oc transpo travel plan

April 11 Transit Commission Update

On April 11, we provided an update on our five-year road map progress, ridership, our scheduling process, and more!

If you didn’t get a chance to tune in , The Next Stop Blog is here to bring you up to speed on what you missed.

Five-Year Roadmap Progress Update

Our Five-Year Roadmap lays out a transparent, accountable and measurable path to guide how OC Transpo will modernize and deliver high service reliability, customer satisfaction and employee engagement over the next four years.

In the last year, OC Transpo has made progress in numerous key areas, including:

• Hiring 264 bus operators and 26 Para Transpo operators;
• Expanding O-Payment to accept credit cards in 2023 and expanding to accept debit in 2024;
• Improving service delivery and on-time performance;
• Renewing the Para Transpo minibus fleet, and
• Transitioning the diesel bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles.

This first annual update includes key performance indicators, targets for improvement on major strategic initiatives and six new strategic initiatives to reflect our evolving priorities.

Transit ridership update

Commission members heard that ridership reached 6.1 million customer-trips in February 2024. In March, O-Train Line 1 service delivery was 99.4 per cent. Conventional bus service delivery in March was 98.8 per cent which is the highest number staff have reported over the past 13 months.

Staff also provided an update on key Para Transpo ridership and service levels. In March 2024, Para Transpo ridership was at 70,600 total customer-trips.

2023 Light Rail Regulatory Monitor and Compliance Officer Annual Report Commission members received an update on the Regulatory Monitor and Compliance Officer’s (RMCO) 2023 annual compliance report. This report focused on inspection activities related to tunnels and the Communications-Based Train Control system (CBTC).

OC Transpo was found to be compliant with all eight regulatory inspections of the tunnel while Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) was found to be compliant with five of the 10 elements and mostly conformant with the remaining five.

The RMCO also examined five elements related to OC Transpo’s inspections of the CBTC system and found four elements to be compliant, with one element regarding oversight activities as being mostly compliant. The report noted that OC Transpo has already taken actions to enhance its 2024 oversight plan.

Staff will continue to work with RTM to achieve full conformance. Staff will also ensure structured and timely follow-ups and that a list of remedial actions is developed and reviewed at regular meetings with the RMCO, RTM, Alstom and City staff.

Scheduling Process

Scheduling is an ongoing and continuous process that repeats for each of OC Transpo’s four service periods: winter, spring, summer, and fall. The scheduling process is important to provide the best service possible for customers and includes feedback from numerous sources, including bus operators and members of the public.

If you’ve ever wondered how buses are scheduled for service, check out the OC Transpo Scheduling Process report here .

What to expect next

In May, there will be a joint Transit Commission and Light Rail Sub-Committee meeting where an update will be provided on a number of important priorities, including updates on the axle bearing solution for Line 1, an update on Stage 2 LRT extension along with the status of activities required to open lines 2 and 4.An update will also be provided on the annual maintenance of Line 1 and on the Fare Compliance Initiative.

To find out more information about our latest update, you can watch the presentation here or read the reports discussed here.

OC Transpo head 'very pleased' with bus route review as Transit Commission debates budget

The city's Transit Commission discussed the results of the OC Transpo Bus Route Review at Tuesday's meeting, which will see some 200-series bus routes cancelled and buses redirected off residential streets with low ridership.

Facing a massive deficit, councillors are being asked to approve a nearly $800 million operating budget for OC Transpo.

If approved, transit riders are facing about a 2.5 per cent rise in fares next year.

The commission held an information session on the route review by OC Transpo and heard from members of the public and stakeholders to provide feedback to councillors. A decision on the route review is not expected today.

Transit Services general manager Renée Amilcar presented the details of the controversial route review to the commission Tuesday morning with changes to bus services which will include cancelling many Connexion routes (200 series), redirecting service away from streets with low ridership and increasing service to 15 minutes "at most times" on main transit corridors.

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"I'm very very pleased that my team has developed this project" Amilcar said in French to councillors at Tuesday's meeting.

"This is a significant project - from experience it takes two to three years to do this and what we see here today is something that took a year only."

A report prepared for the transit commission outlines bus route changes coming in 2024 which will include the "recalibration of downtown-focused commuter routes to trips that improve connectivity to community hubs such as transit stations and grocery stores" and connecting riders with the north-south Trillium Line when it opens.

Amilcar says OC Transpo will operate 74,000 fewer hours of bus service next year as part of an overhaul to improve service along "important routes" and connections to the new Trillium Line.

"This is not about cost cutting but all about building a sustainable network that meets current customer needs and service demand," Amilcar said.

"As the stewards of taxpayer money, it’s the responsible decision to make."

Amilcar said she is open to suggestions and feedback by council and members of the public on changes that can be made to the review.

Delegates presented opinions to the route review, with many expressing dissatisfaction with plan.

Alayne McGregor, one of the delegates at the meeting, expressed concerns.

"I saw in general reductions rather than improvements to service," McGregor said.

"I also saw a lot of places where I couldn’t figure out what the changes were, but I am delighted that Ms. Amilcar says she's open to suggestions."

The Capital's transit system faces a number of problems as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares for the opening of the Trillium Line, which has been delayed until spring of next year.

"OC Transpo has had significant challenges over the last few years," said Transit Commission member Coun. Riley Brockington.

"There is a requirement to review our bus routes and make some redesigns and modifications and that’s what's coming out of the bus route review."

The review comes as OC Transpo is projecting a $40.8 million deficit in 2023 and a $35 million revenue shortfall for 2024.

"My focus is on improving reliability – not just LRT, but bus reliability has to be addressed," Brockington told CTV News Ottawa.

The Transit Comission will vote later today on the draft budget, which will be presented to council's final budget vote on Dec. 6.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle

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What you need to know about OC Transpo's bus route overhaul

I t's been more than four months since OC Transpo announced it's planning to overhaul its bus routes and now customers have a few more details about changes to their commutes. 

Last week, the transit service launched its new campaign dubbed "New Ways to Bus" to help riders prepare for major changes when the expanded north-south Trillium Line trains return later in spring or summer.

OC Transpo has called it a "route optimization" and said the sweeping changes will drop about 74,000 service hours per year, or 3.5 per cent of current network service levels.

Ridership fell short of recent targets and has consistently trailed the pandemic recovery of other Canadian cities, contributing to a budget gap .

OC Transpo's general manager Renée Amilcar told the city's transit commission the overhaul was not about "cost-cutting," but rather "the responsible decision" by a steward of taxpayers' dollars.

The city hired third-party consultant Dillon Consulting to study, review and propose changes to the network.

What are the changes? 

The overhaul coming this year is the biggest since a review in 2011 that  prompted thousands of customer complaints .

According to the New Ways to Bus website , "every neighbourhood and most customers will see changes to their trip."

There will be more frequent service on some routes  and 58 local routes designed to deliver riders to neighbourhood destinations and busy transit hubs.

There will also be 17 fast, peak-period connections to the O-Train.

Some people will have to travel farther to get to bus stops and in some cases, transfer more frequently to connecting buses or trains, OC Transpo said.

Some routes will be axed completely due to low ridership, but the transit service says alternatives will be available nearby.

"A lot of the new routes try to capture the common denominator," explained Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo, who said the changes will mean less focus on connecting to downtown and more emphasis on bridging local travel.

"I completely understand the cynicism and unease that comes with any major change," he said.

"I believe this is our last chance to truly recover OC Transpo's reputation."

Which routes are affected?

OC Transpo said at this time, it's not planning to change 300-series shopper routes, 400-series event routes, 600-series school routes or nighttime routes, but urges customers to keep checking its website for any updates.

Since most routes will see some change — from extensions to timing to replacements — the city has listed 27 routes that will remain unchanged: 6, 14, 19, 21, 23, 26, 38, 42, 44, 45, 47, 51, 56, 57, 67, 84, 87, 90, 98, 139, 158, 221, 222, 228, 237, 262 and 277.

Several 200-series routes will be cancelled. Some transit riders told CBC News in the fall they felt betrayed by that decision .

OC Transpo's website breaks down the changes  by route number, so customers can see how their individual travel patterns will change.

"So feeder buses to the train — the old express routes, the old connection routes — that's where people are going to see the greatest reduction," said Pat Scrimgeour, director of transit customer systems and planning with OC Transpo.

"We're responding to travel patterns that people are making now."

When will the changes begin? 

It's not clear exactly when transit riders will start seeing their bus routes change.

The Trillium Line has been delayed a few times  and no firm deadline was given during last month's progress update.

Transit staff at the time suggested the Trillium Line may open between July and September. 

"We'll open the system when we'll be ready, but for now I'm confident that it will be this spring," Amilcar said in response to a question last week.

At one time, a smaller line was supposed to be open in the fall of 2021 . The target was September 2022 by the time construction began .

Scrimgeour said more information will emerge in the coming weeks and months, including specific schedules and dates.

"We can't say yet what those dates are," he told CBC on Monday.

20 Bus    ▬ OC Transpo

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Official oc transpo schedule data updated apr 2, 2024, see route map for weekday (apr 8, 2024 - apr 19, 2024) tuwthf (apr 2, 2024 - apr 5, 2024) saturday (apr 6, 2024 - apr 20, 2024) sunday (apr 7, 2024 - apr 14, 2024) weekday (apr 8, 2024 - apr 19, 2024) sunday (apr 21, 2024 - may 5, 2024) weekday (apr 22, 2024 - may 9, 2024) saturday (apr 27, 2024 - may 4, 2024) friday (may 10, 2024 - may 10, 2024) saturday (may 11, 2024 - jun 29, 2024) sunday (may 12, 2024 - jun 23, 2024) weekday (may 13, 2024 - jun 28, 2024) victoria day, sunday schedule (may 20, 2024 - may 20, 2024) victoria day, no service (may 20, 2024 - may 20, 2024).

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OC Transpo acknowledges need to improve on-time service of buses

A report to the City of Ottawa's transit committee included better performance numbers for the LRT and ParaTranspo.

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OC Transpo’s internal review of its own performance shows that plenty of work still needs to be done to improve reliability of bus service within the city.

Overall 26 per cent of buses were unable to meet service standards in 2023, and only 74.5 per cent of buses operating every 16 minutes or less were on time.

The statistics were included in a scorecard delivered Thursday to a city hall transit committee meeting by OC Transpo general manager Rene Amilcar and manager of business and technical support systems Bart Cormier.

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A year ago, Ottawa’s beleaguered transportation system initiated a five-year grand plan aimed at improving service in all areas.

That included enhancing safety, providing more timely service of buses and trains on the O-Line rail system and eventually transitioning to a fleet of zero-emission vehicles.

The unreliability of the bus service has been, of course, an on-going headache for commuters. The short-term target for OC Transpo is to reach 85 per cent on-time performance.

Thursday’s report included better numbers from the performance of the LRT and ParaTranspo.

Cormier reported that O-Line service delivery was at 97.1 per cent. The ultimate goal is 99.5 per cent. ParaTranspo reliability was 92.5 per cent, with an aim of hitting 95 per cent.

The transit agency also said there were 1.1 vehicle collisions per 100,000 kilometres driven.

Concerned about the aging fleet of diesel buses, Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo questioned Amilcar about the slower than expected rollout of more zero-emission buses.

Amilcar said OC Transpo continued to explore all technologies, including the possibility of purchasing hydrogen-powered buses in the future.

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Transit advocates in Ottawa say major changes to OC Transpo’s bus system involve too many cuts and will not help restore ridership on the system, which has not recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The overhaul is actually part of service cuts, and the city is trying to sell it as something else,” said Sam Hersh, a board member of the watchdog organization Horizon Ottawa .

“They are cutting a route here, adding a route here and extending a route there, but in reality, they are cutting 74,000 hours of service , and they are cutting three and a half per cent of all bus service across the city.” 

OC Transpo’s ‘ New Ways to Bus ’ route realignment is to begin once the Trillium line of the O-Train ( Lines 2 and 4 ) is running sometime later this year. OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar told a recent Transit Commission meeting that she still wasn’t able to commit to a firm date.

Hersh said what Ottawa transit needs is more investment, adding that the city’s approach will make things worse.

Last month, Premier Doug Ford announced a $543 million commitment to Ottawa over 10 years for housing, public safety, roads, and downtown revitalization. Although Ford promised $80 million to cover a third of the cost for the proposed Kanata North Transitway, there was no reference to funds for public transit operations. 

“You are telling me that you can get $543 million, but you cannot put any money into the transit budget?” asked Hersh.

“They said there is a problem with public transit because ridership is low. Make transit better people will ride.”

Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo, a member of the Transit Commission committee and a former OC Transpo bus operator, said he is hopeful the changes will help address some of the challenges facing the transit authority, many of which are long-standing.

“A lot of the problems the realignment addresses have actually been present since before the pandemic,” said Lo.

“It was just made worse by the pandemic and really highlighted the fact that we needed to reorient the system to service people who don’t commute Monday to Friday, nine to five.”

Specifically, the city says it will try to reorient the transit system to make local service and suburb-to-suburb service more accessible and effective. They do not want it to be burdensome to use public transit.

“We’ve never been good at providing local service or service to less traditional trip generators. The hope is that Carleton will be better served, for example. You can get around Barrhaven easily. You can get around Kanata easily. You can get around between the two easily,” said Lo.

But the changes will likely inconvenience some riders, Lo said. People commuting to and from downtown will be affected the most. As well, there will be minor route tweaks that will have bus routes further away. However, there will also be bus tweaks that will bring bus service closer to people. 

Routes that will have no change to their routing

According to OCTranspo

“The new network, even though by numbers it represents a service cut, a lot of those service hours are moving into the much more frequent Line 2. There’s still a net reduction in service, but Line 2 is going to be a major addition to our transit network,” said Lo.

The overhaul plan comes after the city cut $47 million from the capital budget of OC Transpo , including taking out of service — without replacement — 117 buses in poor condition. Since then, the Ottawa Coalition for a People’s Budget, a broad alliance of individuals and community groups, has raised the alarm over the erosion of the public system. The coalition includes organizations such as Horizon Ottawa , and Ottawa Transit Riders .

Oscar Dennis, a member of Ottawa Transit Riders, echoed Hersh’s comments. Dennis pointed out that frustration over public transit has been mounting in Ottawa year after year.

“The city council is focusing on an austerity approach. That is not going to help transit. Instead, problems are going to grow,” said Dennis. 

Dennis said Ottawa should have more buses, and more frequent routes that go to places people actually want to go to. 

But this is easier said than done, according to Lo.

“Right now the biggest hurdle to our reliability is the fact that we don’t have enough operators, enough buses to run our existing service,” said Lo.

“It’s roughly two per cent of our trips that are not delivered at all — completely cancelled. Two per cent doesn’t sound like a lot but during rush hour, that’s a lot of trips. And these are mostly during rush hour,” he said.

Members of Horizon Ottawa, and Ottawa Transit Riders have repeated that Ottawa should have free public transit, an issue that arises regularly , yet there is a question whether it is realistic. 

“We’re still paying for decisions that were made leading up to the light rail launch,” said Lo. “Right now we don’t even have the resources to run our current network.” 

“People often make this argument that it’s about reliability versus affordability. I think both things go hand in hand and I don’t think it’s an either-or. It’s just a question of spending the money the correct way, which is not what our city is doing,” said Hersh.

“I think having free public transit is realistic yesterday. It is not about having the resources; it is about having the priorities.”

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