The future of Ottawa's Transit

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Meanwhile some STO news. Sounds like it will be 52 articulated buses that will be bought before 2014 as well as 16 hybrid buses and only 7 regular ones. Pretty obviously that the big chunk of those will be used on the Rapibus. All the buses will be wheelchair accessible, which will double the current number of thoses from 49 to 101 buses.

The site says that all trips on routes 36, 37, 38 and 300 are served by wheelchair accessible buses, but I would say that the majority of weekend trips on the entire network are served by wheelchair accessible buses right now and I would say close to half of midday trips as well.

The next routes that should be fully accessible aside from the Rapibus routes should be the 67/77 (except probably some peak trips on the 67 considering there are running on average every 5/8 minutes even if the intervals are all over the place).

I always wonder why STO doesn't make too many routes purely accessible despite all the low floors? Are the stops not designed for wheelchairs?

The 67/77 would be good for being fully accessible, and so would the 76 (only all-day route serving the CHVO Gatineau)

[Cre47]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

I always wonder why STO doesn't make too many routes purely accessible despite all the low floors? Are the stops not designed for wheelchairs?

The 67/77 would be good for being fully accessible, and so would the 76 (only all-day route serving the CHVO Gatineau)

We might see more this year. The two hospitals routes (71 and 76) can easily be added but as long as they interline between the two or with the 67 and 77. Although due to the many number of trips on the 67 and the fact that they are planning to have the main Rapibus routes (probably not the Express) fully accessible, it will be tough to have the 67 fully accessible. Plus all the interlining, the scheduling. Though with 100+ buses that will be wheelchair accessible by 2014-15, it is highly likely that only rush-hour trips will still be served by either HF buses or 02 to first batch of 09 Nova Buses by then.

Though of course, the sidewalk/curb issues might take quite some time on some of the local streets and collectors.

Many stops along the 36/37/38 are not suited for wheelchairs and they would have to reconfigure a lot of the stops.

[Cre47]

It's amazing that they wont put at least one peak period route from Greely, Carp, etc but still they are putting Shopper's routes in areas not served during rush hour.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by Cre47

It's amazing that they wont put at least one peak period route from Greely, Carp, etc but still they are putting Shopper's routes in areas not served during rush hour.

Back in 2002, when the Rural Transit Service was being planned, there were community opposition from several rural communities at the time on introduction of rural service - Greely being one of them.

I'll provide you a few links to look at:

Minutes of the Joint Meeting of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and Transportation and Transit Committee on April 3, 2002: http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/ttc/2002/04-03/minutes2.htm

Council Meeting of April 10, 2002: http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2002/04-10/minutes30.htm . Note that the report for that joint meeting was passed, but Councillor Doug Thompson managed to get reconsideration of that issue at the subsequent Council meeting.

Council Meeting of April 24, 2002 (Reconsideration): http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2002/04-24/minutes31.htm

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by JCL

Back in 2002, when the Rural Transit Service was being planned, there were community opposition from several rural communities at the time on introduction of rural service - Greely being one of them.

I'll provide you a few links to look at:

Minutes of the Joint Meeting of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and Transportation and Transit Committee on April 3, 2002: http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/ttc/2002/04-03/minutes2.htm

Council Meeting of April 10, 2002: http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2002/04-10/minutes30.htm . Note that the report for that joint meeting was passed, but Councillor Doug Thompson managed to get reconsideration of that issue at the subsequent Council meeting.

Council Meeting of April 24, 2002 (Reconsideration): http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2002/04-24/minutes31.htm

There are already multiple private carriers operating along the Bank Street area corridors. The best solution for commuter use IMO is to have OC Transpo partially fund the private systems so that those who board in the rural areas do not have to pay a fare higher than (Rural Express + $1.00) in the outer reaches of the City of Ottawa (with full transfer priviliges) and only have to pay a Rural Express fare in the inner part of the rural zone. Service beyond the City of Ottawa would be excluded and would still require full system fares.

[gjhall]

I think adding the once a week service to Greely etc will help normalize transit in the area and lead some people to say "Hey, we DO want a little bit of bus service here." The fare would be Rural Express, just like other villages in the hinterland.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

There are already multiple private carriers operating along the Bank Street area corridors. The best solution for commuter use IMO is to have OC Transpo partially fund the private systems so that those who board in the rural areas do not have to pay a fare higher than (Rural Express + $1.00) in the outer reaches of the City of Ottawa (with full transfer priviliges) and only have to pay a Rural Express fare in the inner part of the rural zone. Service beyond the City of Ottawa would be excluded and would still require full system fares.

Using your idea to have OC to fund the private system (even partially), I can see some issues in terms of labour relations between the City and ATU as the union may view this as contracting out their work...

[Hybrid247]

City wants to make it easy for residents to build their lives around transit
Plan is to double the density of homes and jobs around future LRT stations
By David Reevely, The Ottawa Citizen December 30, 2011

OTTAWA — The city is about to move into high gear on redevelopment plans for the neighbourhoods around three stations in the eastern stretch of the planned light-rail line, with major rezonings to come at four more within a couple of years.

The mission is twofold: First, to more than double the density of jobs and homes around stations like St. Laurent, Cyrville and Train. Like many Transitway stations outside the downtown core, they’re surrounded by other roads and low-density stores and light industry, and if that doesn’t change, the city’s $2.1-billion rail project won’t be as busy as the city wants. The city wants to more than double the population around those stations in the next 20 years, ideally to make the neighbourhoods even denser than Centretown outside the core business district.

“Our drive is to ensure that to the best of our abilities, there will be the people that are going to drive ridership on the LRT,” says Councillor Peter Hume, who chairs city council’s planning committee. What’s going on, he says, is a basic shift in the purpose of public transit, from a system that’s mostly about getting commuters from the suburbs to downtown and back, to a system that serves distinct neighbourhoods built up around each station.

Read more: here

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Hybrid247

Read more: here

Do they even need to announce that? Surely developers would do just that with the presence of the LRT...

[DarkArconio]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Do they even need to announce that? Surely developers would do just that with the presence of the LRT...

Well I think the difference is that before developers would be making a gamble buy properties, with public opposition and potential OMB appeals raising the risk and cost of redevelopment of under-zoned properties. Now the properties would be properly zoned in line with the Official Plan. Zoning clashing with the official plan is part of the reason we have all these redevelopment issues in Ottawa.

[eternallyme]

At the next meeting:

Other Correspondence Received / Autre correspondance reçus



· Letter from the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa / Lettre de la Fédération étudiante de l’Université d’Ottawa

· Petition re Reinstating Route 154 / Pétition pour rétablir le circuit 154

· Petition re Reinstating Route 18 to Ottawa Technical Secondary School / Pétition pour rétablir le circuit 18 vers l’Ottawa Technical Secondary School

154 - The western part, which had higher ridership, is covered by the 172, and I see no reason to change that (high frequency connections to Lincoln Fields with the 2, 96 and 97 are within walking distance). During peak periods (only) I could see a reason to reinstate the route, but it should be done differently: starting at Pinecrest Garage, via Queensview and into the Queensway Terrace North community to Lincoln Fields. That would also provide a connection to Pinecrest Garage for OC staff during peak periods and businesses in the area, and would primarily replace deadheading buses to minimize costs. During off-peak periods, given the ridership in the area, the walking distances are generally reasonable IMO to the 2, 97, 172 and Queensway Station. There were much worse cuts than that one IMO.

18 to Ottawa Technical School - That makes sense for a few trips. It doesn't hurt for school trips, run it like a 600 route (numbered as 18X though). The regular routing should not change, however.

[Cre47]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

At the next meeting:

Other Correspondence Received / Autre correspondance reçus



· Letter from the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa / Lettre de la Fédération étudiante de l’Université d’Ottawa

· Petition re Reinstating Route 154 / Pétition pour rétablir le circuit 154

· Petition re Reinstating Route 18 to Ottawa Technical Secondary School / Pétition pour rétablir le circuit 18 vers l’Ottawa Technical Secondary School

154 - The western part, which had higher ridership, is covered by the 172, and I see no reason to change that (high frequency connections to Lincoln Fields with the 2, 96 and 97 are within walking distance). During peak periods (only) I could see a reason to reinstate the route, but it should be done differently: starting at Pinecrest Garage, via Queensview and into the Queensway Terrace North community to Lincoln Fields. That would also provide a connection to Pinecrest Garage for OC staff during peak periods and businesses in the area, and would primarily replace deadheading buses to minimize costs. During off-peak periods, given the ridership in the area, the walking distances are generally reasonable IMO to the 2, 97, 172 and Queensway Station. There were much worse cuts than that one IMO.

18 to Ottawa Technical School - That makes sense for a few trips. It doesn't hurt for school trips, run it like a 600 route (numbered as 18X though). The regular routing should not change, however.

They've cut the 18 to every 30 minutes back in September and yesterday I was on one of the eastbound route 18 trips and several people had no seating available right at the start of the route and it wasn't rush hour. They should have kept the frequency to every 20 minutes during midday periods.

[Cre47]

Inevitably, the Kanata North changes have been a failure. Did I already said that before? It was expected to be a failure.

[eternallyme]

Bus rider asks why such a long wait for No. 94 — by the jail

By David Reevely, The Ottawa Citizen - January 13, 2012

OTTAWA — Jessica Golden often has to wait a long time for her No. 94 bus. Eight times out of 12, in one particularly bad run, her 4:45 p.m. bus hadn’t arrived by the time the next was supposed to come. So she waited. In the middle of nowhere. On the north side of Innes Road, with no legal way across the street.

By the jail.

Story here

The biggest problem of the 94 is mentioned there - unreliability due to its length. The 95 has the same problem.

They should do something about stop locations there, although it is extremely difficult to serve on a 6-lane, 80 km/h road that is basically an expressway.

[Cre47]

Why don't they just simply bolt the stop on the shelter. STO has many stops like that.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=45.4...3i6KyfcjbfDw9tFN5Q&cbp=12,283.15,,1,0.48

Also it seems a habit for OC Transpo to put stop poles like a good bus length or more away from the shelter or seating. Should be always like this (shown on the link below) if it's not bolted against the shelter.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=45.4...zbkAhojL1CpaYmo2yRToQ&cbp=12,245.06,,0,0

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Why don't they just simply bolt the stop on the shelter. STO has many stops like that.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=45.4...3i6KyfcjbfDw9tFN5Q&cbp=12,283.15,,1,0.48

Also it seems a habit for OC Transpo to put stop poles like a good bus length or more away from the shelter or seating. Should be always like this (shown on the link below) if it's not bolted against the shelter.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=45.4...zbkAhojL1CpaYmo2yRToQ&cbp=12,245.06,,0,0

Also a habit for asshat drivers to passively-aggressively insist on stopping at the flag, when people are huddled in the shelter against the weather... or, even more asshattery, to blow off the stop altogether if you're not at the flag itself.

[Hybrid247]

It seems the Ottawa Light Rail website has some new renderings out. Sorry if it's a repost...

Tunney's Pasture



Bayview



Lebreton


Campus



Hurdman


Train

[eemy]

I must say that the station designs look fantastic.

[amanfromnowhere]

amazing... Ottawa is starting to think Big!

[Kitchissippi]

Looks great. I only wish they'd depart from the OC Transpo red. The LRT would be a good opportunity to move towards the municipal colours, or maybe introduce something more distinctive. Too much red and white in this town.