OC Transpo

[rocketphish]

Why is OC Transpo installing natural gas generators for a zero-emission bus project?
The pair of four-megawatt generators are expected to be installed at the 1500 St-Laurent Blvd. garage by September.

By Natasha Baldin, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 11, 2026 | Last updated 5 hours ago

Two large natural gas generators are being installed at OC Transpo’s garage on St-Laurent Boulevard, where the city’s growing fleet of e-buses will be stored and charged.

The pair of heavy-duty four-megawatt machines are part of a larger project to retrofit the garage with the electrical and structural capacity for hundreds of new zero-emission buses.

Around 111 e-buses were part of OC Transpo’s fleet, according to the transit agency’s update on May 15, and the city is working toward a goal of having 350 e-buses in service by the end of 2027.

With those buses comes a multi-million-dollar price tag to install charging infrastructure and to upgrade the electrical grid, which includes a 13.8-kilovolt substation and a new Hydro Ottawa distribution system.

City reports say one natural-gas generator costs around $14 million.

According to the city, the natural gas-powered generators are expected to be ready in September and will serve two purposes: to provide backup electricity during power outages; and to minimize electricity costs at the facility during peak periods.

But what exactly does this mean, and why are generators powered by fossil fuels part of Ottawa’s zero-emission bus strategy?

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/oc-transpo-natural-gas-generators-buses

[rocketphish]

Staffing shortages continue to plague O-Train service. Fixing it could take more than a year
OC Transpo unveiled 'ambitious' recruitment and training program Thursday

Arthur White-Crummey · CBC News
Posted: Jun 11, 2026 11:27 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

It could take until late next year for OC Transpo to fully meet its training targets to bring on more critical O-Train workers, as staffing shortages continue to sap the reliability of the system.

According to a presentation to council’s transit committee on Thursday, OC Transpo has a target of recruiting and training 135 rail operators and 25 rail controllers. Some are slated for the east-west electric line, while others will work on the diesel lines to the south and airport.

Sabrina Pasian, OC Transpo’s chief safety officer, said that doesn’t represent the current staffing shortage, but accounts for retirements, attrition and planned expansions, as well as candidates who drop out of the hiring process.

She said the targets aim to slightly exceed the agency’s needs, in order to provide "redundancy."

"We are in the process of significantly ramping up our efforts," Pasian said of the training program.

Yet meeting the targets will take many months. According to a timeline she shared with the committee, it could take until next March for electric rail operators on Line 1, and until next June for diesel rail operators, who work on lines 2 and 4.

The timeline for meeting the rail controller training target is set at "beyond August 2027."

While operators physically work in and operate the trains, controllers work in a control centre and serve as the brain of the system, operating signals and switches while issuing directives control the movements of trains.

Last month, a shortage of controllers temporarily shut down Line 1 service on May 16, while Line 4 service was also interrupted that day due to "reduced staffing availability."

Pasian’s presentation to the committee noted that a lack of available rail operators on lines 2 and 4 has caused service delivery to decline from about 98 per cent to roughly 90 per cent.

"This is directly tied to ongoing staffing shortages," she said.

Similar problems have plagued the bus system, with about 29 per cent of cancelled trips early this year stemming from a lack of available drivers.

"We have been heavily relying on overtime, but this is not sustainable," Pasian said.

To fill the gap, OC Transpo has a training target of 372 bus operators and 30 Para Transpo operators. They’re expected to be trained up by the end of this year.

OC Transpo has long blamed a mechanic shortage for poor bus reliability. The plan has a training target of 38 for those positions and expects to reach that goal by May 2027.

Pasian explained that recruiting a new employee can take between 100 and 150 days, depending on the position. While some will spend less than a month in training, others can take up to 300 days. Pasian said training for controllers is especially lengthy.

She said OC Transpo will not rush that process, since the work is "safety-critical."

Noah Vineberg, president of ATU 279, the local that represents OC Transpo operators and mechanics, welcomed the new targets, but said that filling those staffing gaps will take much more than putting up a billboard — especially given the fierce competition for those workers.

"Its definitely needed," he said of the plan. "I'm curious how we're going to get there, because every transit agency is looking for people and everyone is having a hard time."

He said OC Transpo needs to work on improving morale to creating a workplace that encourages more employees to stay.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/st...it-could-take-more-than-a-year-9.7231548

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Why is OC Transpo installing natural gas generators for a zero-emission bus project?
The pair of four-megawatt generators are expected to be installed at the 1500 St-Laurent Blvd. garage by September.

By Natasha Baldin, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 11, 2026 | Last updated 5 hours ago

Two large natural gas generators are being installed at OC Transpo’s garage on St-Laurent Boulevard, where the city’s growing fleet of e-buses will be stored and charged.

The pair of heavy-duty four-megawatt machines are part of a larger project to retrofit the garage with the electrical and structural capacity for hundreds of new zero-emission buses.

Around 111 e-buses were part of OC Transpo’s fleet, according to the transit agency’s update on May 15, and the city is working toward a goal of having 350 e-buses in service by the end of 2027.

With those buses comes a multi-million-dollar price tag to install charging infrastructure and to upgrade the electrical grid, which includes a 13.8-kilovolt substation and a new Hydro Ottawa distribution system.

City reports say one natural-gas generator costs around $14 million.

According to the city, the natural gas-powered generators are expected to be ready in September and will serve two purposes: to provide backup electricity during power outages; and to minimize electricity costs at the facility during peak periods.

But what exactly does this mean, and why are generators powered by fossil fuels part of Ottawa’s zero-emission bus strategy?

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/oc-transpo-natural-gas-generators-buses

I would have thought they'd use industrial battery storage.

[rocketphish]

OC Transpo preps 10 bus routes for public servants' return
Most federal public servants are expected to be in the office at least 4 days a week starting next month

Arthur White-Crummey · CBC News
Posted: Jun 11, 2026 12:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

OC Transpo is looking to add capacity to 10 bus routes to make sure it's ready once more federal workers head to the office four days a week.

Most federal public servants are currently expected to be in the office at least three days a week, but that will change to at least four days for most employees as of July 6. Executives were due back five days a week as of last month.

Top federal officials have previously expressed concern about OC Transo’s ability to actually get them to work.

At a transit committee meeting on Thursday, OC Transpo's director of transit customer systems and planning Pat Scrimgeour said the transit agency has been working with the federal government to prepare.

"They’ve shared with us home and work locations for many of their workers, and we’ve used these data to identify the routes that we need to watch closely," he said.

Scrimgeour said OC Transpo has pinpointed 10 routes that are most likely to need added capacity, and is "currently working through the best ways to accomplish that."

The routes he identified are:

• 5 (Elmvale-Waller).
• 8 (Gatineau-Dow’s Lake).
• 13 (Gatineau-Tunney’s Pasture).
• 24 (Chapel Hill-St. Laurent).
• 61 (Stittsville-Tunney’s Pasture).
• 62 (Stittsville-Tunney’s Pasture).
• 63 (Briarbrook-Tunney’s Pasture).
• 66 (Innovation-Tunney’s Pasture).
• 74 (Tunney’s Pasture-Limebank).
• 75 (Cambrian-Tunney’s Pasture).

Privy Council Clerk Michael Sabia and deputy clerk Isabelle Mondou met with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe in February to talk about the system’s readiness to accommodate the return to office, according to reporting from The Canadian Press.

The news agency obtained a federal memo prepared for Sabia in advance of that meeting which pointed to reliability concerns that were frequently cited by federal employees.

"The bus network is the primary source of frustration for commuters, consistently failing to meet its performance targets," the document said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/oc-transpo-preps-bus-routes-return-to-office-9.7231671

[Dengler Avenue]

^ Somebody in the decision-making branch must have read @TrueNorth00’s complaint.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

^ Somebody in the decision-making branch must have read @TrueNorth00’s complaint.

Isn't a bus every 30 minutes an adequate shuttle for DND workers?

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

^ Somebody in the decision-making branch must have read @TrueNorth00’s complaint.

Or they just had an "oh shit" moment realizing they are going to lose bids like the DSR Bank because they decided to save a few pennies from the budget by cutting transit service.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

I would have thought they'd use industrial battery storage.

I thought they had plans for battery storage at site. But a lot of this is always site dependent. If they can't get enough storage or grid service to that site, they have to add gas generators. Still a lot cleaner and cheaper than diesel.

Dropped from rockephish's snippet is that they currently plan to use the generators about 120 hrs per year. That's really not that much.

What will the generators be used for?

The main purpose of the natural gas generators will be to serve as a backup power supply so buses can continue to charge in the case of a power outage.

"If a local grid outage were to occur, this project would require a power-generation source large enough to provide charging to the e-bus fleet, potentially for multi-day operation," Daniel Villeneuve, manager of the zero-emission bus program, wrote in a statement to the Ottawa Citizen.

In addition, the city says it also plans to run the generators during "peak demand periods."

These periods usually occur in the afternoons and evenings on days when there is higher-than-average city-wide demand on the power grid. It's not an everyday thing, Villeneuve said, adding it happens around 30 days a year on the higher end of the yearly average.

"Based on these estimates at the high end, the generators could run for about 120 hours a year for peak demand periods, taking the pressure off the public grid when the community needs it most," Villeneuve wrote.

This is just ragebait. Targeted at people who will come along and see a headline like this and declare E-buses as greenwashing.

[Truenorth00]

Saw on the OC Transpo E-bus website that the May 29th update has 136 ZEBs received with 128 ZEBs in service.

https://www.octranspo.com/en/our-services/vehicles/zero-emission-bus/

Would be great to have at least 140 ZEBs in service on Canada Day.

ZEBs are something, for all the problems getting them, that actually do show the city and OC Transpo in a positive light, with an improved rider experience.

Will add too. The current delivery schedule (and looking at CPTDB) has 34 pre-2019 forty foot buses that will be replaced by ZEBs over say the coming 3 months. And 29 pre-2010 sixty foot buses that should be replaced by the new sixty foot buses on order. That should be a noticeable boost in reliability. I am hoping the stats start reflecting this month by month after Canada Day. Something to keep an eye out for.

It will be good to know that every forty foot bus you see after say Labour Day is a modern ZEB. And by the end of the year there shouldn't be any buses in service that entered before Jan 1st, 2011. Hopefully, we can phase out the 2010-2011 D60LFR fleet by the end of 2028 with Stage 2 complete and after all the ZEBs and new XD60s are delivered over the coming two years.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

This is just ragebait. Targeted at people who will come along and see a headline like this and declare E-buses as greenwashing.

Ding ding ding. The Nirvana Fallacy on full display.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Isn't a bus every 30 minutes an adequate shuttle for DND workers?

Even better is when that bus doesn't show up and you now have to decide whether to Uber or wait another 30 mins.

If you have anything at all that day (like say a meeting close to your scheduled arrival), you can't rely on transit.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Even better is when that bus doesn't show up and you now have to decide whether to Uber or wait another 30 mins.

If you have anything at all that day (like say a meeting close to your scheduled arrival), you can't rely on transit.

This applies to the majority which explains falling ridership. Since 2019, it is difficult to be employed and use transit. It was totally different before 2019.

[Truenorth00]

I was reading this about the retirement of the Double Deckers:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/th...-double-decker-buses-disappear-9.7233578

They mention the aging of the artics. Given that only 50 new artics are being purchased, does anyone know what the plan is to replace the aging artics and the the retired double deckers? Even with fleet downsizing post stage 2. The current ZEB plan says 354 by the end of 2027. That actually leaves the the fleet 47 forty foot buses short looking at all 40 ft diesel buses replaced by ZEBs eventually. Assuming total fleet of 600, I think they need an order of 200 buses at least. And even if all of them are artics, that's still a substantial reduction in capacity.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Even better is when that bus doesn't show up and you now have to decide whether to Uber or wait another 30 mins.

If you have anything at all that day (like say a meeting close to your scheduled arrival), you can't rely on transit.

I've been told the solution is simply carpooling.

The city will learn when they get passed over for investment. Will be interesting to see what guys like Denley write about then.

[Richard Eade]

Has anyone else noticed a change in the attitude of some OC Transpo bus operators recently?

During my last few trips, on the # 88, I have seen drivers actually not close the doors and drive away when someone is running beside the bus. It is almost as if the schedule has been slackened so that they can actually make allowances for passengers. In fact, last evening, the driver was just starting to pull away from Billings Bridge when a fellow came blasting through the station door, waving his arms. The bus stopped, opened the doors, and let the thankful customer on. I didn’t see anyone on the bus chastise the driver for wasting precious seconds. Probably because most bus riders know that they might be in the same predicament sometime, and would appreciate the bus stopping for them. I also noticed this friendlier attitude from operators on the # 6.

Not all routes are affected, of course. My # 88 last evening stopped a couple of times to wait at time-points – with suitable announcements to the passengers. (It seems that the # 88 schedule might still need a bit of tweaking.) These dwells meant that the # 88 arrived at Baseline Station stop seconds after the # 68 pulled away from that same stop. So, I am assuming that the # 68 still must have a strict schedule. Alas, this gave me lots of extra time to contemplate the changes in attitude. (And notice that the Gemini Tower becomes the MINI at night, since the GE no longer lights up.)

Not all bus operators are showing signs of de-stressing, of course. One trip on the # 57 was terrible. The bus arrived at my boarding stop 20 minutes late. The driver was, obviously stressed; not acknowledging a “Good Morning”; blowing through very stale amber signals; switching lanes to try to jump queues; and, it appeared, skipping stops. But I suppose that the reason for the rush was to get to Lincoln Fields as fast as possible – where the driver greeted his replacement and left the bus. It was up to the replacement operator to let us know that the bus was being short-turned and was heading back west. Anyone (everyone on the bus) who was going “to Tunney’s, has to transfer to a different bus”. This announcement left some confused and asking “What bus? Where?”

Since the # 57 had pulled into the Local loop, the new operator had to explain to some how to get to the ‘Transitway’ platform to get the # 75. (That was the only bus number offered.) That operator seemed exasperated that he had to explain anything at all – which was delaying him from heading back west.

The next day, I also took the Tunney’s Pasture bound # 57, but at a slightly different time. It was only 10 minutes late and was piloted by a different operator. Again, the bus was short-turned at Lincoln Fields. However, this time, the operator came on the intercom in advance of reaching Lincoln Fields to apologize to passengers that that bus was turning around and not continuing the rest of the route. He explained that passengers could transfer to any of the buses flagged ‘Tunneys’, and he let everyone off at the in-bound ‘Transitway’ stop. This time, there was no complaining or confusion, that I saw or heard. There is a real difference when passengers are treated with respect.

I remember a time when operators would greet passengers when they boarded. For the past while, the operators have been seemingly actively ignoring passengers – not returning a ‘Good Morning’, and no nod or wave when a disembarking rider thanked them. I am hopeful that schedule adjustments will once again allow bus operators to be more than silent but harried chauffeurs –and instead, return to being real people who can connect with their passengers.

PS Has the # 57 become, during some times of the day, little more than an unreliably-timed shuttle between the DND Carling Campus and Lincoln Fields Station?

PPS And why does the # 57 even go into the Local loop? The (north-bound) schedule shows it stopping at Lincoln Fields stop 2A (Transitway), 3A (Local loop), and then back to 2A (Transitway, again). South-bound it only stops at the Local loop, stop 4A, but it could stay on the Transitway and stop at 1A. Until the LRT is running, I would like to see the # 57 cut out those extra few minutes in the Local loop and just keep it on the Transitway. The few people transferring to a Local bus can walk to the Local loop.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I've been told the solution is simply carpooling.

By whom, and about what problem?

[rocketphish]

Anybody looking for a new job?

OC Transpo 'ramping up' recruitment to fill staff shortages
The transit authority is hoping to recruit 372 bus operators to add to its current fleet of 1,507 drivers.

By Aedan Helmer, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 12, 2026 | Last updated 1 day ago

OC Transpo is ramping up recruitment efforts to fill staffing gaps as shortages of available bus operators and rail controllers are “directly tied” to unreliable bus service and unplanned rail shutdowns in recent months.

Senior staff outlined a year-long staff stabilization plan that is targeting a 105 per cent staffing level to account for the existing job vacancy rate, natural attrition, projected retirements and new trainees either failing or voluntarily withdrawing from OC Transpo’s training program. The increased staffing will also assist with the LRT east and west extensions.

OC Transpo chief safety officer Sabrina Pasian told the transit committee on June 11 that approximately 20 to 30 per cent of recruits fail or withdraw from the training program. The lengthy training program can last from 27 to 300 days depending on the position and involves practical training, testing and evaluation. The recruitment phase usually spans 102 to 151 days, Pasian said.

The recruitment campaign is expected to bring OC Transpo “much closer to achieving the required staffing levels that we need to ensure safe, consistent operations, while reducing potential risks and building in long-term resiliency,” Pasian said.

She acknowledged that recent staffing “challenges” with front-line bus and train operators and rail controllers “required unplanned temporary service adjustments (and) have led to service that at times can be unpredictable.”

A partial shutdown of the O-Train’s Line 4 over the Victoria Day long weekend was attributed to staff shortages. A temporary shutdown of the east-west Line 1 several hours later was blamed on a shortage of available controllers at OC Transpo’s control centre on Belfast Road, “primarily due to illness,” according to a memo to council from OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary.

“As a temporary mitigation measure to address the staffing gaps, we’ve been heavily relying on overtime, but this is not sustainable,” Pasian told the committee this week. “We are tracking overtime very closely, and once this plan is achieved, the reliance on overtime will lessen.”

The transit authority is hoping to recruit 372 trainees as potential bus operators to add to its current fleet of 1,507 drivers. It is targeting 48 electric rail operator trainees for Line 1 and 37 diesel operator trainees for Lines 2 and 4, along with a target of 25 controllers to oversee rail operations from the control centre.

OC Transpo currently employs 110 electric rail operators, 59 diesel operators, 16 electric rail controllers and 16 diesel rail controllers. It is also looking to ramp up recruiting for mechanics, garage attendants and special constables.

“We are in the process of filling essential positions in our recruitment and training teams to be able to onboard and train new front-line staff at unprecedented numbers,” Pasian said. “This includes hiring instructors and members of our recruitment team to ensure that all training is provided consistently, meaningfully, and documented properly, and that our hiring follows all HR policies.”

Staffing levels for bus and Para Transpo operators is expected to stabilize by the end of this year, while other front-line recruitment and training efforts will extend into 2027.

OC Transpo is projecting stable staffing levels for electric rail operators by March 2027 and diesel operators by June 2027, while staffing and training for rail controllers will extend into August 2027 and beyond.

“Although this will take time, we will not compromise or rush the training process, especially since these front-line roles are safety critical,” Pasian said.

With an “incredibly competitive” job market for mechanics, OC Transpo is looking to expand its apprenticeship programs and its partnership with local colleges to create “an internal pipeline by growing our talent in-house,” she said.

Noah Vineberg, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279 said he remains “cautiously optimistic” about the staffing plan.

Vineberg referenced a recent auditor general report that found “blatantly obvious” contraventions in OC Transpo hiring practices during the previous administration from 2021 to 2025. The report found management positions had been filled in some cases by “hand-picked” candidates who bypassed the competition process.

“That is gatekeeping,” Vineberg said. “This is the exact thing that the union has been raising for more than two years and it is still live today. I have good people right now waiting for that gate that should already be open.”

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/oc-transpo-recruitment-staffing-gaps

[J.OT13]

• Video Link

[J.OT13]

A few interesting slides from last week's transit committee.









On this one, they also mentioned vending machines in six stations. Didn't mention what type of products or which stations.

[J.OT13]

Does anyone remember a slide from sometime in the last year, where they listed the purchasing plan for the fleet? They had the years and pictograms representing the types of vehicles that may be ordered in that year.