BusTalk

[kevlaf983]

Big changes this fall! - Kev

Link - http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=3a8e3b25-8254-4297-9be2-3c63b651f20d&k=33913

New route would bypass city core; service to tackle seating woes by bringing in 41 more buses

Mohammed Adam
The Ottawa Citizen

Thursday, July 19, 2007

OC Transpo is planning major changes this fall at the heart of which is a $3-million expansion of services to accommodate suburban growth and overcrowding on key routes across the city.

The changes, which go into effect in September, will see the addition of 41 new buses to the fleet, bringing the number on the street to 832.

For the first time, OC Transpo is seriously tackling a problem that bus riders have complained about for years: the large number of people who stand cheek by jowl for long periods during their trips.

And also for the first time, the bus company is providing a direct east-west rush-hour service that bypasses downtown and the Queensway, with the expansion of Route 118 from Kanata to Orleans. Express buses as well as popular transitway routes such as 95, 96 and 97 will see significant improvements as will mainline routes like 8, 85 and 86.

The key beneficiary of the changes is Kanata, where the bus service is being expanded significantly, particularly on local routes and downtown connections.

No service cuts are contemplated in the fall because routes that were not financially viable were eliminated or modified in changes that took effect in last month.

Helen Gault, OC Transpo's manager of transit planning, said the route changes are being driven largely by explosive suburban growth, especially in Kanata, as well as the need to improve service by reducing the number of people who are forced to stand during their rides.

Of particular importance, too, Ms. Gault said, is the need to find a new east-west bus route for people who have no need to go through downtown.

"We are making transit more attractive by adding frequency and improving the route structure to make it a more comfortable to ride," said Ms. Gault. "These changes we are making will improve transit services significantly across the city." Last year, ridership went up 2.6 per cent to 92 million; this year, the increase is expected to be three per cent. In areas of rapidly growing population and jobs, however, OC Transpo believes the ridership increase will be higher, thereby requiring more service.

The changes in Kanata are the most extensive, mainly because a combination of past service cuts and growth has made the local bus network inadequate for residents who don't go downtown or travel during rush hours. Eleven route changes, including express and local buses, are being made to improve connections for residents to the Kanata North employment area. Better access to the transitway is also being provided.

In addition to a new off-peak local Route 168, changes would be made on express Routes 65 and 66 to shorten travel time and make more seats available to riders.

One of the more challenging problems for OC Transpo is the high number of so-called "standees." According to officials, 28 per cent of rush-hour commuters stand while riding the articulated buses used on key routes such as 95 and 97. On the standard 40-foot buses, the figure is eight per cent, which is considered acceptable. By increasing the number of buses and making some routes shorter, Transpo hopes to make more seats available and reduce the number of people who stand on the articulated buses to 21 per cent. Similar improvements are anticipated on mainline routes.

Despite increased growth in Barr-haven, OC Transpo officials say the bus service remains adequate and only minor service changes are required. Service on three local routes will be improved and four express routes will see more trips per hour.

Service in Orleans will be improved significantly through new and expanded crosstown routes that fit into OC Transpo's long-term vision to accommodate east-west riders who want to avoid downtown.

Route 94, which was started last fall as an experimental rush-hour service from Innes Road to Tunney's Pasture, will be expanded to include a midday service. Route 101, which also started last fall as an east-west rush-hour service from Orleans to Kanata, is being expanded. The service, which starts in the east along the Queensway to Catherine Street, Carling Avenue and back on the Queensway to Kanata, is being extended at the Kanata end to connect with local feeder routes.

But the more significant new service is the extension of Route 118 from Hurdman Station to Orleans. The new service will now go from Kanata, along Baseline Road to Billings Bridge and Hurdman, then along the transitway to Orleans to provide a new east-west route that doesn't bottle up riders in the city's congested downtown.

"One of our strategic objectives is to encourage people not to go downtown if they don't need to. This gives them another crosstown connection," Ms. Gault said.

[RailBus63]

Are the 41 new buses more Inveros?

[kevlaf983]