Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[rocketphish]

'Proactive' maintenance to interrupt nighttime LRT service
Work to be performed overnight from Aug. 12-25

CBC News
Posted: Aug 08, 2022 4:02 PM ET | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Evening LRT service on Ottawa's Confederation Line will be interrupted over two weeks this month while Rideau Transit Group (RTG) performs what the city calls "proactive track and maintenance work."

According to a memo issued Monday by Renée Amilcar, the city's general manager of transit services, the work will begin on Friday, Aug. 12, and wrap up Thursday, Aug. 25. It will be performed in segments along the length of Line 1.

"Where possible, partial service and single tracking will be implemented to minimize customer impacts," the memo said.

However, "full system service adjustments are required on certain days as it is not possible to perform some of the work required in specific sections on one track without disturbing train service on the other."

R1 buses will be used to replace LRT service as required. The schedule is as follows:

• Aug. 12-15: All of Line 1 will be closed, beginning at 8 p.m. each evening. R1 buses will replace LRT along the entire line, matching train frequency.
• Aug. 16: Regular LRT service will remain between St-Laurent and Tunney's Pasture stations. Beginning at 8 p.m., single-track LRT service will be in place from St-Laurent to Blair stations, with trains running every 15 minutes. There will be no R1 bus service.
• Aug. 17-18: Regular LRT service will be in place along the entire line.
• Aug. 19: Regular LRT service will remain between Lyon and Blair stations. Beginning at 8 p.m., single-track service will be in place between Tunney's Pasture and Lyon stations, with trains running every 15 minutes. There will be no R1 bus service.
• Aug. 20: The entire line will be closed, beginning at 9 p.m. R1 buses will replace LRT service, matching train frequency.
• Aug. 21-25: The entire line will be closed, beginning at 8 p.m. each evening. R1 buses will replace LRT service, matching train frequency.

Full LRT service will resume at the regular time the morning after each closure or partial closure.

According to the memo, the work was originally planned for June, but was postponed due to a delay in delivery of materials to RTG.

"Every light rail system requires regular, proactive maintenance annually to ensure the long-term sustainability and reliability of the system. The system is safe and this year's scheduled maintenance work, and in particular rail grinding and profiling, will ultimately improve ride quality, customer comfort and overall sustainability," according to Amilcar.

Amilcar said the work is being done at night and during the summer "when ridership is lower, to minimize customer impacts as much as possible."

The work will include repairing and replacing rails, inspecting tracks and rail grinding, and calibrating switch heaters to prepare for winter.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/pr...nterrupt-nighttime-lrt-service-1.6544975

[OTSkyline]

Any other system in Canada which has "proactive" closures for days?? I don't hear of Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver closing their subways for 3-5 days at a time for maintenance.

It's becoming increasingly hard to be optimistic about transit in this city.
Underfunding
Steep cost of passes
Unreliable and low frequency bus routes
A flurry of cancellations
Staff shortages
Unreliable LRT
Phase 2 delays of 1 year+

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Any other system in Canada which has "proactive" closures for days?? I don't hear of Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver closing their subways for 3-5 days at a time for maintenance.

It's becoming increasingly hard to be optimistic about transit in this city.
Underfunding
Steep cost of passes
Unreliable and low frequency bus routes
A flurry of cancellations
Staff shortages
Unreliable LRT
Phase 2 delays of 1 year+

Evening and weekend closures are pretty standard.

Cheaper passes and more funding. Transit taxes are already going to come to a head over next few years as LRT capital costs especially with current interest rates need to be funded. Only upper layers of government can save us.

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Any other system in Canada which has "proactive" closures for days?? I don't hear of Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver closing their subways for 3-5 days at a time for maintenance.

It's becoming increasingly hard to be optimistic about transit in this city.
Underfunding
Steep cost of passes
Unreliable and low frequency bus routes
A flurry of cancellations
Staff shortages
Unreliable LRT
Phase 2 delays of 1 year+

Do you regularly check up on other city's benign transit news cycle? Googling shows:

https://calgary.citynews.ca/2022/07/01/calgary-transit-weekend-closures-delays/
https://www.translink.ca/news/2022/july/...construction%20moves%20to%20next%20phase
https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/a-huge-...metro-shut-down-after-smoke-was-detected
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/cote-vertu-garage-construction-delays-1.6040743
https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/montreals-outremont-metro-station-is-going-to-close-for-7-months
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/metros-orange-green-and-blue-lines-disrupted-by-smoke
Aaaaand drumroll please: here's a whole page of TTC Closures for Maintenance:
https://www.ttc.ca/service-advisories/subway-service#e=0

[bartlebooth]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Do you regularly check up on other city's benign transit news cycle? Googling shows:

https://calgary.citynews.ca/2022/07/01/calgary-transit-weekend-closures-delays/
https://www.translink.ca/news/2022/july/...construction%20moves%20to%20next%20phase
https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/a-huge-...metro-shut-down-after-smoke-was-detected
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/cote-vertu-garage-construction-delays-1.6040743
https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/montreals-outremont-metro-station-is-going-to-close-for-7-months
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/metros-orange-green-and-blue-lines-disrupted-by-smoke
Aaaaand drumroll please: here's a whole page of TTC Closures for Maintenance:
https://www.ttc.ca/service-advisories/subway-service#e=0

Yeah, this kind of work seems normal. I've experienced it in other cities at least.

[lrt's friend]

The big problem with the Ottawa closures is the lack of a decent road network following the LRT route. So, bus replacements follow a very awkward routing particularly from the east end. Hurdman Station is particularly awkward to access being in the middle of an empty field with little road access.

In other cities, the road patterns allow for more reasonable bus replacements.

Stage 2 may be even worse. This is coming about because of the success of the old Transitway routing that bypassed traditional street patterns.

[Stacmon]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

The big problem with the Ottawa closures is the lack of a decent road network following the LRT route. So, bus replacements follow a very awkward routing particularly from the east end. Hurdman Station is particularly awkward to access being in the middle of an empty field with little road access.

In other cities, the road patterns allow for more reasonable bus replacements.

Stage 2 may be even worse. This is coming about because of the success of the old Transitway routing that bypassed traditional street patterns.

One thing I think that was done very effectively during some of the earlier Confederation Line disruptions/closures, was the implementation of an express replacement (S1 I believe) instead of only R1 service that stopped at all O-Train stations.

The advantage to some kind of express replacement, especially during rush hour, is that you can get large numbers of people off the R1 buses and much faster to their destination. For example, an express bus could serve customers in the East by going from Blair all the way to downtown stations (perhaps starting with Ottawa U and maybe having a stop at St Laurent beforehand as well to serve that area/pick up customers there).

Ultimately that would mean you have R1 service for people that need to travel up and down the line but an express option for the masses that want to downtown with the least amount of added travel time. Although I see some appeal giving people a single ride from the outer suburbs in a place like Place D'Orleans, if it begins at Blair and Tunney's, it can rely on the existing Stage 1 bus feeder network. There is probably a stronger argument having buses coming from the West go all the way downtown instead of transferring at Tunney's, given how much easier it is for them to just continue on, and given that the bus system routes people from Southern Orleans and Blackburn Hamlet via Innes to Blair. For Hurdman, there could be similar express buses but at that point it is much more likely that the R1 with stops at Lees, and uOttawa, is close enough to downtown not to really justify an express option for people coming from the part of the Transitway feeding Hurdman.

What do the rest of you think about express replacement buses both during and outside of rush hour?

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Any other system in Canada which has "proactive" closures for days?? I don't hear of Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver closing their subways for 3-5 days at a time for maintenance.

It's becoming increasingly hard to be optimistic about transit in this city.
Underfunding
Steep cost of passes
Unreliable and low frequency bus routes
A flurry of cancellations
Staff shortages
Unreliable LRT
Phase 2 delays of 1 year+

Let's use the TTC.
Staff shortages happen. They usually are not that bad, and this pandemic has caused problems for everywhere.
Lines 1 and 2 are regularly shut down in sections over weekends for maintenance, but those lines are 50+ years old.

[OTSkyline]

I like the look and feel our of system and stations. I just wish they were consistently operational

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

I like the look and feel our of system and stations. I just wish they were consistently operational

The look is very good but the feel not so much.

1 washroom at Hurdman has been out of service for a good 2 months now. How Tunneys and Blair gets 3 urinals and toilet stalls but Hurdman and Bayview (Transfer stations!!!)only get a pair of single use toilets just baffles me. I'm tired of wiping piss off the seat. (I understand at the time there would be a massive influx of persons transferring to bus at the terminus)

The boarded up half built coffee goat spots at Hurdman and Tunneys also vex me. It's been so 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 long. Why wouldn't the roof at Hurdman extend to the staircases going down to the bus platform?

By and large all the stations are pretty good but have a few headscratchers.

The staircases are also narrow when things get busy. The staircases that have a center railing also have people walking on the wrong side(not the right) I'm guilty of that myself sometimes because it only matters when there is a mass ebb and flow of people.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

The look is very good but the feel not so much.

1 washroom at Hurdman has been out of service for a good 2 months now. How Tunneys and Blair gets 3 urinals and toilet stalls but Hurdman and Bayview (Transfer stations!!!)only get a pair of single use toilets just baffles me. I'm tired of wiping piss off the seat. (I understand at the time there would be a massive influx of persons transferring to bus at the terminus)

The boarded up half built coffee goat spots at Hurdman and Tunneys also vex me. It's been so 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 long. Why wouldn't the roof at Hurdman extend to the staircases going down to the bus platform?

By and large all the stations are pretty good but have a few headscratchers.

The staircases are also narrow when things get busy. The staircases that have a center railing also have people walking on the wrong side(not the right) I'm guilty of that myself sometimes because it only matters when there is a mass ebb and flow of people.

Very annoying. Sometimes you have to when someone in front is really slow. Also hate it when people sit in the stairs to talk on the phone, or just stop at the stairs to look at their phone. Plenty of space to do that away from the vertical circulation in a corner somewhere.

It also annoys me when people go through the fare gates from the left.

Design wise, those grooves along the stairs that are supposed to be runnels to get your bike up and down. Wow, that was badly designed.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Very annoying. Sometimes you have to when someone in front is really slow. Also hate it when people sit in the stairs to talk on the phone, or just stop at the stairs to look at their phone. Plenty of space to do that away from the vertical circulation in a corner somewhere.

It also annoys me when people go through the fare gates from the left.

Design wise, those grooves along the stairs that are supposed to be runnels to get your bike up and down. Wow, that was badly designed.

The runnels on the side eh? hmm.. I noticed them but it never dawned on me that was the idea.

The platforms could use a few more benches as well. Each side of Hurdman has 1 bench despite there being plenty of room in the areas at the top of the escalator and platform. I realize we have very nice frequency even in off peak hours but an extra bench doesn't seem like a big ask.

[lrt's friend]

The odor downtown was still apparent (maybe more muted than in the past but still there) the last time I rode the train in July. That really makes a bad impression of the city.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

The runnels on the side eh? hmm.. I noticed them but it never dawned on me that was the idea.

The platforms could use a few more benches as well. Each side of Hurdman has 1 bench despite there being plenty of room in the areas at the top of the escalator and platform. I realize we have very nice frequency even in off peak hours but an extra bench doesn't seem like a big ask.

Heck, I'd settle for lean bars.

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

The odor downtown was still apparent (maybe more muted than in the past but still there) the last time I rode the train in July. That really makes a bad impression of the city.

More muted or are we just getting used to it?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

The look is very good but the feel not so much.

1 washroom at Hurdman has been out of service for a good 2 months now. How Tunneys and Blair gets 3 urinals and toilet stalls but Hurdman and Bayview (Transfer stations!!!)only get a pair of single use toilets just baffles me. I'm tired of wiping piss off the seat. (I understand at the time there would be a massive influx of persons transferring to bus at the terminus)

The boarded up half built coffee goat spots at Hurdman and Tunneys also vex me. It's been so 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 long. Why wouldn't the roof at Hurdman extend to the staircases going down to the bus platform?

By and large all the stations are pretty good but have a few headscratchers.

The staircases are also narrow when things get busy. The staircases that have a center railing also have people walking on the wrong side(not the right) I'm guilty of that myself sometimes because it only matters when there is a mass ebb and flow of people.

I have used Hurdman Station many times, and there is so many things I dislike about the station design. You highlighted a few of them. I still think the location of next bus screens is bad. I always arrange to be at the back of the train so I am at the closest location to the bus depot and there is no next bus screens until you are already at the bus stop. At least they have created what looks like 'temporary' weather protection to the bus shelters but the weather protection is not continuous from the trains. It poured rain on my last trip.

[J.OT13]

I'm puzzled when it comes to where and when OC decides to put up next bus screens. Hurdman should have some in the huge concourse. Add some seating and tables in there as well (for people to eat if/when Happy Goat ever opens).

Blair should also get screens at the concourse levels, or at least in the Happy Goat concourse where this is some space away from the main circulation.

Downtown stations should have next train and bus arrival screens at their entrances. I don't want to go all the way down just to find out that the train is not in service.

Thinking about it, the only station where I remember seeing bus arrival screens in the concourse is at Lees.

[OTSkyline]

I don't think faint smells in underground transit stations are unique to Ottawa. If you've taken the subway in New-York, Montreal, Toronto, it's unfortunately a common thing. Maybe they could add some automatic fragrance sprays? haha

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

I don't think faint smells in underground transit stations are unique to Ottawa. If you've taken the subway in New-York, Montreal, Toronto, it's unfortunately a common thing. Maybe they could add some automatic fragrance sprays? haha

You laugh, but they tried that once. Manconi was not happy and ordered them removed.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

The staircases are also narrow when things get busy. The staircases that have a center railing also have people walking on the wrong side(not the right) I'm guilty of that myself sometimes because it only matters when there is a mass ebb and flow of people.

It's puzzling that there isn't a social nudge on those stairs to help keep the two directions of foot traffic out of conflict with one another.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I have used Hurdman Station many times, and there is so many things I dislike about the station design. You highlighted a few of them. I still think the location of next bus screens is bad. I always arrange to be at the back of the train so I am at the closest location to the bus depot and there is no next bus screens until you are already at the bus stop. At least they have created what looks like 'temporary' weather protection to the bus shelters but the weather protection is not continuous from the trains. It poured rain on my last trip.

With the lower concourse split in half there should obviously be another screen on the non washroom side given that's where the busses are. I actually had no idea there was a screen by the faregates until recently as I have never used them.
This is a very noticeable issue at 8:50 PM before they switch to the night stop. Walk all the way to the far bus stop to see your bus comes in 15 minutes via the screen in the shelter. OK... guess I'm walking back to the night stop.