OC Transpo

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I just marvel how Ottawa has let transit service go to pot in central areas of the city, making short trips difficult. I still contend that a lot of the issues is the policy of basically having one fare apply to the whole city. In the long run, this discourages use of transit for short trips because we keep jacking up the fares to pay for service extensions further and further from the city but charge exactly the same fare. In SF, regional service is separate and you pay much more but is easily justified by the distance travelled.

It doesn't help that the "splitter" party is now in charge of transit planning. BUT GOD FORBID YOU MAKE SUBURBANITES TRANSFER.

[DarkArconio]

octranspo bus location app posted today for iOS, you can find it in the app store under MyTransit - OC Transpo
I have not yet tested it out, though the reviews suggest a significant amount of issues. Still, better than nothing!

[Chris-R]

Originally Posted by DarkArconio

octranspo bus location app posted today for iOS, you can find it in the app store under MyTransit - OC Transpo
I have not yet tested it out, though the reviews suggest a significant amount of issues. Still, better than nothing!

iOS 5+. So those of us with an decrepit old iPhone 3G or iPod Touch 2G do not qualify.

[MountainView]

I tried out the app today on my iPhone and it definitely did have some issues. For example, I selected route 86 and it asked me if I wanted Baseline or Elmvale, so I selected Baseline, but it gave me the Elmvale direction (did this whether I selected Baseline or Elmvale). Also route 95 Barrhaven Centre wasn't giving me station times along the transitway from Bayview to Westboro. Also tested it out on the dreaded 111 Carleton... the up to date times seemed to be working and were updating every time I refreshed the app data, which I did about once every 30 seconds while I waited for the bus this afternoon. Overall there are some kinks as expected; but I think they are easy to resolve and I think this app should be successful. Now... they just need to make it for blackberries.

[Admiral Nelson]

Once they release it to open source developers (tomorrow) we should begin to see apps for Android, Blackberry, etc. About time!

[S-Man]

I hope this is the right location for this post - it concerns the news of the 2.1 percent ridership drop in the last quarter (?) of 2013.

I heard Watson on the radio explaining it away as being due to federal government staff reductions and weather.

While I can easily see these reasons making up the bulk of the losses, I'm tempted to believe they don't account for the whole amount. The extra strain, IMHO, would be service levels - something I've griped about before.

Case in point - last Friday I'm out in the market meeting friends. Keep in mind I live close to downtown, and took the bus there. At a quarter to midnight, we part ways - not a late night for most on a Friday leading into a long weekend.

I took the 14 there, but only because I missed the 4, which goes closer to my house. I was hoping to take one of the 2 back. I hate waitinf for buses on Rideau, so I often walk to Confederation square and wait for either bus on Elgin.

I don't get to themarket as much as I used to, but when I got to the stop at exactly midnight, I saw the last 4 had left downtown at 11:51. The last 14 on the schedule wasn't expected until 12:33 - over half an hour from where I was.

Not wanting to spend money on a cab (not rich, and that stuff adds up), I started walking. I calculated that got home 2 minutes earlier than if I had waited for that last 14. While I was walking I couldn't help to think of all the Carleton U students who take the 4 back to res or their apartments off of Bronson on either side. I've mentioned before the crappy service for people who live in he old urban area of Ottawa (think streetcar distance from downtown), and this did nothing to sway my opinion.

Carleton students are likely to go out on a Friday (or Saturday) to drink with friends. They'll likely hit up the Market. Many are new to the city. On a Friday, would you expect the last bus running to your area to leave downtown at 11:51pm? I checked the only other transit option (the O-Train), and the last run leaves Bayview at exactly midnight, meaning you'd have to catch a connecting 90-series bus to get you to Bayview, no later than 11:45pm.

Is this not dumb?

Students have Upasses and are big riders of transit. Many thousands of students and people live along that bus route (the 4), and along the O-Train as well. If they realize too late that transit rolls up the carpet before midnight on a Friday, they're stuck with a $25 or so cab ride from downtown. Again, most students are reasonably broke, which is why the U-pass is useful, but they'd spend what they need to in order to get back home at night. Windfall for the cabbies, I guess.

What I'm trying to say is, how many times does my situation occur to a transit user? To what extent does that impact ridership? I have to imagine that a couple of late runs along those inner-city routes on, say, a Friday and Saturday, would not be empty. People would use them to the point where it's not just a charity, money-losing run.

Thoughts?

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by S-Man

I heard Watson on the radio explaining it away as being due to federal government staff reductions and weather.

Considering we had one of the earliest starts of winter weather in recent years I can't see how that would've lead to a drop in ridership in last quarter of 2013. Doesn't ridership usually goes up in inclement weather?

[J.OT13]

Ever since they took out the streetcars, service has bee bad in urban Ottawa. I'm sure it accounts for the lack of ridership increase, but not necessarily ridership loss.

I think the Federal cuts and exodus out of downtown (probably lost around 10,000 jobs downtown in the last few years) accounts for the majority. The lack of bus service to Carleton along with the inconsistent O-Train service might have prompted some students to get a car.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by S-Man

I hope this is the right location for this post - it concerns the news of the 2.1 percent ridership drop in the last quarter (?) of 2013

...

Carleton students are likely to go out on a Friday (or Saturday) to drink with friends. They'll likely hit up the Market. Many are new to the city. ... Again, most students are reasonably broke
...

Thoughts?

I'm not saying that improved late-night transit to Carleton or other places is not a good idea... but if students are broke, why are they heading out to drink $7 beers?

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I'm not saying that improved late-night transit to Carleton or other places is not a good idea... but if students are broke, why are they heading out to drink $7 beers?

Because they're alive. Were you never young?

[McC]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I'm not saying that improved late-night transit to Carleton or other places is not a good idea... but if students are broke, why are they heading out to drink $7 beers?

and don't get me started on their smartphones, and sneakers, and slim-fit jeans, and sense of entitlement... I tell you, the kids these days!

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by S-Man

Carleton students are likely to go out on a Friday (or Saturday) to drink with friends. They'll likely hit up the Market. Many are new to the city. On a Friday, would you expect the last bus running to your area to leave downtown at 11:51pm? I checked the only other transit option (the O-Train), and the last run leaves Bayview at exactly midnight, meaning you'd have to catch a connecting 90-series bus to get you to Bayview, no later than 11:45pm.

Is this not dumb?

Also dumb: OC Transpo's insistence on running the 7 to/from Carleton on standard buses instead of artics. The overcrowding and attendant failure to adhere to anything resembling a schedule, is a perennial problem, and one that OC Transpo doesn't care about.

OC Transpo doesn't care about any service deficiencies inside the old city of Ottawa and the streetcar suburbs, as far as I can tell.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Also dumb: OC Transpo's insistence on running the 7 to/from Carleton on standard buses instead of artics. The overcrowding and attendant failure to adhere to anything resembling a schedule, is a perennial problem, and one that OC Transpo doesn't care about.

OC Transpo doesn't care about any service deficiencies inside the old city of Ottawa and the streetcar suburbs, as far as I can tell.

As long you are willing to accept a service frequency cut of 33% to get articulated buses. Is that what you really want?

Service cuts always accompany the regular use of articulated or double decker buses on a particular route.

I just love having to wait 40 minutes for a bus after just 2 cm of snow, like this morning. But I did get one of those spiffy artic buses. haha. I'd rather get more frequent service so I don't freeze my butt off waiting and waiting and waiting.

[S-Man]

[QUOTEand don't get me started on their smartphones, and sneakers, and slim-fit jeans, and sense of entitlement... I tell you, the kids these days!
][/QUOTE]

Damn hipsters, buying their New York-style condos in The Bowery and setting the trends, not following them.....

But seriously, the whole time I was walking home I was thinking that if I lived near Longfields/Strandherd/Barrhaven Centre, I could drink till 2 a.m. and still be guaranteed a bus ride home.

Am I expected to ride a fixey bike everywhere I go, because I'm NEAR downtown?

Get real. OC Transpo can suck it.

[1overcosc]

I think that Watson is probably right in that federal downsizing is the root cause of ridership decline, but regardless of all that, extended service hours on Friday & Saturday nights is a must for the city's nightlife (a major component of a real city) to grow and thrive. You can't expect everybody to pay religious attention to the clock so they can catch the last bus at 11:35PM when everybody else is still partying, or to pay for a cab which can be prohibitively expensive.

What we need: All black routes in the city extended from midnight to 3am on Friday & Saturday nights.

Also, not related, but we need a '10 minute max all day' policy on all Transitway routes & key urban locals.

Yes these proposals cost money. But they're needed. Find the money elsewhere in the city's operation or suck it up and raise taxes.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by gjhall

Because they're alive. Were you never young?

Sure... I just find ironic to complain about the expense of tuition/transportation while doling out wads of cash at bars & Starbucks....

As I said, I certainly don't oppose improved late night service, but I don't think it would result in a 2% ridership bump.

Guaranteed minimum frequencies are a good idea... I'm not sure it would noticeably improve service (since the "minimums" could just be whatever the frequency is today), but it would probably be a good marketing tool.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

As long you are willing to accept a service frequency cut of 33% to get articulated buses. Is that what you really want?

I am pretty sure I don't have to do any such thing.

I just love having to wait 40 minutes for a bus after just 2 cm of snow, like this morning. But I did get one of those spiffy artic buses. haha. I'd rather get more frequent service so I don't freeze my butt off waiting and waiting and waiting.

When the bus comes along too crowded to take on any additional passengers, you end up waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting as well.

Common problem on the 7 and 12. OC Transpo doesn't care. They do not care about transit service in central neighbourhoods. They simply do not care.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I'm not saying that improved late-night transit to Carleton or other places is not a good idea... but if students are broke, why are they heading out to drink $7 beers?

I think the students are broke because of the $7 beers...

[S-Man]

Just saw this on 580 CFRA:

Councillors, transit union say past OC Transpo route cuts to blame for declining ridership

Posted on 2/19/2014 6:25:00 PM by Stephanie Kinsella
City councillors and the president of the transit union say the sweeping cuts and changes to OC Transpo from a couple of years ago are finally catching up and resulting in lower ridership levels.

Councillor Marianne Wilkinson said she will ask the auditor general to review the issue next year.

"We've had a lot of new communities built, many of them have no bus service at all, and yet they are paying full bus taxes, which are hundreds are hundreds of dollars a year."

Back in 2011, the "route optimization" as OC Transpo called it saw routes reduced, merged with others and longer walks to bus stops for some riders. It was part of a plan to save upwards of $20 million a year.

But Wilkinson said it's time for a review.

"Are we providing value to the people who provide that money to us? And I think it's a situation we haven't looked at very much?"

In 2013, 97.8 million passenger trips were recorded, down from 103 million in 2011.

City staff have consistently pointed to the thousands of fewer jobs in the capital. Mayor Jim Watson even blamed the cold weather, arguing more people are inclined to drive their cars because "cold weather is a factor in people not wanting to stand outside waiting for the bus."

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279 President Craig Watson said neither of those are the main reasons for the drop in ridership.

"Route optimization did affect the city. I mean, you have people now, seniors, who cannot get a bus...Route optimization did affect this city, but it was an economic decision by the council and transit commission, and you have to accept it," he said. "It's going to cause ridership to drop. Don't be surprised ridership is down because you made decisions. Live with your decisions."

On Wednesday, Transit manager John Manconi maintained "there is no statistical evidence that we have that says there is a direct correlation between route optimization and ridership drop."

[rocketphish]

Metrolinx squares up $10 million it owed Ottawa for Presto Card delays

By Michael Woods, OTTAWA CITIZEN February 19, 2014

OTTAWA — The City of Ottawa received more than $10 million in settlement money last year from Metrolinx for delays associated with implementing the Presto Card.

The city’s transit commission was told Wednesday morning that final full settlement funds were received from Metrolinx, the provincial agency which provides the Presto cards for OC Transpo, in December.

The Presto card was initially supposed to launch in July 2012, but was delayed for months due to technical problems.

The city’s transit commission had requested that Metrolinx reimburse the city for the cost of the delay.

Coun. Diane Deans, chair of the transit commission, told Wednesday’s meeting that the city has been reimbursed for the full net incremental costs of the delay.

About $5.64 million of the payment was to cover “implementation delay costs.” Deans said. That includes incremental costs such as marketing and project management expenses.

It also includes impacts on revenues, such as the cancellation of planned July 2012 fare increases for some categories.

In April 2013, when the city approved full implementation of the Presto Card, city staff were asked to report back to the commission about the costs of the delay. At that point, the city received $3 million from Metrolinx for capital investment, and payment toward two-thirds of the forecast delay costs.

The city received another $1.56 million in “project work that had been identified as required by the city.”

Coun. Deans said there are now more than 140,000 Presto cards in active use in Ottawa, and there have been more than 16.5 million successful taps.

mwoods@ottawacitizen.com

twitter.com/michaelrwoods
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