OC Transpo

[JCL]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

I know the first priority is to redirect Transitway runs (especially the 95) to local routes and lower-frequency express routes (such as the rural routes and Routes 65 and 69, for example) if a trip has to be cancelled. The reason is to avoid routes running every 30-60 minutes, for example, skipping a trip resulting in a 1 hour or longer wait between buses.

After Transitway routes, frequent non-Transitway routes (such as the 4, 12, 85 and 118) and more frequent express routes (such as the 35, 61 and 77) are next in line to be passed over (although they would never pass over a last trip if they can't avoid it). During off-peak periods, cancellations generally are intermittent and only apply to one trip at a time (right after, say a breakdown or accident), since they don't normally need to divert buses and can use spares or out of service buses.

600-series school routes, or routes with school trips are priority trips as well. But everything else you said, you're pretty much correct.

But before they ever decide to pull a run to cover another route, OC use "extras" to cover trips - which are runs with no scheduled trips that act as a replacement bus. The run numbers for extras (which are displayed on the front windshield, next to the fare card) begins with 109 (i.e. 109-1 or 109-20, etc.). Extras during weekdays sit at either St. Laurent Station or Baseline Station as there is a Supervisor on duty; or weekends at Hurdman Station when they haven't instructed to cover a trip.

Another way how cancelled trip are covered would be operators who voluntarily extend and finish their shift at the garage later than scheduled to do additional trips on top of their regularly scheduled work. Operators who extend to cover trip are referred to as "reporters". Ever see a double decker bus just after the rush hour on Route 1, 4, 95, 118, etc? Those would be reporters. Supervisors/Transit Control usually appreciate bus operator who extends whenever all the extras have been exhausted and cannot pull any other runs off to cover a trip.

[1overcosc]

My boyfriend's dad is a bus driver and apparently there's shifts that involve sitting in the lounge all day as standby for extra runs.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

My boyfriend's dad is a bus driver and apparently there's shifts that involve sitting in the lounge all day as standby for extra runs.

Those would be Morning Spare operators to cover regular operator's absences. Morning spares report to a garage at the specified time then standby until a shift is available. Late-morning, afternoon and evening spares pick their shifts based on regular operator's absences by phone instead of going standby, unless there are more spare operators than work available.

Spares are not to be confused with "extras" that cover a cancelled trip.

[rocketphish]

City takes second look, declares buses, municipal sites 'no-vaping' zones

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 13, 2015, Last Updated: March 13, 2015 12:24 PM EDT

The City of Ottawa has taken a harder look at its transit bylaw and now says the use of e-cigarettes on city buses and the O-Train is illegal, and that anyone caught “vaping,” as the practice is known, could face fines of up to $5,000.

City Solicitor Rick O’Connor released a statement on the practice late Thursday after being asked by Mayor Jim Watson and other officials to review the legislation following comments from OC Transpo officials earlier this week that seemed to suggest the use of e-cigarettes, which deliver nicotine to a smoker without the need to be burned like a traditional cigarette, was permitted.

“Given that the City has received numerous public complaints regarding the use of e-cigarettes on buses and other OC Transpo property, it is apparent that the use of e-cigarettes may interfere with the comfort and convenience of other transit riders and users may therefore be subject to enforcement action, including fines of up to $5,000. I would like to apologize for any confusion that the earlier legal comments may have given,” O’Connor said in the emailed statement.

He noted that city bylaws expressly prohibit anyone from “interfering with the comfort and convenience of other transit riders.”

Ottawa’s public transit system is not an outlier on this issue. The use of e-cigarettes is banned on both Montreal and Vancouver’s system.

And the Toronto Transit Commission will be bringing a bylaw amendment forward later this year to prohibit e-cigarettes on all TTC property.

While e-cigarettes do not create the same smoke as traditional cigarettes, the vapour does contain nicotine, some of which the user exhales.

That exhaled vapour may be unwanted by people near the e-cigarette user.

O’Connor went further to say that recently reworded bylaws would treat e-cigarettes like regular cigarettes, meaning they would be banned wherever regular cigarette use is banned.

“Members may recall that, by virtue of amendments made to the City’s Parks and Facilities By-law, City Council in June 2012 broadened the definition of ‘smoke’ or ‘smoking’ to capture a wider array of activities. Therefore, it is my opinion that this expanded definition of “smoke” or “smoking” effectively prohibits the use of e-cigarettes and ‘vaping’ in City of Ottawa parks and other outdoor municipal properties,” he said.

Users of e-cigarettes are advised to use the devices away from public places, and in the “smoking spots” that have sprung up on municipal property.

Users of e-cigarettes say they are not surprised by the latest ban. But they’re not impressed either.

“If they’re banning the e-cigarette, it’s because of a stigma from the cigarette,” said Davis Holly.

He switched to e-cigarettes four years ago and operates three shops where the devices are sold. And business is good, Holly said, noting he’s planning to open two more shops soon.

People still want the pleasure of smoking, but without the tar and carcinogens, he said. His device is discreet, but gives him a small nicotine boost whenever he’d like one, such as when he’s at a movie theatre.

Holly said he doesn’t use public transit, so the ban won’t affect him. Yet, he said, it does seem part of a wider push to further reduce the freedoms of people who choose to vape.

“It’s just a small part of what’s to come,” he said.

mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...o-vaping-zones

[rocketphish]

Transpo U-Pass finally becomes official for Algonquin students

Alicia K. Gosselin, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 13, 2015, Last Updated: March 13, 2015 11:21 AM EDT

It’s been three years in the making, but representatives from Algonquin College, the Algonquin Students’ Association and OC Transpo will be signing the Universal Transit Pass Agreement (U-Pass) Friday to officially adopt the system starting in the fall semester.

The agreement comes after 83 per cent of students at Algonquin College voted in favour of the U-Pass during a five-day online referendum last November.

Once adopted in September, full-time Algonquin students will be required to buy the discounted bus pass for a fee of up to $199 per four-month semester. At present, students over the age of 19 pay a regular bus pass fare, about $100 per month.

Students who live outside Transpo’s service area can opt out of the program, which will be overseen by college staff and the Algonquin Students’ Association.

“We’ve worked really hard and are really excited to be able to provide students with his option,” said Cristina Miller, president of the Students’ Association at the college. “It’s been a long time coming and everyone has done an incredible job at pulling their part and we are happy with the outcome.”

According to the Algonquin Student’s Association website, “the U-Pass provides a discount between 41 and 50 per cent compared to student monthly passes, and a discount between 53 and 62 per cent compared to adult monthly passes.”

The U-Pass program is valid on all routes, including express routes.

The program is also already available at the University of Ottawa, Saint Paul University and Carleton University. La Cité Collégiale and Dominican University College do not have u-pass programs.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...nquin-students

[Dundas]

Those would be reporters. Supervisors/Transit Control usually appreciate bus operator who extends whenever all the extras have been
exhausted and cannot pull any other runs off to cover a trip.

I'm sure the drivers also appreciate the time and a half overtime pay

[TransitZilla]

Marianne Wilkinson has a page on her website regarding OC Transpo service improvements in Kanata starting in June.

http://mariannewilkinson.com/oc-transpo/

The highlights:
-15 minute mid-day service on route 93
-Route 96A is re-numbered 92 and re-routed via Campeau
-new weekday route 165 between Morgan's Grant and Terry Fox along the same routing as the new 64.
-Route 168 extended to Bridlewood and the Wal-mart at Terry Fox and Fernbank, replacing route 164.
-Route 161 also extended to the Wal-mart.
-Route 164 becomes a peak-only route to Hope Side
-New route 163 in Stittsville

[Cre47]

How many times the 163 was created and than removed? Must be at least the 3rd time it has been created as a local route in Stittsville.

Finally they plugged that ridiculous service gap from Kanata North to Terry Fox, but should also run on weekends. There is still a gap between Terry Fox and Kanata North on the weekend or should say most of the busiest shopping periods and frequency is only every 60 minutes and only outside of rush hour meaning there is no service from Terry Fox in the morning peak and the other way in the afternoon peak (Route 64 only covers one direction and in the morning it's express fare only). Should have instead extended the 93. It's only a three minute extension and would be way more beneficial than the new 165 and plugging all service gaps from Kanata North to Terry Fox.

And finally they did get rid of the ridiculous Stonehaven/Grassy Plains one-way loop. However I don't like the merging of the 164 with the 168 portions which lengthens the time travel to Terry Fox or forcing a transfer to route 96 or route 92. However, they are getting later service on weekends in some parts?

Another problem is there is still no planned routes to enter the subdivision north of the Wal-Mart & Dollarama on Fernbank. It is still a substantial walk away and note that most of the streets shown on the map around Wal-Mart have still not yet been done.

[1overcosc]

Good to hear. Kanata is definitely the most underserved area of the city transit-wise. Much of it even violated the city's own already poor service standards. This brings it up to par with what's to be expected in a suburban area, although there's obviously lots of potential for improvement still.

That service expansion money in the 2015 budget is so far being put to good use. I look forward to seeing what else comes of it (they said service improvements in Kanata, Orleans, Barrhaven, and Bank Street).

[1overcosc]

Looking at it more closely, I'm a bit surprised the 163 goes from Stittsville to Kanata via Hazeldean & Huntmar. Travel times would be faster if went directly up Carp to the 417 to Terry Fox, like what the green express 262 route does. The travel time savings could have been used to extend the 163 down Fernbank to the Smart Centre, which would bring some transit service to those new subdivisions and fill in a missing gap in Kanata South.

It's also a very good thing that the new Fernbank power centre now has transit service. It's a very large retail area. I was there with a friend last month and I was shocked at just how many stores are there. It looks weird, too, as its basically in the middle of nowhere surrounded by forests and fields on all sides. That probably won't last much longer though given how much the Fernbank area is filling in lately.

[eternallyme]

Looking at that, how I would do it (there would be no changes to express routes):

93 - I'd make several changes.

* Increase frequency to 15 minutes midday
* To improve transfers from Kanata South and to the 96, all trips should service Eagleson Park and Ride in both directions before turning around.
* Extend those midday trips, as well as evening trips on weekdays (except very late in the evening) and daytime on weekends, downtown along the 96 routing.
* Peak period, peak direction trips (when the express routes are running) as well as late evening, weekend evening and early Sunday morning trips, should end at Eagleson (timed with the 96).
* Peak period, counter-peak direction trips should remain as it is now (ending at LeBreton), to avoid downtown overcrowding and tie into express routes to avoid deadheading.

96 - Operate only a single route as far as Terry Fox, then via the 96A routing to Canadian Tire Centre, then a two-way, alternating direction loop through Stittsville (some trips initiating on the Fringewood routing, others initiating on the Stittsville Main routing).

118 - Extend route along Hazeldean to Huntmar, then around the Campeau Loop to the Canadian Tire Centre. There would be no all-day service on Terry Fox, but it would be a short walk to the 96 and 118.

161 - Revise Bridlewood loop to operate mostly on the 164 routing in Bridlewood except also covering the northern part of the current 161 to bring full Bridlewood service, and operate all day, 7 days a week (replacing parts of the 96 and 164). The 161 routing would remain unchanged in Glen Cairn and Katimavik-Hazeldean.

NEW 162 - New linear route along Campeau, Katimavik and Terry Fox from Eagleson to Hope Side Road, partially replacing Routes 118 and 164, during peak periods only.

NEW 164 - Create Route 165 as proposed, except should be numbered 164 to keep pace with the express numbers, and add service on the daytime on weekends.

NEW 166 - Partially a renumbering of Route 164 and partially a new route. It would operate along Campeau and Eagleson directly to Kanata South Business Park, then through the Fernbank community. It would operate 7 days a week, although less frequently than Route 161 (generally every hour off-peak, every 30 minutes during peaks) with no weekend evening service.

168 - Leave route largely alone, except that it should be a two-way linear route, and not a loop route, between Eagleson and Terry Fox, using the same routing as Route 68 for the most part (with new all-day service on Walden and Weslock). Service on Goldridge and Stikine should removed (replaced with 164), and along Katimavik would be serviced by Route 96. In the future, it should be extended to Tanger via Campeau once a connection exists.

188 and 196 - Eliminate routes as they are covered by other service.

In this proposal, the Walmart plaza in Kanata South would have the 166 at most time periods and the 162 during peak periods. There would be no 92 (the extra local service and 15 minute service to Tanger would eliminate that need) and no 163 (as the 161 would cover that whole area).

[eternallyme]

Here is the map I am proposing for Kanata and Stittsville:

Thick lines are more frequent routes (Transitway and major routes) and thinner lines are less frequent.



Route 93 - Orange
Route 96 - Green
Route 118 - Red
Route 161 - Pink
Route 162 - Maroon
Route 164 - Purple
Route 166 - Yellow
Route 168 - Blue

Service hours and notes:
93 - Full service, 7 days a week, every 10-20 minutes during peak periods, 15 minutes midday, 30 minutes evenings and weekends

96 - Full service, 7 days a week, every 5-10 minutes during peak periods, every 15 minutes midday (every 30 minutes on each loop direction), every 15 minutes to Tanger evenings and weekends (30 minutes to Stittsville clockwise only), every 30 minutes late evenings; some peak period trips end at Terry Fox

118 - Full service, 7 days a week, every 10-15 minutes during peak periods, every 15 minutes most other times

161 - Full service, 7 days a week, every 30 minutes during most time periods (every 60 minutes late evenings)

162 - Peak periods only, every 30 minutes (AM northbound and PM southbound)

164 - Limited service, 7 days a week, every 30 minutes peak period/counter-peak direction, 60 minutes during most time periods, no peak period/peak direction service or weekend evening service

166 - Limited service, 7 days a week, every 30 minutes during peak periods, every 60 minutes other times, no weekend evening service

168 - Full service, 7 days a week, every 30 minutes during most time periods (every 60 minutes late evenings)

The 164 and 166 would largely interline each other (peak period service could use buses otherwise deadheading), although the 161 and 168 wouldn't be able to interline with anything. The 168 along Campeau West and the 162 and 166 routings in the Fernbank area are as roads permit (also I think the 96 would have to use Huntmar to Hazeldean until Maple Grove connects to Stittsville Main, ultimately if Stittsville Main is extended to Palladium/Campeau then the 96 should follow that route with the 118 along Huntmar). The 196 would be eliminated immediately, the 188 would be eliminated once the 168 is extended.

In terms of cost:

93 - Increased cost for downtown extension and more frequent midday service, somewhat offset by shortening peak direction and late evening trips to end at Eagleson

96 - Basically neutral, the only thing changing is that the 96C branch and Castlefrank/Hazeldean service is eliminated (covered by the 118 and 161); the funding used for the 196 would be used here as well evenings and weekends

118 - Basically neutral, no doubling back along Katimavik, instead along Hazeldean and Huntmar

161 (combining 161 and current 164) - Decreased cost due to shorter, consistent route, although the loop is a bit longer than the current 164 loop in Bridlewood to maximize coverage

162 - Basically the same as the current 164 Hope Side branch, so neutral

164/166 (interlined) - New costs introduced as these are essentially new services, some of it offset by the decrease in the cost of operating the 161

168 - Basically neutral after Campeau West opens, decreased until then, southern part of the loop is removed (along Katimavik)

[Uhuniau]

Imagine how much easier it would be to service Kanata by transit if it wasn't all macro- and micro-loops and swirls and other 1970s suburban crap layouts, that the city keeps approving?

Imagine the millions of dollars that are wasted, and will continue to be wasted for generations, because of this crappy, inefficient way of using land, that has been permanently etched into the landscape, and which continues to be etched into the landscape.

And then - and then - these suburban dwellers bitch and whine about taxes.

Sheesh.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Imagine how much easier it would be to service Kanata by transit if it wasn't all macro- and micro-loops and swirls and other 1970s suburban crap layouts, that the city keeps approving?

Imagine the millions of dollars that are wasted, and will continue to be wasted for generations, because of this crappy, inefficient way of using land, that has been permanently etched into the landscape, and which continues to be etched into the landscape.

And then - and then - these suburban dwellers bitch and whine about taxes.

Sheesh.

Newer areas have street layouts that are easier to serve by transit. In Stittsville West, they deliberately arranged the streets so that Westridge Drive could have a straight line transit route collecting the area. The new Fernbank & Arcadia developments also have layouts that are linear-ish thus allowing for straight line transit.

It's getting transit into the older areas that are stuck with their spaghetti loops, like Bridlewood and Beaverbrook, that is always going to be a pain.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Newer areas have street layouts that are easier to serve by transit. In Stittsville West, they deliberately arranged the streets so that Westridge Drive could have a straight line transit route collecting the area. The new Fernbank & Arcadia developments also have layouts that are linear-ish thus allowing for straight line transit.

It's getting transit into the older areas that are stuck with their spaghetti loops, like Bridlewood and Beaverbrook, that is always going to be a pain.

Well, only "always" if we choose it to be. The city can try and undo its stupid planning decisions of the past, a little at a time. But they won't. There is no appetite for sprawl repair here, only for more sprawl, or cuter sprawl, or both.

And linear-ish bangequals linear.

[1overcosc]

Fixing up the street grids is something the city should look into. The city should plan out new streets in places like Bridlewood that punch through the crescents to make the street grid more connective. This would require taking out houses. This could be done either through expropriation (which would be a NIMBY nightmare) or through a willing-buyer-willing-seller model where the city buys those houses as they come on the market, perhaps with a rule that the city is the only one allowed to buy them (is such a thing legal in Ontario?). That way the city could slowly acquire land for new connector streets to break the crescents.

[eternallyme]

Bridlewood was a tough area to design a route setup for, as was the Beaverbrook/Kanata Lakes area. Topography is another issue in Kanata Lakes, the hills limit street design options.

[Cre47]

http://www.octranspo1.com/routes/new_spring_service

They are slightly extending route 164 to cover the entire Hope Side Rd stretch as it looks they are starting to fill the last patch of unfilled land at Old Richmond Road. Now if they can connect both halves of Meadowbreeze, they can also have route 66 serving the area

And exactly, there are several places where there are several crescents aligned in which they make a collector route connecting all of them (one example is in the south part which can start from Meadowbreeze west and go all the way to Old Richmond connecting at least 5 streets that are crescents - another one further north can go from Eagleson to Stonehaven just south of Bridgstone connecting another 5 crescents. Unfortunately there are so many of those, it would mean at several dozens perhaps over 100+ residences expropriated, some of them townhomes/rowhouses.

Since the amalgamation, the street layouts improved somewhat, although unfortunately I don't like the street layout for the Cardinal Creek area and also in the Brian Coburn/Tenth Line/Mer Bleue, the latter one which has some street layouts familiar to Bridlewood's (the P-shaped crescents)

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Cre47

http://www.octranspo1.com/routes/new_spring_service

They are slightly extending route 164 to cover the entire Hope Side Rd stretch as it looks they are starting to fill the last patch of unfilled land at Old Richmond Road. Now if they can connect both halves of Meadowbreeze, they can also have route 66 serving the area

And exactly, there are several places where there are several crescents aligned in which they make a collector route connecting all of them (one example is in the south part which can start from Meadowbreeze west and go all the way to Old Richmond connecting at least 5 streets that are crescents - another one further north can go from Eagleson to Stonehaven just south of Bridgstone connecting another 5 crescents. Unfortunately there are so many of those, it would mean at several dozens perhaps over 100+ residences expropriated, some of them townhomes/rowhouses.

Since the amalgamation, the street layouts improved somewhat, although unfortunately I don't like the street layout for the Cardinal Creek area and also in the Brian Coburn/Tenth Line/Mer Bleue, the latter one which has some street layouts familiar to Bridlewood's (the P-shaped crescents)

Cardinal Creek is somewhat constrained by geography though, due to the creek and hillside, plus also impacted by large acreages that developed there during the era of the Township of Cumberland.

[eternallyme]

Here is a route setup I can think of for Kanata and Stittsville for express routes. I tried to maximize coverage, keep travel times reasonable and avoid busting the budget with only a slight increase in the number of trips for increased ridership in new areas. There is no increase in the number of routes, but several routes get new numbers. Since Stittsville has not been considered rural for transit purposes for several years, I remove the misleading 260-series and give them numbers more in line with the service type. Only one number in the 60s (63) is still available, so I start using 50s as well.

Aqua - Route 58
Green - Route 59
Lime - Route 60
Orange - Route 61
Pink - Route 62
Brown - Route 63
Purple - Route 64
Blue - Route 65
Yellow - Route 66
Red - Route 68



Highlights:

Route 58 is simply a renumbering of Route 262. As the busiest Stittsville route, the routing works well and I don't recommend any change. (10 trips both directions, mixture of all bus types including double deckers)

Route 59 is a hybrid of the current 261 and 263, revised for a quicker trip from south Stittsville and Stanley Corners rather than doubling back north. (5 trips both directions, mostly 40-footers with one or two trips using artics)

Route 60 is basically unchanged, except for a few minor street changes to allow it to mimic Route 93. (10 trips both directions, mixture of all bus types including double deckers)

Route 61 is realigned to essentially match my suggested Bridlewood local route. In addition, it is removed from Kakulu, Pickford and Irwin for a quicker trip. In order to maximize travel options in Bridlewood, the loop should be bi-directional, with some trips following the 61A routing (clockwise, like the current 61) and some trips following a new 61B routing (counter-clockwise) - those trips would also deviate onto Palomino like some morning trips do now. (16 morning trips and 18 afternoon trips, mostly artics and double deckers; 5 morning trips and 6 afternoon trips would use the 61B routing)

Route 62 is extended and realigned in Glen Cairn and Katimavik-Hazeldean to improve coverage without impacting costs or travel times. It would run along Kakulu, Pickford, Irwin, Carbrooke and Abbeyhill before splitting through Glen Cairn - 62A via Winchester et. al. and 62B via Old Colony et. al. (half of trips on each), then via Terry Fox and Hope Side with a deviation on Romina. (10 trips in each direction, mixture of all bus types including double deckers, 5 trips on each Glen Cairn routing)

Route 63 is a completely new route and a blend of the current 62, 261 and 263. It would serve part of the Hazeldean area along McCurdy, then Maple Ridge to Stittsville Main for a much quicker trip from that area (a detour may be required until a road connection exists there) and the central part of Stittsville, much like the 263 does now there. The central Stittsville loop would be unidirection - clockwise both morning and afternoon. (6 trips both directions, mostly 40-footers with one or two trips using artics)

Route 64 is unchanged from the current routing. (9 trips in each direction, mixture of all bus types including double deckers)

Route 65 is unchanged from the current routing. (3 trips in each direction, using 40-footers)

Route 66 is dramatically changed. Instead of running a partial loop through (mostly south) Bridlewood which is largely covered by Route 61, it focuses on the centre of Bridlewood for a faster trip, then via Cope, Templeford and Fernbank into the new Fernbank community (routing subject to change based on street network), introducing express service to that area and largely paralleling part of my suggested Route 166. (8 morning trips and 9 afternoon trips, mixture of all bus types including double deckers)

Route 68 only sees minor changes. In order to speed up travel time, it would operate along Kanata Avenue to Highway 417 to downtown. In addition, the loop would be unidirectional - always clockwise (i.e. Goldridge first). (8 trips both directions, mixture of all bus types including double deckers)