The future of Ottawa's Transit

[S-Man]

Definitely the apocalypse. People in Ottawa want to wait next to a sign post in the wind and slush. We're not Toronto. Useless vanity gigaproject that will never carry one bus-loving rider.

Sorry, got hijacked by echoes still rattling around my head after reading years of complaints.

I like it. Should be attractive to people who like the idea of waiting for transit indoors...or at least under some type of shelter.

[S-Man]

Is there a rendering for Blair?

[Hybrid247]

This is all they got for blair right now. Not much of a change from the current station...

[Hybrid247]

These are some older renderings. the ones I posted yesterday are new. They don't have much for the underground stations yet.

Cyrville


St Laurent


Hurdman


Lees

[Admiral Nelson]

Very nice! Are we sure these will be the designs regardless of which team wins the contract?

[Badlands]

Originally Posted by 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.

Now that you mention it, replacing the OC Transpo red with the municipal colors would be a great idea. Maybe they could somehow include the stylized Ottawa O for the logo. The ottawalightrail.ca twitter account pointed out a web page discussing subway logos http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/01/great-and-not-so-great-subway-logos-world/943/.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

While these designs look really nice architecturally, I can't help but look at them and find myself dreading winter in one of those "shelters".

[c@taract_soulj@h]

—!

Can't wait til this is built

[Luker]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

While these designs look really nice architecturally, I can't help but look at them and find myself dreading winter in one of those "shelters".

I had the same thought; many of them seem to be extensively designed around an open air flow concept, which is fine for most of Europe, Asia, aus, usa, and South america but most definitely not in Ottawa.

It appears that the only enclosed stations will be Lees, Blair, and College (it appears Bayview may have some enclosed areas on the train platform as well.

[waterloowarrior]

these are concepts... however some really good architects are on the shortlisted teams

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Aedas (Bouygues team) designed the 407 station for the Spadina line extension in Toronto
http://www.aedas.com/Highway-407-Subway
also the Downsview Park station
http://urbantoronto.ca/database/projects/downsview-park-station

Adamson (ACS team) also is working on a few stations on the line
http://www.adamson-associates.com/projects/transportation

NORR (Vinci team) is doing the Union Station redevelopment http://www.norr.com/consulting_portfolio/Transportation/UnionStationRedevelopment_ltr1.pdf

[Hybrid247]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

While these designs look really nice architecturally, I can't help but look at them and find myself dreading winter in one of those "shelters".

Ya I thought about that too. But even if they were completely closed off on the sides wouldn't there be a "wind tunnel" effect going thru the stations from the openings where the trains enter/exit? Maybe the fact that one side is open air would help eliminate that effect?

[eemy]

I was waiting for the subway recently on the University Line in Toronto, and it was very cold on the platform despite being enclosed. They had some heated shelters, but I imagine heating the entire platform would be prohibitively expensive.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Badlands

Now that you mention it, replacing the OC Transpo red with the municipal colors would be a great idea. Maybe they could somehow include the stylized Ottawa O for the logo. The ottawalightrail.ca twitter account pointed out a web page discussing subway logos http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/01/great-and-not-so-great-subway-logos-world/943/.

How about a hybrid of the two colours?

There is a good reason for the large amount of red and white - those are Canada's flag colours, and Ottawa is the capital of Canada. But maybe some blue or green would be nice as secondary colours?

[Admiral Nelson]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

How about a hybrid of the two colours?

There is a good reason for the large amount of red and white - those are Canada's flag colours, and Ottawa is the capital of Canada. But maybe some blue or green would be nice as secondary colours?

The current bright red and white look much nicer than dark green and blue ever could. In a relatively drab city, the buses are one bright spot.

[waterloowarrior]

OC Transpo 2012 business plan
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycou...CS-TRA-0001%202012%20Business%20Plan.htm

[Cre47]

We might be blasting the city of Ottawa for rising their fares fast and cutting a lot of service, look at Clarence-Rockland's fare increases lately.

Rising bus fares anger commuters east of Ottawa
CBC News
Posted: Feb 9, 2012 6:52 AM ET
Last Updated: Feb 9, 2012 11:54 AM ET
Read 56 comments56

Commuters east of Ottawa are angry over a third straight year of hikes to the cost of using a necessary private bus service.

Some residents of Rockland, Ont., who use Leduc buses staged a protest Wednesday evening saying they are being gouged at the fare box.

But Leduc, which is the only bus service for those who work in Ottawa, said they are not responsible for fare hikes. One spokesman said the city and the mayor decide when to raise the fares.

"They're the ones who decide and dictate [the fares]," said Marc Savage, a manager at Leduc Bus Lines Ltd, "All the money [made from bus fares] goes to the city."

Clarence-Rockland bus fares
2010 2011 2012
Regular Monthly pass $180 $216 $245

Leduc has signed a contract with the city of Clarence-Rockland and Savage said they have no say on any fare hike decision.

The city will raise the regular monthly pass by $29 this year after a $36 hike in April 2011. That means a $180 pass in early 2011 now will cost $245.

But when the CBC's Cory O'Kelly asked the mayor about fare hikes, he did not clarify who was responsible.

"We are going to look into that contract to see if we do have some leverage, somehow," said Mayor Marcel Guibord.
City responsible for fare hike, not Leduc Bus Lines

Guibord also said he agreed the fares were high when commuters blamed Leduc for the fares, which have risen over the past two years.

Residents said they did not raise concerns after two straight years of hikes. But after a third year, they said they had enough.

"People are angry. There's families here that just cannot bear that cost," said Patrick Gilligan, who organized the protest.
Leduc Bus Lines Ltd. tabs itself as the most trusted people carrier in eastern Ontario and features lines from Clarence-Rockland and Hawkesbury to Ottawa.Leduc Bus Lines Ltd. tabs itself as the most trusted people carrier in eastern Ontario and features lines from Clarence-Rockland and Hawkesbury to Ottawa. (CBC)

"We moved here from Montreal three years ago. Everything seemed reasonable. For a bus service to increase 52 per cent in three years, that's very upsetting," he said.

Gilligan is one new resident who was attracted by the city's marketing, which called itself a bedroom community where homes and commuting are affordable.

The city subsidizes Leduc users 22 per cent of a total cost of a bus pass. The mayor said the only options for residents are paying more or the city would have to provide a larger subsidy to commuters.

That would mean those same residents, plus many others, would see a rise in property taxes.
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[OttawaSteve]

Some residents of Rockland, Ont., who use Leduc buses staged a protest Wednesday evening saying they are being gouged at the fare box.

Out of curiosity, I did some comparing:

Clarence Rockland Transit
Downtown Rockland to Downtown Ottawa:

approx. distance 39 km
approx. trip time 45 min
adult monthly pass (2011): $216
adult monthly pass (2012): $245


GO Transit bus (or train, weekday peak only) service
Streetsville GO Station to Toronto Union Bus Station:

approx. distance 42 km (bus)
approx. trip time 50 min (bus)
adult monthly pass (2011): $218
adult monthly pass (2012): $236

GO Transit bus service
Aurora Road and Hwy 404 to Toronto Union Bus Station:

approx. distance 49 km
approx. trip time 45 min
adult monthly pass (2011): $224
adult monthly pass (2012): $243

[AuxTown]

Some residents of Rockland, Ont., who use Leduc buses staged a protest Wednesday evening saying they are being gouged at the fare box.

Get a car and pay for parking or — it up! Those are massive transit distances when considering the limited number of riders they can get from these towns. People in Ottawa want everything for nothing.

[lrt's friend]

To be fair, there really needs to be an explanation why fares are increasing at this pace.

[BlackRedGold]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

Get a car and pay for parking or — it up! Those are massive transit distances when considering the limited number of riders they can get from these towns. People in Ottawa want everything for nothing.

Don't you mean people in Rockland?