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Ottawa Transit Developments
- Thread starter Reecemartin
- Start date
DirectionNorth
Active Member
A bit late, but ...
OC Transpo Bus Route Review V2 (I think this one is a little out of date). The OC Transpo Bus Route Review has been released. And ...
CBC: Transit riders disappointed by OC Transpo fare increase. We're not alone in cutting service. OC Transpo is slated to cut 3.5% of service and raise fares next year.
OC Transpo Bus Route Review V2 (I think this one is a little out of date). The OC Transpo Bus Route Review has been released. And ...
CBC: Transit riders disappointed by OC Transpo fare increase. We're not alone in cutting service. OC Transpo is slated to cut 3.5% of service and raise fares next year.
Northern Light
Superstar
What a nerve.
From the Transportation authority that brought you trains that don't work more often than they do, endless delays, accidents, service interruptions and wholly inadequate replacements for same....
A strategy to win back riders by charging more, while delivering less.
Fire the new management.
Time for another do-over.
Mihairokov
New Member
It was coming as soon as Sutcliffe was elected mayor.
It's offensive that OCTranspo would raise rates after providing a train that only works seemingly 50% of the time as well as worsening their bus routes and service. It's also offensive that riders were never given a grace/free period after the most recent long shutdown, AND it's offensive that they would send out fare inspectors once that train got up and running again. It's absurd that a ride on OCTranspo costs more than the TTC. An abysmal failure.
It's offensive that OCTranspo would raise rates after providing a train that only works seemingly 50% of the time as well as worsening their bus routes and service. It's also offensive that riders were never given a grace/free period after the most recent long shutdown, AND it's offensive that they would send out fare inspectors once that train got up and running again. It's absurd that a ride on OCTranspo costs more than the TTC. An abysmal failure.
CapitalSeven
Senior Member
Some realism required. It's not even close to being literally true that the trains don't run a majority of the time, even if the shutdowns are unacceptable. Ottawa's farebox recovery is much lower than Toronto's and property taxes are higher, so the financial bind is real.
Bus routes are being revised mainly to eliminate peak-hour routes that no longer carry much ridership because the federal government (not the city) decided workers could stay home 3 days a week forever. Buses will provide more service on core routes and less on marginal ones. The cut in total hours served is small. In a number of cases routes are being joined to create better links through the burbs as well as core areas.
There is nothing in the review to suggest a death spiral. The changes will consolidate the ability to get around without a car in most areas that are dense or densifying. The planners are listening to riders and the changes have been tweaked, although a v3 has not been released yet, nor an overall map.
There is no practical alternative to relying on the O Train extensions and eliminating redundant and little-used routes, even if some riders will be inconvenienced. The first two phases were planned before Covid changed the landscape and can't be unbuilt or unpaid for. The bus review is a sincere attempt to deal with a much different reality than the one that foresaw ongoing large increases in commuting, not sharp declines.
The argument now has to focus on what initiatives are worth prioritizing in the next two decades: continued rail extensions, or bus priority and reliability measures ranging from signals to transitways that facilitate the travel patterns emerging post-Covid.
Bus routes are being revised mainly to eliminate peak-hour routes that no longer carry much ridership because the federal government (not the city) decided workers could stay home 3 days a week forever. Buses will provide more service on core routes and less on marginal ones. The cut in total hours served is small. In a number of cases routes are being joined to create better links through the burbs as well as core areas.
There is nothing in the review to suggest a death spiral. The changes will consolidate the ability to get around without a car in most areas that are dense or densifying. The planners are listening to riders and the changes have been tweaked, although a v3 has not been released yet, nor an overall map.
There is no practical alternative to relying on the O Train extensions and eliminating redundant and little-used routes, even if some riders will be inconvenienced. The first two phases were planned before Covid changed the landscape and can't be unbuilt or unpaid for. The bus review is a sincere attempt to deal with a much different reality than the one that foresaw ongoing large increases in commuting, not sharp declines.
The argument now has to focus on what initiatives are worth prioritizing in the next two decades: continued rail extensions, or bus priority and reliability measures ranging from signals to transitways that facilitate the travel patterns emerging post-Covid.
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OCCheetos
Active Member
This is ultimately less on OC Transpo and more on city council.
A motion to freeze fares for a year was brought to council and rejected. What could OC Transpo's management possibly do about that?
The same goes for a "free month" of service and whatnot.
OC Transpo's management doesn't have the power to unilaterally make decisions with large financial impacts like that. That's a decision that the transit commission and city council has to make.
Northern Light
Superstar
By all means pin it on the mayor/council.
Though, I think senior management could threaten to hold a press conference, belittle their political masters and mass resign; that might move the needle.
I've seen members of the civil service with this kind of chutzpah and I like it.
drum118
Superstar
Northern Light
Superstar
That is so far past ridiculous at this point, I feel like both OC Transpo Managers and the Consortium members should be facing criminal charges. They should not have been allowed to make $1 of profit nor earn $1 of salary for delivering this laughing stock of a project.
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thenewguy
New Member
Not sure it makes a difference to the overall narrative, but the concrete that fell on the tracks was not new construction - but part of the old busway infrastructure from the late 1980’s that was repurposed to “save money“ for the LRT. This event occurred at S—Laurent. For more on the station - see this:
nfitz
Superstar
Agreed - and the concrete wasn't structural. Tempest in a teapot - 3 stations at the end of the line for a few hours. That's a Tuesday on the Bloor-Danforth line.
reaperexpress
Senior Member
The tunnel in question is 40 years old. I doubt anyone involved in delivering that project is still employed at OC Transpo.
Northern Light
Superstar
While I've been to Ottawa, more than once, and followed this project for awhile........could you elaborate on the 40 years old? That certainly does not align w/the age of this project.
Was there old tunnel repurposed?
reaperexpress
Senior Member
Like @thenewguy said, they repurposed the transitway infrastructure which was built in the 80's. The station is St. Laurent, which is actually my local station here. I was pretty shocked when I first used it how little they upgraded it. So much of the station is still just crappy old stuff from the 80's. They are currently reconstructing the bus terminal (which happens to be directly above the tunnel) which makes me wonder if the vibration from the construction caused something to come loose.
Northern Light
Superstar
Fair enough.
Though this line has been through such a litany of delays, mishaps, serious flaws, accidents and closures...............
If they happened to have managed one that might be reasonable or at least not entirely attributable to recent work that hardly excuses the monotony of failures.