Report to/Rapport au:

Transportation and Transit Committee/

Comité de transport & des services de transport en commun

and Council/et au Conseil

April 19, 2001/le 19 avril 2001

Submitted by/Soumis par: R.T. Leclair, General Manager/Directrice général,

Transportation, Utilities and Public Works/Transport, services et travaux publics

Contact/Personne-ressource: G. Diamond, Director/Directeur,

Transit Services/Service du transport en commun

842-3636 ext. 2271, gordon.diamond@transpo.ottawa.on.ca

Ref No: ACS2001-TUP-TRN-0006

SUBJECT: OC TRANSPO TRANSPLAN 2001

OBJET: TRANSPLAN 2001 D’OC TRANSPO

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Transportation and Transit Committee recommend that Council approve the following changes to the OC Transpo route network, following changes to the OC Transpo route network, to improve transit service by introducing service into new residential areas, reducing customers’ walking distance to the nearest bus stop, their travel time, or the number of transfers they need to make:

Area	Routes	Service change
Kanata (residential areas)	Route 68 Routes 60, 61, and 160 Routes 65 and 162	New route Extend Re-route
Kanata (northern business area)	Route 99 Route 116	Extend Shorten
Bayshore	Routes 85 and 166	Re-route
South Nepean	Routes 70, 73, 76, 77, and 176 Route 186	Re-route New route
Heron Park	Route 5	Extend hours
Greenboro	Route 43	Extend
St. Laurent	Route 18	Re-route
Orleans	Routes 20, 27, and 135 Route 30	Extend Re-route

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de transports et des services de transport en commun recommande l’approbation, par le Conseil, des changements suivants au réseau des circuits d’OC Transpo, afin d’améliorer le service du transport en commun par la mise en place d’un service d’autobus dans les nouvelles zone résidentielles et la réduction de la distance de marche à l’arrêt d’autobus le plus rapproché, du temps de parcours ou du nombre de correspondances:

Endroit	Circuits	Changement au service
Kanata (quartiers résidentiels)	Circuit 68 Circuits 60, 61, et 160 Circuit 65 et 162	Nouveau circuit Prolongé Modifié
Kanata (section affaires au nord )	Circuit 99 Circuit 116	Prolongé Raccourci
Bayshore	Circuit 85 et 166	Modifié
Nepean Sud	Circuit 70, 73, 76, 77, et 176 Circuit 186	Modifié Nouveau circuit
Heron Park	Circuit 5	Heures prolongées
Greenboro	Circuit 43	Prolongé
St-Laurent	Circuit 18	Modifié
Orléans	Circuits 20, 27, et 135 Circuit 30	Prolongé Modifié

BACKGROUND

TransPlan is an annual consultation process through which proposals for the improvement of the transit network in Ottawa are developed, evaluated, introduced, and reviewed. TransPlan 2001 started in the fall of 2000 with the development of proposals based on suggestions from transit customers, councillors, and employees. Consultation on these proposals took place in February and March 2001, and the proposals have been improved based on the comments that were received. The recommendations in this report are for service changes to be introduced later in 2001, mostly in early September.

Transit ridership in Ottawa is growing rapidly. In 2000, system-wide ridership was seven percent higher than it had been in 1999, and OC Transpo carried over 80 million customers for the first time since 1990. In the first three months of 2001, ridership has been eight percent higher than it was in 2000. These levels of ridership growth are in large part the result of increased employment in Ottawa and the increased activity of the Ottawa economy. To accommodate this growth, it is important that the OC Transpo route network continue to evolve, to best meet customers’ mobility needs.

Following the OC Transpo Comprehensive Review in 1998 and 1999, major changes were made to the structure of the transit route network in 1999 and 2000. Further changes were made in 2000 with the opening of the new Transitway stations at Bayshore and Fallowfield. The recommended service changes for 2001 are more modest than those made in 1999 and 2000. Most changes are to accommodate residents of new residential areas in Kanata, South Nepean, Greenboro, and Orleans, and to improve service for people travelling to the business area of north Kanata. Transit Services staff are also continuing to make service changes to meet the changing needs of customers on the rest of the route network, by adjusting the frequency of service and the hours of service to ensure that customers are accommodated more comfortably and efficiently.

A comprehensive programme of consultation was carried out with the public and with front-line employees of the Transit Services Branch to seek feedback on the TransPlan 2001 proposals. Approximately 350 written comments were received. These are described briefly in the discussion of each recommended service change.

DISCUSSION

KANATA

The residential areas of Marchwood, Lakeside, and Morgans Grant have grown rapidly and there are currently many homes beyond a convenient walking distance from transit service. The recommended service changes would introduce new transit service to these areas, reduce travel times for many customers on express routes, and add overall to the amount of peak-period service available to residents.

Employment continues to grow in the northern business area of Kanata, and approximately 16,000 people now work there. The recommended service changes would improve service to this area from locations across the city, and reduce travel times by up to 15 minutes.

Routes 60 and 160 – New service to the Morgans Grant area (Exhibit 1)

Routes 60 and 160 will be extended to improve service to customers in the Morgans Grant area of Kanata, by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops. This service change will begin on Sunday, September 2, or as soon after that date as the roads are completed.

Express Route 60, which operates during peak periods from Monday to Friday, directly to and from downtown Ottawa, would be extended to serve Flamborough Way north of Morgans Grant Way, Klondike Road, and Halton Terrace. Route 160, which operates seven days a week and connects the area with the transit terminal at Kanata Town Centre, will be changed to serve the same roads as Route 60.

These changes will improve transit service by reducing the walking distance from the new areas to the nearest bus stops. New service will be provided on Flamborough Way, Klondike Road, and Halton Terrace. Customers who live in these areas must now walk to the intersection of Morgans Grant Way and Flamborough Way. The new residential areas being built north of Morgans Grant Way are beyond a convenient walking distance from the present service. Approximately 600 residential units will be brought within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 120 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance.

The changes will also cause an inconvenience for some customers, by increasing their travel time. Customers travelling to and from the Helmsdale Drive and Shirley's Brook Drive area east of March Road will have an additional five minutes of travel time on Route 60. Customers using Route 160 will experience the same increase in travel time when travelling on the trips which run via March Road and Innovation Drive (but not on the trips which run via Herzberg Road and Legget Drive). In all, approximately 35 passenger-trips each day will have a longer travel time.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from 17 people. Two wrote in favour of the change to Route 60 and four wrote in favour of the change to Route 160. Nine customers wrote in opposition to the change to Route 60, citing as reasons the increased travel time and increased crowding. Two wrote in opposition to the change to Route 160, giving the increased travel time as their reason. The comments which cite the increased travel time on the two routes are consistent with the evaluation. OC Transpo staff will monitor ridership levels closely and will increase the frequency of service as necessary to ensure that customers are being accommodated.

Some customers who travel on Route 60 suggested that the route be removed from Penfield Drive in the Beaverbrook area to reduce the travel time for customers travelling to and from northern Kanata. OC Transpo staff evaluated whether the service that is now provided on Penfield Drive by Route 60 should be replaced by Route 65; no change is recommended, because the change would not provide an overall benefit to customers. This suggestion will be re-examined when preparing the TransPlan in future years, to determine whether conditions have changed.

Two people wrote in opposition to the introduction of transit service on Halton Terrace, citing as reasons safety and noise; one of these people enclosed a petition with 24 names. Halton Terrace was designed to accommodate transit service and was designated as a neighbourhood collector road in the former City of Kanata’s official plan. All transit operations are carried out with safety as the first priority, and this would continue on Halton Terrace as on all other streets in the city.

Overall, the changes to Routes 60 and 160 will introduce transit service into new residential areas within the Urban Transit Area, will improve service for more customers than they would inconvenience, and will result in increased transit ridership.

Routes 65 and 162 and new Route 68 –

New service on Goldridge Drive and Walden Drive (Exhibit 1)

Routes 65 and 162 will be modified, and a new Route 68 will be introduced. This will improve service to customers in the Marchwood and Kanata Lakes areas of Kanata, by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops and by reducing their travel time to downtown Ottawa. This service change will begin on Sunday, September 2, 2001, or as soon after that date as the roads are complete.

A new express Route 68 will be introduced to provide new service on Goldridge Drive, Stikine Drive, Richardson Side Road, Walden Drive, Weslock Way, and to replace the service now provided by Route 65 on part of Knudson Drive, Castlefrank Drive, and Campeau Drive. This route will operate during peak periods from Monday to Friday, directly to and from downtown Ottawa. Route 65, which also operates during peak periods, will be cut back to begin at Knudson Drive and Campeau Drive, with its western part replaced by the new Route 68. Route 162, which operates seven days a week and connects the Marchwood, Kanata Lakes, and Beaverbrook areas of Kanata with the transit terminal at Kanata Town Centre, will be extended to provide new service on Goldridge Drive and Stikine Drive.

These changes will improve service for customers by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop and by reducing their travel time. New service will be provided on Goldridge Drive and Stikine Drive at all times of the week, and also on Walden Drive and Weslock Way during peak periods from Monday to Friday. The new residential developments in these areas are beyond a convenient walking distance of the present service. Approximately 1300 residential units will be brought within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 250 passenger-trips each day would have a shorter walking distance.

The introduction of Route 68 will improve service for customers by reducing their travel time to and from downtown Ottawa by 10 to 12 minutes. Approximately 170 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter travel time.

The changes will also cause an inconvenience for some customers, by increasing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop. Service will no longer be provided outside peak periods to the stops on Castlefrank Drive between Goldridge Drive and Knudson Drive. Customers who now use these stops would have to walk to either Goldridge or Knudson, where Route 162 would continue to stop. Approximately 20 passenger-trips each day will have a longer walking distance.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from 24 people. Twenty-two wrote in favour of the introduction of the new Route 68 and the change to Route 65, and one wrote in favour of the change to Route 162. One customer wrote in opposition to the introduction of Route 68 and one wrote in opposition to the change to Route 162, citing increased travel time as the reason.

Six people wrote in opposition to the introduction of transit service on Stikine Drive. Stikine Drive was designed to accommodate transit service and was designated as a neighbourhood collector road in the former City of Kanata’s official plan. Staff have not found any alternative way of serving this area without operating on Stikine Drive that would not make the service less convenient for customers. Transit operations are carried out with safety as the first priority at all times, and this would continue on Stikine Drive as it does on all other streets in the city.

Overall, the introduction of the new Route 68 and the changes to Routes 65 and 162 will introduce transit service into new residential areas, improve service for more customers than they will inconvenience, and result in increased transit ridership.

Route 61 – New service on Pine Hill Drive (Exhibit 1)

Route 61 will be extended to provide new service on part of Steeplechase Drive and on Pine Hill Drive to improve service for customers by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops. This service change will begin on Tuesday, September 4, 2001, or as soon after that date as the roads are complete.

Express Route 61, which operates during peak periods from Monday to Friday, directly to and from downtown Ottawa, will be extended from its present terminus to serve Steeplechase Drive and Pine Hill Drive.

The change wwill introduce service into the new residential area being developed near the new section of Steeplechase Drive. The change will also improve service for customers in the Pine Hill Drive area by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop, which is now on Stonehaven Drive at Pine Hill Drive, served by Route 66. Approximately 300 residential units will be brought within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 60 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance. The change will not cause any inconvenience for present customers.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from five people. Two wrote in favour of the proposal. Three wrote in opposition to the proposal, citing as their reason the increased crowding on buses. Transit Services staff will monitor ridership levels closely and will increase the frequency of service as necessary to ensure that all customers are being accommodated.

Overall, the extension of Route 61 will introduce transit service into a new residential area, will improve service for customers, and will result in increased transit ridership.

Routes 99 and 116 – Improved service to Kanata North business area (Exhibit 2)

Route 99 will be extended and Route 116 will be changed to improve service to customers in the Kanata North business area by reducing their travel time. This service change will begin on Tuesday, September 4, 2001.

Route 99 is a cross-town route which connects Blair Station in the east with Bayshore Station in the west, and which crosses the southern part of downtown, using Highway 417 and Carling Avenue. During peak periods, the route will be extended west from Bayshore Station on the Transitway, Highway 417, and north on March Road to the business area in northern Kanata. This service will give a new direct service to the major employment area in Kanata from the eastern part of the city and, by operating on Highway 417, would reduce travel time. Route 116, another cross-town route that connects South Keys Station with Lincoln Fields Station and continues to northern Kanata, will be cut back to end at the Nortel facilities in northern Nepean.

The change will improve service for customers by reducing their travel time and/or by reducing the number of transfers that they need to make. Customers who are travelling between the eastern or central parts of the city, or from stations along the Transitway west of downtown, and northern Kanata, will save 5 to 15 minutes of travel time. Based on the present ridership, approximately 500 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter travel time, but this number is expected to grow as more people begin using transit because of this major improvement.

The change will cause an inconvenience for some customers. Customers who are travelling to or from the Government of Canada complex at Shirley’s Bay will still be served by Route 182, but will have less-frequent service and a longer travel time. Customers who are travelling to or from stops on Richardson Side Road will still be served by Route 181 or can walk to and from Route 99, and so will have either a longer waiting time or a longer walking distance. Customers who are travelling between stops on Carling Avenue and locations near March Road will still be served by Route 182, but will have a longer walking distance. Approximately 90 passenger-trips each day will have a longer waiting time and travel time and approximately 80 passenger-trips each day will have a longer walking distance.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from 84 customers. Thirty-eight customers wrote in favour of the proposal. Two of these customers suggested that Route 116 have a small extension to the Nortel Corkstown location so that it would serve both major Nortel sites.

In all, 50 customers wrote in opposition to the change. Of those, 29 cited as their reason the increased inconvenience to reach the government offices at Shirley’s Bay or locations on Richardson Side Road and 14 cited the loss of direct service between Carling Avenue and March Road. Another seven customers either cited other reasons or did not specify how the change would cause an inconvenience for them.

In response to the points raised during the period of consultation, Transit Services staff have changed the original proposal by extending Route 116 to serve both the Nortel Carling and Corkstown sites. The longer waiting time and travel time to Shirley’s Bay remains as the major reason for opposition to the proposal. Service will still be provided to Shirley’s Bay by Route 182, which runs every 10 minutes, but the travel time is approximately five minutes longer on Route 182 than on the present Route 116 because of its routing via Bayshore Station and Nortel’s Corkstown location. The number of customers who would receive improved service with this recommendation is much higher than the number of customers who travel to Shirley’s Bay and would have less convenient service. In preparing the TransPlan reports for future years, Transit Services staff will search for ways to reduce the travel time for customers travelling to Shirley’s Bay.

Overall, the changes to Routes 99 and 116 will reduce the travel time between the central part of Ottawa and the employment area in northern Kanata and improve service for more customers than will be inconvenienced, plus result in increased transit ridership.

BAYSHORE

The new Transitway station at Bayshore Shopping Centre, which opened in December 2000, has made it possible to introduce route changes to improve service in the area. The changes will make service more convenient by introducing two-way service on Woodridge Crescent and Bayshore Drive.

Routes 85 and 166 –

Two-way service on Bayshore Drive and Woodridge Crescent (Exhibit 3)

Route 85 will be changed to provide two-way service along the northern part of Woodridge Crescent and Route 166 will be changed to provide two-way service along the southern part of Woodridge Crescent and Bayshore Drive. This change would begin on Sunday, June 22, 2001.

Prior to December 2000, in the absence of a transit terminal at Bayshore, buses that served the shopping centre turned around on Woodridge Crescent. Now that a turn-around facility is available at Bayshore Station, two-way service can be offered on both Woodridge Crescent and Bayshore Drive.

Route 85, which operates seven days a week and offers cross-town service at a high frequency, will be changed to travel in both directions along the northern part of Woodridge Crescent. Eastbound service on Route 85 will then become available at a greater number of bus stops along most of Woodridge Crescent where only westbound service is presently available. This will mean the removal of eastbound service on Route 85 from the bus stop on Woodridge Crescent in front of Bayshore Shopping Centre and most of Bayshore Drive.

Route 166, which operates seven days a week and offers local service to Crystal Beach and Bells Corners, will be changed to travel in both directions along the southern part of Woodridge Crescent and Bayshore Drive. This will result in the removal of southbound service from most stops on Woodridge Crescent and will introduce southbound service on Bayshore Drive.

Customers using bus stops along Woodridge Crescent will have frequent service on Route 85 in both directions and customers using stops on Bayshore Drive will have two-way service on Route 166 and will remain within a short walking distance of more frequent service along Woodridge Crescent and at Bayshore Station. Approximately 430 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from two people. One wrote in favour and one wrote in opposition, citing safety concerns about two-way operation on Woodridge Crescent. Transit Services staff have examined the physical feasibility of two-way bus operation on Woodridge Crescent and have found that it meets all requirements for safe operation.

Overall, the changes to Route 85 and 166 will improve service for customers and will result in increased transit ridership.

SOUTH NEPEAN

New residential areas are being developed throughout southern Nepean. The changes in this report will extend transit service into the new areas and provide more-direct express service to downtown for Barrhaven residents.

Route 70 – New service on Flanders Street (Exhibit 4)

Route 70 will be changed to provide new service on Flanders Street, to improve service for customers by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop. This service change will begin on Tuesday, September 4, 2001.

Route 70 will run from Cedarview Road and Jockvale Road, south on Cedarview, east on Kennevale Drive, north on Flanders Street, east on Maravista Drive, and then over its present route on Weybridge Drive, Jockvale Road, Larkin Drive, Fallowfield Road, through Fallowfield Station and on to downtown. This change will introduce new direct-to-downtown service on Flanders Street, in addition to the present all-day service provided by Route 170.

The change will improve service for customers by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop with direct service to downtown. Approximately 300 residential units will be closer to direct-to-downtown transit service, and approximately 60 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance.

The change will also cause minor inconvenience for some customers by increasing their travel time. Some of the customers who now board at the stops on Cedarview Road will have an additional two minutes of travel time as buses operate along Kennevale Drive and Flanders Street. Up to 10 passenger-trips each day will have a longer travel time.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from five people, all in opposition to the initial proposal, because of the removal of service from Cedarview Road. In response to these comments, Transit Services staff have made changes so that Route 70 will continue to serve Cedarview Road.

Overall, the change to Route 70 will improve service for more customers than it would inconvenience and will result in increased transit ridership.

Routes 73, 76, and 77 – Revised routes in Barrhaven (Exhibit 4)

Routes 73, 76, and 77 will be changed to improve service for customers by reducing their walking distance to the nearest bus stop and by reducing their travel time. This service change will begin on Tuesday, September 4, 2001, or as soon after that date as the new bus-only roadway is complete.

Route 73 will be changed to begin on Strandherd Drive at Longfields Drive, to bring new service to the area east of Greenbank Road. The service will follow its present route via Strandherd, Gorman Drive, Old Strandherd Drive, Tartan Drive, Exeter Drive, and Wessex Road to Greenbank Road. From Greenbank, the service will continue east, providing new direct service to downtown on Berrigan Drive and the western part of Longfields Drive. Buses will follow a more-direct route north on Mountshannon Drive, replacing part of the present Route 77, and will then run north on Oriska Way and a new bus-only roadway to Fallowfield Road. Buses will enter Fallowfield Station and then will operate, as they do now, directly to downtown via Woodroffe Avenue and the Transitway.

Route 76 will be changed to replace part of the present Route 73. Buses will follow the present route from Cedarview Road, along Kennevale Drive, Sherway Drive, and Malvern Drive, then will continue across Greenbank onto Foxfield Drive, north on Wolfgang Drive, and east on Fallowfield Road to Fallowfield Station. From there, buses will operate, as now, directly to downtown.

Route 77 will be changed to improve reliability, to make service more frequent at some bus stops, and to reduce travel time for customers. All trips will serve the stops on the northern part of Stoneway Drive, and service will be removed from Rideaucrest Drive. The present schedules call for some trips to serve Stoneway and others to serve Rideaucrest; this leads to longer waiting times for all customers, and reduced reliability, because in the case of delay it is not possible for one trip to serve all stops. All trips will continue to serve the southern part of Stoneway, as they do now. Route 77 will also be changed to operate directly north on Beatrice Drive, the eastern part of Mountshannon Drive, Oriska Way, and a new bus-only roadway to Fallowfield Road. The present service on the western part of Mountshannon will be provided by Route 73, and service will be removed from the section of Longfields Drive between the two arms of Mountshannon.

The former Region of Ottawa-Carleton approved funds to proceed with the construction of a new bus-only roadway to connect the northern end of Oriska Way with Fallowfield Road. This construction project is expected to commence this summer. Initially, the roadway will only be used by Routes 73 and 77 in the morning peak period, as described above. The roadway is being built to accommodate two-way operation, so that it could also be used in the future for southbound service in the afternoon peak period or by all-day service in both directions. Further route changes on the bus-only roadway will be presented in TransPlan reports in future years. The bus-only roadway is part of the long-standing transportation plan for the area, and will become increasingly important as ridership through Fallowfield Station continues to grow. Residents of Oriska Way have been notified of the forthcoming operation of buses on this street, in the purchase agreement at the time of purchases, and by a sign posted at the northern end of the street since it opened in 1994.

The changes will improve service for customers by reducing their travel time or by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop. Approximately 200 passenger-trips each day on Route 73 and approximately 270 on Route 77 will have a travel time reduction of two to five minutes in the morning peak period. The new service on Longfields Drive between Berrigan Drive and Mountshannon Drive will bring approximately 75 residential units within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 15 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance.

The changes will also cause an inconvenience for some customers, by increasing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop or by reducing the frequency of service available to them. Approximately 20 passenger-trips which are now made from stops on Earl Mulligan Drive in the morning peak period will have a longer walk, and approximately 20 passenger-trips which are now made to or from the stops on Longfields Drive between the two arms of Mountshannon Drive will have a longer walk. Approximately 10 passenger-trips each day that are now made to or from the stops on Greenbank Road served by Route 73 will have a longer walk. Some customers can now choose to use either Route 73 or Route 76 to reach Greenbank and Foxfield Drive in the afternoon peak period and will have only Route 76 available. The waiting time for these 50 passenger-trips each day will be increased by approximately three minutes.

The initial proposal that was developed by Transit Services staff and that was published in February, called for Route 76 to begin at Kennevale Drive and Cedarview Road, and for the section on Cedarview to be removed. Customers objected to this during the consultation process. These customers would have had an increased walking distance and would have lost one of their choices of routes. Transit Services staff have revised the change to retain the operation on Cedarview Road.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from 28 people. Six wrote in favour of the proposal. Six wrote in opposition, citing the longer walk for customers who now use the stops on Earl Mulligan Drive; this point is discussed above. Five wrote in opposition to the removal of service from Cedarview Road; this has been addressed with the change in the recommendation, as described above. Four wrote in opposition to the removal of the choice of either Routes 73 and 76 that customers now have at Greenbank and Foxfield Drive; this point is discussed above. Three wrote in opposition to the changes, citing increased travel time; OC Transpo staff have reviewed the recommendation and have found that the travel time would be the same as or less than at present for all customers.

Another four customers wrote in opposition to the proposal, suggesting that Route 77 should be divided into two separate routes. The changes would reduce travel time for customers on Route 77 in the morning peak period by approximately five minutes and in the afternoon by approximately two minutes. At the present level of ridership, a division of Route 77 into two routes would cause more inconvenience than benefit for customers, as the trips would be divided between the two routes and the waiting time for each of the two routes would be doubled. As ridership in the area grows, and as development continues toward the south, staff will consider dividing Route 77 into two routes, one to serve the area east of Woodroffe Avenue and one to serve the area west of Woodroffe. This suggestion will be examined again in preparing the TransPlan reports in future years.

Overall, the changes to Routes 73, 76, and 77 will introduce transit service into new residential areas, will improve service for more customers than they will inconvenience and will result in increased transit ridership.

Route 176 – New service on Waterbridge and Cresthaven (Exhibit 4)

Route 176 will be extended to improve service for customers in the new residential area west of Prince of Wales Drive near Strandherd Drive, by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops. This service change will begin when the roads are completed, which is expected to be in the summer of 2001.

From Fallowfield Station, buses on Route 176 will run south on Woodroffe Avenue, east on Strandherd Drive, north on Crestway Drive, east on Waterbridge Drive, and north on Cresthaven Drive, Leikin Drive, and Merivale Road toward Tunney’s Pasture Station. This change will introduce new transit service on Waterbridge and Cresthaven, in a new residential area now being developed.

Route 176 was extended to Fallowfield Station in December 2000. The planned route from Fallowfield Station via Woodroffe Avenue, Strandherd Drive, Crestway Drive, Leikin Drive, and Merivale Road has not yet begun operation, because construction of Crestway and the southern section of Leikin is not complete. Since December 2000, Route 176 has been operating on a detour route, east from Fallowfield Station on Fallowfield Road, south on Merivale and Leikin to JDS Uniphase, and north on Leikin and Merivale toward Tunney’s Pasture Station. This detour route will continue until the road construction is complete, which is expected to be in the spring of 2001.

The extension of Route 176 to serve Waterbridge Drive and Cresthaven Drive will improve service for customers in the new residential area, by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop. The route will be closer to the centre of the new residential area than the previously-approved route on Crestway. Approximately 500 residential units will be brought within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 100 passenger-trips each day will be made on the new service. The change will not cause any inconvenience for present customers.

During the period of consultation, two comments were received from customers, both in favour of the proposal.

The extension of Route 176 will introduce transit service into a new residential area, will improve service for future customers, and will result in increased transit ridership.

New Route 186 – New service south of Barrhaven (Exhibit 4)

A new Route 186 will be introduced, to provide new service to the new Stonebridge residential area south of the Jock River. This new route will begin on Tuesday, September 4, 2001.

Route 186 will operate only during peak periods from Monday to Friday, and will connect the area with Fallowfield Station. From Jockvale Road, buses will operate along Golflinks Drive, Pondhollow Way, Riverstone Drive, Jockvale Road, Greenbank Road, and Fallowfield Road to Fallowfield Station. This service will be funded in part by the developer of the new residential area, under an agreement with the City of Ottawa. Service will initially be limited to two northbound trips in the morning peak period and two southbound trips in the afternoon, but will be increased as the population of the area increases. This strategy of an early start and a phased introduction of transit service into a new area has been used successfully in other areas, where it has led to the adoption of a “transit habit” by residents.

The introduction of the new route will not cause any inconvenience for present customers. Some customers travelling to or from points near Greenbank Road will have a small improvement in service, as they can choose to use Route 186 for their trips to or from Fallowfield Station.

During the period of consultation, one comment was received from a customer who wrote in favour of the proposal, but suggested that a more frequent service be operated.

The introduction of the new Route 186 will extend transit service into a new residential area, and will result in increased transit ridership.

HERON PARK

A minor change to Route 5 will provide improved access to transit service for residents south of Heron Road.

Route 5 – New midday, evening, and weekend service south of Heron Road

The hours of service of Route 5 south of Heron Road will be extended to improve service for customers by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops outside the peak periods. This service change will begin on Sunday, September 2, 2001.

Route 5 provides local service from Heron Park to Billings Bridge Station, Ottawa South, downtown Ottawa, Vanier, and St. Laurent Station. The route runs seven days a week, and uses fully-accessible low-floor buses on most trips. During peak periods from Monday to Friday, the route serves Kaladar, Brookfield, and Clover in the Heron Park area. At other times of the week, the route ends at Heron Road and Clover, and customers travelling to or from the area south of Heron Road walk to or from the bus stops on Heron Road. The change will introduce new midday, evening, and weekend service on the section of the route south of Heron Road, so that the present peak-period route will be used at all times of the week.

This change will improve service for customers by reducing the distance that they need to walk to their nearest bus stop during the midday and evening from Monday to Friday and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Customers who are travelling to or from points south of Heron Road at these times must now walk to Heron Road. Approximately 300 residential units will be closer to all-day transit service, and it is projected that approximately 40 passenger-trips each day will use the new service.

The change will cause an inconvenience for some customers, by increasing their travel time. Trips on Route 5 will have scheduled terminal time at Billings Bridge Station in the less-busy direction, southbound before noon and northbound after noon. This will increase travel time for the customers who are travelling from locations on one side of Billings Bridge to the other. Approximately 80 passenger-trips each day from Monday to Friday will have a longer travel time. Customers travelling in the busier direction will have no delay.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from three people. Two wrote in favour of the proposal. One wrote in opposition, citing as reasons that the Heron Park area had never had all-day transit service and that the scheduled terminal time at the end of the route would cause delays for customers. Transit Services staff will ensure that the schedule does not cause any unnecessary delays for customers, by scheduling the required terminal time at Billings Bridge station and not in the Heron Park area. The proposal originated with the Heron Park Community Association, and representatives of that association have confirmed verbally that they continue to support the proposal.

The extension of the hours of service of Route 5 will improve service for customers and will result in increased transit ridership.

GREENBORO

The extension of Route 43 will improve access to transit service for customers in the Hunt Club Enclave area.

Route 43 – New service on Johnston Road (Exhibit 5)

Route 43 will be extended to improve service to customers in the Hunt Club Enclave area of Greenboro, by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops. This service change will begin on Tuesday, September 4, 2001, or as soon after that date as the roads are completed.

Route 43, which operates during peak periods from Monday to Friday, directly to and from downtown Ottawa, will be extended to serve Johnston Road between Conroy Road and Tapiola Crescent.

This change will improve service for customers in this new residential area by reducing the distance that they need to walk to their nearest bus stop. Without the extension, customers would need to walk west to Tapiola Crescent, south to Lorry Greenberg Drive, or east to Conroy Road. Approximately 350 residential units wwill be brought within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 70 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance.

The change will not cause any inconvenience for present customers.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from five people. Three wrote in favour of the proposal. Two wrote in opposition, citing as their reason the increased crowding on buses. Transit Services staff will monitor ridership levels closely and will increase the frequency of service as necessary to ensure that all customers are being accommodated.

Overall, the extension of Route 43 will introduce transit service into a new residential area and will result in increased transit ridership.

ST. LAURENT

A minor change to Route 18 will improve the convenience of transit service along Tremblay Road between Belfast Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.

Route 18 – Increased service on Tremblay Road (Exhibit 6)

Route 18 will be changed so that all trips operate along Tremblay Road, instead of alternate trips operating via Tremblay Road and via Coventry. This change will improve service for customers by reducing their waiting time. The service change will begin on Sunday, September 2, 2001.

Route 18 operates all day long, seven days a week, and connects St. Laurent Station, through Overbrook and along Rideau Street, with downtown and areas further west. From St. Laurent Station, all trips will run south on St. Laurent Boulevard, west on Tremblay Road, north on Belfast Road, and then west on the present route via Coventry Road. The present trips which serve Coventry Road between St. Laurent Boulevard and Belfast Road will be removed. This section of Coventry Road will continue to be served by Route 111, and much of this area is within a convenient walking distance of St. Laurent Station.

The change to Route 18 will improve service for customers by reducing their waiting time. The service would be made more frequent at the stops on Tremblay Road. Approximately 30 passenger-trips each day would have a shorter waiting time.

The change will also cause an inconvenience for some customers. Customers who are travelling to or from the stops on Coventry Road east of Belfast Road will have a longer walk to their nearest bus stop for Route 18 or a longer waiting time for Route 111. Approximately five passenger-trips each day will have a longer walk and approximately five passenger-trips each day will have a longer waiting time.

During the period of consultation, three comments were received from customers. Two customers wrote in support of the proposal. One customer wrote in opposition to the proposal, but gave as a reason that service would be removed from a section of Coventry Road that would in fact still be served.

Overall, the change to the schedule of Route 18 will improve service for more customers than will have an inconvenience, and will result in increased transit ridership.

ORLEANS

The service changes in Orleans will provide better access to transit service for residents in the fast-growing neighbourhood of Fallingbrook South.

Route 30 – New service on Portobello Boulevard (Exhibit 7)

Route 30 will be changed to improve service for customers in the area of Orleans near Portobello, by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops. This service change will begin on Tuesday, September 4, 2001.

Express Route 30, which operates during peak periods from Monday to Friday, directly to and from downtown Ottawa, will be changed to serve Portobello Boulevard between Gardenway Drive and Valin Street. Route 30 will be removed from Gardenway Drive, Orchardview Avenue, Charlemagne Boulevard, and Valin Street, but service will continue to be provided by Route 20.

The change will introduce transit service into this new residential area and will improve service for customers by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop with direct service to downtown. New express service to downtown will be provided on Portobello Boulevard. Customers who live in the new residential area east of Portobello must now walk either north to Valin Street or south to Gardenway Drive. Approximately 400 residential units will be brought within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 80 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance.

The change will also cause an inconvenience for some customers, by increasing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop. Customers who now use the bus stops on Valin Street at Northlands Drive will have to walk west to the stops at Charlemagne Boulevard or east to the stops at Varennes Boulevard. Approximately 20 passenger-trips each day will have a longer walk.

The stops on Gardenway Drive, Orchardview Avenue, and Charlemagne Boulevard will be served only by Route 20 and not by both Routes 20 and 30, as now. Customers who use these stops will have a longer waiting time, but Route 20 provides a shorter travel time than would Route 30, and customers’ total waiting and travel time will be approximately the same as it is now. Approximately 150 passenger-trips each day will be affected in this way.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from four people, all in opposition to the proposal. All four cited as their reason the removal of service from Valin Street and the longer walk that would be required.

Overall, the change to Route 30 will introduce transit service into a new residential area, will improve service for more customers than it will inconvenience and will result in increased transit ridership.

Routes 20, 27, and 135 – New service south of Innes Road (Exhibit 7)

Routes 20, 27, and 135 will be extended to improve service for customers in the area south of Innes Road by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stops. This service change will begin on Sunday, September 2, 2001, or as soon after that date as the roads are completed.

Express Route 20, which operates during peak periods from Monday to Friday, directly to and from downtown Ottawa, will be extended to begin at the new southern end of Portobello Boulevard. Express Route 27, which also operates during peak periods to and from downtown, will be extended to begin at the southern end of Esprit Street. Route 135, which operates seven days a week and connects the area with Place d’Orléans Station, will be changed to loop through the area on Portobello Boulevard and Esprit Street, connecting between the two on a road which has not yet been named. Later, when the future extension of the Blackburn Hamlet Bypass is built in this area, Route 135 will be changed to connect between Portobello and Esprit on the bypass. The present service provided by Routes 20 and 135 on Nantes Street will be removed.

The recommended extension will improve service for customers in the new residential area, by reducing the walking distance to their nearest bus stop. New service will be provided on Portobello Boulevard south of Nantes Street and on Esprit Street south of Innes Road. Approximately 440 residential units will be brought within a convenient walking distance of transit service, and it is projected that approximately 90 passenger-trips each day will have a shorter walking distance.

The change will also cause an inconvenience for some customers by increasing the distance that they need to walk to their nearest bus stop or by increasing their waiting time. Customers who now use Routes 20 or 135 at the stops on Nantes Street will need to walk to Portobello Boulevard. Customers who now use either of Routes 27 or 30 to travel to or from stops on Innes Road will be served only by Route 30. Approximately ten passenger-trips each day will have a longer walk and approximately 25 passenger-trips each day will have a longer waiting time.

During the period of consultation, comments were received from 13 people. Three wrote in favour of the proposal. Five wrote in opposition, citing as their reason the longer walk from Nantes Street to Portobello Boulevard. Four wrote in opposition, citing as their reason the increased crowding on buses. Transit Services staff will monitor ridership levels closely and will increase the frequency of service as necessary to ensure that customers are being accommodated. One customer wrote in opposition, suggesting that the area south of Innes Road be served only by Route 20 and a new local service. This would be a less-attractive express service and a more-expensive local service.

Staff have made a change to the recommendation for Route 135 from the proposal that was published for consultation. The proposal showed the route serving the entire length of Portobello Boulevard, and then connecting from Portobello to Esprit Street on Scala Street and Chardonnay Street. More recent information on the staging of construction in this new area is now available, and it is expected that this loop can be expanded, so that buses will connect between Portobello and Esprit first on a new street opposite Nantes Street, and later on the Blackburn Hamlet Bypass.

Overall, the extensions of Routes 20, 27, and 135 will introduce transit service into new residential areas, will improve service for more customers than they would inconvenience and will result in increased transit ridership.

CONSULTATION

A brochure describing all of the proposed service changes was distributed on board all buses in early February. The brochure was also distributed door-to-door and to community associations in areas where new service would be introduced. As well, the information was also available on the OC Transpo web pages. The brochure and the web pages invited customers to send their comments on the proposals to OC Transpo.

Staff contacted each of the councillors in whose ward the proposed service changes would be made, to explain the changes and to answer any preliminary questions. Copies of the brochure were distributed to all councillors.

Four public open houses were held for residents to ask questions about the proposals and to give their views. These were held during the third week of February, in Barrhaven, Kanata, Orleans, and downtown Ottawa. In addition, staff attended a public open house organised by Councillor Harder and a community association meeting at the invitation of Councillor Deans.

Approximately 350 customers provided comments during the consultation period. Of all of the comments that were received, approximately 240 were about the proposals for service changes in TransPlan 2001. These comments are described briefly in the discussion of each recommended service change. The comments were helpful in confirming evaluations which had been conducted by Transit Services staff and in revising the recommendations so that they could provide further improvements in service for customers.

Two of the proposals were modified based on the comments received through the period of consultation, and those changes are incorporated into the recommendations in this report. The proposal for Routes 70 and 76 was revised to move the beginning point of the route further north on Cedarview Road. The proposal for Routes 99 and 116 was changed to extend Route 116 to the Nortel Corkstown location. The changes are explained further in the section of this report about each recommendation.

Some of the comments received from customers were not about the TransPlan 2001 proposals. These comments will also be helpful, and will be used in other operational and planning work at OC Transpo. Concerns, for instance, about the frequency and quality of service, or about bus stops and shelters, are already being addressed. Suggestions for further service changes will be examined as part of the work to prepare TransPlan 2002.

TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN

The City’s Transportation Master Plan establishes a principle that travellers will be encouraged to use transit in preference to individual automobiles. The plan calls for an emphasis on service to the central part of the city, but also improvements in transit service to major destinations outside the central area and improvements to cross-town service that does not enter the congested downtown.

The changes in this report promote the aims of the Transportation Master Plan by improving service for present transit customers and by improving service so that it would attract new customers. In particular, the extensions of service in Kanata, South Nepean, Greenboro, and Orleans will bring service closer to new residential areas, the extension of Route 99 to the business area in northern Kanata will improve cross-town travel, and the service changes near Bayshore and St. Laurent stations and in Heron Park will make service more convenient and reliable.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The service changes in this report can be accommodated within the Transit Services budget for 2001.

ATTACHMENTS

Exhibit 1 – Service changes in residential areas of Kanata

Exhibit 2 – Service changes in Kanata and Nepean business areas

Exhibit 3 – Service changes near Bayshore Station

Exhibit 4 – Service changes in South Nepean

Exhibit 5 – Service change in Greenboro

Exhibit 6 – Service change near St. Laurent Station

Exhibit 7 – Service changes in Orleans

DISPOSITION

Upon the approval of the service changes for 2001 by Council, staff would begin making operational arrangements and would begin preparing public information for the service changes. Most of the changes will be introduced on Sunday, September 2, 2001, or Tuesday, September 4, 2001. The changes to Routes 85 and 166 at Bayshore Station will begin on Sunday, June 22, 2001. As noted in the report, changes to some routes would be delayed but would be introduced as soon as possible after those dates, when the construction of new roads is complete. Following the introduction of the service changes, comments from customers and operating experience will be monitored closely, and a full review of each change will be conducted approximately one year after introduction.

Exhibit 1

Service changes in residential areas of Kanata

Routes 60 and 65 and new Route 68 Routes 160 and 162

Route 61
Exhibit 2

Service changes in Kanata and Nepean business areas

Exhibit 3

Service changes near Bayshore Station

Exhibit 4

Service changes in South Nepean

Exhibit 5

Service change in Greenboro

Exhibit 6

Service change near St. Laurent Station

Exhibit 7

Service changes in Orleans