trip.
- Earlier or later service will be added to routes 11, 12, 16, 30, 37 and 64 to better meet the needs of customers.
Schedule improvements
- Trip times on routes 222 and 228 will be adjusted to improve connections and better meet the needs of customers.
- Connection times will be reduced for customers who transfer downtown between overnight routes N39, N57, N75 and N97.
- Schedules will be adjusted on routes 20, 44, 57, 63, 64, 85, 87 and 92 to improve reliability.
Seasonal schedule adjustments
- The return to normal summer service will reinstate approximately 95 per cent of pre-pandemic service levels, restoring greater frequencies on most routes.
- Frequencies will be adjusted on routes 6, 7, 10, 12, 15, 25, 30, 38, 39, 40, 44, 61, 66, 75, 82, 86, 90, 96, 98, 99, 111, 228, 235, 236, 251, 256, 272 and Line 2 replacement buses.
Bus stop changes at stations
Bus stop changes will be implemented at Blair, Lincoln Fields and Place d’Orléans stations. These changes will reduce platform crowding and group together routes with similar destinations to simplify customer options. Consult station signage or octranspo.com for more information about changes to boarding locations.
No need to pay on Canada Day
Transit service will be no-charge all day on Canada Day, July 1. There will be no Canada-Day celebrations downtown this year and events will be held virtually. Buses will run on a Sunday schedule. Night service will begin at 11 pm on routes N39, N45, N57, N61, N75 and N97. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule, with increased evening service until 1 am. Line 2 bus service will operate on a Saturday schedule, with increased service in the evening until midnight.
Special service to recreational destinations
Summer weekend service will return on route 139 to Petrie Island starting on Saturday, June 27. Buses to recreational destinations will run every 30 minutes during the day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until Monday, September 7. Summer weekend service to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum will begin when those museums open.
Construction and detours
Construction projects are ramping up this summer and will affect several routes. Customers on the following routes should give themselves extra travel time and check octranspo.com for the latest service updates:
- Routes 5, 14 and 114 northbound will be detoured away from Elgin Street between Catherine Street and Laurier Avenue until Sunday, July 26.
- Routes 12, 14, 15, 18 and 19 may experience delays to service along Rideau Street and Montreal Road due to construction between North River Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.
- Routes 16, 50, 81 and 153 will be detoured away from Scott Street between Island Park Drive and Ross Avenue, starting in July.
- Routes 252 and 256 may experience delays because of construction on Old Richmond Road between West Hunt Club and Hope Side roads.
Rideau Street Renewal and O-Train Line 2 closure
Rideau Street will remain closed between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street until the end of the year. Routes 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 114, as well as overnight routes, are detoured away from Rideau Street. Most bus service is being relocated to Mackenzie King Bridge.
O-Train Line 2 remains closed until 2022 for the Line 2 expansion. Line 2 bus service operates every 12 to 15 minutes. Buses serve each O-Train station plus South Keys, Walkley and Heron Stations, as well as Gladstone and Preston.
Customers are reminded to give themselves additional travel time when travelling on routes impacted by the Rideau Street closure or on Line 2 buses.
What we’re doing to keep you safer
To prepare for increased ridership and the return to normal seasonal service levels, the following health and safety measures are now in place:
- Mandatory cloth masks for customers and employees
- Protective shields around the operator cabs at the front of conventional buses
- Return to front-door boarding to allow for more space for customers
- Touchless fare payment options, including for Presto and ParaPay
- Hand sanitizer dispensers at stations
- Masks and face shields for Para Transpo operators
- Limit of one customer per trip on Para Transpo while ridership remains low
- Around-the-clock cleaning and sanitizing of vehicles and stations
- Reminders not to use transit if you’re sick
Customer Service Centre
The Customer Service Centre in the Rideau Centre will reopen on Monday, June 29. Hours of operation will be from 11 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday, and 11 am to 6 pm, on Sunday. New health and safety measures will be implemented for the safety of customers and employees. When possible, please avoid the line and take advantage of these alternatives when loading or buying a new Presto card: Prestocard.ca, the Presto App, ticket machines at O-Train stations, as well as Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations. EquiPass, Community Pass and Access Pass discount applications can also be submitted by mail or by fax.
For more information on transit services, visit octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
June 17, 2020
OC Transpo customers successfully adapting to new mandatory mask policy Ottawa – The Transit Commission was today advised that OC Transpo customers have been successfully transitioning to wearing cloth masks, as several health and safety measures were introduced on June 15 to help keep everyone as safe as possible before the return to full transit service on June 28. OC Transpo was the first public transit agency in Canada to implement a new mandatory mask policy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission received an O-Train Line 1 operational update. Rideau Transit Group (RTG) provided the City with a plan that prioritizes technical improvements that are closely linked to performance. During this period of low ridership caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Line 1 has undergone several temporary closures to allow RTG an opportunity to undertake work relating to issues that have impacted service. As RTG executes the work associated with their plan and identifies additional technical enhancements, there may be a need for future temporary closures to Line 1 during the summer months in addition to the upcoming shutdown from June 21 to 24. Several Finance Services Department reports were presented today, including the 2020 Operating and Capital Budget Q1 Transit Commission Status Report, which indicated the first quarter of the year ended with a deficit of $8 million. The budget shortfall was due to several factors, including:
Operational costs were partially offset by reduced fare control system maintenance costs and Presto fees. Recommendations in the Capital Adjustments and Closing of Projects report will result in the reduction of $8.1 million in previously approved capital budget authority, return of $6.4 million to capital reserves, $2,000 to the provincial gas tax reserve, and $1.5 million to the Transit development charge reserve, and elimination of $123,000 of debt financing. The Capital Adjustments and Closing of Projects report will go to Council on June 24. The Transit Commission today carried a motion to begin the early procurement process to identify potential revenue opportunities from advertising in stations and inside train cars on O-Train Line 1. In July 2013, the Transit Commission directed OC Transpo staff to review the addition of advertising in Line 1 stations and inside train cars following one year of operation after the launch of Line 1. The procurement process will now occur earlier than planned and staff is expected to report their findings back to the Transit Commission by the end of the year. The full presentation can be viewed below: June 2, 2020 Frequently Asked Questions – OC Transpo’s Transit Service Recovery Plan Q. What is the purpose of the Transit Service Recovery Plan? A. On April 27, the Province of Ontario announced a three-stage approach for reopening the Ontario economy. Throughout all three stages, the Province of Ontario continues to recommend measures to protect vulnerable populations, and recommends the continued practice of physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene, and the implementation of significant mitigation plans to limit health risks. In keeping with the Province of Ontario’s reopening plan, OC Transpo’s transit service recovery plan will follow a similar staged approach. The City of Ottawa’s planning horizon for the end of the emergency measures is July 1. As part of Ottawa’s recovery, OC Transpo has developed a flexible blueprint to recover transit service to normal seasonal levels, while making transit as safe as possible for customers and employees. The Transit Services Recovery Plan report outlines OC Transpo’s recommended plan for the recovery of transit service in Ottawa. Q. Up until now, how has OC Transpo adjusted service since the beginning of the pandemic? A. As a result of the decline in transit ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure the availability of staff resources, OC Transpo service was reduced by about 50 percent starting on March 25. In March, transit ridership in Ottawa declined by about 85 percent from the usual levels as a result of job losses, people working from home or distance learning online, and reduced shopping and cancelled events caused by the pandemic. Since then, adjustments have been made continuously to add trips or larger buses where required to give space for physical distancing onboard and to meet customer travel needs to essential services. This has brought transit service levels to about 60 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels. With the modified service levels, OC Transpo continues to provide service to all essential services and neighbourhoods across the City, and has created a reserve of transit staff in case of widespread illness. Q. What has OC Transpo done to keep customers and employees as safe as possible up until this point? A. To-date, OC Transpo has implemented the following measures to help keep customers and employees healthy and safer: • Perform daily enhanced cleaning of all vehicle types, stations, and employee areas; • Deep cleaning of vehicles or facilities in the event of confirmed exposure to COVID-19; • Provided hand sanitizer to all front-line staff; • Set up sanitation stations throughout facilities for front-line staff; • Set up sanitizer dispensers at all O-Train Line 1 stations, and are in the process of being installed at Transitway stations; • Doors closest to Line 1 operator cabs are temporarily closed; • Customers are asked to board and exit conventional buses using the back doors only; • OC Transpo Customer Service Centres (CSC) and ServiceOttawa Client Service Centres are temporarily closed (as of Tuesday, March 17); • All staff are being provided with cloth masks. At this point in time it is up to the employee to decide if they want to wear a mask or not; • Para Transpo trips are limited to one customer per trip; • Para Transpo Operators have received surgical masks, gloves and face shields and must wear them while working; and, • All City of Ottawa staff, including OC Transpo front-line and public-facing employees, are required to take the City’s self-assessment on a regular basis. Employees working at City facilities must take it daily, and those working from home must take it once a week; • Touch-free fare payment; • Making quick adjustments to bus service to add trips or larger buses where required to maintain physical distancing on board and to provide connections to essential services. • Protective equipment for front-line operational, customer service and staff who work onsite; • Modifications to work areas, shift times and processes to support physical distancing and protect staff; • Staff who can work at home are working at home; • Taped down the double-decker vents from the main bus HVAC system that are above and near the operator to keep recirculated air away from operator cabs; • Developed stickers for maintenance and facilities staff to confirm that a bus had been sanitized. This was a unique idea developed by staff; • Communicate proactively with our customers, using signage, announcements, and digital communications channels to keep them informed; and, • Communicate proactively with staff through a number of internal communications channels. Q. What are the guiding principles of OC Transpo’s recovery plan? A. OC Transpo’s primary objective is always to provide a safe transit service for customers and employees. In developing the recovery plan, staff were guided by principles based on the City’s recovery roadmap, transit industry associations’ best practices and research, federal and provincial guidelines and polices, recommendations from Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health and the City’s Equity and Inclusion Lens. Q. How will OC Transpo keep customers and employees as safe as possible once service begins to increase? A. As the Province of Ontario reopens the economy, transit ridership in Ottawa will increase as workplaces, businesses, schools and other activities reopen. Physical distancing will not be possible as ridership increases above 40 per cent of usual levels on buses and above 20 percent of usual levels on trains. Based on the transit industry research and best practices and the recommendations from Ottawa Public Health, OC Transpo’s recovery plan will include the implementation of the following health and safety measures to reduce the risk of infection and keep customers and employees as safe as possible as ridership increases with the reopening of the economy: • Enhanced cleaning of buses, trains, and stations; • Installation of barrier shields at operator cabs on buses; • Mandatory requirement for customers and staff to wear cloth masks; • Masks and self-checking signs at stations; • Hand sanitizer dispensers at stations; • Controlling the flow of buses into busy transfer stations; • Touch-free fare payment; • Increasing space onboard buses and trains; • Reopening the space that is currently blocked off at the front of buses and the cab ends of trains; • Making available additional capacity to increase service where required based on observations by operational staff; • Reducing ridership during peak times by encouraging employers or institutions to maintain some people at home or by shifting work and class times away from peak periods. City staff are currently in discussions with major employers and universities to assess potential strategies for reducing transit ridership during peak times; and, • Gradually increasing service levels to normal seasonal levels based on the three-stage approach adopted by the Province of Ontario and based on the City’s planning horizon for ending the emergency measures on July 1. Q. What is the transit service plan for the rest of 2020? A. The Province of Ontario has adopted a three-stage approach for reopening. In keeping with this approach, transit service will be adjusted to reflect the upcoming increase in ridership through a transit-specific, multi-phased approach. Health and safety measures will be in place prior to the increase in ridership in order to reduce the risk of infection on transit. The four steps are outlined below: Step 1: Current modified service to continue until Saturday, June 27 OC Transpo will continue to provide the current modified service, which is approximately 60 per cent of usual weekday service, until June 27. Adjustments will continue to be made as required to enable physical distancing onboard and to provide for connections to essential services. Step 2: Mask requirement and health and safety measures to be put in place on Monday, June 15 In preparation for the increase in ridership and return to summer service levels, the following health and safety measures will be in place on Monday, June 15: • Customers and employees will be required to wear cloth masks or equivalent face coverings when entering buses, trains, stations, and Para Transpo minibuses and contracted taxis. Customers can visit ottawapublichealth.ca for information on purchasing and/or making their own cloth masks; • Barrier shields will be installed on all conventional buses by June 15; • Front-door boarding will be reinstated, allowing more space for customers to practice physical distancing; • Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available at all O-Train stations and most Transitway stations; • Enhanced daily cleaning of all vehicles (bus, O-Train, Para Transpo), stations, and employee areas will be maintained; • Para Transpo operators will continue to be required to wear surgical masks and face shields; and, • Para Transpo trips will continue to be limited to one customer per trip, as long as ridership levels are low enough that this does not result in customers being unaccommodated. Step 3: Summer service to begin on Sunday, June 28 OC Transpo will implement summer service adjustments starting on Sunday, June 28, to coincide with the City’s planning horizon for the end of the emergency measures on July 1. • All routes will be in service and will operate the same route network that was in place from January to March 2020; • Summer service will operate at approximately 95 per cent of pre-COVID-19 service levels; • Bus operations at Blair, Hurdman and Tunney’s Pasture stations will be controlled and closely monitored to ensure the flow of buses into these major transfer stations does not result in overcrowding of station waiting areas and platforms; • Bus stop reassignments planned for Blair and Place d’Orléans stations will be implemented on June 28 and will assist with reducing crowding and improving customer flow at those stations; and • Customer Service Centre (CSC) at Rideau Centre will reopen when it is possible, in order to provide in-person services for OC Transpo customers, including the intake of EquiPass, Community Pass and Access Pass applications, photos for discounted passes and other ID cards and setting the discount or replacement of Presto cards; Step 4: Fall service to begin on Sunday, August 30 OC Transpo will implement fall service adjustments on August 30 to coincide with the start of the school year. • Transit service will follow the same route network that has been in place since January, and service frequencies and capacities will be similar to pre-COVID-19 winter service on most routes; • School service will operate and full service frequencies will be provided on routes serving post-secondary institutions. School service would be adjusted depending on the decisions of the Province, universities, and colleges; and, • OC Transpo will plan for additional capacity to be available in order to increase customer spacing as required. OC Transpo will be closely monitoring updates to the Province of Ontario’s reopening plan and will make adjustments as required to accommodate ridership. Q. How will OC Transpo be communicating the changes being introduced on June 15? A. A comprehensive communications and marketing plan will be undertaken to inform customers, staff, residents, Council and Transit Commission and other stakeholders of the upcoming changes, including the requirement to wear cloth masks or equivalent face coverings. Communications will be centred on: • The new requirements when using transit; and, • Promotion of the health and safety measures being taken by OC Transpo to keep everyone safe. A variety of communication channels and tactics will be used to ensure customer reach. Q. Has Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reviewed the recovery report? Does OPH support it? A. Yes, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has reviewed the recovery plan and supports the recommendations. OPH staff will continue to work with OC Transpo staff as the plan is put into effect. Q. Has the plan been screened through the Equity and Inclusion Lens? A. Yes, the City’s Equity and Inclusion Lens provides a structured way to ensure that recommendations on any matter have taken into account a diversity of perspectives and that systemic barriers and inequities are addressed. All OC Transpo service planning is screened through the Equity and Inclusion Lens. The analysis of the recovery plan documented here has identified four important points that will be considered further as the plan is put into place: • Customers with low incomes may have less access to a supply of masks than other customers; • Whether customers who already wear face coverings as part of their belief system need to also wear a mask in order to achieve the health requirements; and, • How to ensure that in-person information from staff is available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing and who normally read the lips of the person they are speaking with. Q. Have all OC Transpo and Para Transpo operators received masks already? A. Yes, conventional bus and rail operators have been provided with cloth masks. On Para Transpo minibuses, where it is impractical to install a shield, operators have been issued face shields. Q. Where can customers obtain cloth masks and learn more about making their own? Are there free masks available for those who do not have the means to purchase them? A. Please visit ottawapublichealth.ca for information pertaining to obtaining and/or making your own cloth masks. The City’s Human Needs taskforce team is working with Ottawa Public Health to identify supply chain opportunities for residents who need masks. For some groups of residents, who do not have access to a supply of masks, the City is arranging funding or a supply of masks to non-profit organizations. In the first week after June 15, when the use of masks on transit becomes mandatory, OC Transpo will make a limited number of masks available for people entering the transit system who may have forgotten to bring theirs. Q. Are customers permitted to wear cloth mask alternatives (e.g. a bandana)? A. Yes, customers are permitted to wear other face coverings, potentially including a bandana, if they meet the requirements set out by the Province and OPH. Please visit ottawapublichealth.ca for information. Q. Are children required to wear masks? A. Customers ages two and older will be required to wear cloth masks or equivalent face coverings when entering buses, trains and stations. Q. Will customers be able to purchase or obtain a cloth mask at OC Transpo stations? A. During the first week, as long as supplies last, OC Transpo will have a limited number of masks available for customers who have not brought their own. Q. Will OC Transpo enforce the wearing of cloth masks? A. The Transit By-law 2007-268 as amended, provides the following in subsections 19(3) and 19(11) with regards to signage which will be posted requiring masks and or equivalent face coverings: 19(3) No person shall do any act in contravention of instructions indicated on any sign erected on transit property or instructions given by a proper authority who considers them necessary to: (a) ensure orderly movement of persons; (b) prevent injury to persons; (c) prevent damage to the transit property; or (d) permit proper action in an emergency. 19(11) No person using transit vehicles or transit facilities shall fail to comply with all rules and regulations which are either posted on transit property or are printed on transit vehicle tickets, transfers or transit passes Q. Will customers who have disabilities or medical conditions that are contradictory to wearing a mask be required to wear cloth masks? A. In keeping with recommendations from the Province of Ontario, and its poster on the appropriate use of face coverings (click this), an exception will be made for young children, people who have difficulty breathing, and anyone who is unable to remove the mask without assistance . Q. When will customers need to start paying for their fare again? A. Customers will again be able to pay their fares at the front of the bus from June 15. Customers who use Presto or U-Pass cards should continue to board and tap their cards at the rear doors of articulated and double-decker buses. Q. Will front-door boarding be reinstated? What type of touch-free fare payment options does OC Transpo offer? A. Yes, front-door boarding will be reinstated on June 15, allowing more space for customers to practice physical distancing, and also allowing customers to pay fares normally. OC Transpo offers the following touch-free fare payment options: • Use Presto e-purse instead of cash; • Load your Presto card online or by phone; and, • Use ParaPay for Para Transpo. Q. When will OC Transpo reopen the customer service centres? A. The Customer Service Centre (CSS) at Rideau Centre will reopen when it is possible. Please check octranspo.com or Twitter for the latest updates. Staff will assess the need for services at the CSCs at Place d’Orléans, St-Laurent, and Lincoln Fields stations; however, they will remain closed until further notice. Q. How long will the compulsory mask requirement be in place if approved by the Transit Commission? A. Should the Transit Commission approve the report recommendations, wearing a cloth mask or equivalent face covering would be a mandatory requirement for any person entering an OC Transpo bus, train, or station effective June 15, 2020, and would continue until widespread mask use is no longer required in the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health. Q. Where can customers get more information? A. For more information on OC Transpo’s service recovery plan, visit octranspo.com. For more information on COVID-19, please visit ottawapublichealth.ca. May 28, 2020 OC Transpo Transit Service Recovery Plan Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, OC Transpo has followed the direction provided by Ottawa Public Health (OPH), and has worked closely with the City of Ottawa's Emergency Management Team and Union partners to continue to provide public transit services, in accordance with provincial and federal guidelines, as well as industry best practices. During the pandemic, OC Transpo service was reduced by about 50 percent starting on March 25 with ridership declining by about 85 percent from the usual levels. Based on the efforts of OC Transpo staff, quick adjustments to service to allow for physical distancing on buses and trains has been accomplished. Service has been maintained to all neighbourhoods and essential services. As the Province of Ontario reopens the economy, transit ridership in Ottawa will increase, as workplaces, businesses, schools and other activities reopen. In keeping with this approach, transit service will be adjusted to reflect the ridership increase through a transit-specific, multi-phased approach. As the COVID-19 situation is fluid, the plan has been developed with flexibility to allow for adjustments as conditions evolve. Staff will closely monitor updates to public health advice and restrictions, federal and provincial decisions, as well as decisions by post-secondary institutions on the resumption of on-campus classes. OC Transpo’s recovery plan will include the implementation of health and safety measures to reduce the risk of infection and keep customers and employees as safe as possible as ridership increases with the reopening of the economy. The implementation of these measures is already underway. As part of the recovery plan, a comprehensive communications and marketing plan will be undertaken to inform customers, staff, residents, members of Council and Transit Commission, and other stakeholders about the service. BACKGROUND Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, OC Transpo has followed the direction provided by Ottawa Public Health (OPH), and has worked closely with the City of Ottawa's Emergency Management Team and Union partners to continue to provide public transit services, in accordance with provincial and federal guidelines, as well as industry best practices. Since the beginning of March, numerous health and safety measures were put in place for both customers and staff, including enhanced cleaning of vehicles and facilities and rear-door boarding for most customers. During the pandemic, OC Transpo service was modified to reflect lower ridership levels due to COVID-19 and to ensure the availability of staff resources in case of widespread illness. Based on the efforts of OC Transpo staff, quick adjustments have been made to add trips or larger buses where required to give space for physical distancing on board and to meet customer travel needs to essential services. Service has been maintained to all neighbourhoods in the City and to essential services. On April 27, the Province of Ontario announced a three-stage approach for reopening the Ontario economy, and the first stage began on May 19. The City of Ottawa’s planning horizon for the end of the emergency measures is July 1. As part of Ottawa’s recovery, OC Transpo has developed a flexible blueprint to recover transit service to normal seasonal levels, while making transit as safe as possible for customers and employees. This report outlines OC Transpo’s recommended plan for the recovery of transit service in Ottawa. DISCUSSION As the Province of Ontario reopens the economy, transit ridership in Ottawa will increase as workplaces, businesses, schools and other activities reopen. The provision of transit service plays an important role in supporting the City’s economic recovery, and as such, the return to normal transit service levels will be integrated as part of the City’s roadmap for the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before ridership returns, OC Transpo needs to adapt service in order to increase space onboard buses and trains and needs to implement additional health and safety measures to protect customers and staff when physical distancing cannot be maintained. These new measures include returning to normal service levels systemwide with all routes in operation; allowing the use of the entire vehicle, returning to front door boarding; installing barrier shields for bus operator cabs; and making masks compulsory for everyone. Details on these measures are provided later in this report. Principles Guiding the Recovery Plan OC Transpo’s primary objective is always to provide a transit service that is safe for customers and employees. In developing the recovery plan, staff were guided by principles based on the City’s recovery roadmap, transit industry associations’ best practices and research, federal and provincial guidelines and polices, recommendations from Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health, and the City’s Equity and Inclusion Lens. The plan is developed as a rolling-wave plan, allowing the work to proceed, but also continuously being adapted as details and requirements become known or become clearer. There will certainly be information that is not available yet but that will shape the plan and the way the plan is delivered. The plan that is documented here is based on the best and most current knowledge, advice, and analysis at the time that it was prepared. Notwithstanding the progression towards full service to support full ridership levels that is documented in this plan, there may be a need, based on public health advice and requirements, to adapt the plan or to regress to earlier steps. Specifically, if a second wave of COVID-19 comes, there could be a need to step back to physical distancing, reduced service levels, and other restrictions on the way that transit service is provided. The City’s Recovery Roadmap and the Role of Transit On May 13, the City Manager presented the City of Ottawa’s roadmap for the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City’s roadmap follows the Province of Ontario’s three-phase framework to protect, restart, and recover. Five task teams based on human needs, services, people, finance and economic recovery have been formed to provide a coordinated teamwork approach in sustaining, recovering and rebuilding services. The provision of transit service plays a foundational role in Ottawa’s recovery. Across the world, transit remains an integral part of cities. It is needed for transportation into downtowns and other busy areas, for travel by people without other means, and is needed for sustained economic activity and growth. Across the world, transit has been adapting to public health directives, including physical distancing onboard while ridership is very low, enhanced cleaning, reviewing all service aspects to reduce contact and touch points, and measures to keep customers and staff as safe as possible when ridership increases. Physical distancing has been possible while ridership is very low. In March, transit ridership in Ottawa declined by about 85 percent from the usual levels as a result of job losses, people working from home, distance learning online, and reduced shopping and cancelled events caused by the pandemic. During May, ridership has increased slightly from its low point in March, so that it is now down by about 80 percent from the usual levels. With the adjustments made since March, service is now at about 60 percent of its usual level. This results in approximately four times more space than usual for each customer. Requiring customers to board buses through the rear doors has enhanced safety for staff. Space will still be available on board with physical distancing possible as ridership returns to approximately 20 percent of normal levels on trains and approximately 40 percent of normal levels on buses. Higher ridership will require more space and other safety measures. Returning service to its usual levels allows for more space on board for customers. With regular service levels in place, bus service will have space to accommodate up to 40 percent of the usual ridership (two to three times the current ridership level), with physical distancing in place. O-Train Line 1 trains will have space to accommodate up to 20 percent of the usual ridership (33 percent above the current ridership level), with physical distancing in place. When ridership returns to normal levels, it will not be feasible to maintain physical distancing onboard with the normal service level and fleet size. In order to maintain physical distancing at normal ridership levels, OC Transpo would need to have four to six times as many trains as usual and two to three times as many buses as usual. As these increases are impractical to achieve, as well as unaffordable and unsustainable within the current long-range financial plan for transit, other measures must be implemented to make transit as safe as possible for customers and employees. Transit Industry Best Practices and Research The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) have adopted a risk reduction framework based on a concept used by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and referenced in a report on public health principles for a phased reopening during COVID-19 by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. The concept provides a framework for assessing the effectiveness of controls for COVID-19 and for understanding the range of impacts those measures can have on decreasing the likelihood of transmission. Both APTA and CUTA have also formed forums for regular contact between senior staff at transit systems across North America, to ensure information sharing and joint decision-making where possible. OC Transpo staff have been participating in these exchanges continuously since March. Provincial Guidelines On April 27, the Province of Ontario released their reopening framework that outlines a three-stage approach for reopening the economy. Stage 1 began on May 19. • Stage 1 o Opening select workplaces that can meet current public health guidelines o Allowing essential gatherings of a limited number of people o Opening some outdoor spaces • Stage 2 o Opening more workplaces with significant mitigation plans o Opening more public spaces o Allowing some larger public gatherings • Stage 3 o Opening all workplaces responsibly o Relaxing restrictions on public gatherings Throughout all three stages, the Province of Ontario continues to recommend measures to protect vulnerable populations, and recommends the continued practice of physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene, and the implementation of significant mitigation plans to limit health risks. Many public agencies, including transit systems, are adopting a similar three-stage approach. In keeping with the Province of Ontario’s reopening plan, OC Transpo’s transit service recovery plan will follow a similar staged approach. Health and Safety Measures on OC Transpo As the Province of Ontario reopens the economy, transit ridership in Ottawa will increase as workplaces, businesses, schools and other activities reopen. Since the initial decline in ridership in early March, transit ridership has increased by about one-third, from 15 percent to 20 percent of its usual level, and it is anticipated that ridership will continue to increase as the economy reopens. Based on the transit industry research and best practices and the recommendations from Ottawa Public Health, OC Transpo’s recovery plan will include the implementation of the following health and safety measures to reduce the risk of infection and keep customers and employees as safe as possible as ridership increases with the reopening of the economy. 1. Enhanced cleaning of buses, trains, and stations OC Transpo will continue the enhanced daily cleaning of all vehicles (bus, O-Train and Para Transpo), stations, and employee areas, including the disinfecting of common touch surfaces. Additional cleaning will be completed in stations every eight hours, focusing on high-traffic areas and on touch surfaces for in-service trains. 2. Installation of barrier shields at operator cabs on buses Barrier shields will be installed at the operator cabs on buses. The shields will provide protection for the operator and will allow for the resumption of front door boarding and the safe use of the space at the front of the bus, which is currently blocked off. OC Transpo is in the process of installing temporary soft barriers on all buses. Permanent hard barriers will be installed in the future and will be a capital project funding request in 2021. Trains already have a separate operator cab that provide protection for rail operators. On Para Transpo minibuses, where it is impractical to install a shield, operators have been issued face shields. 3. Mandatory requirement for customers and staff to wear non-medical masks Ottawa Public Health recommends that residents wear non-medical cloth masks or equivalent face coverings where physical distancing cannot be maintained. As ridership increases with the reopening of the economy, it will not be possible to maintain physical distancing on buses and trains. Masks or face coverings retain respiratory secretions and will help to maintain safety when physical distancing is not possible when taking transit. In keeping with Ottawa Public Health guidelines, staff recommend that non-medical cloth masks or equivalent face coverings be a mandatory requirement for customers and staff. This would apply in all stations and on board all buses, trains, Para Transpo minibuses, and Para Transpo contracted taxis. The Province of Ontario has also recommended the use of a face covering (non-medical mask such as a cloth mask) to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 when physical distancing and keeping two-metres’ distance from others may be challenging or not possible, such as for public transit https://www.ontario.ca/page/face-coverings-and-face-masks In keeping with recommendations from the Province of Ontario, and its poster on the appropriate use of face coverings which can be viewed at the following: https://files.ontario.ca/moh-coronavirus-face-coverings-en-2020-05-20.pdf , an exception will be made for young children, people who have difficulty breathing and, anyone who is unable to remove a mask without assistance. Transit customers will be expected to supply and wear their own masks or equivalent face coverings that comply with public health recommendations. The City’s Human Needs task team is working with Ottawa Public Health to identify supply chain opportunities for residents who need masks. For some groups of residents, who do not have access to a supply of masks, the City is arranging funding or a supply of masks to non-profit organizations. In the first week after June 15, when the use of masks on transit becomes mandatory, OC Transpo will make a limited number of masks available for people entering the transit system who may have forgotten to bring theirs. 4. Masks and self-checking signs Signage has been posted at stations requesting that customers enter the station and use the service only if they do not feel sick, are not showing symptoms of COVID-19 and have not been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19. New signage will be installed to inform customers about the requirement to wear masks and to remind them to stay home if they are feeling sick. 5. Hand sanitizer dispensers at stations Hand sanitizer dispensers are currently installed at all O-Train Line 1 stations and are being installed at most Transitway stations. Signage will be posted at stations to encourage customers to use hand sanitizer before getting on or after getting off a bus or train. 6. Controlling the flow of buses into busy transfer stations OC Transpo will adjust its transit operations in order to control the flow of buses into the three major transfer stations (Blair, Hurdman and Tunney’s Pasture) in order to avoid unhealthy overcrowding of station waiting areas and platforms. If there is a major delay to train service, buses will be temporarily held back from entering the station. O-Train Ambassadors and OC Transpo operational staff will continue to be stationed at the major transfer stations to help direct customer flow, and supervisory staff will deploy resources as needed to reduce the potential for customer crowding. 7. Touch-free fare payment OC Transpo currently has fare payment systems in place that do not require customers to touch any equipment to pay a fare. On buses, customers tap Presto or U-Pass cards on card readers, and if paying by cash, customers drop coins and bills into the farebox and pick up a paper transfer from the printer. At O-Train stations, customers tap Presto cards or other smartcards at fare gates. On Para Transpo, all fares can be prepaid using ParaPay. Presto cards can be loaded online or on smartphones via the Presto mobile app. However, for customers who load their Presto card or purchase a fare using a ticket machine at O-Train stations, OC Transpo has enhanced the cleaning of the touch screen, PIN pad, and other touch points on ticket machines. Higher limits by banks for tapping cards and smartphones have reduced the need to touch the PIN pad. Staff are working with our fare payment system vendors to improve convenience and provide more touch-free fare payment options for customers. These future fare payment improvements include making it easier to use a Presto card on Para Transpo; allowing credit and debit cards to be tapped on buses and fare gates; mobile ticketing on smartphones; and assessing the possibility of providing virtual Presto cards on smartphones. Staff will report to the Commission on the progress of these initiatives under the “Presto Enhancements for Customers” project in the Transit Services 2020 Business Plan approved by the Transit Commission in February 2020. 8. Increasing space onboard buses and trains As ridership increases, OC Transpo will implement measures and strategies to increase space on buses and trains. As noted previously, while physical distancing will not be possible as ridership increases above 40 percent of usual levels on buses and above 20 percent of usual levels on trains, the additional health and safety measures as described in this report will help keep transit as safe as possible for customers and employees. The following strategies will be implemented to reduce the space pressure on buses and trains: • Reopening the space that is currently blocked off at the front of buses and the cab ends of trains following the implementation of the mandatory mask requirement and installation of barrier shields for bus operator cabs. • Making available additional capacity to increase service where required based on observations by operational staff. For bus service, operators and buses will be available to provide additional trips on busy routes. This additional capacity will be made available by deferring the planned service enhancements that were budgeted for later this year. For O-Train Line 1 service, the current expectation is that additional capacity will be available by having two more trains (for a total of 15 trains) in service from August, as per the rectification plan provided by the Rideau Transit Group. • Reducing ridership during peak times by encouraging employers or institutions to maintain some people at home or by shifting work and class times away from peak periods. City staff are currently in discussions with major employers and universities to assess potential strategies for reducing transit ridership during peak times. • Gradually increasing service levels to normal seasonal levels based on the three-stage approach adopted by the Province of Ontario and based on the City’s planning horizon for ending the emergency measures on July 1. Service Plan for the Rest of 2020 The Province of Ontario has adopted a three-stage approach for reopening. In keeping with this approach, transit service will be adjusted to reflect the upcoming increase in ridership through a transit-specific, multi-phased approach. Health and safety measures will be in place prior to the increase in ridership in order to reduce the risk of infection on transit. Step 1: Current modified service continues until Saturday, June 27 OC Transpo will continue to provide the current modified service (60 percent of usual weekday service and no school services) until the end of June. Based on the observed low ridership levels, the modified service has proven to accommodate most customers. OC Transpo will continue to make adjustments as required to enable physical distancing on board and to provide connections to essential services. It is important to note that any substantial return to work or broadening of essential service definition would result in crowding above physical distancing recommendations. Staff will be closely monitoring updates to the Province of Ontario’s reopening plan and the plans of major employers and destinations in Ottawa, and will make adjustments as required to accommodate ridership. Step 2: Mask requirement and health and safety measures in place on Monday, June 15 In preparation for the increase in ridership and return to normal seasonal service levels, the following health and safety measures will be in place on or by Monday, June 15: • Customers and employees will be required to wear non-medical cloth masks or equivalent face coverings when entering buses, trains, stations and Para Transpo minibuses and contracted taxis; • Soft barrier shields will be installed on all conventional buses; • Front-door boarding will be reinstated, allowing more space for customers to practice physical distancing, and also allowing customers to pay fares normally; • Encouraging customers with Presto or U-Pass cards to board at the rear doors of articulated and double-decker buses, and encouraging customers to leave buses at the rear doors; • Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available at all O-Train stations and most Transitway stations; • Para Transpo operators will continue to wear surgical masks and face shields; and, • Para Transpo trips will continue to be limited to one customer per trip, as long as ridership levels are low enough that this does not result in customers being unaccommodated. Step 3: Summer service to begin on Sunday, June 28 OC Transpo will recover to normal summer service levels starting on Sunday, June 28, to coincide with the City’s planning horizon for the end of the emergency measures on July 1. All routes will be in service and will operate the same route network that was in place from January to March 2020, including all of the adjustments that were made after the opening of Line 1, the Line 2 replacement bus service and the Rideau Street detours. The normal summer service that will operate is appropriately 95 percent of pre-COVID-19 service levels, with lower than usual non-summer, but higher-than-current frequency on busy routes and routes serving post-secondary institutions. School services will not operate. Event services will be determined as decisions by major event organizers, professional sports teams and concert venues are announced for the remainder of the year. Bus operations at Blair, Hurdman and Tunney’s Pasture stations will be controlled and closely monitored to ensure that the flow of buses into these major transfer stations does not result in unhealthy overcrowding of station waiting areas and platforms. The bus stop reassignments planned for Blair and Place d’Orléans stations will also be implemented on June 28 and will assist with reducing crowding and improving customer flow at those stations. The Customer Service Centre (CSC) at Rideau Centre will reopen when it is possible, in order to provide in-person services for OC Transpo customers, including the intake of EquiPass, Community Pass and Access Pass applications, photos for discounted passes and other ID cards and setting the discount or replacement of Presto cards. Staff will work behind barrier shields for their protection, customer queues will be managed, and any additional health and safety measures will be implemented following the City’s corporate standards for the reopening of all client service centres. The CSCs at Place d’Orléans, St-Laurent and Lincoln Fields Stations will remain closed for the present. Staff will assess the need for reopening these locations as conditions evolve. Step 4: Fall service to begin on Sunday, August 30 OC Transpo will recover to normal fall service on August 30 to coincide with the start of the school year, which is planned to begin on August 31 for some school boards. The service that will operate will follow the same route network that has been in place since January, and service frequencies and capacities will be similar to pre-COVID-19 winter service on most routes. School service will operate and full-service frequencies will be provided on routes serving post-secondary institutions. School service would be adjusted depending on the decisions of the Province, universities, and colleges. As described earlier in this report, OC Transpo will plan for additional capacity to be available in order to increase customer spacing as required. These resources will be provided by deferring the planned bus service enhancements to next year and by having the additional two Line 1 trains in service as per RTG’s rectification plan. OC Transpo will also reintroduce all 20 R1 standby buses to protect Line 1 service in the event of an unplanned service interruption. Review of the Recommended Plan Ottawa Public Health Review Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has reviewed this recovery plan and supports the recommendations. OPH staff will continue to work with OC Transpo staff as the plan is put into effect. OPH has identified these risks that need to be mitigated before customers return to transit service: • Challenge to enforce bus capacity and riders’ behaviours on vehicles; • Physical distancing will be hard to maintain as ridership increases; and, • Multiple high-touch surfaces and potential exposure to many other people on bus, bus stops, stations. OPH has recommended the following measures to mitigate these risks, all of which are built into this plan: • Reduce total and peak ridership; advocate for continued widespread work-from-home; staggered work and school days; later starts for post-secondary institutions; • Universal non-medical cloth masks for customers; • Operating staff protection, including flexible barriers, eye protection, pre- and post-shift cleaning of high-touch work surfaces, availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizer; • Customer service staff protection, including physical barriers at the customer service centre, and masking/eye protection for mobile ambassador staff; • Cleaning and helping customers avoid high-touch surfaces, such as no-touch payment, locking doors open, frequent cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, availability of hand sanitizer in stations, and disposal bins in stations; • Public-facing communication strategy, with multiple approaches on how to ride more safely and in alignment with OPH messaging – do not travel with symptoms, hand and respiratory hygiene; always wear a mask; and, • Employee-facing communication strategy, including hand hygiene, how to put on and remove a mask, and environmental cleaning of immediate work surfaces. OPH has also provided additional points that will be built into the recovery plan as it is implemented, including these items: • Consider no-touch hand sanitizer dispensers as they become available on the market; • Consider best practices to ensure distancing between staff members at work; • Consider the best ways to ensure fresh air flow through buses, trains, and sheltered waiting areas; • Consider ways to channel customers within stations and on buses to avoid unnecessary contact; and, • Adapt to encourage customers to use electronic technology for contact tracing as it becomes available. Screening through the Equity and Inclusion Lens The City’s Equity and Inclusion Lens provides a structured way to ensure that recommendations on any matter have taken into account a diversity of perspectives and that systemic barriers and inequities are addressed. All OC Transpo service planning is screened through the Equity and Inclusion Lens. The analysis of the recovery plan documented here has identified three important points that will be considered further as the plan is put into place: • Customers with low incomes may have less access to a supply of masks than other customers; • Whether customers who already wear face coverings as part of their belief system need to also wear a mask in order to achieve the health requirements; and, • How to ensure that in-person information from staff is available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing and who normally read the lips of the person they are speaking with. Implementation of the Plan As the COVID-19 situation is fluid, the plan has been developed with flexibility in mind to allow for adjustments as conditions evolve over time. Staff will be closely monitoring updates to public health advice and restrictions, federal and provincial decisions on the reopening of businesses, workplaces and schools, as well as decisions by post-secondary institutions on the resumption of on-campus classes. Staff have already begun to implement the health and safety measures described in this report that are required to be in place prior to the recovery of transit service. These health and safety measures (enhanced cleaning, the limited supply of masks for customers, protective equipment for staff, hand sanitizer and dispensers and soft barrier shields) are being funded using existing funds in the OC Transpo budget. Any additional operating or capital costs (such as permanent barrier shields for bus cabs) will be identified as a budget pressure for the 2021 budget. Communications, Marketing and Enforcement A comprehensive communications and marketing plan will be undertaken to inform customers, staff, residents, members of Council and Transit Commission and other stakeholders about the OC Transpo transit service recovery plan, including the requirement to wear non-medical mask such as a cloth mask or equivalent face covering. Communications will be centred on advising customers and staff of the new requirements when using transit starting on June 15 and will also promote the health and safety measures being taken by OC Transpo to keep everyone as safe as possible while using transit. The Transit By-law 2007-268 as amended, provides the following in subsections 19(3) and 19(11) with regards to signage which will be posted requiring masks and or equivalent face coverings: 19(3) No person shall do any act in contravention of instructions indicated on any sign erected on transit property or instructions given by a proper authority who considers them necessary to: (a) ensure orderly movement of persons; (b) prevent injury to persons; (c) prevent damage to the transit property; or (d) permit proper action in an emergency. 19(11) No person using transit vehicles or transit facilities shall fail to comply with all rules and regulations which are either posted on transit property or are printed on transit vehicle tickets, transfers or transit passes |
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May 7, 2020
OC Transpo memo - EquiPass, Community Pass, and Access Pass Renewals and Applications during COVID-19
The purpose of this memo is to advise Members of Council and the Transit Commission of temporary changes affecting customers who use the EquiPass, Community Pass and Access Pass discounted fares. These changes are being introduced to allow eligible customers continued access to these fare discounts during the temporary closure of OC Transpo Customer Service Centres due to COVID-19.
OC Transpo’s Customer Service Centres (CSC) were closed to the public on March 17, 2020, following the declaration by the Province of Ontario of a state of emergency in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, OC Transpo has not been able to process renewals and new applications for the EquiPass, Community Pass, and Access Pass discounted fares, which normally require customers whose applications are approved to visit a CSC to have the discount set on their Presto card. Customers are currently unable to apply for the Community Pass or Access Pass, as applications for these discounted fares are normally only accepted in-person at the CSCs. Customers can continue to mail in applications for the EquiPass, however, approved applicants are unable to have the discount set on their Presto card due to the closure of the CSCs.
With the continued provincial state of emergency and with City facilities anticipated to be closed at least until June 30, staff are making temporary changes to the process for renewals and new applications in order to provide customers with continued access to the discounted fares during this period.
Customers whose eligibility for the EquiPass or Community Pass has expired or is expiring between February 1 and July 31, 2020, and who have not already renewed their discount, will have their eligibility extended until August 15, 2020. (This excludes EquiPass renewal applications that were already processed and not approved and for which the applicant has received a letter indicating their ineligibility.) The expiration date of the discount encoded on the cards will be extended automatically. Customers will need to tap their Presto card on a bus or at a fare gate or query their card at a ticket machine or at a participating Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws or Real Canadian Superstore location in order to have the revised expiration date written electronically to the card. Access Pass holders who require a renewal to their discount during the CSC closures are asked to contact OC Transpo directly to make individual arrangements.
New applications for the EquiPass, Community Pass, or Access Pass will be handled by mail until further notice. A customer whose application is approved will receive by mail a new Presto card with the discount set on the card or will have the discount applied to their ParaPay account. The expiry date for the discount will be set as per the normal process, and will be indicated on the approval letter.
Credits on Presto and ParaPay accounts will be provided to any customers whose discounts have expired and have paid higher fares as a result.
Details on these changes will be communicated to customers starting in the coming week through various channels, including notices to affected customers and stakeholders, social media updates, and octranspo.com.
OC Transpo – New Case of Covid-19
Today, we received confirmation that a bus operator has tested positive for COVID-19. The operator first called in sick on April 1 and has not returned to work. They may have been experiencing symptoms as early as March 29. The operator received the COVID-19 test on April 8 and is self-isolating at home. To protect the privacy of the individual, we will not be releasing their name.
We are working directly with Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and are conducting contact tracing of individuals who have, or may have been, in close contact with the employee. OPH has advised that the key dates are the period 48 hours prior to the first day the employee showed symptoms; however, in this case the required dates include March 27, 30 and 31, as the operator may have first showed symptoms on March 29. The operator was off on March 28 and 29. OPH is following up with family and friends who may have been in close contact with the individual. We have begun contacting employees who may have come into close contact with this bus operator during those key dates.
The operator drove five buses on March 27, 30 and 31, serving the following routes:
March 27, 2020
March 28 & 29, 2020
The operator was not scheduled to work these two days.
March 30, 2020
OC Transpo is identifying vehicles and facilities that may require additional cleaning above our enhanced cleaning process.
If customers have concerns of this exposure, they can contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 to speak to a public health nurse or visit ottawapublichealth.ca.
OC Transpo memo - EquiPass, Community Pass, and Access Pass Renewals and Applications during COVID-19
The purpose of this memo is to advise Members of Council and the Transit Commission of temporary changes affecting customers who use the EquiPass, Community Pass and Access Pass discounted fares. These changes are being introduced to allow eligible customers continued access to these fare discounts during the temporary closure of OC Transpo Customer Service Centres due to COVID-19.
OC Transpo’s Customer Service Centres (CSC) were closed to the public on March 17, 2020, following the declaration by the Province of Ontario of a state of emergency in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, OC Transpo has not been able to process renewals and new applications for the EquiPass, Community Pass, and Access Pass discounted fares, which normally require customers whose applications are approved to visit a CSC to have the discount set on their Presto card. Customers are currently unable to apply for the Community Pass or Access Pass, as applications for these discounted fares are normally only accepted in-person at the CSCs. Customers can continue to mail in applications for the EquiPass, however, approved applicants are unable to have the discount set on their Presto card due to the closure of the CSCs.
With the continued provincial state of emergency and with City facilities anticipated to be closed at least until June 30, staff are making temporary changes to the process for renewals and new applications in order to provide customers with continued access to the discounted fares during this period.
Customers whose eligibility for the EquiPass or Community Pass has expired or is expiring between February 1 and July 31, 2020, and who have not already renewed their discount, will have their eligibility extended until August 15, 2020. (This excludes EquiPass renewal applications that were already processed and not approved and for which the applicant has received a letter indicating their ineligibility.) The expiration date of the discount encoded on the cards will be extended automatically. Customers will need to tap their Presto card on a bus or at a fare gate or query their card at a ticket machine or at a participating Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws or Real Canadian Superstore location in order to have the revised expiration date written electronically to the card. Access Pass holders who require a renewal to their discount during the CSC closures are asked to contact OC Transpo directly to make individual arrangements.
New applications for the EquiPass, Community Pass, or Access Pass will be handled by mail until further notice. A customer whose application is approved will receive by mail a new Presto card with the discount set on the card or will have the discount applied to their ParaPay account. The expiry date for the discount will be set as per the normal process, and will be indicated on the approval letter.
Credits on Presto and ParaPay accounts will be provided to any customers whose discounts have expired and have paid higher fares as a result.
Details on these changes will be communicated to customers starting in the coming week through various channels, including notices to affected customers and stakeholders, social media updates, and octranspo.com.
OC Transpo – New Case of Covid-19
Today, we received confirmation that a bus operator has tested positive for COVID-19. The operator first called in sick on April 1 and has not returned to work. They may have been experiencing symptoms as early as March 29. The operator received the COVID-19 test on April 8 and is self-isolating at home. To protect the privacy of the individual, we will not be releasing their name.
We are working directly with Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and are conducting contact tracing of individuals who have, or may have been, in close contact with the employee. OPH has advised that the key dates are the period 48 hours prior to the first day the employee showed symptoms; however, in this case the required dates include March 27, 30 and 31, as the operator may have first showed symptoms on March 29. The operator was off on March 28 and 29. OPH is following up with family and friends who may have been in close contact with the individual. We have begun contacting employees who may have come into close contact with this bus operator during those key dates.
The operator drove five buses on March 27, 30 and 31, serving the following routes:
March 27, 2020
- Route 92: Greenboro Station 6:23 to Hurdman Station 6:49
- Route 88: Hurdman Station 6:53 to Terry Fox Station 8:03
- Route 88: Terry Fox Station 8:12 to Hurdman Station 9:31
- Route 88: Hurdman Station 9:52 to Terry Fox Station 11:06
- Route 88: Terry Fox Station 11:20 to Hurdman Station 12:31
- Route 88: Hurdman Station 12:52 to Billings Bridge Station 12:58
March 28 & 29, 2020
The operator was not scheduled to work these two days.
March 30, 2020
- Route 74: Fallowfield Station 6:57 to Riverview P&R 7:12
- Route 74: Riverview Park & Ride 7:15 to Fallowfield Station 7:30
- Route 74: Fallowfield Station 7:57 to Riverview Park & Ride 8:12
- Route 74: Riverview Park & Ride 8:15 to Tunney’s Pasture Station 8:51
- Route 16: Tunney’s Pasture Station 9:00 to Westboro Station 9:05
- Route 62: Tunney’s Pasture Station 9:17 to Terry Fox 9:52
- Route 62: Terry Fox Station 9:57 to Tunney’s Pasture Station 10:28
- Route 74: Tunney’s Pasture Station 11:04 to Riverview Park & Ride 11:42
- Route 74: Riverview Park & Ride 11:45 to Tunney’s Pasture Station 12:21
- Route 75: Tunney’s Pasture Station 12:29 to Minto Recreation Centre 13:10
- Route 74: Fallowfield Station 6:57 to Riverview P&R 7:12
- Route 74: Riverview Park & Ride 7:15 to Fallowfield Station 7:30
- Route 74: Fallowfield Station 7:57 to Riverview Park & Ride 8:12
- Route 74: Riverview Park & Ride 8:15 to Tunney’s Pasture Station 8:51
- Route 16: Tunney’s Pasture Station 9:00 to Westboro Station 9:05
- Route 62: Tunney’s Pasture Station 9:17 to Terry Fox 9:52
- Route 62: Terry Fox Station 9:57 to Tunney’s Pasture Station 10:28
- Route 74: Tunney’s Pasture Station 11:04 to Riverview Park & Ride 11:42
- Route 74: Riverview Park & Ride 11:45 to Tunney’s Pasture Station 12:21
- Route 75: Tunney’s Pasture Station 12:29 to Minto Recreation Centre 13:10
OC Transpo is identifying vehicles and facilities that may require additional cleaning above our enhanced cleaning process.
If customers have concerns of this exposure, they can contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 to speak to a public health nurse or visit ottawapublichealth.ca.
OC Transpo – Changes to Service Levels
All levels of government and public health authorities are issuing a strong message for all Canadians to practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
To date, OC Transpo has maintained normal levels of O-Train, bus, and Para Transpo service. We have been monitoring ridership levels closely and have noticed a drop of between 70 and 90 percent in customer volumes.
Maintaining service to all neighbourhoods and to essential services, such as grocery stores, pharmacies and hospitals, at levels that will still allow customers to safely space themselves out on trains and buses and maintain social distancing continues to be a priority.
With reduced ridership and COVID-19 potential impacts to the workforce, an adjustment to our multi-modal transit system is required to sustain and continue to provide the service while at the same time ensuring levels of service that enable social distancing
In consultation with our Union partners, we are able to introduce changes to O-Train, bus, and Para Transpo service, while being careful to align with the objectives that are noted above.
Starting this week, OC Transpo will be adjusting service levels on routes across the system. Please note the individual start dates for the different modes:
Conventional Bus
As of Monday, March 30:
O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line
As of Friday, March 27:
As of Wednesday, March 25:
Para Transpo
As of Tuesday March 24:
We will continue to monitor ridership levels closely and are ready to adjust again as necessary to continue to protect the health and safety of our staff and customers. If operators report crowding on any services, we are ready to respond with spare vehicles. Some transit customers may experience longer walks, longer wait times, longer travel times or additional transfers as part of their trip. This plan may be adjusted as the COVID-19 situation evolves.
Finally, Metrolinx has extended the deadline to cancel autorenewal of April monthly transit passes to Friday, March 27 at 11:59 pm. This will give customers more time to cancel their monthly pass, should they wish. Customers can change their autorenew settings at Prestocard.ca.
We will be communicating these changes and the extended deadline to our customers. Messaging will be distributed through all our communications channels as quickly as it can be produced, prioritizing our web and social media channels.
_____________________________________________________________________
Tous les ordres de gouvernement et les autorités de santé publique envoient un message fort à tous les Canadiens pour qu’ils prennent des mesures d’éloignement social afin de ralentir la propagation de la COVID-19 dans nos collectivités.
À ce jour, OC Transpo a maintenu des niveaux normaux de service pour l’O-Train, les autobus et Para Transpo. Nous avons suivi de près les niveaux d’achalandage et avons remarqué une baisse de 70 % à 90 % du volume de clients.
Le maintien des services dans tous les quartiers et des services essentiels, comme les épiceries, les pharmacies et les hôpitaux, à des niveaux qui permettront encore aux clients de s’installer en toute sécurité dans les trains et les autobus et de respecter l’éloignement social demeure une priorité.
Compte tenu de la réduction de l’achalandage et des répercussions potentielles de la COVID-19 sur la main-d’œuvre, il faut adapter notre réseau de transport multimodal pour maintenir le service et continuer à l’assurer, tout en garantissant des niveaux de service qui permettent de respecter l’éloignement social.
En consultation avec nos partenaires syndicaux, nous sommes en mesure d’apporter des changements au service d’O-Train, d’autobus et de Para Transpo, tout en veillant à nous aligner sur les objectifs mentionnés ci-dessus.
À partir de cette semaine, OC Transpo ajustera les niveaux de service des circuits dans l’ensemble du réseau. Veuillez noter les dates de début spécifiques aux différents modes de transport :
Autobus conventionnels
À compter de lundi 30 mars :
Ligne 1 de l’O-Train – Confédération
À compter de vendredi 27 mars :
À compter de mercredi 25 mars :
Para Transpo
À compter de mardi 24 mars :
Nous continuerons de surveiller de près les niveaux de passagers et nous sommes prêts à nous adapter de nouveau, au besoin, pour continuer à protéger la santé et la sécurité de notre personnel et de nos clients. Si les conducteurs ou les chauffeurs signalent un achalandage accru pour l’un ou l’autre des services, nous sommes prêts à intervenir à l’aide de véhicules additionnels. Certains clients du transport en commun pourraient devoir marcher sur de plus longues distances, attendre plus longtemps, se déplacer plus longtemps à bord du service ou devoir prendre des correspondances additionnelles. Ce plan peut être ajusté à mesure que la situation entourant la COVID-19 évolue.
Enfin, Metrolinx a prolongé la date limite d’annulation du renouvellement automatique des laissez-passer mensuels d’avril jusqu’au vendredi 27 mars à 23 h 59. Cela donnera aux clients plus de temps pour annuler leur laissez-passer mensuel, s’ils le souhaitent. Les clients peuvent modifier leurs réglages de renouvellement automatique à l’adresse Prestocard.ca.
Nous communiquerons ces changements et les nouvelles échéances à nos clients. Les messages seront disséminés au moyen de toutes nos plateformes de communication aussi rapidement que possible, en donnant la priorité à nos communications par Internet et par médias sociaux.
All levels of government and public health authorities are issuing a strong message for all Canadians to practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
To date, OC Transpo has maintained normal levels of O-Train, bus, and Para Transpo service. We have been monitoring ridership levels closely and have noticed a drop of between 70 and 90 percent in customer volumes.
Maintaining service to all neighbourhoods and to essential services, such as grocery stores, pharmacies and hospitals, at levels that will still allow customers to safely space themselves out on trains and buses and maintain social distancing continues to be a priority.
With reduced ridership and COVID-19 potential impacts to the workforce, an adjustment to our multi-modal transit system is required to sustain and continue to provide the service while at the same time ensuring levels of service that enable social distancing
In consultation with our Union partners, we are able to introduce changes to O-Train, bus, and Para Transpo service, while being careful to align with the objectives that are noted above.
Starting this week, OC Transpo will be adjusting service levels on routes across the system. Please note the individual start dates for the different modes:
Conventional Bus
As of Monday, March 30:
- Service will continue to be provided in all neighborhoods’;
- Weekday service will move to Saturday service levels on many routes;
- Many routes, which normally operate only on weekdays, will continue to run but at modified service levels;
- Rural weekly Shopper services will continue as usual;
- The first trip in the morning will be later than usual on many routes;
- Saturday and Sunday service will operate as usual; and,
- Complete schedules and details of changes on specific routes will be available later this week on octranspo.com.
O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line
As of Friday, March 27:
- On Fridays, service will run until 1:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, and overnight bus service will be available from that time;
- Otherwise, service start and end times will remain the same;
- Trains will arrive every 6 to 8 minutes at peak periods and every 10 to 16 minutes at other times of the day and on weekends;
- The number of dedicated R1 buses is being reduced to align with changed service levels on Line 1 and,
- Staffing levels of the red-vested O-Train Ambassadors have been scaled back.
As of Wednesday, March 25:
- Trains will arrive every 15 minutes at all times;
- Service start and end times will remain the same; and,
- As we have done on our buses and Line 1 trains to protect the health of our operators and customers, we will be installing tape on Line 2 trains to block the area closest to the operator cab from the rest of the train.
Para Transpo
As of Tuesday March 24:
- All trip requests made a day in advance are being accommodated;
- Most trips are being operated with only one customer on board, to allow for social distancing; and,
- Service levels are being managed according to demand.
We will continue to monitor ridership levels closely and are ready to adjust again as necessary to continue to protect the health and safety of our staff and customers. If operators report crowding on any services, we are ready to respond with spare vehicles. Some transit customers may experience longer walks, longer wait times, longer travel times or additional transfers as part of their trip. This plan may be adjusted as the COVID-19 situation evolves.
Finally, Metrolinx has extended the deadline to cancel autorenewal of April monthly transit passes to Friday, March 27 at 11:59 pm. This will give customers more time to cancel their monthly pass, should they wish. Customers can change their autorenew settings at Prestocard.ca.
We will be communicating these changes and the extended deadline to our customers. Messaging will be distributed through all our communications channels as quickly as it can be produced, prioritizing our web and social media channels.
_____________________________________________________________________
Tous les ordres de gouvernement et les autorités de santé publique envoient un message fort à tous les Canadiens pour qu’ils prennent des mesures d’éloignement social afin de ralentir la propagation de la COVID-19 dans nos collectivités.
À ce jour, OC Transpo a maintenu des niveaux normaux de service pour l’O-Train, les autobus et Para Transpo. Nous avons suivi de près les niveaux d’achalandage et avons remarqué une baisse de 70 % à 90 % du volume de clients.
Le maintien des services dans tous les quartiers et des services essentiels, comme les épiceries, les pharmacies et les hôpitaux, à des niveaux qui permettront encore aux clients de s’installer en toute sécurité dans les trains et les autobus et de respecter l’éloignement social demeure une priorité.
Compte tenu de la réduction de l’achalandage et des répercussions potentielles de la COVID-19 sur la main-d’œuvre, il faut adapter notre réseau de transport multimodal pour maintenir le service et continuer à l’assurer, tout en garantissant des niveaux de service qui permettent de respecter l’éloignement social.
En consultation avec nos partenaires syndicaux, nous sommes en mesure d’apporter des changements au service d’O-Train, d’autobus et de Para Transpo, tout en veillant à nous aligner sur les objectifs mentionnés ci-dessus.
À partir de cette semaine, OC Transpo ajustera les niveaux de service des circuits dans l’ensemble du réseau. Veuillez noter les dates de début spécifiques aux différents modes de transport :
Autobus conventionnels
À compter de lundi 30 mars :
- Le service demeurera offert dans tous les quartiers;
- Le service en semaine passera aux niveaux de service du samedi pour de nombreux circuits;
- De nombreux circuits qui ne fonctionnent normalement que les jours de semaine continueront de fonctionner, mais à des niveaux de service modifiés;
- Les services Bus-o-emplettes offerts aux collectivités rurales seront maintenus comme d’habitude;
- Le premier voyage du matin sera plus tardif que d’habitude pour plusieurs circuits;
- Le service du samedi et du dimanche fonctionnera comme d’habitude;
- Les horaires intégraux et les détails des changements apportés à des circuits précis seront disponibles plus tard sur OCTranspo.com.
Ligne 1 de l’O-Train – Confédération
À compter de vendredi 27 mars :
- Les vendredis, le service sera assuré jusqu’à 1 h le samedi matin et un service d’autobus de nuit sera disponible à compter de cette heure;
- Sinon, les heures de début et de fin de service resteront les mêmes;
- Les trains arrivent toutes les 6 à 8 minutes aux heures de pointe et toutes les 10 à 16 minutes aux autres heures de la journée et la fin de semaine;
- Le nombre d’autobus R1 exclusifs est réduit pour correspondre aux nouveaux niveaux de service de la ligne 1;
- Les effectifs des ambassadeurs de l’O-Train aux vestes rouges ont été réduits.
À compter de mercredi 25 mars :
- Les trains arriveront toutes les 15 minutes en tout temps;
- Les heures de début et de fin de service resteront les mêmes;
- Comme nous l’avons déjà appliqué à nos autobus et aux trains de la ligne 1 pour protéger la santé de nos chauffeurs, conducteurs et clients, nous installerons des bandes sur les trains de la ligne 2 pour bloquer la zone la plus proche de la cabine du conducteur afin de l’isoler du reste du train.
Para Transpo
À compter de mardi 24 mars :
- Toutes les demandes de voyage déposées une journée à l’avance sont satisfaites;
- La plupart des voyages sont effectués avec un seul client à bord, ce qui permet de respecter l’éloignement social;
- Les niveaux de service sont gérés en fonction de la demande.
Nous continuerons de surveiller de près les niveaux de passagers et nous sommes prêts à nous adapter de nouveau, au besoin, pour continuer à protéger la santé et la sécurité de notre personnel et de nos clients. Si les conducteurs ou les chauffeurs signalent un achalandage accru pour l’un ou l’autre des services, nous sommes prêts à intervenir à l’aide de véhicules additionnels. Certains clients du transport en commun pourraient devoir marcher sur de plus longues distances, attendre plus longtemps, se déplacer plus longtemps à bord du service ou devoir prendre des correspondances additionnelles. Ce plan peut être ajusté à mesure que la situation entourant la COVID-19 évolue.
Enfin, Metrolinx a prolongé la date limite d’annulation du renouvellement automatique des laissez-passer mensuels d’avril jusqu’au vendredi 27 mars à 23 h 59. Cela donnera aux clients plus de temps pour annuler leur laissez-passer mensuel, s’ils le souhaitent. Les clients peuvent modifier leurs réglages de renouvellement automatique à l’adresse Prestocard.ca.
Nous communiquerons ces changements et les nouvelles échéances à nos clients. Les messages seront disséminés au moyen de toutes nos plateformes de communication aussi rapidement que possible, en donnant la priorité à nos communications par Internet et par médias sociaux.
The purpose of this memo is to provide an update on the status of OC Transpo service.
For the present, OC Transpo will continue to operate the current modified weekday service on O-Train Lines 1 and 2, as well as on all bus routes. Staff will continue to make adjustments as required so that connections are provided to essential services and so that space is available onboard for physical distancing.
OC Transpo will not be proceeding with the regular Spring service change, which would normally begin on Sunday, April 19. Service changes that had been planned to begin at that time will start later in the year, once normal service resumes.
The transit service detours due to the closure of Rideau Street between Dalhousie Avenue and Sussex Drive, and due to the closure of O-Train Line 2, will proceed this spring. Buses will be detoured around this section of Rideau Street starting on Sunday, April 26 (revised from April 19), and buses will replace Line 2 train service starting on Sunday, May 3.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Nous faisons le point sur la situation du service d’OC Transpo.
À l’heure actuelle, OC Transpo assure toujours le service en semaine modifié sur les Lignes 1 et 2 de l’O-Train, de même que sur tous les circuits d’autobus. Le personnel continue d’apporter les mises au point nécessaires pour assurer les liaisons avec les services essentiels et pour respecter le principe de la distanciation physique dans les véhicules.
OC Transpo n’assurera pas le service habituel du printemps, qui serait normalement entré en vigueur le dimanche 19 avril. Les changements qui devaient être apportés au service à cette date sont reportés à la date à laquelle reprendra le service normal.
Le circuit des transports en commun sera dévié ce printemps, en raison de la fermeture de la rue Rideau, entre l’avenue Dalhousie et la promenade Sussex, et de la mise hors service de la Ligne 2 de l’O-Train. Les autobus contourneront ce tronçon de la rue Rideau à partir du dimanche 26 avril (la date initialement prévue était le 19 avril). Un service d’autobus remplacera les trains de la Ligne 2 à partir du dimanche 3 mai
For the present, OC Transpo will continue to operate the current modified weekday service on O-Train Lines 1 and 2, as well as on all bus routes. Staff will continue to make adjustments as required so that connections are provided to essential services and so that space is available onboard for physical distancing.
OC Transpo will not be proceeding with the regular Spring service change, which would normally begin on Sunday, April 19. Service changes that had been planned to begin at that time will start later in the year, once normal service resumes.
The transit service detours due to the closure of Rideau Street between Dalhousie Avenue and Sussex Drive, and due to the closure of O-Train Line 2, will proceed this spring. Buses will be detoured around this section of Rideau Street starting on Sunday, April 26 (revised from April 19), and buses will replace Line 2 train service starting on Sunday, May 3.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Nous faisons le point sur la situation du service d’OC Transpo.
À l’heure actuelle, OC Transpo assure toujours le service en semaine modifié sur les Lignes 1 et 2 de l’O-Train, de même que sur tous les circuits d’autobus. Le personnel continue d’apporter les mises au point nécessaires pour assurer les liaisons avec les services essentiels et pour respecter le principe de la distanciation physique dans les véhicules.
OC Transpo n’assurera pas le service habituel du printemps, qui serait normalement entré en vigueur le dimanche 19 avril. Les changements qui devaient être apportés au service à cette date sont reportés à la date à laquelle reprendra le service normal.
Le circuit des transports en commun sera dévié ce printemps, en raison de la fermeture de la rue Rideau, entre l’avenue Dalhousie et la promenade Sussex, et de la mise hors service de la Ligne 2 de l’O-Train. Les autobus contourneront ce tronçon de la rue Rideau à partir du dimanche 26 avril (la date initialement prévue était le 19 avril). Un service d’autobus remplacera les trains de la Ligne 2 à partir du dimanche 3 mai
Rideau Street detour
O-Train Line 2 detour
Visit octranspo.com for more information on the upcoming Line 2 bus service.
____________________________________________________________
Déviation - rue Rideau
Déviation - Ligne 2 de l’O-Train
Rendez-vous à octranspo.com pour en savoir plus sur le service d’autobus de remplacement de la Ligne 2.
- On Sunday, April 19, Rideau Street, between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street, will temporarily close to allow for the construction of the final phase of the Rideau Street and William Street renewal project.
- OC Transpo routes which serve this section of Rideau Street will be detoured during construction.
- Most bus routes will be detoured via Mackenzie King Bridge and some will be detoured via Daly Avenue.
- Overnight bus service will serve the Market area at bus stops on Rideau at Dalhousie.
- O-Train Line 1 and Rideau Station will remain open.
- Wayfinding signage will be posted for customers transferring between buses and Line 1 trains at Rideau Station and Parliament Station.
- Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) bus service will also be affected.
- Rideau Street will reopen when construction is complete, expected by the end of 2020.
- Visit octranspo.com and sto.ca for more information.
O-Train Line 2 detour
- On Sunday, May 3, O-Train Line 2 will temporarily close to allow for construction of the Stage 2 O-Train expansion.
- During the closure, buses will replace train service and will run along the entire line, stopping at all stations, as well as South Keys, Walkley and Heron stations and Preston/Gladstone.
- Buses will operate at least every 15 minutes and more frequently if required to provide additional capacity and space for physical distancing among customers onboard. The frequency will be increased as required as the current situation evolves.
- Service levels will increase for the fall and winter service period to account for increased demand.
- Line 2 will reopen when construction is complete.
- The expansion will see eight new stations and an additional 16-km of rail line.
- The expanded line will continue from Greenboro to Limebank in Riverside South, and a new rail link will be built to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.
Visit octranspo.com for more information on the upcoming Line 2 bus service.
____________________________________________________________
Déviation - rue Rideau
- À compter du dimanche 19 avril 2020, la rue Rideau, entre la promenade Sussex et la rue Dalhousie, sera fermée temporairement pour la construction de la dernière phase de la réfection des rues Rideau et William.
- Durant la construction, les circuits d’OC Transpo qui desservent ce tronçon de la rue Rideau seront déviés.
- Certains circuits d’autobus seront déviés pour emprunter le pont Mackenzie-King et d’autres, pour emprunter l’avenue Daly.
- Le service de nuit desservira temporairement les arrêts d’autobus sur la rue Rideau et la rue Dalhousie.
- La Ligne 1 de l’O-Train et la station Rideau demeureront ouvertes.
- Des panneaux d’orientation seront installés aux stations Rideau et Parlement pour les clients qui passent de l’autobus au train de la Ligne 1.
- Le service d’autobus de la Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) sera également touché.
- La rue Rideau réouvrira quand la construction finira, d’ici la fin de 2020.
- Rendez-vous à octranspo.com et sto.ca pour en savoir plus.
Déviation - Ligne 2 de l’O-Train
- Le dimanche 3 mai 2020, la Ligne 2 de l’O-Train, soit la Ligne Trillium, sera fermée temporairement pour permettre la construction du prolongement de l’Étape 2 de l’O-Train.
- Pendant cette fermeture, un service d’autobus remplacera le train et desservira toute la ligne, s’arrêtant à chacune des stations ainsi que les stations South Keys, Walkley, Heron et Preston/Gladstone;
- Les autobus passeront toutes les 15 minutes au moins, et plus fréquemment s’il y a lieu, afin d’accroître la capacité ainsi que l’espace entre les usagers à bord des autobus. La fréquence augmentera au besoin suivant l’évolution de la situation actuelle.
- Le niveau de service augmentera pour le service de l’automne et de l’hiver afin de tenir compte de la demande accrue.
- Le prolongement vers le sud de l’O-Train devrait entrera en service lorsque la construction est complète.
- Avec le prolongement, huit nouvelles stations s’ajouteront au réseau ainsi que 16 km de voie ferrée additionnelle.
- La ligne prolongée s’étendra de la station Greenboro jusqu’au chemin Limebank dans Riverside-Sud et un nouveau lien ferroviaire sera construit vers l’Aéroport international Macdonald-Cartier d’Ottawa.
Rendez-vous à octranspo.com pour en savoir plus sur le service d’autobus de remplacement de la Ligne 2.
This purpose of this memo is to provide an update on two significant OC Transpo transit service detours that will begin this spring, which were originally intended to be presented at the March 18 Transit Commission meeting.
Rideau and William Street Renewal Project
On Sunday, April 19, Rideau Street, between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street, will temporarily close to allow for the construction of the final phase of the Rideau Street and William Street renewal project. During construction, OC Transpo routes that currently serve this section of Rideau Street will be detoured. Rideau Street will reopen when construction is complete, expected by the end of 2020.
Stage 2 O-Train Expansion
As of Sunday, May 3, O-Train Line 2 will temporarily close to allow for the construction of the Stage 2 O-Train expansion. During the closure, bus replacement service will run along the entire line, stopping at all stations. Line 2 will reopen when construction is complete.
_____________________________________________________________
Cette note de service a pour objet de fournir une mise à jour entourant deux déviations importantes du service de transport en commun que met en œuvre, ce printemps, OC Transpo. Ces déviations devaient être présentées à la réunion de la Commission du transport en commun du 18 mars dernier.
Projet de réfection des rues Rideau et William
À compter du dimanche 19 avril 2020, la rue Rideau, entre la promenade Sussex et la rue Dalhousie, sera fermée jusqu’à la fin de l’année pour permettre la réfection des rues Rideau et William. Cette phase est la dernière d’un projet en trois phases. Durant la construction, les circuits d’OC Transpo qui desservent présentement ce tronçon de la rue Rideau seront déviés.
Étape 2 de l’O-Train - Prolongement
À compter du dimanche 3 mai 2020, le service de la Ligne 2 de l’O-Train sera suspendu pour permettre la construction du prolongement du TLR dans le cadre de l’Étape 2. Pendant cette fermeture, le service d’autobus de remplacement desservira toute la ligne, s’arrêtant à chacune des stations. On s’attend à ce que la Ligne 2 rouvre en 2022, lorsque la construction sera terminée.
Rideau and William Street Renewal Project
On Sunday, April 19, Rideau Street, between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street, will temporarily close to allow for the construction of the final phase of the Rideau Street and William Street renewal project. During construction, OC Transpo routes that currently serve this section of Rideau Street will be detoured. Rideau Street will reopen when construction is complete, expected by the end of 2020.
Stage 2 O-Train Expansion
As of Sunday, May 3, O-Train Line 2 will temporarily close to allow for the construction of the Stage 2 O-Train expansion. During the closure, bus replacement service will run along the entire line, stopping at all stations. Line 2 will reopen when construction is complete.
_____________________________________________________________
Cette note de service a pour objet de fournir une mise à jour entourant deux déviations importantes du service de transport en commun que met en œuvre, ce printemps, OC Transpo. Ces déviations devaient être présentées à la réunion de la Commission du transport en commun du 18 mars dernier.
Projet de réfection des rues Rideau et William
À compter du dimanche 19 avril 2020, la rue Rideau, entre la promenade Sussex et la rue Dalhousie, sera fermée jusqu’à la fin de l’année pour permettre la réfection des rues Rideau et William. Cette phase est la dernière d’un projet en trois phases. Durant la construction, les circuits d’OC Transpo qui desservent présentement ce tronçon de la rue Rideau seront déviés.
Étape 2 de l’O-Train - Prolongement
À compter du dimanche 3 mai 2020, le service de la Ligne 2 de l’O-Train sera suspendu pour permettre la construction du prolongement du TLR dans le cadre de l’Étape 2. Pendant cette fermeture, le service d’autobus de remplacement desservira toute la ligne, s’arrêtant à chacune des stations. On s’attend à ce que la Ligne 2 rouvre en 2022, lorsque la construction sera terminée.
Bus Stop Improvement Program
Kanata South will be receiving 2 new bus shelters as part of the 2020 Bus Stop Improvement Program. Below you will find details of the locations along with sketches showing the approximate location of the proposed shelters.
Please note that the bus stop on Palladium at Silver Seven must be relocated approximately 50m further west to accommodate a new shelter. This adjustment is an improvement over the existing bus stop location, as it is currently within an intersection, and stopped buses block the driveway access to the adjacent properties.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, and pending approvals, construction is proposed to commence this Spring/Summer, with all locations anticipated to be complete by the end of 2020.
Any requests for bus shelters can be sent to me at [email protected] and we will forward the request on to OC Transpo for their review.
Kanata South will be receiving 2 new bus shelters as part of the 2020 Bus Stop Improvement Program. Below you will find details of the locations along with sketches showing the approximate location of the proposed shelters.
Please note that the bus stop on Palladium at Silver Seven must be relocated approximately 50m further west to accommodate a new shelter. This adjustment is an improvement over the existing bus stop location, as it is currently within an intersection, and stopped buses block the driveway access to the adjacent properties.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, and pending approvals, construction is proposed to commence this Spring/Summer, with all locations anticipated to be complete by the end of 2020.
Any requests for bus shelters can be sent to me at [email protected] and we will forward the request on to OC Transpo for their review.
Click the below PDF to see the brochure that was delivered to all homes in Kanata South regarding the October 6th transit changes.
far_west_service_changes_oct._6.pdf
far_west_service_changes_oct._6.pdf
Your bus route is changing on Sunday, October 6
September 27, 2019
Ottawa – On Sunday, October 6, OC Transpo’s bus service will transform to align with O-Train Line 1. These are the biggest OC Transpo changes in Ottawa’s history. Most customers will be affected so we ask that you use the travel planner on octranspo.com to find out how your route will change. OC Transpo staff are available to help at key locations across the city— look for them in red vests.
Five things you need to know
Have you tried the train?
O-Train Line 1 is running to major destinations in central Ottawa, from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair stations. Give the train a try before the #ReallyBigServiceChange on Sunday, October 6 to see how quick and easy it is to ride.
Highlights of the new transit network
Check your mailbox
More information about the service change and new transit network was mailed to every household this week.
Get real-time schedule information 24 hours a day by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the four‑digit bus stop number. For more information, travel planning assistance and new timetables, visit octranspo.com. You can also call OC Transpo at 613-741-4390, particularly when it is less busy between 5:30 pm and 9 pm.
Ottawa – On Sunday, October 6, OC Transpo’s bus service will transform to align with O-Train Line 1. These are the biggest OC Transpo changes in Ottawa’s history. Most customers will be affected so we ask that you use the travel planner on octranspo.com to find out how your route will change. OC Transpo staff are available to help at key locations across the city— look for them in red vests.
Five things you need to know
- This is a #ReallyBigServiceChange, so use the travel planner on octranspo.com.
- O-Train Line 1 will replace most buses through downtown, meaning many customers will connect at one of the three major transfer stations: Tunney’s Pasture, Hurdman and Blair.
- Most areas of the city will see changes to bus service, especially Kanata North, Bridlewood, Bells Corners, west Ottawa, downtown, Alta Vista and Orléans. Many routes will be adjusted to align with Line 1, and in many cases, route numbers and schedules will change.
- Service is changing to major destinations, including Gatineau, hospitals, universities and colleges. Visit Ottawa Destinations in the Plan Your Trip section of octranspo.com to download a new printable guide.
- OC Transpo staff will be at stations across the city to help.
Have you tried the train?
O-Train Line 1 is running to major destinations in central Ottawa, from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair stations. Give the train a try before the #ReallyBigServiceChange on Sunday, October 6 to see how quick and easy it is to ride.
Highlights of the new transit network
- Quick and easy connections to the train at 13 beautiful new O-Train stations.
- Reliable service on Line 1, providing a fast, traffic-free commute through the downtown core.
- New direct bus service to Gatineau from the west end, Vanier and Gloucester, plus connections to Gatineau at Pimisi and Lyon stations.
- Increased service in Kanata North, Bells Corners and Orléans.
Check your mailbox
More information about the service change and new transit network was mailed to every household this week.
Get real-time schedule information 24 hours a day by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the four‑digit bus stop number. For more information, travel planning assistance and new timetables, visit octranspo.com. You can also call OC Transpo at 613-741-4390, particularly when it is less busy between 5:30 pm and 9 pm.
Delays to Bus Service
May 27th 2019
Conventional bus service and Para Transpo service across the City is being affected by the delayed completion of the O-Train Confederation Line by RTG and by traffic congestion downtown resulting from several construction projects and from the flood-related closure of the Chaudière Crossing. Staff in all areas of the Transportation Services Department are working 24/7 to manage these delays and their causes, but in some cases the resulting service is not meeting our standards, resulting in bus trip delays, longer trip times and cancellations.
Traffic congestion
Confederation Line construction – The delay of the opening of the O-Train Confederation Line from the planned 2018 date is having a direct impact on current bus operations. The delay of the opening of the Confederation Line causes buses to continue to operate into and through downtown on Albert and Slater Streets, where traffic congestion is heaviest, and on detour routes on Scott, Albert, Laurier, Nicholas, King Edward, and Highway 417. The detours result in more difficult connections, longer travel times, and lower reliability. These outcomes have been increasing since the beginning of the construction project as more and more of the Transitway was closed, and they are now at their peak. When the new O-Train line opens, most buses will no longer be operating in these areas, resulting in substantially improved reliability. Over two-thirds of all delays to bus service occurs in the downtown core, and when bus routes end at major transfer stations on the new O-Train line, customers on these routes will no longer suffer from this delay.
Provincial construction projects – The provincial project to expand capacity on Highway 417 continues. Until this year, the Ministry of Transportation had been carrying out its work primarily in areas that did not significantly affect transit service. This year, however, construction has moved to more-central areas. The MTO is currently working to rebuild the Nicholas-417 interchange, and this has resulted in the loss of a bus-only lane on the ramp from southbound Nicholas to eastbound 417. Construction of water infrastructure under Bronson Avenue by the City to prepare for the major MTO bridge work along the 417 corridor has resulted in the closure of the northbound lanes of Bronson, requiring buses and auto traffic to detour around the closure. The Bronson project will improve the overall reliability of the water system as the future projects encroach on critical feeder mains along the highway corridor. The removal of the bus lane on Nicholas reduces reliability and increases travel time for all eastbound service leaving from downtown via Nicholas, and the Bronson detour directly affects customers travelling north on Route 10. As noted below, both projects also affect subsequent trips that the buses make after they pass through these areas.
Other City construction and developer related projects – The lane reductions and road closures resulting from the start of construction season has had a major impact on the movement of traffic in the central part of the City, which in turn has impacted the ability of transit to operate reliably. On all streets in the central area, to date in the month of May, there have been 77 lanes of traffic (nine on arterial roads) that have been closed as a result of construction. This compares to 33 closed lanes (five on arterial roads) in 2018. These closures delay auto traffic and bus service alike, and in some cases require auto traffic and buses to follow longer, slower detour routes.
Flood-related closures – Following the extreme water levels in the Ottawa River, the federal government made the safety-related decision to close the Union Bridge, part of the Chaudière Crossing, until water levels had receded, and the bridge could be inspected by engineers. This resulted in auto traffic and bus service being relocated to the parallel Portage Bridge, which was already under planned construction and is already heavily used. The Chaudière and Portage lane closures represent over 25 percent of the available interprovincial road capacity, affecting travel patterns for the 189,000 vehicles that travel each day across the five interprovincial bridges. In Gatineau, the Québec Ministry of Transportation has had to implement lane closures on their roads as a result of flooded lanes, which has had a severe impact on traffic using King Edward Avenue. The result of this is that traffic queues back up on King Edward Avenue, Waller Street, and Nicholas Avenue to Highway 417 on a daily basis, blocking OC Transpo buses from reaching the northbound bus-only lane on Nicholas Street, and thus increasing their delays. As auto traffic is delayed and as some traffic diverts to other streets to approach other interprovincial bridges, more intersections are being blocked, impacting the ability of cross-street traffic and bus service to proceed.
How service delays affect customers
Effects on transit service – Like any vehicle, OC Transpo buses are impacted by the traffic congestion where there are no transit priority measures. The most affected trips are ones that travel through downtown, or buses that have previously travelled through the core before starting another trip. Most trips originating outside the core are starting on time because traffic is circulating properly, but if they enter the core, that trip and subsequent trips are impacted. The afternoon peak period is when delays and cancellations due to those delays are most prevalent. Many bus trips are being cancelled due to delays through the downtown core and a limited number of buses and operating staff available to sustain service.
Bus bunching – We understand how frustrating it can be for customers to see several buses arrive at the same time. This is known in the transit industry as “bus bunching.” Buses are not scheduled this way, but this will occur as a direct result of traffic conditions. While service is planned and scheduled to take into consideration minor variation experienced on the street, there are a variety of unavoidable factors that can impact our planned service. Delays and irregularities of service can result in a bus falling behind schedule. Bus bunching can occur when only one bus experiences a collision, or encounters an accident, unexpected detour or heavy traffic. It becomes very difficult for the bus that has fallen behind to get ahead because it will be serving the customers that the bus behind will not have to and then compound the bunching. There are times when we may pull a bus from the route because of bus bunching, but that can cause other problems, including disadvantaging waiting passengers or creating overcrowded buses for the remainder.
Delays and cancelled trips – Transit customers are affected when the trip that they are expecting to travel on does not arrive at or shortly after its scheduled time. Customers are also affected when a trip does not arrive as scheduled, because the next trip needs to carry on one bus all of the customers that would normally travel on two buses, and this can result in some customers being left behind and needing to be accommodated by a third trip. Customers are also affected when the trip they are expecting to travel on misses a connection with the next bus on the journey to their destination. And, customers are affected when previous trips are delayed, which results in OC Transpo being unable to provide up-to-the minute information regarding arrival times.
Interlined bus trips – OC Transpo operates a very complex bus system, with direct-to-downtown Connexion routes from many residential parts of the City, with door-to-door Para Transpo trips customized individually to meet customers’ travel needs, with high-frequency, high-capacity bus rapid transit routes on the Transitway, and with busy and frequent routes on major corridors. Each trip on a bus’s schedule is linked to a trip before and a trip after, which are often on different routes, and most buses in the system pass through downtown multiple times in the morning peak period and multiple times in the afternoon peak period. Because of this, customers in all parts of the City can be affected by delays that are occurring primarily in or near downtown.
Managing congestion and delays
Managing traffic – Transportation Services works closely with Infrastructure Services during the review of all planned construction projects in the year, prior to the start of the construction season. Projects are reviewed from a traffic management perspective to ensure that traffic movement changes as a result of the impact of the construction activities, such as detour routes, does not conflict with another project. In cases where there are conflicts, we make every attempt to adjust the construction schedule of projects so as to not run concurrently. The City’s traffic control centre is continuously monitoring traffic levels and incidents affecting traffic across the City, and works in cooperation with other City partners, including OC Transpo, By-Law Services and the Ottawa Police Service. Staff in the control centre adjust traffic signal timing in real-time to ensure that traffic is flowing as well as possible on all corridors, but always giving priority to transit service and to corridors which affect transit service.
Continuous monitoring – OC Transpo implements mitigation strategies by continuously monitoring routes, especially during the morning and afternoon peak periods, to ensure that there is sufficient time between buses while bringing the scheduled service to customers. OC Transpo monitors and adjusts on-street operations, where possible, to separate the buses so that service can be spread more evenly. Service is planned to pick-up a certain amount of passengers and depending on resource availability and at the risk of not having enough capacity to pick-up all passengers, allowing buses to arrive at the same time is preferred over cancelling a trip.
Managing transit delays as they occur – Staff in the transit operations control centre have been working 24/7 to reduce the impact on customers. They make hundreds of trip adjustments to use all the resources available as best as possible. Control staff add supplemental trips in various areas of the city when additional service is needed, and resources are available. When a bus is delayed to the point that it will not be able to make its next trip as scheduled, standby buses stationed at key locations are brought in to fulfil the trip, when possible. Sometimes this results in a mismatch of the planned bus type for the trip if the standby bus is smaller than the normal bus on that trip.
Building capacity to respond to delays – The continued collaborative effort between OC Transpo and ATU Local 279 has allowed for some innovative temporary work-assignment and operational changes, which has helped to mitigate some of the issues the service is currently experiencing. We are offering bus operators options to work overtime in an effort to cover trips that are at risk of being cancelled and this is assisting us in our service delivery. Some qualified operations staff have been reassigned from their regular work to temporarily increase capacity and to cover more trips. Where possible, trips that begin in the downtown core are being dispatched from their staging areas early, in order to allow more time to arrive at their first stop. Also, more on-street supervisory staff are being positioned at key locations to work with bus operators and to make decisions necessary to keep buses on time.
Looking ahead
By far the biggest key to improving the reliability of the transit network will be the opening of O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, between Blair Station and Tunney’s Pasture Station. Once the new light rail line is open, customers will be able to ride on frequent and reliable trains into and through the core of the City, buses need no longer operate on the longer, slower detour routes that have been in place through the construction period, and most buses need no longer operate through the busy streets of downtown. Once the bus routes are reconfigured to connect with the O-Train line, those buses will no longer operate into the busy core, and will as a result be on-time much more of the time.
As noted above, staff in the traffic control centre, in the transit operations control centre, in buses, and on the street supervising bus service are all working together to respond to incidents and congestion as it occurs, and to make adjustments to ensure that customers can get to their destinations with the least possible inconvenience and delay.
Staff in the customer service centre are also working to push the latest information about service to customers through text and email alerts and on octranspo.com and to respond to as many as possible of customers’ questions, through social media, by phone, and by email. You can be assured that every comment from customers is shared with the areas of OC Transpo responsible. We do not, however, have the resources to investigate each and every complaint nor to respond individually in detail. This would not be an effective use of our resources and would take away from actual service delivery. We do follow up on these issues and trends to fix issues as best as possible in the current circumstances. This includes a weekly review by all teams at our service meeting where we review the previous and the next week’s performance and operational issues.
The Chaudière Crossing has reopened for cyclists and pedestrians, and will allow our buses starting Wednesday, May 29. This will allow buses to connect to and from destinations in Gatineau more quickly and reliably, and also to reduce delays on the trips they are interlined with.
Staff will continue to work with the MTO, developers and with the City teams leading construction projects, to find solutions that will balance the need to complete the important infrastructure projects with the need for reliable transit service that customers can have confidence in through the period until O-Train Line 1 opens.
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact me at ext. 52111.
Conventional bus service and Para Transpo service across the City is being affected by the delayed completion of the O-Train Confederation Line by RTG and by traffic congestion downtown resulting from several construction projects and from the flood-related closure of the Chaudière Crossing. Staff in all areas of the Transportation Services Department are working 24/7 to manage these delays and their causes, but in some cases the resulting service is not meeting our standards, resulting in bus trip delays, longer trip times and cancellations.
Traffic congestion
Confederation Line construction – The delay of the opening of the O-Train Confederation Line from the planned 2018 date is having a direct impact on current bus operations. The delay of the opening of the Confederation Line causes buses to continue to operate into and through downtown on Albert and Slater Streets, where traffic congestion is heaviest, and on detour routes on Scott, Albert, Laurier, Nicholas, King Edward, and Highway 417. The detours result in more difficult connections, longer travel times, and lower reliability. These outcomes have been increasing since the beginning of the construction project as more and more of the Transitway was closed, and they are now at their peak. When the new O-Train line opens, most buses will no longer be operating in these areas, resulting in substantially improved reliability. Over two-thirds of all delays to bus service occurs in the downtown core, and when bus routes end at major transfer stations on the new O-Train line, customers on these routes will no longer suffer from this delay.
Provincial construction projects – The provincial project to expand capacity on Highway 417 continues. Until this year, the Ministry of Transportation had been carrying out its work primarily in areas that did not significantly affect transit service. This year, however, construction has moved to more-central areas. The MTO is currently working to rebuild the Nicholas-417 interchange, and this has resulted in the loss of a bus-only lane on the ramp from southbound Nicholas to eastbound 417. Construction of water infrastructure under Bronson Avenue by the City to prepare for the major MTO bridge work along the 417 corridor has resulted in the closure of the northbound lanes of Bronson, requiring buses and auto traffic to detour around the closure. The Bronson project will improve the overall reliability of the water system as the future projects encroach on critical feeder mains along the highway corridor. The removal of the bus lane on Nicholas reduces reliability and increases travel time for all eastbound service leaving from downtown via Nicholas, and the Bronson detour directly affects customers travelling north on Route 10. As noted below, both projects also affect subsequent trips that the buses make after they pass through these areas.
Other City construction and developer related projects – The lane reductions and road closures resulting from the start of construction season has had a major impact on the movement of traffic in the central part of the City, which in turn has impacted the ability of transit to operate reliably. On all streets in the central area, to date in the month of May, there have been 77 lanes of traffic (nine on arterial roads) that have been closed as a result of construction. This compares to 33 closed lanes (five on arterial roads) in 2018. These closures delay auto traffic and bus service alike, and in some cases require auto traffic and buses to follow longer, slower detour routes.
Flood-related closures – Following the extreme water levels in the Ottawa River, the federal government made the safety-related decision to close the Union Bridge, part of the Chaudière Crossing, until water levels had receded, and the bridge could be inspected by engineers. This resulted in auto traffic and bus service being relocated to the parallel Portage Bridge, which was already under planned construction and is already heavily used. The Chaudière and Portage lane closures represent over 25 percent of the available interprovincial road capacity, affecting travel patterns for the 189,000 vehicles that travel each day across the five interprovincial bridges. In Gatineau, the Québec Ministry of Transportation has had to implement lane closures on their roads as a result of flooded lanes, which has had a severe impact on traffic using King Edward Avenue. The result of this is that traffic queues back up on King Edward Avenue, Waller Street, and Nicholas Avenue to Highway 417 on a daily basis, blocking OC Transpo buses from reaching the northbound bus-only lane on Nicholas Street, and thus increasing their delays. As auto traffic is delayed and as some traffic diverts to other streets to approach other interprovincial bridges, more intersections are being blocked, impacting the ability of cross-street traffic and bus service to proceed.
How service delays affect customers
Effects on transit service – Like any vehicle, OC Transpo buses are impacted by the traffic congestion where there are no transit priority measures. The most affected trips are ones that travel through downtown, or buses that have previously travelled through the core before starting another trip. Most trips originating outside the core are starting on time because traffic is circulating properly, but if they enter the core, that trip and subsequent trips are impacted. The afternoon peak period is when delays and cancellations due to those delays are most prevalent. Many bus trips are being cancelled due to delays through the downtown core and a limited number of buses and operating staff available to sustain service.
Bus bunching – We understand how frustrating it can be for customers to see several buses arrive at the same time. This is known in the transit industry as “bus bunching.” Buses are not scheduled this way, but this will occur as a direct result of traffic conditions. While service is planned and scheduled to take into consideration minor variation experienced on the street, there are a variety of unavoidable factors that can impact our planned service. Delays and irregularities of service can result in a bus falling behind schedule. Bus bunching can occur when only one bus experiences a collision, or encounters an accident, unexpected detour or heavy traffic. It becomes very difficult for the bus that has fallen behind to get ahead because it will be serving the customers that the bus behind will not have to and then compound the bunching. There are times when we may pull a bus from the route because of bus bunching, but that can cause other problems, including disadvantaging waiting passengers or creating overcrowded buses for the remainder.
Delays and cancelled trips – Transit customers are affected when the trip that they are expecting to travel on does not arrive at or shortly after its scheduled time. Customers are also affected when a trip does not arrive as scheduled, because the next trip needs to carry on one bus all of the customers that would normally travel on two buses, and this can result in some customers being left behind and needing to be accommodated by a third trip. Customers are also affected when the trip they are expecting to travel on misses a connection with the next bus on the journey to their destination. And, customers are affected when previous trips are delayed, which results in OC Transpo being unable to provide up-to-the minute information regarding arrival times.
Interlined bus trips – OC Transpo operates a very complex bus system, with direct-to-downtown Connexion routes from many residential parts of the City, with door-to-door Para Transpo trips customized individually to meet customers’ travel needs, with high-frequency, high-capacity bus rapid transit routes on the Transitway, and with busy and frequent routes on major corridors. Each trip on a bus’s schedule is linked to a trip before and a trip after, which are often on different routes, and most buses in the system pass through downtown multiple times in the morning peak period and multiple times in the afternoon peak period. Because of this, customers in all parts of the City can be affected by delays that are occurring primarily in or near downtown.
Managing congestion and delays
Managing traffic – Transportation Services works closely with Infrastructure Services during the review of all planned construction projects in the year, prior to the start of the construction season. Projects are reviewed from a traffic management perspective to ensure that traffic movement changes as a result of the impact of the construction activities, such as detour routes, does not conflict with another project. In cases where there are conflicts, we make every attempt to adjust the construction schedule of projects so as to not run concurrently. The City’s traffic control centre is continuously monitoring traffic levels and incidents affecting traffic across the City, and works in cooperation with other City partners, including OC Transpo, By-Law Services and the Ottawa Police Service. Staff in the control centre adjust traffic signal timing in real-time to ensure that traffic is flowing as well as possible on all corridors, but always giving priority to transit service and to corridors which affect transit service.
Continuous monitoring – OC Transpo implements mitigation strategies by continuously monitoring routes, especially during the morning and afternoon peak periods, to ensure that there is sufficient time between buses while bringing the scheduled service to customers. OC Transpo monitors and adjusts on-street operations, where possible, to separate the buses so that service can be spread more evenly. Service is planned to pick-up a certain amount of passengers and depending on resource availability and at the risk of not having enough capacity to pick-up all passengers, allowing buses to arrive at the same time is preferred over cancelling a trip.
Managing transit delays as they occur – Staff in the transit operations control centre have been working 24/7 to reduce the impact on customers. They make hundreds of trip adjustments to use all the resources available as best as possible. Control staff add supplemental trips in various areas of the city when additional service is needed, and resources are available. When a bus is delayed to the point that it will not be able to make its next trip as scheduled, standby buses stationed at key locations are brought in to fulfil the trip, when possible. Sometimes this results in a mismatch of the planned bus type for the trip if the standby bus is smaller than the normal bus on that trip.
Building capacity to respond to delays – The continued collaborative effort between OC Transpo and ATU Local 279 has allowed for some innovative temporary work-assignment and operational changes, which has helped to mitigate some of the issues the service is currently experiencing. We are offering bus operators options to work overtime in an effort to cover trips that are at risk of being cancelled and this is assisting us in our service delivery. Some qualified operations staff have been reassigned from their regular work to temporarily increase capacity and to cover more trips. Where possible, trips that begin in the downtown core are being dispatched from their staging areas early, in order to allow more time to arrive at their first stop. Also, more on-street supervisory staff are being positioned at key locations to work with bus operators and to make decisions necessary to keep buses on time.
Looking ahead
By far the biggest key to improving the reliability of the transit network will be the opening of O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, between Blair Station and Tunney’s Pasture Station. Once the new light rail line is open, customers will be able to ride on frequent and reliable trains into and through the core of the City, buses need no longer operate on the longer, slower detour routes that have been in place through the construction period, and most buses need no longer operate through the busy streets of downtown. Once the bus routes are reconfigured to connect with the O-Train line, those buses will no longer operate into the busy core, and will as a result be on-time much more of the time.
As noted above, staff in the traffic control centre, in the transit operations control centre, in buses, and on the street supervising bus service are all working together to respond to incidents and congestion as it occurs, and to make adjustments to ensure that customers can get to their destinations with the least possible inconvenience and delay.
Staff in the customer service centre are also working to push the latest information about service to customers through text and email alerts and on octranspo.com and to respond to as many as possible of customers’ questions, through social media, by phone, and by email. You can be assured that every comment from customers is shared with the areas of OC Transpo responsible. We do not, however, have the resources to investigate each and every complaint nor to respond individually in detail. This would not be an effective use of our resources and would take away from actual service delivery. We do follow up on these issues and trends to fix issues as best as possible in the current circumstances. This includes a weekly review by all teams at our service meeting where we review the previous and the next week’s performance and operational issues.
The Chaudière Crossing has reopened for cyclists and pedestrians, and will allow our buses starting Wednesday, May 29. This will allow buses to connect to and from destinations in Gatineau more quickly and reliably, and also to reduce delays on the trips they are interlined with.
Staff will continue to work with the MTO, developers and with the City teams leading construction projects, to find solutions that will balance the need to complete the important infrastructure projects with the need for reliable transit service that customers can have confidence in through the period until O-Train Line 1 opens.
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact me at ext. 52111.
NEW: Changes effective Sunday, April 21
Route 269 renumbered as Route 257
Route 269 will be retired out of respect for those who passed away or were injured in the Westboro Station bus collision. The route will be renumbered as Route 257, but the routing and scheduling are the same as the 269.
Rerouting of Routes 164 and 252
We have been working with OC Transpo and Traffic Services to address the safety concern of residents having to cross Hope Side, particularly at the Crownridge/Hope Side intersection. Routes 164 and 252 are being adjusted to operate in the community rather than via Hope Side. This removes the need for customers to cross Hope Side Road at unsignalized locations during the construction of the Kanata South Link Project.
Route 164 to operate via Hope Side, Crownridge, Meadowbreeze and Summergaze.
Route 252 to operate via Hope Side, Crownridge, Meadowbreeze, Summergaze, Summitview, and Stonehaven to Old Richmond.
Route 269 will be retired out of respect for those who passed away or were injured in the Westboro Station bus collision. The route will be renumbered as Route 257, but the routing and scheduling are the same as the 269.
Rerouting of Routes 164 and 252
We have been working with OC Transpo and Traffic Services to address the safety concern of residents having to cross Hope Side, particularly at the Crownridge/Hope Side intersection. Routes 164 and 252 are being adjusted to operate in the community rather than via Hope Side. This removes the need for customers to cross Hope Side Road at unsignalized locations during the construction of the Kanata South Link Project.
Route 164 to operate via Hope Side, Crownridge, Meadowbreeze and Summergaze.
Route 252 to operate via Hope Side, Crownridge, Meadowbreeze, Summergaze, Summitview, and Stonehaven to Old Richmond.
RECOMMENDED: Changes planned to be implemented before Fall 2019
Route 256 to operate via Moodie Drive
Staff have been closely monitoring the capacity on the Route 256, and have reviewed and agreed to our request for the Route 256 to be revised to operate via Moodie Drive. This would relieve current ridership pressure on Route 256, and would also allow a new connection from Route 256 to Routes 63, 64, and 66 at Moodie Station for customers destined for the DND offices on Moodie and for workplaces in Kanata North. The route map will be posted once we receive a copy from OC Transpo staff.
Reduced travel times for Routes 256 & 257 (formerly Route 269)
Route 256 would be revised to operate directly along Bridgestone between Stonehaven and Grassy Plains. Route 257 (formerly Route 269) would be revised to start at Bridle Park and Stonemeadow, operating along Stonemeadow and Stonehaven to Pine Hill before continuing its current route.
Route 256 to operate via Moodie Drive
Staff have been closely monitoring the capacity on the Route 256, and have reviewed and agreed to our request for the Route 256 to be revised to operate via Moodie Drive. This would relieve current ridership pressure on Route 256, and would also allow a new connection from Route 256 to Routes 63, 64, and 66 at Moodie Station for customers destined for the DND offices on Moodie and for workplaces in Kanata North. The route map will be posted once we receive a copy from OC Transpo staff.
Reduced travel times for Routes 256 & 257 (formerly Route 269)
Route 256 would be revised to operate directly along Bridgestone between Stonehaven and Grassy Plains. Route 257 (formerly Route 269) would be revised to start at Bridle Park and Stonemeadow, operating along Stonemeadow and Stonehaven to Pine Hill before continuing its current route.
Three Retail Locations Offering Presto Services
in Kanata South
Purchase monthly passes, load funds, check balance, and set age-based discounts at the below retail stores in Kanata South:
Please note that first-time Community Pass and EquiPass customers must have their discounts set at one of the four OC Transpo Customer Service Centres. Once set, customers can then load a monthly pass or funds at any of the locations across Ottawa or online.
In addition to the 66 Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations across the city, there are 11 other locations across the city where customers can purchase and load their Presto cards. These locations include four OC Transpo Customer Service Centres, three ServiceOttawa Client Service Centres, and ticket machines at Carling, Carleton, Mooney’s Bay, and Greenboro stations. When O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, opens later this year, there will be ticket machines at all 13 stations.
- Real Canadian Superstore: 760 Eagleson Road
- Shoppers Drug Mart: 680 Eagleson Road
- Shoppers Drug Mart: 420 Hazeldean Road
Please note that first-time Community Pass and EquiPass customers must have their discounts set at one of the four OC Transpo Customer Service Centres. Once set, customers can then load a monthly pass or funds at any of the locations across Ottawa or online.
In addition to the 66 Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations across the city, there are 11 other locations across the city where customers can purchase and load their Presto cards. These locations include four OC Transpo Customer Service Centres, three ServiceOttawa Client Service Centres, and ticket machines at Carling, Carleton, Mooney’s Bay, and Greenboro stations. When O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, opens later this year, there will be ticket machines at all 13 stations.
Purchase & Load Presto in Kanata
I would like to thank those residents who brought need for Presto in Kanata to my attention. Transit customers will now be able to purchase monthly passes, load funds, check their balance, and set age-based discounts (such as Youth and Senior passes) at 51 Shoppers Drug Mart, 12 Loblaws and three Real Canadian Superstore locations in Ottawa.
The new retail locations are currently being rolled out in a phased approach, with all stores expected to have Presto services available by the end of May. Two Shoppers Drug Mart locations in our ward at 680 Eagleson Road and 420 Hazeldean Road can now sell and instantly load Presto cards. My office will remain informed of the list of further locations as they become updated.
When customers put funds on their Presto card at one of the retailer locations, the balance will be available immediately. Presto cards purchased at Shoppers, Loblaws and Superstore locations will have a new black design. However, whether cards are black or green, they will still function exactly the same way. Presto cardholders are also able to load funds and check their balance online at prestocard.ca.
REMINDER: Paper ticket use ends April 30. Customers can exchange old tickets towards new fare products at OC Transpo Customer Service Centres until August 31, 2018.
The new retail locations are currently being rolled out in a phased approach, with all stores expected to have Presto services available by the end of May. Two Shoppers Drug Mart locations in our ward at 680 Eagleson Road and 420 Hazeldean Road can now sell and instantly load Presto cards. My office will remain informed of the list of further locations as they become updated.
When customers put funds on their Presto card at one of the retailer locations, the balance will be available immediately. Presto cards purchased at Shoppers, Loblaws and Superstore locations will have a new black design. However, whether cards are black or green, they will still function exactly the same way. Presto cardholders are also able to load funds and check their balance online at prestocard.ca.
REMINDER: Paper ticket use ends April 30. Customers can exchange old tickets towards new fare products at OC Transpo Customer Service Centres until August 31, 2018.
Route 256
February 2018
Starting tomorrow (February 16th, 2018), OC Transpo will start operating a new homebound Route 256 trip departing from Mackenzie King Station at 16:45. This will relieve the crowding on the current 17:00 trip and will also allow some customers to shift their travel time.
This new trip will be added to customer-facing electronic information systems tomorrow.
Starting tomorrow (February 16th, 2018), OC Transpo will start operating a new homebound Route 256 trip departing from Mackenzie King Station at 16:45. This will relieve the crowding on the current 17:00 trip and will also allow some customers to shift their travel time.
This new trip will be added to customer-facing electronic information systems tomorrow.
November 2017
I have been hearing from many residents regarding issues they are experiencing with the new Route 256. I have been working closely with the Manager of OC Transpo since the Winter Service changes were implemented on December 24th, 2017 and the Transit Operations Department has been working with my office to identify and monitor issues these issues. My office is collecting feedback from residents and is following up concerns with the Director at OC Transpo so that OC Transpo can assess the feedback received.
The Director at OC Transpo has advised that based on GPS data, travel times for this realignment for Route 256 were expected to match the existing times, and Staff have been be checking the actual travel time by GPS since the new route began. I have been assured that Staff is monitoring the AM ingress and PM egress, and are doing their very best to alleviate inconveniences to customers and are addressing consistent service issues identified. The most recent data demonstrates that ridership counts taken in the morning show that there is no overcrowding when service runs as planned. Since the winter service change, the commute is now on average one minute faster for trips in the morning peak period and three minutes slower for service in the afternoon peak period. Days where major service disruptions occurred (e.g., snow storms, icy roads or vehicular congestion due to collisions) were not considered in this comparison. OC Transpo will continue to collect data, and are actively looking at ways to reduce the afternoon travel time, and are working on increasing the capacity in the afternoon. Additional capacity was added to Route 256 with the December changes by assigning double-decker buses to the 6:37 a.m., 7:23 a.m., and 4:05 p.m. trips. Since the winter service change, some trips in the afternoon are busier than expected (particularly the 5:00 p.m. trip from downtown) so OC Transpo is currently reviewing opportunities to convert more trips to operate with double decker buses instead of articulated buses, which would provide additional capacity and would assist when the scheduled service encounters delays or other disruptions.
OC Transpo plans the frequency of service and bus types on a route according to observed historical ridership information and Council-approved service capacity standards. This standard sets the average number of customers on board a bus. During peak periods, during the busiest hour and point along a route, the frequency of service is planned so that there are, on average, 45 customers onboard standard forty-foot buses, 70 customers onboard articulated buses, and 90 customers onboard double-decker buses. This standard takes into account that some customers will stand. Individual trips may carry more or less customers than the standard, depending on ridership demand.
OC Transpo has explained that while providing an on-time, reliable and safe service is paramount, there are a variety of unavoidable and uncontrollable factors that can affect planned service. Delays and irregularities of service are often a result of inclement weather conditions, vehicle collisions, mechanical difficulties, construction, general traffic conditions, detours and heavy passenger loads. OC Transpo has a team of Transit Supervisors and Superintendents that work diligently to supplement trips where possible to manage trip reliability and on-time performance. Unfortunately, there are times where trips are delayed or have to be cancelled as there are no additional resources available to fill or supplement the trip. In the event of buses being cancelled or delayed, Supervisors in the Transit Operations Control Centre work to fill a cancelled trip in order to ensure a bus is on route. Sometimes the app and Twitter feeds do not update in a timely manner. I have passed along your experiences to the Director at OC Transpo and the Councillor continues to work with OC Transpo to address concerns and share resident feedback on how to make improvements. If you haven’t already, you may be interested in signing up to receive alerts by e-mail or text for specific bus routes to receive a notification of cancelled or delays trips here: http://www.octranspo.com/alert-registration/register/.
OC Transpo is monitoring this route closely, and we continue to work with the OC Transpo Director to address concerns of residents waiting for long periods, experiencing longer commutes, concerns of overcrowding and buses not showing up.
Thank you again for continuing to bring these concerns to our attention and for your patience as we work resolve these consistent issues as quickly as possible. My office will follow up with residents as soon as we have any updates available. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office in the meantime should you need assistance.
Respectfully,
Allan Hubley
I have been hearing from many residents regarding issues they are experiencing with the new Route 256. I have been working closely with the Manager of OC Transpo since the Winter Service changes were implemented on December 24th, 2017 and the Transit Operations Department has been working with my office to identify and monitor issues these issues. My office is collecting feedback from residents and is following up concerns with the Director at OC Transpo so that OC Transpo can assess the feedback received.
The Director at OC Transpo has advised that based on GPS data, travel times for this realignment for Route 256 were expected to match the existing times, and Staff have been be checking the actual travel time by GPS since the new route began. I have been assured that Staff is monitoring the AM ingress and PM egress, and are doing their very best to alleviate inconveniences to customers and are addressing consistent service issues identified. The most recent data demonstrates that ridership counts taken in the morning show that there is no overcrowding when service runs as planned. Since the winter service change, the commute is now on average one minute faster for trips in the morning peak period and three minutes slower for service in the afternoon peak period. Days where major service disruptions occurred (e.g., snow storms, icy roads or vehicular congestion due to collisions) were not considered in this comparison. OC Transpo will continue to collect data, and are actively looking at ways to reduce the afternoon travel time, and are working on increasing the capacity in the afternoon. Additional capacity was added to Route 256 with the December changes by assigning double-decker buses to the 6:37 a.m., 7:23 a.m., and 4:05 p.m. trips. Since the winter service change, some trips in the afternoon are busier than expected (particularly the 5:00 p.m. trip from downtown) so OC Transpo is currently reviewing opportunities to convert more trips to operate with double decker buses instead of articulated buses, which would provide additional capacity and would assist when the scheduled service encounters delays or other disruptions.
OC Transpo plans the frequency of service and bus types on a route according to observed historical ridership information and Council-approved service capacity standards. This standard sets the average number of customers on board a bus. During peak periods, during the busiest hour and point along a route, the frequency of service is planned so that there are, on average, 45 customers onboard standard forty-foot buses, 70 customers onboard articulated buses, and 90 customers onboard double-decker buses. This standard takes into account that some customers will stand. Individual trips may carry more or less customers than the standard, depending on ridership demand.
OC Transpo has explained that while providing an on-time, reliable and safe service is paramount, there are a variety of unavoidable and uncontrollable factors that can affect planned service. Delays and irregularities of service are often a result of inclement weather conditions, vehicle collisions, mechanical difficulties, construction, general traffic conditions, detours and heavy passenger loads. OC Transpo has a team of Transit Supervisors and Superintendents that work diligently to supplement trips where possible to manage trip reliability and on-time performance. Unfortunately, there are times where trips are delayed or have to be cancelled as there are no additional resources available to fill or supplement the trip. In the event of buses being cancelled or delayed, Supervisors in the Transit Operations Control Centre work to fill a cancelled trip in order to ensure a bus is on route. Sometimes the app and Twitter feeds do not update in a timely manner. I have passed along your experiences to the Director at OC Transpo and the Councillor continues to work with OC Transpo to address concerns and share resident feedback on how to make improvements. If you haven’t already, you may be interested in signing up to receive alerts by e-mail or text for specific bus routes to receive a notification of cancelled or delays trips here: http://www.octranspo.com/alert-registration/register/.
OC Transpo is monitoring this route closely, and we continue to work with the OC Transpo Director to address concerns of residents waiting for long periods, experiencing longer commutes, concerns of overcrowding and buses not showing up.
Thank you again for continuing to bring these concerns to our attention and for your patience as we work resolve these consistent issues as quickly as possible. My office will follow up with residents as soon as we have any updates available. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office in the meantime should you need assistance.
Respectfully,
Allan Hubley
Service Expanded to Growing
Communities Beginning December 24, 2017
As noted in my October 19 Kanata Kourier column, OC Transpo service is being expanded to growing communities beginning Sunday, December 24. This includes Kanata, Stittsville, Ottawa West, Barrhaven, Riverside South, Ottawa South, Central Ottawa, Ottawa East and Orléans. The 17 new high-capacity double-decker buses entering their fleet will allow OC Transpo to provide approximately 950,000 additional customer trips annually.
I would like to take an opportunity to share more information on the service expansions which will benefit Kanata South residents.
ROUTE 252
– Will be extended to serve Hope Side Road and Cope Drive
– Will use the newly opened West Transitway instead of Highway 417 between Moodie and Holly Acres and serve Moodie Station
– Routing will be modified in Bells Corners and will operate north on Moodie Drive
– Westbound destination name will be changed to “Fernbank” from “Bells Corners”
252_route_map.pdf
ROUTE 256
– Will be extended to serve the Bridlewood Trails and Trailwest communities via Akerson
– Routing will be modified in Bells Corners and will operate east on Richmond Road. This route will no longer serve Bayshore Station in the morning.
– Westbound destination name will be changed to “Bridlewood” instead of “Kanata”
256_route_map.pdf
The Director at OC Transpo has explained that based on GPS data, travel times for this realignment for Route 256 are expected to match existing times. View the route schedule by selecting a date of December 24 or later on OC Transpo’s Routes & Maps page: http://www.octranspo.com/routes.
Maps and route info are also available on OC Transpo’s website: http://www.octranspo.com/ready4rail/new_winter_service_starts_on_dec_24/.
If you have any questions about the expanded service, please email me at [email protected].
I would like to take an opportunity to share more information on the service expansions which will benefit Kanata South residents.
ROUTE 252
– Will be extended to serve Hope Side Road and Cope Drive
– Will use the newly opened West Transitway instead of Highway 417 between Moodie and Holly Acres and serve Moodie Station
– Routing will be modified in Bells Corners and will operate north on Moodie Drive
– Westbound destination name will be changed to “Fernbank” from “Bells Corners”
252_route_map.pdf
ROUTE 256
– Will be extended to serve the Bridlewood Trails and Trailwest communities via Akerson
– Routing will be modified in Bells Corners and will operate east on Richmond Road. This route will no longer serve Bayshore Station in the morning.
– Westbound destination name will be changed to “Bridlewood” instead of “Kanata”
256_route_map.pdf
The Director at OC Transpo has explained that based on GPS data, travel times for this realignment for Route 256 are expected to match existing times. View the route schedule by selecting a date of December 24 or later on OC Transpo’s Routes & Maps page: http://www.octranspo.com/routes.
Maps and route info are also available on OC Transpo’s website: http://www.octranspo.com/ready4rail/new_winter_service_starts_on_dec_24/.
If you have any questions about the expanded service, please email me at [email protected].
Expanded Service for Growing Areas in Kanata South
I’m happy to announce that the below expanded OC Transpo services are scheduled to begin in late 2017. The new buses will arrive during the fall, in time for the service improvements to begin in late December.
Please find below the information for the Extended Route 252 and Increased Route 167, and don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected] if you have questions, concerns or feedback.
Please find below the information for the Extended Route 252 and Increased Route 167, and don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected] if you have questions, concerns or feedback.
New Spring Service Starting April 23rd
This spring, OC Transpo will continue to implement some of the adjustments that are required as part of the transition to the 2018 network. New spring schedules, service adjustments and new route numbers take effect Sunday, April 23. Note: The numbers may be changing, but the route stays the same. Updated schedules and travel plans will be available soon.
Route 92
Becomes new Route 62
Trip time adjustment in the early afternoon to improve spacing between trips
Route 96
Becomes new Route 61
Route 118
Becomes new Route 88
Route 168
Schedules adjusted based on observed run times to improve reliability
Route 269
First morning trip will leave 8 minutes earlier for a more convenient connection to Gatineau
Larger bus used on one afternoon trip to increase capacity
For the full list of Spring changes, please visit http://www.octranspo.com/ontrack2018/new_spring_service_starting_april_23
Route 92
Becomes new Route 62
Trip time adjustment in the early afternoon to improve spacing between trips
Route 96
Becomes new Route 61
Route 118
Becomes new Route 88
Route 168
Schedules adjusted based on observed run times to improve reliability
Route 269
First morning trip will leave 8 minutes earlier for a more convenient connection to Gatineau
Larger bus used on one afternoon trip to increase capacity
For the full list of Spring changes, please visit http://www.octranspo.com/ontrack2018/new_spring_service_starting_april_23
Service Changes – Winter 2016/2017
Changes to Routes Effective December 25 2016
Route 61 becomes new Connexion Route 269
Route 62 becomes new Connexion Route 267
Route 66 becomes new Connexion Route 256
Connexion Routes continue serving the same local stops. All morning trips serve Bayshore Station for better connections to Carling Campus on Moodie. Afternoon trips no longer stop at Westboro, Dominion, Lincoln Fields or Pinecrest stations (connect at Bayshore Station).
I am happy to announce that the 4:10pm Route 66 bus arriving at Mackenzie King Bridge currently operating with a 40-foot bus will be assigned an articulated (60ft) bus in the new year as long as ridership levels remain high enough to warrant the need for this size of bus.
Route 162
Evening trip timing changes to better align with shift end times of Tanger Outlet employees.
Route 167
Trip timing changes to improve connections at Terry Fox Station.
Route 61 becomes new Connexion Route 269
Route 62 becomes new Connexion Route 267
Route 66 becomes new Connexion Route 256
Connexion Routes continue serving the same local stops. All morning trips serve Bayshore Station for better connections to Carling Campus on Moodie. Afternoon trips no longer stop at Westboro, Dominion, Lincoln Fields or Pinecrest stations (connect at Bayshore Station).
I am happy to announce that the 4:10pm Route 66 bus arriving at Mackenzie King Bridge currently operating with a 40-foot bus will be assigned an articulated (60ft) bus in the new year as long as ridership levels remain high enough to warrant the need for this size of bus.
Route 162
Evening trip timing changes to better align with shift end times of Tanger Outlet employees.
Route 167
Trip timing changes to improve connections at Terry Fox Station.
New Fares Starting New Year’s Day 2017
Express premiums fares are eliminated.
If you usually buy an Express pass, you will only need to buy a Regular pass for January.
Morning peak-period trips on Para Transpo service no longer require a premium fare or top-up.
Student monthly pass replaced with a new Youth monthly pass, open everyone 19 and under.
For more information please visit: http://www.octranspo.com/routes/new_winter_service_starting_dec_25
If you usually buy an Express pass, you will only need to buy a Regular pass for January.
Morning peak-period trips on Para Transpo service no longer require a premium fare or top-up.
Student monthly pass replaced with a new Youth monthly pass, open everyone 19 and under.
For more information please visit: http://www.octranspo.com/routes/new_winter_service_starting_dec_25