Introduction

The contents of this chapter are summarized briefly below:

§ Section 1.1 explains the plan’s rationale and objectives.

§ Section 1.2 provides an overview of the plan’s structure and contents.

§ Section 1.3 discusses how the plan will be maintained and updated in future.

1.1 Background and objectives

In October 2004, the Province of Ontario announced its intention to invest a portion of provincial gas tax revenues (two cents a litre) in public transit. The goal of this investment is to ensure that local public transportation ridership increases through expansion of public transportation capital infrastructure and service levels.

In order to continue receiving gas tax funding, municipalities must develop a transit ridership growth plan and have it approved by Council then submitted to the Ministry of Transportation by March 31, 2006. Municipalities receiving gas tax funding are also required to report annually to the province on how dedicated gas tax funds are being used to build transit ridership.

The principal objectives of this plan are to:

§ Identify and explain the initiatives, strategies and actions that will support ridership growth by improving the attractiveness, effectiveness and efficiency of transit

§ Demonstrate the relationships and dependencies among different areas of activity

§ Summarize policies, programs and projects to support transit ridership growth that have been proposed previously (e.g. Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Ottawa Rapid Transit Expansion Program, Transit Service and Fare Policy Manual)

§ Identify performance measures that will provide a basis for future progress reports and updates to this plan

1.2 Overview of the plan

In June 2005, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) prepared a Guide to Preparing a Transit Ridership Growth Plan, with the assistance of a working group of representatives from federal, provincial and local governments as well as non-governmental organizations. This plan has been developed with regard to the Ministry’s valuable guidance, including the advice that transit ridership growth plans should reflect the unique circumstances, needs and approaches of each municipality. The following sub-sections discuss several structural aspects of this plan.

1.2.1 Conventional and specialized transit

This plan addresses both conventional and specialized transit operations in the City of Ottawa, which are provided respectively under the banners of OC Transpo and Para Transpo. The bulk of this plan focuses on conventional transit services, a fact that reflects the greatly different magnitudes of the two operations as well as the reality that conventional services are expected to be the primary venue for ridership growth by persons with disabilities. In combination with fare-based incentives, improvements to the accessibility of conventional fleet, facilities and services are expected to make OC Transpo the first choice of a growing number of transit customers who would have relied previously on Para Transpo services. Therefore, ridership growth per se is not an inherent objective of Para Transpo operations, and success of this plan would result in growth in the number of passenger trips taken by customers with disabilities on the entire transit system.

For this reason, readers interested in services for customers with disabilities must read the plan in its entirety. Many issues related to accessible conventional transit service are addressed within Chapter 3, and Para Transpo is addressed specifically in Chapter 4.

1.2.2 Initiatives and strategies

The MTO’s Guide to Preparing a Transit Ridership Growth Plan suggests a number of major initiatives that can support transit ridership growth. Those suggestions have been adapted in this plan, which addresses the following six major initiatives:

§ Initiative A — Growth management

§ Initiative B — Urban design & site planning

§ Initiative C — System capacity

§ Initiative D — Service design & delivery

§ Initiative E — Marketing & education

§ Initiative F — Specialized transit

Note: Pricing and fare media, which were the subjects of a separate initiative suggested by the Province’s Guide, are addressed in this plan within Initiative D — Service design and delivery.

The following table lists the component strategies within each initiative. Initiatives A through E relate to conventional transit and are discussed in Chapter 3 of this plan, while Initiative F focuses on specialized transit and is discussed in Chapter 4. Additional details of all strategies are provided in Annex A.

Initiatives A through E are closely linked, and the figure below shows that some initiatives are essential to the success of others. These relationships, where applicable, are documented with other details of individual strategies in Annex A.

Transit ridership growth initiatives and strategies

Initiative A — Growth management

A.1 Official Plan

A.2 Transportation Master Plan

Initiative B — Urban design & site planning

B.1 Community design plans

B.2 Zoning by-law

B.3 Development approval process

B.4 Development around rapid transit stations

Initiative C — System capacity

C.1 Bus rapid transit

C.2 Light rail

C.3 Park & Ride

C.4 Fleet expansion

Initiative D — Service design & delivery

D.1 Service quality

D.2 Route network

D.3 Operations management

D.4 Transit priority

D.5 Interprovincial service

D.6 Accessible service

D.7 Intermodal connections

D.8 Safety & security

D.9 Fare technology

D.10 Fare structures & levels

Initiative E — Marketing & education

E.1 Customer service, information & amenities

E.2 Marketing programs & partnerships

E.3 Promotion, outreach & education

E.4 Market research

Initiative F — Specialized transit

F.1 Fleet

F.2 Service standards

F.3 Booking, scheduling & dispatching

F.4 Fares

Supportive relationships among conventional transit initiatives

1.2.3 Action plan time horizons

MTO’s Guide to Preparing a Transit Ridership Growth Plan suggests the application of three time frames (short, medium and long) for setting transit ridership targets. This plan uses the following time frames to identifying the actions and milestones associated with ridership growth initiatives and strategies, using 2006 as a starting point:

§ Short term — 2009 (3 years)

§ Medium term — 2016 (or about 10 years), which coincides with the horizon of the City’s Long Range Financial Plan (update under development, to be submitted to Council in 2006)

§ Long term — 2021 (or about 15 years), which coincides with the horizon of the City’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan (although those plans rely primarily on population thresholds to define time frames, rather than specific years)

It is envisioned that future updates of this plan would continue to use a rolling three-year short-term timeframe, and that the medium-term and long-term time frames would continue to reflect the actual horizon years of the City’s Long Range Financial Plan (which is typically updated every three years) and Official Plan (which is typically updated every five years), respectively.

1.3 Maintaining and updating the plan

This Transit Ridership Growth Plan will be updated on a regular basis. Updates may be required by the Ministry of Transportation, or they may be initiated by the City to accurately reflect changing circumstances and/or the future development of transit-related plans, policies, programs and projects.

Chapter 2: Present and future context

The contents of this chapter are summarized briefly below:

§ Section 2.1 provides a brief overview of Ottawa and its transportation system.

§ Section 2.2 outlines the City’s long-term approach to managing the growth of the community, and summarizes projections of future conditions that are relevant to increasing transit ridership.

§ Section 2.3 summarizes key transit and transportation trends, related future objectives, keys to success, and important implementation and funding considerations.

2.1 Community overview

The City of Ottawa is home to about 850,000 people and covers about 2,760 square kilometres, of which 10% is urban land and the rest is rural. Across the Ottawa River in the Province of Quebec, the City of Gatineau has a population of about 235,000 people. Ottawa-Gatineau is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Canada after Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Three different levels of government plan, design, build, operate and maintain transportation facilities within Ottawa. The City owns and maintains the rapid transit system and most of the road network, while major intercity Highways 416, 417 and 7 are the responsibility of the Province of Ontario. Some of Ottawa’s transportation infrastructure is under federal jurisdiction, including five interprovincial road bridges as well as roads and multi-use pathways belonging to the National Capital Commission. Within the city limits are found one international and three general aviation airports, two passenger railway stations, an intercity bus terminal, two ferries and a freight yard.

Ottawa’s extensive, multimodal transportation system includes transit service and facilities (on-road bus services, Transitway, O-Train, Park & Ride lots), walking and cycling facilities (on-road cycling facilities, 1,500 km of sidewalks, and 300 km of multi-use pathways), roads (6,000 km of freeways, arterials, collector and local roads), and parking facilities (with the City operating 15 off-street public lots with 1,600 spaces, and 3,750 on-street parking meters, mostly in and near downtown.)

The City of Ottawa’s transit service, known as OC Transpo, has more than 910 standard and articulated buses in active service. In addition to regular on-road bus services, the City has an extensive rapid transit system including 30 kilometres of exclusive busways known as the Transitway, 12 kilometres of freeway shoulder bus lanes, an eight-kilometre O-Train light rail line, and eight urban Park & Ride lots with over 4,400 parking spaces. The City operates a specialized transit service for persons with disabilities, known as Para Transpo, that uses a fleet of 92 dedicated wheelchair-accessible vans, 37 dedicated full-size sedans, and 30 taxis. In 2005, 58% of OC Transpo’s conventional transit fleet was comprised of fully accessible low-floor buses.

2.2 Growth management strategy

2.2.1 Policy framework

In 2001, City Council initiated the Ottawa 20/20 initiative, a two-year process to help prepare for growth over the coming decades. It strove to balance social, environmental and economic issues in a way that will serve current residents while being responsible to future generations. It incorporated several new growth management plans (Official Plan, Economic Strategy, Human Services Plan, Arts and Heritage Plan, Environmental Strategy, Corporate Strategic Plan) that identify the City's long-term strategic directions and form a comprehensive blueprint for the future of Ottawa.

The Official Plan directs Ottawa’s physical development through land use, community design, transportation and infrastructure policies. It is supported by the strategies, policies, programs and infrastructure elements recommended in three master plans, namely the Transportation Master Plan (for multimodal transportation services and facilities), Infrastructure Master Plan (for water, wastewater and stormwater services) and Greenspace Master Plan (for the protection, acquisition and management of greenspace). The figure below shows how these plans relate to the other elements of the City’s growth management strategy.

The Transportation Master Plan will help the City of Ottawa manage growing transportation demands over the next two decades. It identifies transportation facilities and services that the City intends to put in place by 2021 to support the development pattern identified in the Official Plan, and to meet the travel needs of residents and businesses. Its policies guide the operation of the City’s day-to-day transportation programs, and provide a basis for capital and operating budgets.

2.2.2 Growth projections

The City of Ottawa expects to see substantial population and employment growth by 2021, with new residents and workers placing considerable pressure on its transportation system.

The following figure shows that the city’s population is projected to grow almost 50% from 2001 to 2021. Of the almost 400,000 new residents, 18% will live inside the Greenbelt while 73% will live in urban areas outside the Greenbelt, and 9% will live in rural areas. The number of jobs is projected to grow by about 270,000 or 56% from 2001 to 2021, with 42% of new jobs located inside the Greenbelt, 54% in urban areas outside the Greenbelt and 4% in rural areas.

Because of the aging population and a declining number of people in the average Ottawa household, the number of households in Ottawa is projected to increase by up to 60% between 2001 and 2021, including many more seniors' households. This means that almost 190,000 new homes will needed. About two-thirds of them will be outside the city's Greenbelt, where fewer than half (about 40%) will be townhouses or apartments. About one-third of new homes will be inside the Greenbelt, where most will be apartments.

2.3 Transit and transportation

2.3.1 Past and present

Following are some key points that describe recent transit and transportation trends in Ottawa. Many of these characteristics are portrayed visually in nine charts on the three subsequent pages.

§ Conventional transit service provided in 2004 was about 2.3 million service hours, representing a ten-year increase of 9%. Actual service capacity has increased by a greater margin, because the proportion of articulated buses in the fleet has increased.

§ Conventional transit fleet size in 2005 was 685 standard and 227 articulated buses, compared to 682 standard and 108 articulated buses in 1995. Fleet carrying capacity (as measured in standard equivalents, where an articulated bus represents 1.5 SE compared to 1.0 SE for a standard bus) was 1,026 SE in 2005, up 22% from 844 SE in 1995.

§ The average transit fare paid by riders was $1.235 in 2005, up 13% since 1995. In real terms (i.e. accounting for inflation), over these ten years the average fare actually declined by about 8%.

§ Total conventional transit ridership in 2005 was about 90 million linked trips or 25% greater than in 1995, when ridership reached its lowest point in 20 years.

§ Per-capita conventional transit ridership in 2005 was about 118 trips per resident served — more than all Canadian cities except Montreal and Toronto, and more than all North American cities of a comparable size. This represents an increase of 4.4% over the 1995 figure of 113 trips per resident served.

§ Conventional transit operating costs and revenues have both generally increased over the last 15 years, increasing 62% and 46% since 1990, respectively. The relatively greater growth in costs has led to a falling revenue-cost ratio, from 58% in 1990 to 51% in 2004.

§ Specialized transit ridership in 2004 was just over 750,000 trips, which is 60% higher than it was in 1990. However, ridership levels have been relatively unchanged since 1994 with the exception of 2001, when there was a lengthy labour disruption.

§ Specialized transit operating costs and revenues have increased by 19% and 12%, respectively, since 1995.

§ Person-trips by mode during weekday afternoon peak hours in 2001 totalled 250,000, and were divided among auto (74%), transit (15%), walking (just under 10%) and cycling (just under 2%). Among all motorized person-trips, the “modal splits” were 83% for auto and 17% for transit.

Text Box: * There was a 24-day conventional transit labour disruption in 1996

Text Box: * There was a 24-day conventional transit labour disruption in 1996

Text Box: * There was a 68-day specialized transit labour disruption in 2001

2.3.2 Future Objectives

In order to reflect its growth management principles and support for the Official Plan’s desired land use patterns, the City of Ottawa is planning to achieve the highest reasonable level of future transit usage. During the Transportation Master Plan process a 30% transit modal split objective was set for the 2021 afternoon peak hour, meaning that 30% of all motorized person-trips (i.e. those made by transit or automobile) would be by transit and 70% would be by automobile.

A 30% transit modal split target represents a real challenge — it almost doubles the estimated 2001 value of 17%, likely exceeds current transit usage levels in virtually all large metropolitan areas in Canada and the United States, and is comparable to the levels realized in many transit-focused European cities. However, it can be achieved if the required service strategies, transit priority measures, rapid transit lines and a variety of essential supporting actions are implemented in a comprehensive and coordinated fashion.

Achievement of the transit modal split target would have a remarkable effect on total transit ridership. Afternoon peak hour person-trips by transit would almost triple, rising from 37,000 to 104,000. At the same time, afternoon peak-hour person trips by auto would increase by just 30%.

These peak hour increases, if translated into equivalent growth in annual transit ridership, would yield 2021 targets of about 240 million linked transit trips per year (versus 85 million in 2001) and about 210 trips per capita annually (versus 119 in 2001). While these figures are speculative (since the growth in peak hour transit usage may well be greater than the growth in overall daily or annual usage) they do illustrate the magnitude of the additional transit service that is required. The required growth in annual transit ridership to meet the target of 240 million trips, starting from the 2004 ridership of 88.8 million trips, represents a compounded growth rate of 6% per year, as illustrated in the following figure.

The dramatic targeted increase in transit modal split across Ottawa (i.e. from 17% to 30%) would actually be exceeded by the increases required in some major travel corridors. The following figure compares actual 2002 modal splits to required 2021 modal splits at key screenlines, as determined through the Transportation Master Plan process. (Note that screenlines are imaginary lines drawn across major transportation facilities in a corridor, and typically follow a feature that has limited crossing points, such as a river or railway. A screenline or group of screenlines that effectively contain an area of interest may also be referred to as a cordon.) It is notable that transit will be required to carry 50% of motorized person-trips to and from Ottawa's Inner Urban Area (up from 29% in 2002), and 34% of trips across the Greenbelt (up from 17%) during the afternoon peak hour, in the peak direction. The 2021 screenline values generally exceed the 30% city-wide objective because screenlines tend to capture radial travel demands — that is, trips from the urban core to outlying areas — and higher-quality transit service can be provided for these trips than for those that move peripherally (i.e. from suburb to suburb).

Screenline*	Transit Modal Split
Screenline*	2002	2021
Rideau River	28%	50%
CPR	30%	49%
*Total: Inner Area Cordon*	*29%*	*50%*
Green’s Creek	33%	41%
417 East (2000)	0%	0%
Leitrim	1%	32%
Fallowfield	9%	31%
Eagleson	15%	38%
*Total: Greenbelt Cordon*	*17%*	*34%*
Interprovincial**	16%	36%
CNR West	15%	36%
CNR East	18%	41%
Western Parkway (1996)	15%	41%
Terry Fox (1996)	3%	34%
Rideau South	6%	25%
Bilberry Creek (1996)	20%	35%
Smyth / Hydro (2001)	29%	43%

* All 2002 data shown correspond to actual 2002 counts unless otherwise noted

** Interprovincial screenline projections are preliminary estimates subject to refinement through future work with the City of Gatineau and the National Capital Commission

2.3.2 Keys to success

Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan outlines four key strategic directions in which the City must take deliberate and timely action if it is to achieve its transportation objectives:

§ Land use planning. Ottawa’s Official Plan recognizes the fact that urban land use and transportation systems strongly influence each other. It emphasizes compact, integrated land uses to encourage a shift from automobile travel to public transit, walking and cycling. Land use strategies that support transit use can be applied at several planning levels, from the city as a whole to smaller communities and individual sites. Achieving a 30% peak hour transit modal split by 2021 will require careful coordination of land use and transportation initiatives, and the adoption of appropriate and complementary strategies at each level. Mixed-use development nodes, increased densities, and pedestrian-supportive neighbourhood and streetscape design can make transit a more attractive choice for peak period travel.

§ Transportation demand management (TDM). TDM is essential to reducing automobile dependence and the need for new or wider roads. It can help to reduce congestion and pollution, while improving access to opportunity and community livability. A main focus of TDM is on minimizing peak hour automobile travel by encouraging individuals to reduce the number of trips they make, to travel more often by non-driving alternatives, to travel outside peak periods, and to reduce the length of their trips. TDM measures work by making alternatives to driving more attractive, building a positive public attitude towards those alternatives, and providing information and incentives that encourage responsible travel behaviours. The City will implement a comprehensive TDM program, leading by example as well as implementing outreach strategies that encourage action by others.

§ Transportation supply management. The City will implement a wide range of strategies to make the best use of its facilities, networks and services, in order to maximize their people-moving capacity and to reduce operating costs. The financial resources required to add extensive new facilities may not be available when required, so transportation systems must be carefully managed to prevent unacceptable and unpredictable trends in congestion, safety and individual travel choices. Relatively minor actions that resolve localized barriers and bottlenecks can have a large benefit for the overall system. Transit priority measures are one example of the kind of proactive effort that can extract the greatest possible efficiency from today’s system, helping to achieve modal shift objectives, minimize the costs of congestion, and preserve public health.

§ New infrastructure and services. The provision of new infrastructure and services is a vital step toward the City’s transportation objectives. Transportation system expansion can be costly, time-consuming and disruptive, but it is a necessary complement to land use planning, transportation demand management and transportation supply management efforts. The timely addition of infrastructure and services as the City grows can encourage desired modal shifts and prevent unacceptable levels of congestion.

2.3.3 Funding and implementing transit ridership growth initiatives

The initiatives and strategies contained in this Transit Ridership Growth Plan will be implemented over time with funds allocated through the City of Ottawa’s capital and operating budgets. Many of the long-term measures called for in this plan are reflected in the City’s Transportation Master Plan, which also contains estimated costs for major transit capital works (e.g. rapid transit facilities, fleet) and transit operations, as summarized in the following table.

Future public transit costs estimated in Transportation Master Plan (2003-2021, $ millions)
Cost element	Total cost (revenue)	Average annual cost
Operating costs
Operating and maintenance costs	5,572
Fare revenues	(3,390)
Net operating and maintenance costs	2,182	121
Capital costs
Transitway and light rail construction	2,555
Fleet expansion — Light rail	630
Fleet expansion — Buses	810
Light rail maintenance and control facilities	100
Bus maintenance facilities	280
Park & Ride lots	50
Total capital costs	4,425	246

It is also important to note that the 2021 long-term time horizon envisioned in this plan represents only an estimate of the actual time when the population and employment growth estimates of the City’s Official Plan may be realized. Growth that is slower than expected would mean a general deferral of services and facilities needed to support the long-term horizon — and similarly, growth that is faster than expected would mean those needs arrive sooner than 2021.

The Transportation Master Plan confirmed a substantial "funding gap" in the City's future ability to pay for capital projects, including the transportation projects recommended in that plan. It also confirmed that the City's ability to pay for different projects will influence their relative priorities and rate of implementation. While federal and provincial gas tax transfers and infrastructure grants will help to partly overcome the funding gap for transportation capital projects, they are unlikely to eliminate it completely. On the operating side, even with the provincial gas tax transfer being eligible to contribute to the cost of service expansions, it is uncertain whether the property tax base will be sufficient to pay for the dramatic increase in transit service levels that is required.

Failure to locate resources that overcome this funding gap, such as from federal and provincial governments, will require the consideration of measures including program cutbacks, adjustments in standards and service levels, deferral of infrastructure, constraints on growth, user fees or tax rate increases. The annual budget process will remain the City's principal forum for deciding how to spend available capital and operating funds.

Chapter 3: Conventional transit

The contents of this chapter are summarized briefly below:

§ Section 3.1 provides an overview of Initiative A — Growth management.

§ Section 3.2 provides an overview of Initiative B — Urban design & site planning.

§ Section 3.3 provides an overview of Initiative C — System capacity.

§ Section 3.4 provides an overview of Initiative D — Service design & delivery.

§ Section 3.5 provides an overview of Initiative E — Marketing & education.

§ Section 3.6 outlines a performance measurement strategy for conventional transit.

The text in this chapter provides a brief overview of the component strategies within each of the above initiatives. Readers seeking more information may refer to Annex A where additional details for each strategy are given in tabular format, using the following headings:

§ Rationale

§ Description

§ Supporting references

§ Actions for short term, medium term and long term horizons

§ Milestones

§ Resources (where information is available and transit-specific)

§ Supporting strategies

§ Performance indicators

3.1 Initiative A — Growth management

This initiative represents the policy framework discussed earlier in Section 2.2, with a specific focus on the City’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan. Those two plans set key goals related to transit ridership growth, and outline the land use and transportation measures required to achieve those goals. As illustrated in the figure on the right, this initiative also supports and enhances Initiative B — Urban design & site planning, Initiative C — System capacity, and Initiative D — Service design & delivery.

This initiative includes two component strategies, which are summarized in the following paragraphs. Readers may refer to Annex A for additional details.

3.1.1 Strategy A.1 — Official Plan

As discussed in Section 2.2.1, Ottawa’s Official Plan directs Ottawa’s physical development through land use, community design, transportation and infrastructure policies. It is one of the growth management plans that identify the City's long-term strategic directions, and is supported by the Transportation Master Plan. The Official Plan identifies the growth boundary within which all urban development will be contained through 2021, the location of major types of development within the urban area, and the desired characteristics of that development. It identifies the locations of future rapid transit and transit priority corridors to enable the protection of required rights-of-way. It also sets a 30% afternoon peak hour transit modal split target for 2021, and specifies the need for other transit-supportive actions like pedestrian facility improvements and transportation demand management measures.

The action plan for this strategy includes updating the Official Plan to define and protect future rapid transit corridors upon completion of Environmental Assessment projects, reviewing the urban land requirement by 2008 based on an assumption of greater intensification in the urban area, and reviewing the need to update the Official Plan by 2008. The plan will continue to have substantial influence on transit ridership growth through the ongoing implementation of its policies that guide the location and nature of urban development to be as transit-supportive as possible, set a long-term 30% peak hour transit modal split target, and define the location of rapid transit and transit priority corridors.

3.1.2 Strategy A.2 — Transportation Master Plan

As discussed in Section 2.2.1, Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan identifies transportation facilities and services that the City intends to put in place by 2021 to support the development pattern identified in the Official Plan, and to meet the travel needs of residents and businesses. Its policies guide the operation of the City’s day-to-day transportation programs, and provide a basis for capital and operating budgets.

The action plan for this strategy includes updating transit infrastructure requirements based on results of the 2005 Origin-Destination Survey, and reviewing the need to update the Transportation Master Plan by 2008 in conjunction with a similar review of the Official Plan. The Transportation Master Plan will continue to have substantial influence on transit ridership growth through the ongoing implementation of its recommended policies, programs and projects including long-range targets for increasing transit ridership, the identification of an overall transit service strategy, and guidance regarding rapid transit and transit priority facilities, Park & Ride lots, service for customers with disabilities, fleet expansion, safety and security, and transportation demand management.

3.2 Initiative B — Urban design and site planning

This initiative represents efforts to make new development or redevelopment projects more supportive of public transit. These efforts include the development of area plans, the application of regulatory instruments, the conduct of approval processes, and broader efforts to shape or reshape development around key rapid transit nodes. As illustrated in the figure on the right, this initiative also supports and enhances Initiative C — System capacity, and Initiative D — Service design & delivery.

This initiative includes four component strategies, which are summarized below. Readers may refer to Annex A for additional details on each strategy.

3.2.1 Strategy B.1 — Community Design Plans

The Official Plan requires that Community Design Plans be conducted as integrated and comprehensive design exercises to ensure the optimal implementation of Official Plan policies and principles (e.g. intensification, transit-friendly design) at the community scale in urban areas where change is either actively occurring or desired (e.g. zones of greenfield development or urban redevelopment). Community Design Plans may be adopted by Official Plan amendment and identified in an annex of that plan, or may be approved by City Council as policy documents. They will be undertaken over time for designated areas including Town Centres and Mixed-Use Centres (where a large potential for change exists), Mainstreets and Developing Communities.

The action plan for this strategy includes the completion of several Community Design Plans each year to encourage transit-supportive development in key areas, focusing on greenfield areas, locations along rapid transit corridors (e.g. Nepean Town Centre, Carling to Bayview along North-South light rail corridor), and mainstreets.

3.2.2 Strategy B.2 — Zoning by-law

Many important Official Plan policies and principles are ultimately applied through the City’s zoning by-law, which regulates physical development using both prescriptive and permissive language. Since amalgamation in 2001, there have been 36 zoning by-laws in force within Ottawa. Some of these existing zoning by-laws have transit supportive provisions (e.g. parking supply caps near rapid transit stations), while others do not. The City intends to create a new, unified zoning by-law that incorporates transit-supportive elements of existing by-laws and complements them with new provisions for important land use features.

The action plan for this strategy includes the creation of a new zoning by-law for the City of Ottawa, and its submission to Council for approval in 2006. The by-law will reduce minimum parking requirements for some types of developments, set maximum parking limits near rapid transit stations, and provide for mixed-use development in the vicinity of transit stations.

3.2.3 Strategy B.3 — Development approval process

Through subdivision and site plan approval processes, the City is able to enforce policy and by-law requirements affecting new development characteristics that impact on the convenience, comfort and security of transit riders. The City can also negotiate with developers to influence development characteristics that are not explicitly addressed by policies or regulations. For example, through subdivision approvals the City can ensure the application of Official Plan and community design plan requirements such as overall net residential densities of at least 29 units per hectare in new developing urban communities, and the inclusion of road and pathway networks that ensure all development is within 400 metres of a transit stop. Through site plan approvals the City can ensure the application of zoning by-law and other requirements such as direct pedestrian routes from transit stops to the main door of developments. For developments expected to have significant transportation impacts, a Transportation Impact Study is required and must include transit elements.

The action plan for this strategy includes the creation of development design guidelines to support transit and other sustainable transportation modes, for application throughout the development planning process.

3.2.4 Strategy B.4 — Development around rapid transit stations

Developments generate higher levels of transit ridership when they are within convenient walking distance of rapid transit service. Encouraging appropriate levels and forms of development around rapid transit stations (and around entire corridors where rapid transit services run in a shared road right-of-way) can be an effective ridership tool. Where development does occur around rapid transit stations, the Official Plan and community design plans require higher-density development to be nearest the station, and direct and convenient pedestrian access links to the station. They also allow parking requirements to be reduced within 600 metres of stations. However, because several existing and proposed Transitway and light rail stations are somewhat remote from existing development, deliberate efforts may be required to attract development in those areas.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Development of transit-oriented development (TOD) guidelines that identify appropriate land use types, densities, arrangements, features and amenities for new development nodes as well as infill development near rapid transit service

§ Examination of site-specific planning opportunities for development to support ridership transit through desirable land use types, densities and other features once future rapid transit station and corridor locations have been defined

3.3 Initiative C — System capacity

This initiative represents efforts to increase the ability of Ottawa’s transit operations to carry the greatly increased passenger volumes that would result from achievement of the transit objectives discussed in Section 2.3.2. These efforts include major capital programs to construct rapid transit facilities and acquire transit vehicles. As illustrated in the figure on the right, this initiative also supports and enhances Initiative D — Service design & delivery, and is in turn supported by that initiative as well as several others.

This initiative includes four component strategies, which are summarized below. Readers may refer to Annex A for additional details on each strategy.

3.3.1 Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit

Successful implementation of an expanded rapid transit network will be a critical step toward achievement of the City’s transit ridership objectives. The Transitway bus rapid transit system has been the backbone of transit service in Ottawa for two decades, and now comprises 30 km of exclusive busways, 12 km of freeway shoulder lanes, 4.5 km of arterial bus lanes, 35 stations (including four major downtown bus stops) and eight Park & Ride lots with over 4,400 parking spaces. Ottawa’s bus rapid transit system has spawned numerous similar successes in major cities around the world, and will continue to be a major contributor to ridership growth in the future.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Development of 42 km of new exclusive or semi-exclusive bus rapid transit corridors by 2021 (note that these facilities are identified on Map 5 in Annex C of this report, and their staging across three time horizons is addressed in detail in Annex A)

§ Improvements to capacity and service along the Central Area Transitway in Ottawa’s downtown through operational changes to intersections, modified station locations, upgraded amenities at stations and integration of stations with adjacent buildings

§ Enhanced customer comfort, security and convenience in bus rapid transit stations through enhanced signage, seating and heating, better accessibility for disabled persons, more convenience retail and service uses, and improved taxi loading areas, passenger drop-off and pick-up facilities, bicycle parking facilities, and pedestrian walkways

Note that the Interprovincial Transit Integration Environmental Assessment Study (discussed under Strategy D.5 — Interprovincial service) will also consider ways to better integrate rapid transit services in Ottawa with those in Gatineau.

3.3.2 Strategy C.2 — Light rail

Successful implementation of an expanded rapid transit network will be a critical step toward achievement of the City’s transit ridership objectives. Ottawa’s light rail transit strategy will complement the city’s bus rapid transit system. Some light rail facilities will take advantage of existing rail infrastructure in several key corridors, while others will require the use of new dedicated rail rights-of-way or shared roadway rights-of-way. Future light rail facilities will replace and greatly expand upon the current O-Train operation that has successfully demonstrated the feasibility and attractiveness of rail transit in the Ottawa context.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Development of 110 km of new electrified light rail lines by 2021 within existing rail corridors, exclusive rail rights-of way, and shared road rights-of-way (note that these facilities are identified on Map 5 in Annex C of this report, and their staging across three time horizons is addressed in detail in Annex A)

§ Enhanced customer comfort, security and convenience in light rail stations through enhanced signage, seating and heating, better accessibility for disabled persons, more convenience retail and service uses, and improved taxi loading areas, passenger drop-off and pick-up facilities, bicycle parking facilities, and pedestrian walkways

3.3.3 Strategy C.3 — Park & Ride

Park & Ride lots allow travellers to reach transit service (typically rapid transit) using their automobiles. It is principally intended for use by residents of rural Ottawa or neighbouring municipalities, but is also used by suburban residents for whom Park & Ride is more convenient than reaching transit feeder or express routes on foot. There are eight existing park & Ride lots (Baseline, Place d’Orleans, Greenboro, Eagleson, Fallowfield, Trim Road, Telesat Court and Terry Fox) with over 4,400 spaces in total. Use of these lots is free and on a first-come-first-served basis except at Baseline station where a permit is required for use before 11:00 a.m. on weekday mornings, and at Telesat Court where users must hold a Gold parking permit. Gold parking permits are also sold to users of other Park & Ride lots (except Terry Fox) to guarantee them a preferred parking space close to the station platform.

The action plan for this strategy includes the development of 14 new Park & Ride lots adjacent to future rapid transit corridors (note that these facilities and their staging across three time horizons are addressed in detail in Annex A).

3.3.4 Strategy C.4 — Fleet expansion

In 2005, the City’s conventional transit fleet included about 685 standard buses, 227 articulated buses, one small bus and three diesel multiple-unit rail vehicles. Over time, the need to make a substantial investment in an expanded fleet of buses and light rail vehicles will be driven by service improvements including expanded route networks and service frequencies, the development of an electrified light rail system, and growing ridership demands. Expansion of the transit fleet will be integrated with necessary fleet renewal activities, since current buses have an expected lifespan of 18 years and virtually all will be replaced prior to 2021.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Acquisition of sufficient new buses and light rail vehicles to provide desired service levels to a growing number of transit passengers by 2021 (note that staging of these acquisitions across three time horizons is addressed in detail in Annex A)

§ Commensurate expansion of garage and maintenance facilities, including four new bus garages as well as light rail storage and maintenance facilities for 110 light rail vehicles by 2021

3.4 Initiative D — Service design and delivery

This initiative represents efforts to enhance the efficient and effective delivery of transit service, given the basic elements of system capacity discussed in Section 3.3, above. These wide-ranging efforts include the distribution of service in time and space to meet demand, efficiency improvements through technology, the integration of transit service with neighbouring Gatineau, the optimization of access for customers with disabilities and those transferring to or from other modes, the pursuit of improved safety and security, and the management of fare systems through technology and fiscal policy. As illustrated in the figure on the right, this initiative also supports and enhances Initiative C — System capacity, and is in turn supported by that initiative as well as several others.

This initiative includes ten component strategies, which are summarized below. Readers may refer to Annex A for additional details on each strategy.

3.4.1 Strategy D.1 — Service quality

The quality of transit service, including characteristics such as service frequency, vehicle loading levels, and the hours and areas in which service is offered, plays a large role in the ability to attract new ridership. These aspects of transit service are guided by the City of Ottawa’s Transit Service and Fare Policy Manual, which identifies system management policies, financial performance standards for service improvements or reductions, all‑day base route network service standards and expansion policies, route design guidelines, service hours and minimum frequencies for different route types, service capacity standards governing passenger loading levels, and principles governing services for festivals and major events. The manual also outlines the City’s approach to consultation and approval as part of various service planning activities, including the annual transit operating budget and Transplan processes, quarterly schedule changes and bi-weekly operations reviews.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Increasing service frequency or vehicle capacity on routes with growing ridership in order to sustain desired service levels, allow room for growth, and attract new users

§ Exploring alternative delivery methods in areas where conventional services cannot cost-effectively meet minimum ridership targets

3.4.2 Strategy D.2 — Route network

The “spine” of current OC Transpo service is the all-day base route network, including routes on rapid transit facilities and major arterial roads, on which service is provided seven days a week within an 800-metre walk of 95% of urban households. The overall system includes Transitway and O‑Train routes, main line routes, local routes, express routes, employment area routes, and rural routes. The future addition of new rapid transit lines will offer the opportunity to relocate services now operating in congested traffic environments, and to have new stations act as service hubs where (in some cases) none exist today. The annual Transplan consultation process gathers public input on proposed major route changes through discussions with Councillors, advertising, open houses, evaluation of comments, and presentations to Transportation Committee.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Expanding the transit route network to serve ridership growth as the population expands and the transit modal split rises, and to extend service to developing areas as early as possible

§ Restructuring routes in the downtown core to significantly reduce bus volumes on Albert and Slater Streets by 2009 (for Phase 1 of the North-South LRT project) by implementing a limited hub and spoke system, rerouting some 90-series rapid transit routes to bypass downtown, and relocating some routes through downtown

§ Adjusting the future route network by replacing some main line routes by rapid transit services in adjacent corridors, focusing more local routes on light rail or Transitway stations, and replacing some express routes with local routes feeding light rail stations

3.4.3 Strategy D.3 — Operations management

Operations management is an umbrella term for measures that make the most of OC Transpo resources (e.g. vehicles, operators, fuel). More efficient transit operations can support ridership growth in several ways. They can reduce travel times for individual riders, enable constant headways with fewer vehicles thus freeing up resources to improve or extend other services, and reduce operating costs thus permitting funds to be reallocated. It is possible to improve the reliability of transit service through new technologies such as vehicle location using global positioning systems for service control and monitoring, as well as through other measures including enhanced operator training and additional time points.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ The installation of GPS units on buses by 2006 to enable improved schedule adherence, more efficient use of spare vehicles, faster response to schedule and headway control issues, faster and more reliable data communications between transit vehicles and central control, real-time route arrival information for waiting customers outside downtown, improved scheduling, support for smartcard fare systems, and automatic updating of electronic transfer-issuing machines

§ The installation of transponders on all buses (except those nearing retirement) beginning in 2006 to enable greater expansion of transit signal priority measures and real-time route arrival information for waiting customers at downtown Transitway stops

3.4.4 Strategy D.4 — Transit priority

Over 85% of Ottawa’s transit service is delivered on roads, where traffic congestion increases delay and reduces reliability. Transit priority measures can make transit operations faster and more reliable, and free up resources to save money or improve service elsewhere. They can enable improved on‑time performance on wider headway routes, and constant headways on high-frequency services with fewer vehicles. Physical or operational measures that are used in Ottawa to give transit vehicles priority over others include: curb-side bus lanes on arterial roads, shoulder bus lanes on freeways, traffic signal priority, transit priority signal indicators, advance stop bars, transit-only left turns from curb lanes, bus-only interchange connections, and remote “demand for service” indicators.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Implementing a transit priority network by 2021, both where transit priority measures will remain indefinitely and where they represent an interim measure in the development of rapid transit lines (note that these facilities are identified on Map 4 in Annex C of this report, and their staging across three time horizons is addressed in detail in Annex A)

§ Undertaking three operational studies in major transit priority corridors by 2009, followed by implementation of recommended measures

§ Implementing transit priority measures as part of roadway or intersection modifications, over time and as appropriate, but especially on or near the Transitway

§ Undertaking enabling measures including the installation of transponders on all buses (to begin in 2006), the modification of traffic controller and traffic system software, and the installation of remote traffic cameras at several key locations

3.4.5 Strategy D.5 — Interprovincial service

Ottawa and Gatineau have independent transit systems, but strive to optimize their collective services and maximize transit ridership across the Ottawa River. OC Transpo and STO serve major downtown destinations in the other’s territory, and maintain an ongoing dialogue to raise and resolve issues. Their fare structures, levels and media are distinct but integrated, and transfers from one service to the other are either low-cost or free. There are no dedicated rapid transit links between Ottawa and Gatineau, although there are reserved bus lanes on the Portage Bridge.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Undertaking the Interprovincial Transit Integration Environmental Assessment Study, in partnership with the National Capital Commission, City of Gatineau and others, to examine ways of improving transit integration between Gatineau and Ottawa

§ Implementing a smart card fare system (see Strategy D.9 — Fare technology) that will enable transit riders to use STO and OC Transpo smart cards on both systems, making transit use on both sides of the Ottawa River easier for all users

§ Enhancing the automated OC Transpo Travel Planner by incorporating STO route data, to help customers plan interprovincial trips on both systems

3.4.6 Strategy D.6 — Accessible service

Removing barriers to the use of conventional transit services by persons with disabilities will enhance their lives, and is more cost-efficient than providing specialized transit to meet growing demands as Ottawa’s population ages. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act also requires municipalities and transit systems to identify, remove and prevent barriers to persons with disabilities. Ottawa’s Transitway and O-Train stations are accessible to persons with disabilities, 58% of its bus fleet is composed of low-floor accessible buses, and 83% of passenger shelters are accessible. The City employs an Accessible Transit Specialist, works with an Accessibility Advisory Committee, provides travel training to seniors and persons with disabilities, promotes customer and operator awareness and sensitivity, and offers customer information in accessible formats. In 2006, a one-year pilot project will offer a reduced-cost monthly pass (the Community Pass) to people receiving income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), coincident with the termination of free conventional transit fares for customers who use a wheelchair, scooter or walker.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Acquiring only low-floor buses and light rail vehicles, so that by 2015 all vehicles in operation will be low-floor

§ Assigning low-floor buses to routes and trips where they will be of greatest use to disabled passengers, until the fleet is 100% accessible

§ Expanding travel training and community outreach for seniors and persons with disabilities

§ Implementing automated next-stop announcements and displays on transit vehicles by 2009

§ Upgrading inaccessible passenger shelters by 2009 so that they are all accessible except where precluded by property or utility constraints

§ Offering voice-based automated travel planning after 2009

3.4.7 Strategy D.7 — Intermodal connections

Many transit users transfer to and from other modes as part of their trips. They benefit from convenient and comfortable intermodal connections including pathways and sidewalks that link communities to bus stops, bike parking at rapid transit stations and bike racks on buses (Rack & Roll), Park & Ride lots and passenger drop-off/pick-up zones at rapid transit stations, taxi loading zones at rapid transit stations, and a communication service to arrange night-time taxi pick-ups at rapid transit stations. Transitway services offer convenient access to two intercity rail stations and Ottawa’s international airport, and the main intercity bus terminal receives frequent service on the base route network. Intercity and intermunicipal bus operators enjoy permission to use Transitway facilities, and shared fare agreements with private intermunicipal carriers provide their customers with inexpensive access to OC Transpo.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Improving pedestrian access routes to rapid transit stations

§ Selectively expanding the Rack & Roll program to additional bus routes

§ Initiating a Greyhound stop at the new Terry Fox Transitway station, for routes between Ottawa and points west

§ Building a light rail link to the Ottawa International Airport by 2016 (see Strategy C.2 — Light rail)

3.4.8 Strategy D.8 — Safety & security

The individual perception of safety or security risks can be a critical factor in individual travel decisions. OC Transpo has an excellent safety record, and has a comprehensive approach to maximizing the safety and security of transit passengers and other members of the public. Current activities include patrols by Transit Law Enforcement Officers, enforcement blitzes, operator training in conflict avoidance and resolution, attendance at community forums and public meetings, visits to local schools, rapid transit station design reviews and safety audits, video monitoring at some stations, planning for expanded video monitoring on buses, and public awareness campaigns. Other customer information and services include security phones and direct-call payphone buttons in all rapid transit stations, a Night Stop program at Transitway stations and flexible night-time stop locations on other routes, the TranSecure program through which OC Transpo staff is encouraged to provide assistance to any member of the public in need, extensive safety and security information on the OC Transpo website, and a reward program for crime tips leading to convictions.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Developing an enhanced community-oriented approach to transit law enforcement

§ Equipping patrol cars with wireless laptop technology to enhance communication

§ Expanding patrol staff to extend foot patrols and enable zone coverage away from the rapid transit system by 2009

§ Expanding video monitoring and public address systems in rapid transit stations, starting before 2009

§ Introducing incident-based video camera coverage inside vehicles by 2009

3.4.9 Strategy D.9 — Fare technology

Fare payment is an integral part of each transit customer’s experience. Advanced technologies can fundamentally change how users pay fares — minimizing uncertainty, maximizing convenience and offering ways to make transit more affordable for certain users — with positive effects on ridership. While OC Transpo relies largely on conventional fare media including paper passes, tickets and cash, it has contemplated a smart card-based fare system since the mid-1990s and plans are underway to implement a smart card fare payment system by 2008. STO already uses smart cards, and there are numerous benefits to having the fare systems of both STO and OC Transpo on a common smart card platform. New fare categories such as a “personal Ecopass” would be enabled without introducing significant revenue protection risks, and electronic fare validation would reduce fraud, enable convenient and economic fare collection on the light rail service, and improve working conditions for operators. Concurrent implementation of a smart card fare system and the “smart bus” system (see Strategy D.3 — Operations management) would offer substantial economies through the shared use of on-board computer processors.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Implementing a smart card fare system for monthly passes as well as employer and personal Ecopasses in 2007, and for stored value cards (cash/ticket equivalent) in 2008

3.4.10 Strategy D.10 — Fare structures & levels

Fares primarily serve to generate revenues that pay for transit operations, although fare structures and levels can also be set to help attract and maintain riders. The challenge in setting fare levels is to balance the need to generate revenue against the desire to encourage greater ridership. While fares generated about 51% of OC Transpo operating costs in 2005, the City’s policy is to raise fares above the rate of inflation until they generate at least 55% of costs. Fare structures make pre-purchased fares more affordable: buying tickets is better than cash, buying a pass is better still, and buying an annual pass or holding an Ecopass is even better. In 2005, cash fares (child or adult) generated almost 10% of revenues, tickets (child or adult) generated almost 29% of revenues, and passes (several types for adults, students and seniors) generated almost 62%. Imminent plans for 2006 are to offer two new pass categories, namely an annual adult pass and a student semester pass.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Implementing new pass categories in 2006, namely an annual adult pass and a semester pass for post-secondary students

§ Investigating new fare categories such as weekly passes and rolling 30-day passes after 2008, once the initial phases of smart card implementation are complete

§ Holding average fare increases to the rate of inflation once a 55% operating cost‑recovery rate is achieved in 2008

3.5 Initiative E — Marketing and education

This initiative represents efforts to influence transit demand through customer-oriented measures that complement and promote the use of transit operations and facilities. These efforts include support and information for customers, the enhancement of customer experiences through programs and partnerships, the delivery of educational and promotional campaigns, and research into the nature of transit markets. As illustrated in the figure to the right, this initiative also supports and enhances Initiative C — System capacity, and Initiative D — Service design & delivery.

This initiative includes four component strategies, which are summarized below. Readers may refer to Annex A for additional details on each strategy.

3.5.1 Strategy E.1 — Customer service, information & amenities

Quality customer service is vital to public transit in Ottawa, due to the substantial proportion of “choice” riders who have other travel options. Effective customer service and information can help maximize ridership by meeting the needs of various segments within the broader transit market, and offering riders quick, easy access to relevant information at critical decision points. Primary transit markets (e.g. commuters, students, seniors) can be divided into niche markets according to travel time (e.g. peak, off-peak), travel frequency (e.g. regular, occasional) and trip origin (e.g. neighbourhood) and destination (e.g. workplace, campus, special event).

The current customer service program includes: four major sales and information centres; telephone and Internet access to staff for information, suggestions, compliments and complaints; and operator training on courtesy and dealing with conflicts. Elements of the customer information program that are either current or imminent include: the OC Transpo website (3.5 million visits in 2004); customized travel planning via telephone, automated Travel Planner website (4,000 daily users in 2004), email and wireless devices (imminent); customer-care email advisories; automated bus schedules via the "560" interactive voice response telephone system (12.1 million calls a year); location-specific and customized information displays; and publications including a system map, route maps and timetables, brochures, and other publications specific to neighbourhoods, destinations, special events and customer programs such as Park & Ride or accessibility.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Identifying additional niche markets and developing targeted services or information products to increase ridership.

§ Offering kiosks in public locations that give access to the automated Travel Planner website, after 2009.

3.5.2 Strategy E.2 — Marketing programs & partnerships

Marketing programs help to identify, understand, engage and influence individuals within various transit markets. Partnerships help to leverage additional value from marketing expenditures by extending reach, reducing costs, generating new revenues, or increasing customer comfort and convenience. OC Transpo’s marketing programs and partnerships include: fare and system map sales through 400 vendors; information sharing with media; joint promotions with partner organizations; charter operations; special service sponsorship opportunities; convenience store operations in rapid transit stations; newspaper box space rental; service and space sharing with intercity transportation carriers; employer Ecopass administration; Gold Park & Ride pass sales; DayPass sales to car dealers; pass protection plan sales; and Lost & Found operation.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Improving marketing access to major customer groups, such as through partnerships with school boards, universities and colleges, and VIA Rail

§ Expanding derivative products (e.g. pass protection plans, partnerships with other organizations, DayPass sales to car dealers) to improve customer convenience and revenues

§ Investigating the potential to improve customer convenience and revenues through video terminals displaying news and advertising

§ Continuing to explore opportunities for new or expanded marketing programs and partnerships that can improve customer convenience and revenues

3.5.3 Strategy E.3 — Promotion, outreach & education

Promotion, outreach and education measures (together with pricing and marketing initiatives) are examples of a transportation demand management (TDM) philosophy — i.e. that a successful public transit system must focus on increasing the demand for service, as well as the supply. These measures can create a heightened awareness, understanding and public opinion of transit among potential customers that will provide a foundation for increasing ridership over time. Education involves measures to enhance individuals’ understanding of transit and its benefits to them, their community and environment. Promotion involves measures to enhance awareness of transit service and its key attributes, and to strengthen transit’s “brand”, through means including advertising, sponsorships and special events. Outreach involves the delivery of education and promotion measures by proactively engaging individuals and groups, and partnering with other organizations to reach their members or clients.

OC Transpo’s current activities in these areas include: media advertising and publicity to promote new services, or to promote existing services to new markets; a program of school visits reaching 3,000 students annually; sponsorship or participation in special events; attendance at trade and information shows; travel training at schools, hospitals and community agencies; and the supply of customized information packages and displays to members of niche transit markets. The City’s TravelWise TDM program also actively supports transit through a suite of activities that includes working with employers, educational institutions and community groups to support transit and other sustainable travel modes.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Promoting the introduction and expansion of light rail service in several communities through advertising, media events, active sales and publicity that emphasize light rail’s quiet, clean, convenient and reliable service

§ Promoting expanded bus transit services in new residential communities through advertising and publicity that emphasize increased frequencies and reduced travel times

§ Promoting the cost advantage of transit over automobile travel through advertising and publicity

§ Expanding efforts to promote transit at large workplaces through the use of dedicated web pages, presentations and displays

§ Expanding the TravelWise TDM program to work more closely with employers and schools to promote transit use

§ Promoting internal environmental initiatives including the adoption of ultra-low-sulphur biodiesel blend for bus propulsion, and the introduction of hybrid diesel-electric buses

3.5.4 Strategy E.4 — Market research

Market research helps to identify and understand various elements of the transit market, in order to guide the development of service or information products that can increase ridership. The City currently conducts a telephone-based Attitude Survey of customers and non-customers every two years, a city-wide Origin-Destination Survey every 10 years or so, and one-off count programs (e.g. Rack & Roll usage, Park & Ride surveys) as required and as resources permit.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Continuing to deliver the Attitude Survey every two years

§ Analyzing results of the 2005 Origin-Destination Survey in a timely manner, and repeating the survey by 2015

3.6 Performance measurement for conventional transit

This section presents the City’s approach to measuring performance in achieving this plan’s objectives over time.

The success of a long-range plan like this one relies on the ability and willingness to monitor relevant conditions, actions and impacts. The City must remain aware of its progress toward key objectives so that it can add, modify or delete priorities as needed. A comprehensive approach to performance measurement should consider three issues:

§ Outputs — Actions taken as part of this plan, whether to build facilities, acquire vehicles, deliver service or inform and educate riders

§ Outcomes — Results arising from actions taken, also considering that other factors may help determine such results

§ External conditions — Important factors having a direct or indirect influence on either outputs or outcomes, or both

The following table summarizes performance measures that the City will use to monitor and report on progress or trends related to ridership growth in general, as well as conventional transit Initiatives A through E. These include general measures that may address the overall objective of each initiative, as well as measures that are proposed in Annex A for specific component strategies.

Elements of performance measurement program for conventional transit
Ridership growth
General	§ Regular service passenger trips per year § Regular service passenger trips per service hour § Regular service passenger trips per capita § Ridership on bus rapid transit and light rail facilities § Transit modal split, city-wide (determined about every 10 years) § Transit modal splits at key screenlines
Initiative A — Growth management
General	§ Population and employment levels § Change in population and employment levels, by area
A.1 Official Plan	§ Densities of new residential developments (greenfield and infill) § Job/household ratio in urban communities outside the Greenbelt § Increase in dwelling units within Greenbelt
A.2 Transportation Master Plan	§ Transit modal split, city-wide (determined about every 10 years) § Transit modal splits at key screenlines
Initiative B — Urban design & site planning
General	§ N/A
B.1 Community design plans	§ Number of Community Design Plans completed annually for Mixed-Use Centres, Developing Communities and Mainstreet areas
B.2 Zoning by-law	§ N/A
B.3 Development approval process	§ Provision of development features as directed by development design guidelines (qualitative assessment)
B.4 Development around rapid transit stations	§ Amount of new development in vicinity of rapid transit stations, by type
Initiative C — System capacity
General	§ Regular service hours (bus and light rail) § Regular service hours per capita (bus and light rail) § Regular service vehicle-kilometres (bus and light rail)
C.1 Bus rapid transit	§ Length of exclusive busways, freeway shoulder lanes and arterial bus lanes
C.2 Light rail	§ Length of light rail facilities in operation
C.3 Park & Ride	§ Average weekday occupancy of Park & Ride spaces § Number of Park & Ride lots in operation § Number of parking spaces provided
C.4 Fleet expansion	§ Number of standard and articulated buses and light rail cars in fleet § Number of peak service transit vehicles § Number of peak service standard equivalent buses § Average age of buses and light rail vehicles
Initiative D — Service design & delivery
General	§ N/A
D.1 Service quality	§ On-time performance § Average passengers per vehicle § Number of customer trips affected by routes on which average ridership per vehicle exceeds established service capacity standards
D.2 Route network	§ Success rate in providing early service to developing communities
D.3 Operations management	§ Average operating speed (vehicle-km per service hour) § Percentage of scheduled trips operated
D.4 Transit priority	§ Transit travel speed increases in new transit priority corridors § Transit travel time reliability improvements in new transit priority corridors § Transit priority corridor studies completed § Number of implemented transit priority measures of different types
D.5 Interprovincial service	§ Ridership on OC Transpo and STO interprovincial routes
D.6 Accessible service	§ Proportion of low-floor accessible buses in fleet § Proportion of passenger shelters that are accessible
D.7 Intermodal connections	§ Length of improved pedestrian access routes implemented at rapid transit stations
D.8 Safety & security	§ Number of Transit Law Enforcement Officers § Number of rapid transit stations with video monitoring and public address capability § Number of buses with incident-based video monitoring
D.9 Fare technology	§ Proportion of fares paid electronically § Rate of fare fraud
D.10 Fare structures & levels	§ Average fare § Proportion of total revenue and trips by fare type (cash, ticket, pass) § Rate of operating cost-recovery from fares
Initiative E — Marketing & education
General	§ Customer satisfaction, as determined through surveys
E.1 Customer service, information & amenities	§ Annual customer calls § Annual website visits
E.2 Marketing programs & partnerships	§ Number of customers using an Ecopass
E.3 Promotion, outreach & education	§ Non-user opinion of transit system, as determined through surveys § Proportion of population using transit at least once per year
E.4 Market research	§ Number of market research activities conducted

Chapter 4: Specialized transit

Over the life of this plan, the demand for accessible public transit service will grow. Ottawa’s population of seniors is rising, and changes in health care will increasingly enable (through medical advances) and even require (through a trend toward outpatient treatment) persons with disabilities to lead fully independent lives. As discussed in Section 1.2, the accessibility of Ottawa’s conventional transit fleet, facilities and services is improving, and fare-based incentives will encourage persons with disabilities to ride conventional (rather than specialized) transit. OC Transpo, in fact, will be the primary venue for transit ridership growth by persons with disabilities. For this reason, readers interested in services for customers with disabilities should read the entire plan with particular attention to Section 3.4, which addresses the enhancement and promotion of accessible conventional transit services.

There will always be transit customers whose disabilities prevent them from using conventional transit for some or all of their trips — and they will be more numerous in winter than summer, because of the obstacles posed by cold weather, ice and snow. In addition, until the City’s bus fleet is entirely composed of low-floor vehicles (around 2015), accessible conventional transit service will not always be available in all locations and at all times of day. For these reasons, the City will continue to provide its door-to-door specialized transit service, Para Transpo. However, it must be emphasized again that this plan does not aim to significantly increase specialized transit ridership — rather, it aims to increase travel by customers with disabilities on the entire transit system.

This chapter contains the following sections:

§ Section 4.1 provides an overview of Initiative F — Specialized transit

§ Section 4.2 outlines a performance measurement strategy for specialized transit

While Section 4.1 reviews the strategies within Initiative F, readers seeking more information may refer to Annex A where additional details are given in tabular format, using the following headings:

§ Rationale

§ Description

§ Supporting references

§ Actions for short term, medium term and long term horizons

§ Milestones

§ Resources (where information is available and transit-specific)

§ Supporting strategies

§ Performance indicators

4.1 Initiative F — Specialized transit

This initiative represents key directions in Para Transpo service provision including the size of fleet that is used to deliver the service, the standards that define the nature of service provided and the eligible customer base, the trip booking, scheduling and dispatching process, and fares.

This initiative includes four component strategies, which are summarized below. Readers may refer to Annex A for additional details on each strategy.

4.1.1 Strategy F.1 — Fleet

Specialized transit fleet requirements are a function of targeted Para Transpo service levels. Fleet vehicles are owned and operated by two private contractors, with the number of vehicles specified in the contracts. One contractor operates the accessible van service using 92 dedicated wheelchair-accessible vans, and also operates the sedan service using 37 dedicated full-size four-door sedans. A second contractor supplements this base service using a fleet of about 30 non-accessible taxis.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Maintain Para Transpo’s dedicated wheelchair-accessible van fleet at its current size, complemented by increasing the accessibility and use of the conventional transit fleet by persons with disabilities

§ Entering a new contract for supplemental accessible and non-accessible taxi service in 2006, which may increase the number of taxis used (mostly during winter months)

§ Deciding by 2007 whether to expand, maintain or reduce the current sedan service and fleet, based on the cost-effectiveness of the new taxi service

4.1.2 Strategy F.2 — Service standards

Service availability (i.e. hours and areas served) and service levels are major factors in determining the degree to which customers can rely on transit to meet their travel needs; Para Transpo serves the entire City of Ottawa (a larger area than that served by conventional transit), service hours are about the same as for conventional transit service, and advertised service levels are based on a half-hour window for scheduled customer pick-ups (about 95% of which occur within this window). Customer eligibility (which determines whether the service is available to a given individual) is a key determinant of the number of customers who wish to use the service, and in turn of the proportion of customer demand that can be met with a fixed resource base; Para Transpo welcomes customers who have permanent or short-term disabilities that prevent them from being able to use conventional transit service. Given these service standards and available resources, Para Transpo (like most other specialized transit services in Canada) cannot meet all customer demands, but is able to accommodate about 95% of trip requests.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Maintaining Para Transpo’s service area, current customer eligibility terms and hours of service (i.e. paralleling those of conventional transit service)

§ Making service available within these service level parameters, based on the availability of resources

4.1.3 Strategy F.3 — Booking, scheduling & dispatching

Specialized transit services must respond to the customer demands that appear on a day-to-day basis. Booking, scheduling and dispatching are the vital links between customer requests and the actual delivery of service for about 700,000 Para Transpo trips each year. Customers with regular trips (i.e. on the same days and at the same times each week, about 55% of demand) can pre-arrange regular bookings, and the requested service is provided automatically each week without the customer having to contact Para Transpo. Customers can book casual trips (45% of demand) by contacting Para Transpo booking agents one day before service is required. Para Transpo sends schedules directly to its dedicated van and sedan service contractor, and sends individual trip requests that cannot be served by dedicated vehicles in a cost-effective manner to the taxi service contractor, who schedules and dispatches them to their Para Transpo taxi drivers. During the day, service adjustments are made either by Para Transpo dispatchers or the taxi contractor’s dispatcher.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of scheduling and dispatching by equipping all 92 dedicated wheelchair-accessible vans with on-board processors and GPS units in 2006

4.1.4 Strategy F.4 — Fares

Fares generate only a small portion of the revenue that pays for specialized transit operations (about 7% in 2004), due to the customized and highly passenger-focused service. However (unlike conventional transit fares), specialized transit fares are not set with a certain cost-recovery goal in mind. Rather, they are set on the basis of equity with conventional transit users. Para Transpo fares are based on the fare structure of conventional transit, but at a slightly higher level — this is both in recognition of the premium nature of the service, and to provide an incentive for customers with disabilities to make conventional transit their first choice, wherever and whenever possible. Para Transpo customers may pay fares with cash or tickets (or a combination thereof), or with a pass (adult, student or senior; regular or express; or Ecopass). In some cases, a small supplement in the form of either cash or tickets is required. Registered Para Transpo users may ride the O-Train at no charge. Rural fares are calculated based on origin and destination, with the fare representing about 10% of the actual trip cost. It should be noted that the implementation of smart card technology is not likely to be cost-effective for specialized transit operations, but that other options to make the payment of Para Transpo fares more flexible and convenient will be explored.

The action plan for this strategy includes:

§ Maintaining the current relationship between Para Transpo and OC Transpo fares (for information in expected fare changes, see Strategy D.10 – Fare structures and levels)

§ Investigating options to make Para Transpo fare payment more flexible and convenient, in parallel with the implementation of smart card technology in conventional transit operations

§ Investigating new Para Transpo fare categories to parallel any that are developed for conventional transit operations (e.g. weekly passes, rolling 30-day passes)

4.2 Performance measurement for specialized transit

The following table summarizes performance measures that the City will use to monitor and report on progress or trends related to specialized transit (Initiative F). These include general measures that address the initiative’s overall objective, as well as measures that are proposed in Annex A for specific component strategies.

Elements of performance measurement program for specialized transit
Initiative F — Specialized transit
General	§ Number of trips carried by wheelchair-accessible vans, sedans and taxis § Eligible customers converting to conventional transit service (either partly or wholly) § Customer satisfaction, determined through surveys
F.1 Fleet	§ Number of fleet vehicles, by type
F.2 Service standards	§ Service hours and days of operation § Call centre hours and days of operation § Proportion of customers picked up within a scheduled 30-minute window
F.3 Booking, scheduling & dispatching	§ Vehicle-kilometres per passenger § Passenger trips per hour § Proportion of booking requests not accommodated
F.4 Fares	§ Rate of operating cost-recovery from fares

Annex A. Details of strategies

CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	A. GROWTH MANAGEMENT
Strategy	A.1 Official Plan
Rationale	§ Sets 2021 city-wide transit mode split target of 30% of motorized person-trips in the afternoon peak hour § Compact development and transit-friendly urban design allow more effective and efficient transit service § Concentrating the right kinds of development (e.g. office employment) in transit corridors and around transit nodes can build ridership § Official Plan gives direction to developers, staff and Council regarding the desired location, density and form of development
Description	Present situation § Official Plan policies identify urban area boundary (i.e. growth limit), areas permitted for urban development, desired characteristics of urban development. § Official Plan policies provide high-level direction to development design and approval processes (e.g. desirable densities and design characteristics in locations like transit nodes). § Official Plan policies and schedules identify corridors for rapid transit (e.g. Transitway, light rail) and transit priority to enable right-of-way protection. § Other Official Plan policies specify: - Other aspects of transit service including the early provision of transit service in developing communities, the development of transit priority measures, the creation of Park & Ride lots, and the construction of improved pedestrian accesses to rapid transit stations - Actions for facilities and programs related to walking and therefore support transit use - The development of a transportation demand management program Future directions § Maintain currency of Official Plan schedules with regard to defined rapid transit corridor alignments § Review urban area boundary § Review need to update Official Plan by 2008 in accordance with Planning Act
Supporting references	§ City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003)
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)					Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Maintain and implement Official Plan policies § Update Official Plan to show rapid transit corridors as “defined” upon completion of relevant Environmental Assessments, to enable right-of-way protection for Transitway or light rail infrastructure § Review urban area boundary, based on an assumption of greater intensification	§ Review need to update Official Plan, as required					§ Review need to update Official Plan, as required
Milestones	§ 2006 — New zoning by-law to implement Official Plan (see Strategy B.2 — Zoning by-law) § 2008 — Review urban area boundary § 2008 — Review need to update Official Plan
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.2 — Transportation Master Plan
Performance indicators	§ Densities of new residential developments (greenfield and infill), versus greenfield target of 29 dwelling units/hectare § Job/household ratio in urban communities outside the Greenbelt (versus 1.3 jobs/household ratio used to designate lands) § Increase in dwelling units within Greenbelt
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	A. GROWTH MANAGEMENT
Strategy	A.2 Transportation Master Plan
Rationale	§ The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) was developed through an integrated planning process in conjunction with the Official Plan (see Strategy A.1 — Official Plan), and guides the long-term development of Ottawa’s transportation system in support of desired land use patterns. § The TMP provides a comprehensive multimodal transportation strategy that integrates future infrastructure and services for public transit, walking, cycling and auto travel
Description	Present situation § The TMP identifies policies, priorities, programs and projects to achieve the following 2021 city-wide targets: - Transit mode split — 30% of motorized person-trips in afternoon peak hour (vs. 17% in 2001) - Walking modal share — 10% of all person-trips in afternoon peak hour (vs. 9.7% in 2001) - Cycling modal share — 3% of all person-trips in afternoon peak hour (vs. 1.7% in 2001) § The TMP identifies: - A long-term transit priority network, rapid transit network, and urban and rural road networks (with road classifications) - Policy and programs related to transportation system management, area traffic management, goods movement, and intercity travel - Strategies for environmental protection, asset management and maintenance, and implementation and monitoring § Chapter 7 (Public Transit) of the TMP outlines a general transit service strategy, as well as policies, programs and projects for serving customers with disabilities, transit priority, rapid transit, fleet, and safety and security Future directions § Review and update transit infrastructure requirements based on results of the 2005 Origin-Destination Survey § Review need to update TMP in conjunction with review of need to update Official Plan by 2008 (see Strategy A.1 — Official Plan)
Supporting references	§ City of Ottawa Transportation Master Plan (2003)
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)				Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Maintain and implement TMP policies, programs and projects § Review and update transit infrastructure requirements based on results of the 2005 Origin-Destination Survey	§ Review need to update TMP, as required				§ Review need to update TMP, as required
Milestones	§ 2008 — Review need to update TMP
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan
Performance indicators	§ Transit modal split, city-wide (determined about every 10 years) § Transit modal splits at key screenlines
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	B. URBAN DESIGN & SITE PLANNING
Strategy	B.1 Community design plans
Rationale	§ Transit ridership growth is significantly dependent on the successful implementation of many Official Plan policies and principles, which are ultimately applied through tools including zoning by-laws and subdivision processes. The Official Plan recognizes that transit-supportive urban environments require coordinated action in a wide range of areas; it is also true that transit requirements sometimes conflict with other community needs and a rational decision-making process is required to weigh competing interests. § Therefore, the Official Plan requires that Community Design Plans be conducted as integrated and comprehensive design exercises to ensure the optimal implementation of Official Plan policies and principles (e.g. intensification, transit-friendly design) at the community scale, in urban areas where change is either actively occurring or desired (e.g. zones of greenfield development or urban redevelopment).
Description	Present situation § Community design plans are required by the Official Plan (see OP Section 2.5.7). They may be adopted by Official Plan amendment and identified in an annex of that plan, or may be approved by City Council as policy documents. Future directions § Community design plans will be undertaken over time for designated areas including Town Centres and Mixed-Use Centres (where a large potential for change exists), Mainstreets and Developing Communities § In Mixed-Use Centres, community design plans will: - Facilitate a transit-oriented development pattern having an intensity and mix of uses that will increase ridership - Lead to development that is close to streets, with the highest densities (offices and other employment uses) closer to rapid transit stations § In Developing Communities, community design plans establish land use densities and key features including the road system to be used by bus transit routes. § In Mainstreet areas, community design plans will identify transit-supportive strategies like minimum development densities and ways to stimulate intensification, creation of pedestrian-friendly environments, creation of maximum parking requirements near quality transit service, physical integration of transit stops and waiting areas with adjacent land uses.
Supporting references	§ Official Plan — Section 2.5.7
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)		Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Complete several Community Design Plans annually, focusing on greenfield areas, key locations along rapid transit corridors (e.g. Nepean Town Centre, and Carling to Bayview along North-South light rail corridor), and mainstreets		§ Complete several Community Design Plans annually		§ Complete Community Design Plans for Developing Communities, as required
Milestones
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan
Performance indicators	§ Number of Community Design Plans completed annually for Mixed-Use Centres, Developing Communities and Mainstreet areas
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	B. URBAN DESIGN & SITE PLANNING
Strategy	B.2 Zoning by-law
Rationale	§ Transit ridership growth is significantly dependent on the successful implementation of many Official Plan policies and principles, which are ultimately applied through tools including the City’s zoning by-law that regulates physical development using both prescriptive and permissive language.
Description	Present situation § Since amalgamation in 2001, there have been 36 zoning by-laws in force within Ottawa § Some existing by-laws have transit supportive provisions, e.g. parking supply caps near rapid transit stations, no minimum parking requirements for some land uses in the central business district, and permission for mixed-use developments near rapid transit stations Future directions § The City intends to create a new, unified zoning by-law that incorporates transit-supportive elements of existing by-laws and also makes new provisions for: - Reduced minimum parking requirements to better reflect policy objectives and move away from traditional demand-based parking rates - Maximum parking limits near rapid transit stations to encourage transit usage - Incentives for the provision of transit facilities on private lands (e.g. bus waiting areas at shopping centres) - Bicycle parking facilities to accommodate an alternative transportation mode to the motor vehicle - Reduced required size of parking spaces, driveways and aisles to reduced amounts of paved areas - Shared parking facilities between complementary uses to reduce need for parking space development - Encourage telecommuting by continuing to permit home-based business to reduce number of home-work trips - Permit rapid transit service to locate in all areas of the City, to remove obstacles to expansion of facilities - Zone areas in the vicinity of transit stations to allow or even require mixed-use development
Supporting references	§ 36 existing zoning by-laws
Action plan	Short term (2009)			Medium term (about 2016)				Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Create new zoning by-law to provide support for public transit services, facilities and ridership			§ Maintain/amend zoning by-law, as needed				§ Maintain/amend zoning by-law, as needed
Milestones	§ 2006 — Adopt zoning by-law
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan
Performance indicators
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	B. URBAN DESIGN & SITE PLANNING
Strategy	B.3 Development approval process
Rationale	§ Through the subdivision and site plan approval processes, the City is able to enforce policy and by-law requirements affecting new development characteristics (e.g. nature, form and design) that can impact on the convenience, comfort and security of transit riders. Through these processes, the City can also negotiate with developers to influence development characteristics that are not explicitly or precisely addressed through policy or regulation.
Description	Present situation § Transit Services staff comment on circulated draft subdivision and site plans § Through the subdivision approval process, the City ensures the application of Official Plan and community design plan requirements including: - New developing urban communities must have an overall average net residential density of at least 29 units per hectare - Subdivision designs must include road or pathway networks that ensure all lots/development are within 400 m of a transit stop § Through the site plan approval process, the City ensures the application of zoning by-law and other requirements including: - Site plans must ensure direct pedestrian access routes from adjacent transit stops to the main door of the development § For developments expected to have significant transportation impacts, a Transportation Impact Study is required and must include transit elements Future directions § Creation of development design guidelines to support transit and other sustainable transportation modes, for application throughout the development planning process
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)		Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Create development design guidelines, and accompany with education of staff and industry stakeholders
Milestones	§ By 2009 — Creation of development design guidelines
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan § Strategy B.2 — Zoning by-law
Performance indicators	§ Provision of development features as directed by development design guidelines (qualitative assessment)
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	B. URBAN DESIGN & SITE PLANNING
Strategy	B.4 Development around rapid transit stations and corridors
Rationale	§ Commercial, residential and institutional developments within convenient walking distance (about 600 metres) of rapid transit service tend to generate higher levels of transit ridership than similar developments elsewhere. Encouraging appropriate levels and forms of development around rapid transit stations (and corridors, in the case of rapid transit services running in a shared road right-of-way) can therefore be an effective ridership strategy. § In Ottawa, several Transitway and light rail stations (existing and proposed) are located somewhat remotely from existing development concentrations. Deliberate efforts may be needed to attract development in those areas. § The TMP notes that rapid transit stations are excellent locations for employment land uses, but that poor planning of surrounding land uses can limit the ability of transit passengers to get to and from the station in safety, security and comfort. It also notes that employer-provided free parking near rapid transit stations will jeopardize the competitiveness of rapid transit.
Description	Present situation § The Official Plan and community design plans require higher density development near rapid transit stations, as well as direct and convenient pedestrian access between transit stations and adjacent developments. Parking requirements may also be reduced within 600 metres of stations. Future directions § Develop plans and guidelines to encourage and facilitate appropriate development around rapid transit stations and corridors
Supporting references	§ Official Plan — Section 4.3 (Policies 3 and 4)
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)		Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Develop general guidelines for transit-oriented development (TOD) that identify appropriate land use types, densities, arrangements, features and amenities for new development nodes as well as infill development § Once future rapid transit station and corridor locations have been defined, study site-specific planning opportunities for development to support ridership transit through desirable land use types, minimum densities and other key features
Milestones	§ By 2009 — Development of transit-oriented development guidelines § Starting by 2009 — Study of site-specific planning opportunities to encourage transit ridership at new light rail and Transitway stations
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan
Performance indicators	§ Amount of new development in vicinity of rapid transit stations, by type
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	C. SYSTEM CAPACITY
Strategy	C.1 Bus rapid transit
Rationale	§ Successful implementation of an expanded rapid transit network will be a critical step toward achievement of the City’s transit ridership objectives. § The Transitway bus rapid transit system has been backbone of transit service in Ottawa for two decades, and its success has spawned numerous similar systems in major cities around the world. Bus rapid transit will continue to be a major part of Ottawa’s transit service.
Description	Present situation § Ottawa’s Transitway services operate on 30 km of exclusive busways, 12 km of freeway shoulder lanes, 4.5 km of arterial bus lanes, and 3.3 km of parkway. It has 35 stations (including 4 downtown bus stops) and eight Park & Ride lots with over 4,400 parking spaces. Future directions § Section 7.5 of the TMP identifies policies to support the development of 42 km of new exclusive or semi-exclusive bus rapid transit corridors by 2021 (along with stations and Park & Ride lots) § TMP policies (Section 7.5.1) indicate that the City will improve capacity and service along the Central Area Transitway (which operates on arterial streets through Ottawa’s downtown) through operational changes to intersections, modified station locations, upgraded amenities at stations and integration of stations with adjacent buildings. § TMP policies (Section 7.5.2) address the City’s intentions to enhance the comfort, security and convenience of rapid transit stations by: - Improving signage, seating, heating, accessibility for disabled persons - Adding convenience retail and service uses - Improving or adding taxi loading areas, passenger drop-off and pick-up facilities, bicycle parking facilities, and pedestrian walkways § Annex A of the TMP identifies specific projects that comprise the bus rapid transit strategy. § Figure 14.1 of the TMP recommends bus rapid transit projects to be completed at each of three population horizons: 975,000 (about 2008), 1,100,000 (about 2013) and 1,200,000 (about 2021) (see Milestones, below).
Supporting references	§ Official Plan § Transportation Master Plan (TMP) § Rapid Transit Expansion Study (RTES) § Ottawa Rapid Transit Expansion Program (ORTEP)
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)		Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Optimize Central Area Transitway operations § Implement highest priority bus rapid transit additions		§ Optimize Central Area Transitway operations		§ Optimize Central Area Transitway operations
Milestones	§ Ongoing work in the Albert/Slater corridor § Hospital link corridor (Innes/Blair to Blair Station) § West Transitway (Pinecrest Rd. to Bayshore Station)		§ Ongoing work in the Albert/Slater corridor § East-West corridor (Innes/Blair intersection to Trim Rd. — interim measure preceding light rail transit) § Southwest Transitway (Fallowfield Rd. to Nepean Town Centre) § West Transitway (Eagleson Rd. to Terry Fox Station)		§ Ongoing work in the Albert/Slater corridor § Baseline corridor (Navaho Dr. to Data Centre Rd. — semi‑exclusive) § East Transitway (Place d’Orléans to Trim Rd.) § Hospital link corridor (Hurdman Station to hospital complex to Innes/Blair intersection) § Southwest Transitway (Nepean Town Centre to Cambrian Dr.) § West Transitway (Woodroffe Ave. to Pinecrest Rd.; Terry Fox Station to Hazeldean Rd. — semi‑exclusive)

Resource requirements

§ $42 million for engineering and construction

§ $145 million for engineering and construction

§ $375 million for engineering and construction

Supporting strategies

§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan

§ Strategy A.2 — Transportation Master Plan

§ Strategy B.4 — Development around rapid transit stations

§ Strategy C.2 — Light rail

§ Strategy C.3 — Park & Ride

§ Strategy C.4 — Fleet expansion

§ Strategy D.2 — Route network

§ Strategy D.3 — Operations management

§ Strategy D.4 — Transit priority

§ Strategy E.2 — Marketing programs & partnerships

Performance indicators

§ Length of exclusive busways, freeway shoulder lanes and arterial bus lanes

CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	C. SYSTEM CAPACITY
Strategy	C.2 Light rail
Rationale	§ Successful implementation of an expanded rapid transit network will be a critical step toward achievement of the City’s transit ridership objectives. § Light rail transit offers a complement to bus rapid transit, and takes advantage of existing rail infrastructure in several key corridors. Light rail stations in other cities have also proven to be attractive focal points for higher-density, mixed-use developments.
Description	Present situation § The O-Train began operation in 2001 as a two-year pilot project to demonstrate the feasibility and attractiveness of rail transit in the Ottawa context. It involves three diesel multiple unit vehicles operating on an 8-km single-track line with a single passing location at the Carleton Station, about halfway along the line. The service runs with a 15-minute frequency on weekdays and Saturdays. Future directions § Section 7.5 of the TMP identifies policies to develop 110 km of new double tracks for light rail lines by 2021 (along with stations and Park & Ride lots). § Electrified light rail lines will be developed in three types of right-of-way: existing rail lines, exclusive rights-of way, and shared road rights-of-way. § TMP policies (Section 7.5.2) address the City’s intentions to enhance the comfort, security and convenience of rapid transit stations by: - Improving signage, seating, heating, accessibility for disabled persons - Adding convenience retail and service uses - Improving or adding taxi loading areas, passenger drop-off and pick-up facilities, bicycle parking facilities, and pedestrian walkways § Annex A of the TMP identifies the specific projects that comprise the light rail expansion strategy § Figure 14.1 of the TMP recommends light rail projects to be completed at each of three population horizons: 975,000 (about 2008), 1,100,000 (about 2013) and 1,200,000 (about 2021) (see Milestones, below).
Supporting references	§ Official Plan § Transportation Master Plan (TMP) § Rapid Transit Expansion Study (RTES) § Ottawa Rapid Transit Expansion Program (ORTEP)
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Implement the first phase of the North-South corridor	§ Implement the first phase of the East-West corridor			§ Complete the North-South and East-West corridors § Implement two at-grade corridors in shared road rights-of-way
Milestones	§ North-South corridor (downtown to Woodroffe Ave.)	§ East-West corridor (Bells Corners to Innes-Blair intersection) § North-South corridor (Airport link)			§ North-South corridor (Woodroffe Ave. to Barrhaven) § East-West corridor (Bells Corners to Kanata North; Innes-Blair intersection to Trim Rd.) § Rideau-Montreal-Blair corridor (Rideau Centre to Innes/Blair intersection) § Carling corridor (North-South corridor to Lincoln Fields to Bayshore to Bells Corners)
Resource requirements	§ $725 million for engineering and construction	§ $540 million for engineering and construction			§ $1.0 billion for engineering and construction
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan § Strategy A.2 — Transportation Master Plan § Strategy B.4 — Development around rapid transit stations § Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit § Strategy C.3 — Park & Ride § Strategy C.4 — Fleet expansion § Strategy D.2 — Route network § Strategy D.3 — Operations management § Strategy D.4 — Transit priority § Strategy E.2 — Marketing programs & partnerships
Performance indicators	§ Length of light rail facilities in operation
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	C. SYSTEM CAPACITY
Strategy	C.3 Park & Ride
Rationale	§ Park & Ride facilities allow travellers to reach transit service (typically rapid transit) using their automobiles. It is principally intended for use by residents of rural Ottawa or other municipalities, but is also used by suburban residents for whom Park & Ride is more convenient than reaching transit (typically a feeder route) on foot.
Description	Present situation § The eight existing park & Ride lots are at Baseline station (275 spaces), Place d’Orleans station (568 spaces), Greenboro station (680 spaces), Eagleson station (1185 spaces), Fallowfield station (868 spaces), Trim Road (268 spaces), Telesat Court (75 spaces) and Terry Fox station (515 spaces) § Park & Ride use is free, except at Baseline station where a permit ($17.25/month) is required for use before 11:00 a.m. on weekday mornings, and at Telesat Court where users must hold a Gold parking permit ($39.75/month). Gold parking permits are also sold to users of other Park & Ride lots (except Terry Fox) and offers customers a guaranteed preferred parking space close to the station platform. Future directions § TMP policies (Section 7.5.3) indicate that the City will develop several new Park & Ride lots adjacent to future rapid transit corridors
Supporting references	§ Transportation Master Plan (TMP) § Rapid Transit Expansion Study (RTES) § Ottawa Rapid Transit Expansion Program (ORTEP)
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Construct new Park & Ride lots	§ Construct/expand Park & Ride lots			§ Construct/expand Park & Ride lots
Milestones	§ New Park & Ride lot for the Southwest Transitway (Berrigan station) § Three new Park & Ride lots for the North-South corridor (Leitrim, River Road, Woodroffe stations)	§ Expand Park & Ride lots for the North-South corridor (Leitrim, River Road, Woodroffe stations) § Four new Park & Ride lots for the East-West corridor (Trim, Navan, Innes/Walkley, Baseline stations) § New Park & Ride lot for the Southwest Transitway (Barrhaven Town Centre station)			§ New Park & Ride lot for the North-South corridor (Bowesville station) § New Park & Ride lot for the East-West corridor (Kanata North station) § New Park & Ride lot for the Southwest Transitway (Jock River station) § Two new Park & Ride lots for the West Transitway (Palladium, Hazeldean stations)
Resource requirements	§ $14 million for engineering and construction	§ $45 million for engineering and construction			§ $34 million for engineering and construction
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.1 — Official Plan § Strategy A.2 — Transportation Master Plan § Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit § Strategy C.2 — Light rail § Strategy E.2 — Marketing programs & partnerships
Performance indicators	§ Average weekday occupancy of Park & Ride spaces § Number of Park & Ride lots in operation § Number of parking spaces provided
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	C. SYSTEM CAPACITY
Strategy	C.4 Fleet expansion
Rationale	§ Increasing transit ridership will require substantial investment in an expanded fleet of buses and light rail vehicles. Fleet needs will be driven by: - Bus service improvements including expanded route networks and service frequencies - The development of an electrified light rail system - Growing ridership demands due to population growth, more attractive services, complementary land use and parking management policies § Fleet expansion will be conducted in an integrated fashion with fleet renewal (e.g. buses in the current fleet have an expected lifespan of 18 years, so all buses acquired before 2004 are likely to be replaced by 2021)
Description	Present situation § In 2005, the City’s transit fleet included about 685 standard (12-metre) buses, 227 articulated (18-metre) buses, one small bus and three diesel multiple-unit rail vehicles. Para Transpo vehicles were provided by contracted service providers. Future directions § TMP policies (Section 7.6) indicate that the City will acquire sufficient new buses and light rail vehicles to provide desired service levels to a growing number of transit passengers by 2021, according to an approximate schedule in Annex B. § Fleet expansion requires a commensurate expansion of garage and maintenance facilities, including four new bus garages and unspecified light rail storage and maintenance facilities by 2021.
Supporting references	§ Transportation Master Plan — Section 7.6.1 and Annex B
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Continued expansion of the bus fleet, and introduction of the first phase of the light rail fleet to enable operation of the North-South light rail corridor		§ Steady bus fleet expansion (almost 40% above 2009 levels) and substantial light rail expansion (225% above 2009 levels) to enable North-South corridor extension, and introduction of the East-West corridor			§ Gradual bus fleet expansion (12% above 2016 levels) and substantial light rail expansion (70% above 2009 levels)
Milestones	§ By 2008 — New bus barn and maintenance garage will enter service § By 2009 — Fleet will have 635 standard and 367 articulated buses, and about 20 light rail cars.		§ By 2014 — New bus barn and maintenance garage will enter service § By 2016 — Fleet will have about 1015 standard buses, 540 articulated buses and 60 light rail cars			§ By 2021 — Fleet will have about 1050 standard buses, 700 articulated buses and 105 light rail cars
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit § Strategy C.2 — Light rail § Strategy D.1 — Service quality § Strategy D.2 — Route network
Performance indicators	§ Number of standard and articulated buses and light rail cars in fleet § Number of peak service transit vehicles § Number of peak service standard equivalent buses § Average age of buses and light rail vehicles
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.1 Service quality
Rationale	§ The quality of transit service plays a large role in the ability to attract new ridership. Key service characteristics include frequency, vehicle loading levels, and the hours and areas in which service is offered. § Service standards guide the allocation of transit resources, thus determining how attractive transit service is to users. They address system-wide and route-specific financial standards, network and route design guidelines, service hours, levels of service and capacity standards.
Description	Present situation § Key service quality characteristics are determined in accordance with the City of Ottawa’s Transit Service and Fare Policy Manual (October 2005), a comprehensive statement of the standards to be met by OC Transpo service for the foreseeable future. The manual includes: - Six transit system management policies, and a financial performance standard for service improvements or reductions - Service standards for the all-day base route network (to which financial performance standards do not apply) and policies for base route network expansion and supplementation in developing communities - Route design guidelines addressing directness, convenience, economy, accessibility, feasibility, compatibility, and evaluation of possible changes - Definitions, service hours and minimum frequencies for different route types (see Strategy D.2 — Route network) - Service capacity standards governing desirable passenger loading levels (i.e. number of standing passengers) - Principles governing services for festivals and major events § The manual also outlines the City’s approach to consultation and approvals pertaining to service issues, including: - Annual transit operating budget, Transplan consultation on major route changes, and financial performance review - Quarterly schedule changes and bi-weekly operations reviews - Customer notification for route changes (six months in advance for major route changes, and about one month in advance for minor route changes) § The City’s standard for schedule adherence is for routes to be never early, and not more than 3 minutes late at least 95% of the time. This standard is more important on low-frequency routes than on high-frequency routes where headway consistency is more important. Future directions § TMP policies (Section 7.2.1) indicate that the City will: - Increase service on routes with growing ridership in order to sustain desired service levels, allow room for growth, and attract new users. - Improve the cost-efficiency of transit services (with a target revenue-cost ratio of 55% by 2008) by using high-capacity buses and light rail vehicles, by using innovative lower-cost service delivery methods in low-ridership areas, and by reallocating operating resources away from services that do not meet minimum ridership targets
Supporting references	§ Transit Service and Fare Policy Manual (October 2005)
Action plan	Short term (2009)			Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Increasing service frequency or vehicle capacity on routes with growing ridership in order to sustain desired service levels, allow room for growth, and attract new users § Exploring alternative delivery methods in areas where conventional services cannot cost-effectively meet minimum ridership targets
Milestones
Supporting strategies
Performance indicators	§ On-time performance § Average passengers per vehicle § Number of customer trips affected by routes on which average ridership per vehicle exceeds established service capacity standards
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.2 Route network
Rationale	§ Ottawa’s transit route network is structured around the rapid transit system, and will evolve to take advantage of the future rapid transit expansion. New rapid transit lines will offer the opportunity to relocate services now operating in congested traffic environments, and new stations can act as service hubs where (in some cases) none exist today.
Description	Present situation § The “spine” of OC Transpo service is the all-day base route network, including routes on rapid transit facilities and major arterial roads that link major origins and destinations to rapid transit services. Service on the all-day base route network is provided seven days a week, within an 800-metre walk of 95% of urban households, and is not subject to financial performance standards. § There are several route types in the current network: - Transitway service — High frequency, high capacity bus routes on and beyond Transitway facilities - O-Train service — High capacity route that will be upgraded and extended as part of the light rail strategy - Main line service — Regular all-day bus routes on streets and the Transitway - Local service — Feeder bus routes connecting residential or employment areas to rapid transit service and other major nodes - Express service — Peak period, direct-to-downtown bus routes that minimize transfers for commuters from residential areas - Employment area service — Peak period, direct bus routes from the central area and Transitway to non-central employment areas - Rural service — Peak period bus routes from several rural villages to downtown, and all-day service to and from Manotick. Some small Park & Ride lots are located in villages served by these routes. § An annual Transplan consultation process is held to gather public input on a package of proposed major route changes that is developed in response to growth and changes in travel demand. Major route changes would result in operation on a street that currently does not serve transit, or in a longer walk, longer travel time or additional transfer for more than 100 daily customers. The consultation process includes discussions with ward Councillors, advertising, open houses as required, evaluation of comments, and presentations to Transportation Committee when a ward Councillor does not concur with staff’s recommendation. Future directions § TMP policies (Section 7.2.1) indicate that the City will: - Expand the transit route network to serve ridership growth as the population expands and the transit modal split rises - Minimize interruption to O-Train service when it is being upgraded as part of the North-South light rail corridor § The Transit Service and Fare Policy Manual indicates that the City will provide service to new residential and employment areas in advance of when ridership would be high enough to meet financial performance standards. In non-contiguous development areas, the cost of basic peak period service is paid by the developer. § The following changes to the route network will likely occur as part of future route network development: - Main line service — Some routes will be replaced by rapid transit services in adjacent corridors that can provide more efficient service. - Local services — More routes will focus on light rail or Transitway stations as the number of stations grows throughout the urban area. - Express services — Some routes will be replaced by local services feeding light rail stations. § Transportation Committee has approved a conceptual route restructuring in the downtown core that would accompany the introduction of operations for Phase 1 of the North-South LRT project. The concept significantly reduces bus volumes on Albert and Slater Streets, based on a limited hub and spoke system, rapid transit 90-series bus routes by-passing the downtown and local feeder bus routes to the light rail line. It incorporates 11 frequent express routes from the suburban communities to the downtown and moves two routes onto Queen and Wellington Streets. The recommended service design concept would reduce the volume of buses on Albert and Slater streets by approximately 30% at the busiest times. § The pending Interprovincial Rapid Transit Environmental Assessment Study could lead to the eventual introduction of interprovincial rapid transit service, which in turn would be an opportunity to adjust the route network to improve convenience and service

Supporting references	§ 2009 Route Network Concepts – Evaluation and Recommendation (received by Transportation Committee on Nov. 2, 2005)
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Expand route network to developing areas as early as possible § Restructure routes to accompany new light rail and Transitway facilities (see Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit and Strategy C.2 — Light rail)	§ Expand route network to developing areas as early as possible § Restructure routes to accompany new light rail and Transitway facilities (see Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit and Strategy C.2 — Light rail)			§ Expand route network to developing areas as early as possible § Restructure routes to accompany new light rail and Transitway facilities (see Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit and Strategy C.2 — Light rail)
Milestones	§ 2009 — New route network to accompany opening of North-South LRT
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit § Strategy C.2 — Light rail § Strategy D.5 — Interprovincial service § Strategy E.1 — Customer service, information & amenities
Performance indicators	§ Success rate in providing early service to developing communities
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.3 Operations management
Rationale	§ More efficient transit operations can support ridership growth in several ways: - Reduced operating costs permit a reallocation of funds to complementary areas like customer information or marketing - Higher travel speeds reduce travel times for individual riders, making transit a more competitive choice - Higher travel speeds permit constant headways with fewer vehicles, freeing up resources to improve or extend other services
Description	Present situation § Operations management is an umbrella term for measures that make the most of OC Transpo resources (vehicles, operators, fuel, etc.) Future directions § TMP policies (Section 7.2.1) indicate that the City will: - Improve the reliability of transit service through new technologies such as vehicle location using global positioning systems for service control and monitoring, as well as through other measures including enhanced operator training and additional time points. § The installation of global positioning systems (GPS) units on OC Transpo buses by mid-2006 will create numerous opportunities: - More efficient use of spare vehicles - Faster, more effective response to schedule adherence & headway control issues (drivers will have on-board indicators showing schedule adherence status, whether ahead of or behind schedule and by how many minutes) - Faster, more reliable data communications between transit vehicles and central control - Provision of real-time route arrival information for waiting customers at stops and stations outside downtown - Upgrading of automatic passenger counting systems from signpost-based technology to GPS technology to provide more reliable location data - Analysis of historical GPS data to improve future scheduling - Support for smart card fare systems - Automatic updating of electronic transfer-issuing machines § The installation of transponders on all buses will enable: - The provision of real-time route arrival information for waiting customers at downtown Transitway stops - The efficient and effective expansion of transit signal priority measures (see Strategy D.4 — Transit priority)
Supporting references	§ “SmartBus” Business Case Review (2004)
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)	Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Installation of GPS and transponders on all buses (except vehicles nearing retirement) by 2006
Milestones	§ 2006 — Installation of GPS on bus fleet § 2006 — Begin installation of transponders
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy D.4 — Transit priority
Performance indicators	§ Average operating speed (vehicle-km per service hour) § Percentage of scheduled trips operated
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.4 Transit priority
Rationale	§ Over 85% of Ottawa’s transit service is delivered on roads, where traffic congestion increases delay and reduces reliability. Transit priority measures can help attract new riders and increase the efficiency and reliability of transit operations in the following ways: - Faster, more reliable services are more competitive with automobile use, and thus more attractive to riders. - Higher average travel speeds permit constant headways with fewer vehicles, freeing up resources to save money or improve service elsewhere. - Higher reliability reduces the likely extent of delay due to unpredictable congestion, permitting tighter route scheduling (i.e. shorter lay-ups) and effectively freeing up resources to save money or improve service elsewhere.
Description	Present situation § Transit priority measures can be physical or operational means of giving transit vehicles priority over others. Examples include dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority treatments, bus queue jumps, special bus stop arrangements, and traffic management techniques like queue relocation. § Transit priority measures currently in use include: - Curb-side bus lanes on arterial roads — more than 10 km - Shoulder bus lanes on freeways — more than 20 km - Traffic signal priority — more than 30 locations - Transit priority signal indicators — five locations - Advance stop bars — one location - Left turns from curb lane — four locations - Bus-only interchange connections — several locations - “Demand for service” indicators — two locations Future directions § The TMP designates a transit priority network on Map 4, comprised of corridors where transit priority measures are intended to remain indefinitely, and corridors where transit priority measures will serve as an interim “stepping stone” during the development of rapid transit facilities. § TMP policies (Section 7.4) also indicate that the City will: - Implement the transit priority network identified on Map 4. - Investigate and implement transit priority measures whenever appropriate as part of roadway or intersection modifications, but especially at intersections of the Transitway with other roads, and at intersections and roadways near Transitway stations. - Use education and promotion to build public awareness of transit priority measures and a positive attitude toward them. § Annex A of the TMP identifies specific projects as part of the transit priority strategy. § Figure 14.1 of the TMP recommends transit priority projects to be completed at each of three population horizons: 975,000 (about 2008), 1,100,000 (about 2013) and 1,200,000 (about 2021) (see Milestones, below).
Supporting references	§ Transportation Master Plan — Section 7.4
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)	Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Establish new transit priority measures in highest priority corridors and locations		§ Expand transit priority measures as resources permit	§ Expand transit priority measures as resources permit
Milestones	§ Major operational studies will be undertaken in three major transit priority corridors, with implementation to begin after the studies finish: - Central Area Transitway - Baseline Rd./Heron Rd. (Richmond Rd. to Navaho Dr.; Prince of Wales Dr. to Data Centre Rd.) - Carling Ave. (Pinecrest Rd. to Bronson Ave.) § Measures will also be implemented at isolated locations possibly including Elmvale Station, Montreal Rd./Ogilvie Rd., City Highway 174 at Montreal Road (westbound), and others. § System-wide enabling measures will also be undertaken, including the modification of traffic controller and traffic system software, the installation of transponders on all buses, and the installation of remote traffic cameras at several key locations.		§ Bronson Ave. (Carling Ave. to Albert St.) § Holland Ave. (Carling Ave. to Scott St.) § Richmond Rd. (Bayshore Dr. to Carling Ave.) § St. Laurent Blvd./Russell Rd. (Montreal Rd. to Walkley Rd.) § Bank St. (Wellington St. to Heron Rd.) § Blair Rd. (Innes Rd. to Montreal Rd.) § Fisher Ave. (Dynes Rd. to NCC Driveway) § Innes Rd. (Trim Rd. to St. Laurent Blvd.) § Merivale Rd. (Hunt Club Rd. to Carling Ave.) § Ogilvie Rd. (Blair Rd. to Montreal Rd.) § Richmond Rd./Somerset St. (Westboro Station to Bank St.) § Wellington St./Rideau St. /Montreal Rd. (Portage Bridge to Ogilvie Rd.)	§ Heron Rd./Walkley Rd. (Bank St. to St. Laurent Blvd.) § Hunt Club Rd. (Riverside Dr. to Bank St.) § March Rd. (Hwy. 417 to Morgans Grant Way) § Robertson Rd./Richmond Rd. (Moodie Dr. to Carling Ave.) § Smyth Rd. (St. Laurent Blvd. to Riverside Dr.)
Resource requirements	§ $1.7 million through March 2007
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy A.2 — Transportation Master Plan § Strategy D.3 — Operations management
Performance indicators	§ Transit travel speed increases in new transit priority corridors § Transit travel time reliability improvements in new transit priority corridors § Transit priority corridor studies completed § Number of implemented transit priority measures of different types
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.5 Interprovincial service
Rationale	§ Although Ottawa and Gatineau represent an integrated urban area, they have separate municipal governments and largely distinct public services including transit. Because interprovincial travel by other modes is barrier-free, transit ridership across the Ottawa River can be maximized only if OC Transpo and STO integrate their services as much as possible.
Description	Present situation § OC Transpo and STO are complementary systems that operate services extending into each other’s territory to serve major downtown destinations. Their fare structures, levels and media are distinct but integrated, and transfers from one service to the other are either free (for passholders transferring to regular routes at most times) or require a small “top-up” fee. § There are no dedicated rapid transit links between Ottawa and Gatineau, although there are reserved bus lanes on the Portage Bridge. § The municipal governments and transit systems in Ottawa and Gatineau maintain an ongoing dialogue through which issues are raised and resolved. A new forum for this dialogue is the OC Transpo/STO Cooperation Committee, which will hold its first meeting in late 2005 and meet twice a year after that. Future directions § The City is a partner in the Interprovincial Transit Integration Environmental Assessment Study, which will examine ways to improve integration between OC Transpo and STO. § Ottawa’s planned smart card fare system (see Strategy D.9 — Fare technology) will enable STO and OC Transpo vehicles to read farecards distributed by both systems. - Holders of “stored value” cards will be able to use them on both systems, and avoid having to pay with cash outside their home province - STO passholders will no longer have to carry paper receipts as proof of payment on OC Transpo buses § Enhancements to the automated Travel Planner would incorporate STO route data, to help customers plan interprovincial trips on both systems
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)	Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Undertake the Interprovincial Transit Integration Environmental Assessment Study § Implement the new smart card fare system, including enhanced integration with STO fares § Add STO service data to the automated Travel Planner
Milestones	§ 2007 — Implementation of OC Transpo smartcard fare system
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy D.9 — Fare technology
Performance indicators	§ Ridership on OC Transpo and STO interprovincial routes
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.6 Accessible service
Rationale	§ As Ottawa’s population ages over the coming decades, the demand for accessible public transit services is expected to grow steadily. The population of seniors will continue to rise, and medical advances will increasingly allow persons with disabilities to lead fully independent lives. Rising transportation costs will make transit more competitive over time, particularly for cost-sensitive individuals such as those with fixed incomes. Removing barriers to the use of conventional transit services by these riders will enhance their lives, and is much more cost-efficient than meeting their needs with specialized transit. § The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires municipalities and transit systems to (among other things) prepare accessibility plans that report on past and proposed actions taken to identify, remove and prevent barriers to persons with disabilities.
Description	Present situation § Ottawa’s current Transitway and O-Train stations are accessible to persons with disabilities, and all buses acquired since 1997 have been low-floor models able to carry customers who use mobility devices like wheelchairs. In 2005, the bus fleet is composed of 58% low-floor accessible buses. § Low-floor accessible buses are currently used on all Transitway routes, as many all-day routes as possible, and on other routes based on demand by seniors and persons with disabilities. § 83% of the existing passenger shelters owned by either the City of Clear Channel are accessible (17% are not). By 2009, all shelters will be accessible except for 1.5% where accessibility is precluded by property or utility restrictions. § Current or imminent City practices also include: - Employing an Accessible Transit Specialist - Consulting with the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee on an issue-by-issue basis. - Providing travel training to seniors and persons with disabilities (via one-on-one, group and train-the-trainer sessions) - Promoting customer awareness and sensitivity - Providing operator awareness and sensitivity training - Offering alternative information formats, such as TTY - A one-year pilot project (starting 2006) to offer a reduced-cost monthly pass (the Community Pass, same cost as senior pass) to people receiving income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), coincident with the removal of free fares on conventional transit for customers who use a wheelchair, scooter or walker - Implementation of a smartcard-based fare system that will minimize the need for passengers with disabilities to handle tickets, change or passes (since smartcards will work by proximity to a reader, they need not necessarily be removed from a customer’s wallet, pocket or bag) Future directions § TMP policies (Section 7.3) indicate that Ottawa will: - Continue to make rapid transit facilities accessible - Acquire only low-floor buses and light rail vehicles, so that all vehicles in operation by 2015 will be low-floor (NB: By 2010 there will be sufficient low-floor buses to have one on every route in peak hours, but fleet composition will be such that high-floor buses will continue to be used in peak hours) - Assign low-floor buses to routes and trips where they will be of greatest use to disabled passengers, until the fleet is 100% accessible - Consider the needs of persons with disabilities when setting fares and providing customer information § Providing automated next-stop announcements and displays on buses via GPS technology (see Strategy D.3 — Operations management) § Offer alternative information formats, such as voice-based automated travel planning
Supporting references	§ Report on travel training pilot project (pending) § City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)	Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Expand travel training and community outreach § Implement automated next-stop announcements on transit vehicles (Phase 2 of GPS project, see Strategy D.3 — Operations management)		§ All buses in operation are expected to be low-floor by 2015 § Implement voice-based automated travel planning
Milestones	§ 2009 — All shelters to be accessible except where precluded by property or utility constraints		§ 2015 — All buses in operation are low-floor
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy D.3 — Operations management § Strategy D.9 — Fare technology
Performance indicators	§ Proportion of low-floor accessible buses in fleet § Proportion of passenger shelters that are accessible
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.7 Intermodal connections
Rationale	§ Transit users rely on connections to and from other modes to make their trips as convenient and comfortable as possible. § Transit is also an important means of reaching intercity transportation terminals and services.
Description	Present situation § The City maintains intermodal connections by linking transit to: - Walking — via program to provide missing links to bus stops via pathways and sidewalks - Cycling — via pathways, on-road cycling facilities, bike parking at rapid transit stations (Bike & Ride), bike racks on buses (Rack & Roll), and provision for the carriage of bicycles on rail transit vehicles - Private automobiles — via Park & Ride lots (see Strategy C.3 — Park & Ride) and passenger drop-off/pick-up zones at rapid transit stations - Taxi — via designated taxi loading zones at many rapid transit stations, and a service to help passengers arrange for taxi pick-up at rapid transit stations late at night (Taxi Link) - Intercity rail — via Transitway service at both VIA Rail stations (Tremblay Road and Fallowfield) - Intercity air — via Transitway service to Ottawa International airport - Intercity bus — via OC Transpo fare sales at Greyhound station, sharing of Transitway facilities with intercity bus operators (including Greyhound and other private intermunicipal carriers serving rural Ottawa and external communities, e.g. Osgoode, Dunrobin, Greely, Metcalfe and North Gower), and shared fare agreements with private intermunicipal carriers to provide their customers with inexpensive access to OC Transpo Future directions § Improve pedestrian access to rapid transit stations § Selective expansion of Rack & Roll program § Addition of Terry Fox Transitway station to Greyhound routes between Ottawa and points west § Construction of a light rail link to the Ottawa International Airport (see Strategy C.2 — Light rail)
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)	Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Improve pedestrian access to rapid transit stations § Selectively expand Rack & Roll program § Add a Greyhound stop at the new Terry Fox Transitway station, for routes between Ottawa and points west		§ Extend light rail service to airport
Milestones	§ Greyhound routes begin stopping at Terry Fox station		§ By 2016 — Opening of light rail link to Ottawa International Airport
Resource requirements	§ $400,000 annually for improved pedestrian access to rapid transit stations		§ $400,000 annually for improved pedestrian access to rapid transit stations
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy B.4 — Development around rapid transit stations and corridors § Strategy C.1 — Bus rapid transit § Strategy C.2 — Light rail § Strategy C.3 — Park & Ride § Strategy E.2 — Marketing programs & partnerships
Performance indicators	§ Length of improved pedestrian access routes implemented at rapid transit stations
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.8 Safety & security
Rationale	§ Studies have established that public transit is the safest mode of transportation within cities, and OC Transpo has an excellent safety record. § Nevertheless, the physical safety and personal security of passengers and other members of the public is a primary concern. The individual perception of safety or security risks can be a critical factor in whether an individual chooses to use transit rather than other modes.
Description	Present situation § The City has developed a comprehensive approach to maximizing the safety and security of transit passengers and other members of the public. § Current operations: - 33 Transit Law Enforcement Officers patrol transit facilities and vehicles, supported by 9 dispatchers. While cars are used by most officers to permit rapid response, a Walk & Ride program involves some officers patrolling on foot. Patrols focus on the rapid transit system. Special Constable status is pending for officers, meaning that patrol staff will be able to detain suspects on reasonable and probable grounds, rather than only when an act is witnessed directly by officers - Enforcement blitzes are conducted for pedestrian infractions/smoking/general conduct at rapid transit stations, and for speeding by bus operators - The Violence Against Transit Employees program trains operators to avoid and resolve conflicts. - Security staff attend community forums and public meetings, as required or invited. They also visit local schools, sometimes in partnership with Ottawa Police Services, to address safety and security issues. As part of these visits, they deliver Operation Lifesaver program for the Railway Association of Canada, to increase awareness of the dangers of stopping on railway tracks at crossings. - Rapid transit station designs are proactively reviewed before construction, and safety audits are conducted at 8 to 9 stations each year in conjunction with Ottawa Police Services and CPTED Ontario (an organization in crime prevention through environmental design). - Video cameras are monitored at 6 or 7 stations. The City has conducted pilot projects with video cameras in buses, and is developing an expansion strategy. - 2 light rail stations have public address systems - The City promotes customer awareness of its “clear view” policy on buses, to ensure that operators have an unobstructed view to the right. - “If you see something, say something” customer awareness program is currently underway § Current customer information and services: - Yellow security phones and direct-call payphone buttons are available in all rapid transit stations - Night Stop program – after 9:00 p.m., all Transitway routes stop at a central location within stations, and other routes will stop at locations other than regular stops if requested by disembarking passengers - TranSecure program – any person (passenger or not) can hail OC Transpo vehicles for assistance at any time, and transit operators are continually on the watch for situations where they may be of assistance - Extensive rider safety and security information is available on the OC Transpo website - TIPS program offers rewards for incident reports that lead to a conviction Future directions § Develop an enhanced community-oriented approach to transit law enforcement § Equip patrol cars with wireless laptop technology to enhance communication § Expand use of video cameras in buses

Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)		Medium term (about 2016)				Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Expand number of officers, as resources permit, to enable zone coverage off the rapid transit system § Expand Walk & Ride foot patrol program, as resources permit § Expand video monitoring and public address capabilities in rapid transit stations § Introduce incident-based video camera coverage inside vehicles		§ Expand public address systems in rapid transit stations § Expand video camera coverage of rapid transit stations
Milestones
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy E.3 — Promotion, outreach & education § Strategy E.4 — Market research
Performance indicators	§ Number of Transit Law Enforcement Officers § Number of rapid transit stations with video monitoring and public address capability § Number of buses with incident-based video monitoring
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.9 Fare technology
Rationale	§ How each transit rider pays their fare is an integral part of their transit experience. Different fare technologies can make transit use either more or less convenient. § Advanced technologies represent an opportunity to fundamentally change how users pay fares — minimizing uncertainty, maximizing convenience and offering ways to make transit more affordable for certain types of users. The positive effects on ridership can be tangible. § Electronic fare validation will reduce fraud, improve working conditions for operators, and enable convenient and economic fare collection on the light rail service. § STO uses smart cards for passes, and plans to introduce stored-value smart cards shortly. There are numerous benefits (to both users and the systems themselves) to integrating fare systems so that both systems can read each other’s smart cards. § New fare categories would also be enabled by smart cards, such as a “personal Ecopass” that would be available to users who do not work for an employer that participates in the current Ecopass program. Individuals could commit to transit on an ongoing basis through regular debit payments without introducing significant revenue protection risks, as any card could be disabled if its owner stops making automatic payments. § Concurrent implementation of a smart card fare system and the “smart bus” system (see Strategy D.3 — Operations management) offers substantial economies through the shared use of on-board computer processors.
Description	Present situation § OC Transpo largely relies on conventional fare media including paper passes (daily and monthly), tickets and cash. § Plastic Ecopass cards are offered to commuters who purchase the pass through payroll deduction at participating employers. Future directions § A smart card-based fare system has been contemplated by OC Transpo since the mid-1990s, and plans are now underway to implement the system by 2008, with short-term priority on two types of smart card application: passes (i.e. monthly and Ecopass) and stored value (i.e. cash/ticket equivalent). § Smart cards also make possible a number of innovative fare categories (e.g. weekly passes, rolling 30-day passes) that will be investigated once passes and stored-value cards have been implemented (see Strategy D.10 — Fare structures & levels)
Supporting references	§ Transit Smart Card Strategy (KPMG, 2005)
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Smart card passes and stored value cards are short-term priorities.	§ Review and possible changes to fare structures based on smartcard abilities
Milestones	§ 2007 — Implementation of smart card passes (monthly pass, employer & personal Ecopasses) § 2008 — Implementation of stored value smart cards
Resource requirements	§ $12.5 million in capital and one-time costs
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy D.3 — Operations management
Performance indicators	§ Proportion of fares paid electronically § Rate of fare fraud
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	D. SERVICE DESIGN & DELIVERY
Strategy	D.10 Fare structures & levels
Rationale	§ Fares are necessary to generate much of the revenue that pays for transit operations. Fare structures and levels can also attract and maintain riders. § Fare levels may represent a barrier to individual transit use, although the significance of this barrier varies greatly among passengers. § The challenge in setting fare levels is to balance the need to generate revenue against the desire to lower the barriers faced by current and potential riders. A key consideration is that lower fares do increase ridership, but not sufficiently to increase net revenues — and, at the same time, service costs may rise in order to carry an increased number of riders. Fare increases, however, generally increase net revenues — but at the cost of lower ridership, especially among economically vulnerable people (e.g. some students and elderly customers, and other individuals with low incomes).
Description	Present situation § In early 2005, fares generated about 51% of the City’s transit operating costs. The City’s policy target is for fares to generate at least 55% of costs. § The average fare (annual fare revenues divided by annual number of customers) in 2004 was $1.20. § Fare structures are intended to encourage customers to pre-purchase fares by communicating the following rationale: buying tickets is better than cash, buying a pass is better still, and buying an annual pass or holding an Ecopass is even better. § 2005 fare use distribution: - Cash fares — 4.6% of trips, 9.6% of revenue, 14.6% of people - Tickets — 20.3% of trips, 28.6% of revenue, 47.0% of people - Passes — 75.1% of trips, 61.8% of revenues, 38.4% of people § Current cash or ticket categories include: - Child (ages 6 to 11) - Adult (regular, express, rural express) § Current pass categories include: - Monthly adult pass (regular, express , rural express ) - Student monthly pass (regular, express, rural express) and student annual (regular, express) - Senior monthly pass - Daily pass (individuals any day, families on Sundays and statutory holidays) - Ecopass (subscription through employer) § Non-pass holders who use the O-Train must pay a $2.25 cash fare (the system-wide weighted average of cash and ticket fares). § The current policy of free fares for passengers using a wheelchair, scooter or walker will be terminated in 2006 with the implementation of a one-year pilot project to offer a reduced-cost monthly pass (Community Pass, same cost as senior pass) to people receiving income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (see Strategy D.6 — Accessible service) § Beginning in 2006, two new pass categories will be offered (each offering a 10% discount from the equivalent cost of monthly passes): - Annual adult pass (i.e. calendar year) - Student semester pass (post-secondary only) Future directions § Increase the average fare to reach an appropriate level of operating cost-recovery from fares (55%), and thereafter adjust the average fare at the annual rate of inflation. § The introduction of smart card technology (see Strategy D.9 — Fare technology) starting in 2007 will provide the opportunity to develop innovative fare categories (e.g. weekly passes, rolling 30-day passes) that will be investigated once passes and stored-value cards have been implemented.
Supporting references	§ Transit Service and Fare Policy Manual (2005)
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Offering an annual adult pass and a semester pass for post-secondary students in 2006 § Achieve the target rate operating cost-recovery rate of 55% through increases to the average fare	§ Review and possible changes to fare structures based on smartcard abilities § Annual fare increases at rate of inflation			§ Annual fare increases at rate of inflation
Milestones	§ 2008 — Achievement of target 55% rate of operating cost recovery from fares
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy D.9 — Fare technology
Performance indicators	§ Average fare § Proportion of total revenue and trips by fare type (cash, ticket, pass) § Rate of operating cost-recovery from fares
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	E. MARKETING & EDUCATION
Strategy	E.1 Customer service, information & amenities
Rationale	§ Transit users need accurate and meaningful information to make the decision to take transit, and then to choose among the wide range of services that are available to them. By helping users reach the information they need easily and quickly, the City can increase their likelihood of choosing transit and their satisfaction with it. Riders also need an “open door” for communication with transit staff, should they have an issue or question § By dividing primary transit markets (e.g. commuters, students, seniors) into smaller niche markets according to origin (e.g. neighbourhood), travel time (e.g. peak, off-peak), travel frequency (e.g. regular, occasional) and destination (e.g. workplace, campus, special event), customer information can be developed and delivered to various niche market to maximize ridership.
Description	Present situation § Elements of the current customer service program include: - Four sales and information centres at Rideau Centre, Place d’Orleans, Lincoln Fields, St. Laurent - Suggestions/compliments/complaints by telephone and Internet - Operators receive post-hiring training (and cyclical refresher courses every 3 to 5 years) on courtesy, conflict avoidance and resolution, and the application of various system policies § Elements of the customer information program that are current or imminent include: - OC Transpo website — a significant tool for providing transit information, with 3.5 million website visits in 2004 (10,000 per average weekday) - Transit information by telephone - Internet-based customer-care (e-mail advisories; customer registration) - Travel planning services provide customized itineraries via telephone, automated Travel Planner website (4,000 daily users in 2004), email and wireless devices (imminent). Travel planning service demonstrations are provided at events such as Ecopass registration days. - Location-specific displays (rapid transit stations, bus stop shelters), customized displays (seniors residences, schools, hospitals) - "560" interactive voice response telephone system provides automated bus schedules over the telephone (12.1 million calls a year) - Publications – system map, route maps and timetables, brochures/flyers, and other publications specific to neighbourhoods (e.g. Kanata off-peak timetable), destinations (e.g. Corel Centre) and events (e.g. New Years Eve, Canada Day) Future directions § Additional efforts will serve to identify and serve additional niche market segments
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Identify additional niche markets, and develop of targeted services or information	§ Identify additional niche markets, and develop targeted services or information § Distribute kiosks providing access to the automated Travel Planner website			§ Identify additional niche markets, and develop targeted services or information
Milestones
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy E.2 — Marketing programs & partnerships
Performance indicators	§ Annual customer calls § Annual website visits
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	E. MARKETING & EDUCATION
Strategy	E.2 Marketing programs & partnerships
Rationale	§ Building ridership (and attracting choice riders, in particular) will require the City to influence customer choices at key decision-points by emphasizing transit’s convenience, reliability and affordability. § Marketing programs and partnerships are intended to identify, understand, engage and influence the individuals who make up various transit markets. § Marketing partnerships can be used to leverage additional value from marketing expenditures by extending reach, reducing costs, generating additional revenues, or increasing customer comfort and convenience.
Description	Present situation § OC Transpo’s marketing programs and partnerships are conducted in an individualized and targeted manner, and are tightly integrated with the delivery of information services (see Strategy E.1 — Customer service, information & amenities). They include: - Fare and system map sales through 400 vendors (to complement sales through OC Transpo’s four sales and information centres) - Sharing information with media (e.g. Ottawa Citizen local events website cross-references OC Transpo’s on-line travel planning) - Marketing relationships (e.g. Ottawa 67s ticket discount and mutual promotion, NAC LiveRush mutual promotion) - Charter services operated with cost-recovery principle (e.g. Winterlude and Tulip Festival shuttles) - Special service sponsorship (e.g. New Year’s Eve service) - Agreements for the operation of 6 convenience store outlets in rapid transit stations - Space rental for newspaper boxes, and automated teller machines on transit property - Service and space sharing with intercity transportation carriers (e.g. information displays at terminals, curb access at Ottawa International Airport, fare sales at Greyhound terminal and Transitway access privileges for Greyhound routes) - Cooperative pass programs (e.g. employer administration of Ecopass programs) - Sale of Gold Park & Ride passes to reserve spaces at selected Park & Rides, pass protection plans for annual passes, and DayPasses to car dealers - Lost & found service provided by Heartwood House (a non-profit organization) Future directions § Transit staff plan to continue exploring opportunities for new or expanded marketing programs and partnerships, particularly those that would increase net revenues and improve customer convenience.
Supporting references	§ Staff report on “Transit Revenue-Generating Activities” received by Transportation Committee on Feb. 28, 2005
Action plan	Short term (2009)			Medium term (about 2016)		Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Improve partnerships with school boards, universities and colleges, and VIA Rail § Expand derivative products (e.g. pass protection plan for new adult annual pass, partnerships with car rental agencies/museums/car sharing organizations) § Expand sale of DayPasses to car dealers § Investigate potential for new revenues through video displays carrying news and advertising
Milestones
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy E.1 — Customer service, information & amenities
Performance indicators	§ Number of customers using an Ecopass
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	E. MARKETING & EDUCATION
Strategy	E.3 Promotion, outreach & education
Rationale	§ Education, promotion and outreach (together with pricing and marketing initiatives) is a key manifestation of transportation demand management (TDM) philosophy — i.e. that a successful public transit system must focus on managing the demand for service, as well as the supply. § Heightened awareness, understanding and public opinion of transit will provide a foundation for more individual travel decisions to favour transit, thus increasing ridership over time: - Education involves measures to enhance individuals’ understanding of transit and its benefits to them, their community and environment. - Promotion involves measures to enhance awareness of transit service and its key attributes, and to strengthen transit’s “brand”, through means including advertising, sponsorships and special events (e.g. annual Food Drive). - Outreach involves the delivery of education and promotion measures by proactively engaging individuals and groups through direct presentations and discussions (either one-to-one or one-to-many) and partnerships with other organizations to reach their members or clients.
Description	Present situation § OC Transpo conducts a range of related activities: - School program — presentations to 3,000 primary school students annually - Sponsorship of and/or participation in environmental and other special events (e.g. Clean Air Day, Car Free Day, Food Drive) - Attendance at trade shows and information shows - Travel training at schools, hospitals and community agencies - Supply of customized information packages — e.g. for seniors at libraries (see Strategy E.1 — Customer service, information & amenities) § The City’s TravelWise TDM program also actively supports transit through a multimodal suite of activities. City staff work to help employers, educational institutions and community groups to support transit and other sustainable travel modes through activities like sponsorship of special events (e.g. Commuter Challenge) Future directions § Promotional activities to accompany new or expanded light rail and bus rapid transit services § Promotion and outreach to employers through OC Transpo programs, as well as through the City’s TravelWise TDM program which will be expanded to work more closely with employers and schools § Promote internal environmental initiatives such as the adoption of 20% biodiesel blend for bus propulsion, and the introduction of hybrid diesel-electric buses
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)			Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Promote the expansion of light rail service in several communities through advertising, media events, active sales and publicity that emphasize light rail’s quiet, clean, convenient and reliable service § Promote expanded bus transit services in new residential communities through advertising and publicity that emphasize increased frequencies and reduced travel times § Promote the cost advantage of transit over automobile travel through advertising and publicity § Promote transit to employees at large workplaces through the use of dedicated web pages, presentations and displays § Promote OC Transpo’s clean fuel and vehicle technologies including biodiesel blend fuel and hybrid diesel-electric engines			§ Same as short term			§ Same as medium term
Milestones
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy E.1 — Customer service, information & amenities
Performance indicators	§ Non-user opinion of transit system, as determined through surveys § Proportion of population using transit at least once per year
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT
Initiative	E. MARKETING & EDUCATION
Strategy	E.4 Market research
Rationale	§ Market research helps to identify and understand various elements of the transit market, in order to guide the development of service or information products that can increase ridership.
Description	Present situation § A telephone-based Attitude Survey of customers and non-customers is conducted every two years. § One-off count programs (e.g. of Rack & Roll usage) are conducted as required and as resources permit. § The City’s Origin-Destination Survey, conducted every 10 years or so, is an invaluable source of detailed transportation behaviour data. Future directions § Continue regular conduct of Attitude Survey and Origin-Destination Survey
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Analysis of 2005 Origin-Destination Survey results § Repeat Attitude Survey every 2 years	§ New Origin-Destination toward the end of this period
Milestones
Resource requirements	§ $50,000 to conduct each Attitude Survey
Supporting strategies
Performance indicators	§ Number of market research activities conducted
SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Initiative	F. SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Strategy	F.1 Fleet
Rationale	§ Fleet requirements are a function of targeted Para Transpo service levels.
Description	Present situation § Para Transpo fleet vehicles are owned and operated by two private contractors, with the number of vehicles specified in the contracts. One contractor (FirstBus Canada) operates the accessible van service using 92 dedicated wheelchair-accessible vans, and also operates the sedan service using 37 dedicated full-size four-door sedans. A second contractor (WestWay Taxi) supplements this base service using a fleet of about 30 non‑accessible taxis. Future directions § Due to the conventional transit fleet’s increasing accessibility and use by persons with disabilities, expansion of the dedicated Para Transpo fleet is not generally envisioned, possibly except for accessible and/or non-accessible taxi service mostly during the winter months.
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Maintain the dedicated wheelchair-accessible van fleet at its current size. § The number of taxis used will likely expand, mostly in the winter months. A new contract to deliver supplemental taxi service will be in effect in April or May 2006, including the delivery of supplemental taxi service using wheelchair-accessible taxis. A decision on whether to expand, maintain or reduce the current sedan service will be made over 2006 and 2007 based on the cost-effectiveness of the new taxi service.
Milestones	§ By 2007 — Decision on changes to current sedan service
Resource requirements	§ To be determined based on the cost of the new 2006 taxi contract
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy D.6 — Accessible service
Performance indicators	§ Number of fleet vehicles, by type
SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Initiative	F. SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Strategy	F.2 Service standards
Rationale	§ The availability of service (i.e. hours and areas served) and service levels are major factors in determining the degree to which customers can rely on transit to meet their travel needs. § Eligibility (which determines whether the service is available to a given individual) is another key determinant of the number of customers who use the service, which in turn determines the proportion of customer demand that can be met with a fixed resource base.
Description	Present situation § The area served by Para Transpo is larger than the area served by conventional transit. Para Transpo will pick up and return clients anywhere within the City of Ottawa, and will also carry Ottawa residents to and from an area within the City of Gatineau formerly known as the City of Hull. § Para Transpo service hours are approximately the same times as those of conventional transit service. If a non-disabled person can take a conventional transit bus to a location within the transit area by a specific time, then Para Transpo will ensure that a Para Transpo client living in the same area will be delivered to the same destination by approximately the same time. § Service is offered to persons who have permanent or short-term disabilities that prevent them from being able to use conventional transit service, and who submit an eligibility form signed by an appropriate health care professional such as a physician, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, or a chiropractor. Service is also available to qualified disabled persons visiting Ottawa-Carleton. § Para Transpo, like most other specialized transit services in Canada, cannot meet the demands of all of its customers. On average, about 95% of trip requests can be accommodated with the available resources. § Advertised service levels are based on a half-hour window for scheduled customer pick-ups. About 95% of customer pick-ups are made within this window. Future directions § Para Transpo will continue to parallel the hours of services provided by conventional service anywhere within the City of Ottawa. § Eligibility terms are not expected to change. § Existing service levels will be maintained, while the availability of service will be based on the availability of resources.
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Maintain current service standards, updating them as needed
Milestones
Supporting strategies
Performance indicators	§ Service hours and days of operation § Call centre hours and days of operation § Proportion of customers picked up within a scheduled 30-minute window (versus 95% target)
SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Initiative	F. SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Strategy	F.3 Booking, scheduling & dispatching
Rationale	§ Specialized transit services are highly variable and depend on the specifics of customer demands that appear on a day-to-day basis. Booking, scheduling and dispatching are the links between a customer request and the actual delivery of service in response.
Description	Present situation § About 700,000 Para Transpo trips each year are booked, scheduled and dispatched by about 30 staff of City of Ottawa Transit Services: - Customers with regular trips (i.e. on the same days and at the same times each week) can pre-arrange regular bookings, and the requested service is provided automatically each week without the customer having to contact Para Transpo. Regular bookings account for about 55% of trips. Customers book casual trips by contacting Para Transpo booking agents one day before service is required. Casual trips account for about 45% of trips. - Using the Trapeze automated scheduling system, Para Transpo schedulers produce hard copy schedules (runs) and send them to the contractor who operates the dedicated accessible van and non-accessible sedan contracts. Trips that cannot be scheduled to dedicated vehicles in a cost‑effective manner are emailed to the taxi service contractor, who schedules and dispatches them to their Para Transpo taxi drivers. - Service adjustments during the day are sent to dedicated vans or sedans by Para Transpo dispatchers using three radio communication channels, while service adjustments on taxi runs are forwarded to the taxi contractor’s dispatcher via a dedicated phone line. Future directions § All 92 dedicated wheelchair-accessible vans will be equipped with on-board processors and GPS units in 2006, to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of scheduling and dispatching among other service areas.
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Equip accessible vans with processors and GPS units
Milestones	§ 2006 — All vans to be equipped with processors and GPS units
Supporting strategies
Performance indicators	§ Vehicle-kilometres per passenger § Passenger trips per hour § Proportion of booking requests not accommodated
SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Initiative	F. SPECIALIZED TRANSIT
Strategy	F.4 Fares
Rationale	§ Fares generate only a small portion of the revenue that pays for specialized transit operations, due to the customized and highly passenger-focused service. § Unlike conventional transit fares, specialized transit fares are not set with a certain cost-recovery goal in mind. Rather, they are set on the basis of equity with conventional transit users, while recognizing the premium door-to-door nature of the service (making it slightly more expensive). Maintaining a fare level slightly above conventional transit fares also provides an incentive for customers with disabilities to make conventional transit their first choice, wherever and whenever possible.
Description	Present situation § In 2004, fares generated about 7% of Para Transpo costs. § Para Transpo fares are based on the fare structure and levels of conventional transit. Para Transpo customers may pay fares with cash or tickets (or a combination thereof), or with a pass (adult, student or senior; regular or express; or Ecopass). In some cases, a small supplement in the form of either cash or tickets is required. Registered Para Transpo users may ride the O-Train at no charge. Rural fares are calculated based on origin and destination, with the fare representing about 10% of the actual trip cost. Future directions § Because Para Transpo fares are based on the fare structure and levels of conventional transit , they will likely change in close step with conventional fares (for information on expected fare increases, see Strategy D.10 – Fare structures and levels) § Possible ways to make Para Transpo fare payments more flexible and convenient (e.g. through structure or technology) and will be explored as smart cards (see Strategy D.9 — Fare technology) are introduced on conventional transit services.
Supporting references
Action plan	Short term (2009)	Medium term (about 2016)			Long term (about 2021)
Actions	§ Maintain the current relationship between Para Transpo and OC Transpo fares § Investigate options to make Para Transpo fare payment more flexible and convenient, in parallel with smart card implementation on conventional transit § Investigate new Para Transpo fare categories to parallel any developed for conventional transit (e.g. weekly passes, rolling 30-day passes)
Milestones
Supporting strategies	§ Strategy D.9 — Fare technology § Strategy D.10 — Fare structures and levels
Performance indicators	§ Rate of operating cost-recovery from fares

Annex B. Official Plan – Section 2.3.1, Transportation

Official Plan

2.3.1 Transportation

A transportation system should emphasize both mobility and accessibility. Emphasizing mobility means providing the transportation facilities (roads, bus routes, etc.) to get people from one part of Ottawa to their destinations in other areas, no matter the distances involved. In contrast, emphasizing accessibility means planning the city to bring people closer to their destinations and making it easier for people to reach jobs, services, education and recreation. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

Accessibility also means increasing the range of options open to people who need to travel within the city. Some residents of Ottawa already have access to quality transit, walking and biking facilities, but these transportation options need to be extended to other areas of the city.

This Plan encourages land-use patterns that reduce the need to travel great distances across the city and encourage alternatives to car travel. More compact and mixed-use development throughout developing areas of the city and a stronger series of urban centres to anchor the transit system is essential to achieving the Plan’s transportation goals. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

This strategic direction is compatible with the City’s desire to protect and improve the natural environment, as it will reduce the amount of land used for new transportation facilities and decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from private automobile use. It will also help minimize the disruption of roadconstruction in established communities and help reduce the amount of traffic in our neighbourhoods.

Accommodating the movement of people during the morning and afternoon peak hours is the major transportation challenge for the planning period. However, independent of City actions, some significant changes in travel are anticipated, including increased reliance on communication technologies to replace travel and the extension of peak-period travel over a longer period as the city grows.

A clear objective of this Plan is a substantial increase in the use of public transit and reduced dependence upon automobile use during peak hours. Increasing the percentage of trips by transit from today’s level of 17 per cent of total passenger trips using motorized modes (transit or automobile) to about 30 per cent by 2021 is crucial to meet growing travel needs. This doubling of the share of travel by transit is very ambitious, in that it far exceeds current usage levels for all of the larger urban areas in Canada and the United States. In fact, it is comparable to the levels realized by many European cities. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

Despite the focus on increased transit use, there will be a need for on-going improvements to the road infrastructure network. With a 30 per cent modal split in favour of transit, new roads and road widenings identified in the Official Plan (1997) of the former Region of Ottawa-Carleton will still be needed to accommodate projected traffic volumes in 2021.

The rapid-transit system will also be expanded to directly serve much more of the urban area. Complementary measures will also be needed to enhance the relative attractiveness of transit over private automobile use. These measures include controlling parking supply and pricing parking appropriately.

City Council has adopted a Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to implement the policies expressed in this Plan. The TMP identifies the transportation policies, facilities and services that the City intends to put in place over the next two decades in order to meet the travel needs of residents and businesses in Ottawa and to support the development pattern identified in the Official Plan. The TMP policies guide the operation of the City's day-to-day transportation programs and provide a basis for developing the annual and five-year capital and operating budgets. While the TMP does not establish design or operating details, it identifies the need for separate guidelines that will give detailed support to policy objectives. It has several recurring themes consistent with the Ottawa 20/20 growth management vision, including minimizing costs, minimizing unnecessary travel, minimizing automobile dependence, keeping neighbourhoods liveable, protecting public health and the environment, and making efficient use of current infrastructure and services. [Amendment 14, September 8, 2004] [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

In keeping with the Transportation Master Plan the City will seek to achieve the following increases in the share of peak-hour travel by pedestrian, cycling and public transit modes by 2021: [Amendment 14, September 8, 2004]

· Walking modal share of all person trips – from 9.6 per cent in 2001 to 10 per cent in 2021;

· Cycling modal share of all person trips – from 1.7 per cent in 2001 to 3 per cent in 2021;

· Public transit – from 17 per cent of total motorized trips in 2001 to 30 per cent in 2021.

Figure 2.4 Projected Transit Modal Splits — Screenlines

(Proportion of travel by motorized modes, afternoon peak hour, peak direction)

Screenline*	Transit Modal Split
Screenline*	2002	2021
Rideau River	28%	50%
CPR	30%	49%
*Total: Inner Area Cordon*	*29%*	*50%*
Green’s Creek	33%	41%
417 East (2000)	0%	0%
Leitrim	1%	32%
Fallowfield	9%	31%
Eagleson	15%	38%
*Total: Greenbelt Cordon*	*17%*	*34%*
Interprovincial**	16%	36%
CNR West	15%	36%
CNR East	18%	41%
Western Parkway (1996)	15%	41%
Terry Fox (1996)	3%	34%
Rideau South	6%	25%
Bilberry Creek (1996)	20%	35%
Smyth / Hydro (2001)	29%	43%

* All 2002 data shown correspond to actual 2002 counts unless otherwise noted

** Interprovincial screenline projections are preliminary estimates subject to refinement through future work with the City of Gatineau and the National Capital Commission [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

Policies

Transportation Master Plan

1. The City will implement a Transportation Master Plan that sets out Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs, transportation system management programs and transit-priority measures as described in the policies below. [Amendment 14, September 8, 2004]

Transportation Demand Management

2. The City will implement a comprehensive Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program as part of its efforts to reduce automobile dependency. TDM measures can reduce transportation infrastructure needs, congestion and pollution by minimizing the need for personal travel and encouraging people to change their travel mode, timing or destination. The City’s TDM program will involve independent action as well as partnerships with the private sector, other governments and non-governmental organizations including educational institutions and community groups. It will make alternatives to driving more attractive, build a positive public attitude towards them, and provide information and incentives that encourage individuals to reduce their car use. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

3. To demonstrate its commitment to leadership, the City will act as a role model by implementing measures that enhance its employees’ options for commuting and business travel.

4. The City will minimize the effect of excessive traffic speed and volumes on residential neighbourhoods by researching and implementing measures and programs as part of its TDM program to enforce speed limits, discourage speeding, cut through traffic and reckless driving, and encourage walking, cycling and transit as preferred methods for trips in or through neighbourhoods.

Transportation System Management

5. The City will implement a comprehensive Transportation System Management (TSM) program. TSM refers to strategies that can be implemented to make more efficient use of existing facilities through improved management and operation of transportation infrastructure. TSM focuses on optimizing existing infrastructure, for example, adjusting traffic control devices to maximize car flow, or to provide priority to transit vehicles. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

Walking

6. When undertaking comprehensive land-use planning studies, especially community design plans (see Section 2.5.7), the City will emphasize the creation of pedestrian-friendly environments.

7. The City will require, where feasible, that all new development or redevelopment provide walking facilities in accordance with the policies of Section 4.3. This includes, for example, providing safe, direct and attractive pedestrian access between public sidewalks and building entrances.

8. In the construction or reconstruction of transportation facilities, such as roadways, bridges, and transit stations, and public buildings, such as community centres and libraries, the City will ensure the provision of facilities to address the needs of pedestrians where feasible.

9. The City will ensure that pedestrian safety is a high priority in the selection and configuration of traffic control device. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

10. The City will support walking through promotion and education initiatives that address issues such as personal security; safe behaviour by vehicle drivers, cyclists and pedestrians; and an appreciation of the health and environmental benefits of walking and costs of the private and public travel choices.

11. The City will prepare a Pedestrian Plan by the end of 2004, which will outline guidelines and standards for pedestrian facilities and circulation, identify discontinuities in the pedestrian network, and develop a network implementation strategy. The plan will guide the City in the development and implementation of new programs and facilities to encourage people to walk and to reduce their dependence on the automobile.

Cycling

12. When undertaking or reviewing comprehensive land-use planning studies, such as community design plans (see Section 2.5.7), the City will require that emphasis be placed upon creating environments highly favourable to cyclists.

13. The City will require, where feasible, that all new development or redevelopment provide cycling facilities in accordance with the policies of Section 4.3. For example, bicycle parking spaces will be located in highly visible and lighted areas, sheltered from weather if possible.

14. In the construction or reconstruction of transportation facilities (roadways, bridges, transit stations, etc.) and public buildings (community centres, libraries, etc.), the City will ensure, to the extent possible, the provision of facilities to address the needs and safety of cyclists.

15. The City will protect corridors for and develop the network of major urban cycling routes identified on Schedule C. Schedule C includes those routes identified in the approved cycling plans of the former regional and local governments now making up the City of Ottawa and select routes shown in the National Capital Commission’s study, Integrated Network of Recreational Pathways for the National Capital Region. As illustrated on Schedule C, the City will accommodate commuter cycling needs on the road network to the greatest extent possible. However the network of major recreational pathways, identified on Schedules I and J, may also be used by commuter cyclists.

16. The City will prepare a Cycling Plan by the end of 2004, which will include harmonizing cycling policies, establishing supporting guidelines and updating a plan for the integrated cycling network. The Cycling Plan will guide the City in the development and implementation of new programs and facilities to encourage people to cycle. Schedule C will be amended to reflect the integrated cycling network of the Cycling Plan.

17. As part of the implementation of policies 14 and 15, the City will identify missing links in the cycling network and develop a program to rectify these discontinuities. Discontinuities in the recreational pathway network (see Section 4.6.5) will be addressed through the Greenspace Master Plan.

18. The City will support cycling through promotion and education initiatives that address issues including, but not limited to, proper driver and cyclist behaviour, safe cycling techniques, awareness of designated cycling routes, and an appreciation of the health and environmental benefits of walking and costs of the private and public travel choices.

Transit

19. The City will protect corridors for and develop the rapid-transit network and transit-priority network as shown on Schedule D. Rapid transit means a convenient, fast, and frequent public transportation service that features a high carrying capacity. Rapid transit operates on its own right-of-way, as a separate system or in shared corridors, and is not delayed in general traffic. The rapid-transit network consists of an interconnecting system of existing and planned rights-of-way and corridors in which a rapid-transit facility, such as a transitway, O-Train, or streetcar, may be located. A transit-priority network is a system of primarily arterial roads upon which transit-priority measures may be implemented to improve the quality of transit service in terms of speed and reliability. Specific segments of the transit-priority network may represent the interim stage in the long-term development of a rapid-transit network.

20. The City will introduce rapid-transit quality service at an early stage in the development of new urban communities. As these communities mature, they will ultimately be served by the extension of full rapid-transit facilities.

21. The City may acquire lands for transit rights-of-way as a condition of approval for a subdivision, severance, site plan, condominium or minor variance.

22. The City will improve the speed and reliability of transit service by providing transit-priority measures to lessen delays on transit vehicles caused by other traffic and traffic control signals. Transit-priority measures will be implemented for those transit-priority corridors identified on Schedule D and at other opportune locations.

23. In new development, the City will require that the layout of the road network be designed to facilitate transit routing and ensure reasonable walking distances to transit stops, as required by Section 4.3.

24. Further to any land-use requirements associated with a particular designation, development within 600 metres of transit stations will occur in accordance with Section 4.3.

25. In addition to the provision of excellent pedestrian and cycling access to transit stations, the City will ensure, where feasible, the provision of separate multi-use pathways in or adjacent to rapid-transit corridors.

26. The City will pursue partnerships with the private sector to develop lands at or over transit stations and park-and-ride facilities.

27. The City will ensure the provision of park-and-ride facilities to enhance accessibility to rapid-transit services at selected stations and other appropriate sites. In this regard, the City may require that the proponents of major development at existing or planned rapid-transit stations provide sufficient land for park-and-ride facilities, for which the City may enter into agreements for purchase, rent, operation or shared use.

28. The City will work with the City of Gatineau and the federal government to improve transit service between the Cities of Ottawa and Gatineau and investigate means to reduce the use of King Edward Avenue and Rideau Street as bus waiting areas. The City will work with the City of Gatineau and the federal government to improve transit service between the Cities of Ottawa and Gatineau and investigate means to reduce the use of King Edward Avenue and Rideau Street as bus waiting areas. Pending completion of the Interprovincial Rapid Transit EA Study, the City will protect for the possible inclusion of exclusive rapid transit services across such bridges as the Lemieux Island Rail Bridge, the Portage Bridge, the Chaudière Bridge, or other locations as may be identified in the environmental assessment. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005] [OMB decision, October 24, 2005].

29. At the time of initial development or at a later date, the City in partnership with affected parties may construct pedestrian overpasses to provide improved access to rapid-transit facilities such as the overpass between the transitway and the Blair Road office complex south of Highway 174 and the overpass proposed for the Rideau Canal that will connect Centretown and the transitway. Other sites that could be considered for pedestrian overpasses in the future include the Ottawa baseball stadium on Coventry Road and the Algonquin College Woodroffe Campus.

Roads and Rights-of-Way Protection

30. The City will develop the road network shown on Schedules E to H to provide for the safe and convenient movement of people and goods.

31. The City will protect rights-of-way for the road network shown on Schedules E to H and as listed in detail in Annex 1. A description of the road network classification and further rights-of-way protection policies are also found in Annex 1.

32. An amendment to this Plan is required when an arterial road or city freeway is to be added or deleted from the schedules, or when an Arterial – Conceptual (Alignment Undefined) is proposed to be changed to an Arterial – Proposed (Alignment Defined). An amendment to this Plan will not be required to add or delete major collector or collector roadways, such roads being generally deeded to the City through the subdivision approval process. An amendment will be required for all other schedule changes.

33. The City may acquire land for rights-of-way or the widening of rights-of-way through conditions of approval for a subdivision, severance, site plan, condominium or minor variance. As detailed in Annex 1, this may involve unequal road widenings, the requirement for additional land for corner triangles at intersections or railway crossings, and the use of easements in the Central Area.

34. When the City permits interim uses of the land in its rights-of-way, it will ensure that the uses are in accordance with the objectives of this Plan.

35. Priority use of lanes on a road or planned new lanes may be given exclusively to certain classes of roadway users if it contributes to the implementation of transportation and land-use objectives of this Plan. This may result in roadway lanes reserved for transit vehicles in identified locations supportive of rapid-transit and the transit-priority network. The City may give priority to lanes used for high-occupancy vehicles on selected roads. Additional truck-priority lanes (e.g., Waller to Nicholas Streets) may also be implemented.

36. The City will ensure that road corridors function as public spaces in Ottawa by implementing the Arterial Road Corridor Design Guidelines for the City’s urban arterial roads and Village mainstreets. Application of the guidelines will result in street tree plantings, which helps to improve the natural environment. The City will prepare and implement similar guidelines for all other arterial and collector roads, including but not limited to, roads in heritage districts, tourist areas and business improvement areas. It is recognized that the parkway network in the city, primarily developed by the National Capital Commission, contributes greatly to the distinct open space character of Ottawa.

37. In recognition of the importance of preserving and enhancing the visual and aesthetic appeal of the main scenic and entry routes in Ottawa, the City will require additional development controls for lands along these routes, as identified in Schedules I and J, and detailed in Section 4.6.4.

38. In considering prospective changes to the provincial highway network, the City would likely favour actions to improve road safety and reduce emissions, but it is not likely to favour actions that have substantial neighbourhood impacts or increase congestion on parallel or intersecting streets. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

Other Rights-of-Way Protection

39. The City will purchase surplus railway rights-of-way and select utility (e.g., hydro line) corridors, as they become available, for use as future transportation and utility corridors. When such rights-of-way are acquired, recreational and agricultural uses may be permitted as interim uses. Future use as a transportation or utility corridor will have priority over any interim use. Provision will be made for recreational uses to continue, wherever possible.

40. The City will not close and sell unopened road allowances that have reasonable potential, in the short- or long-term, for use as a roadway, a transit or utility corridor, or a pedestrian or cyclist link or, as outlined in Section 2.4.5, public access to the shore of a water body. [Amendment 14, September 8, 2004]

41. The City will work with the federal and provincial governments and the Province of Québec and the City of Gatineau, to determine the location of future bridge crossing(s) of the Ottawa River. Pending agreement on the location(s), the City will continue to prohibit development that might hinder the eventual use of potential crossings and approaches, such as those to Kettle Island or from Orléans to Angers.

42. The City maintains the following strategic objectives related to parking:

a. To provide short-term parking that supports the vital interests of local businesses, institutions and tourism destinations;

To limit the supply of long-term parking to levels that balance the needs of automobile users with the City’s transit ridership objectives, while minimizing spill-over parking in residential areas;
To minimize the amount of land devoted to parking uses through shared parking arrangements and the use of parking structures. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

Parking

43. The City will develop a Parking Management Strategy by the end of 2006, which will:

a) Support the City’s strategic parking objectives outlined above; [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

b) Establish centralized parkinglots within a reasonable walking distance of multiple destinations, where required;

c) Account for potential changes to the current supply through redevelopment of existing lots;

d) Investigate new technologies for payment, enforcement and user information;

e) Provide an adequate supply of bicycle parking;

f) Address the needs of the tourism industry;

g) In consultation with community associations, local businesses and other interested parties, the City will review current policies regarding residential on-street parking permits and consider options to balance the needs of the community, businesses, and others; [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

h) Investigate means to incorporate reduced parking requirements for long-term parking into its zoning by-law, where specific criteria are satisfied that contribute to walking, cycling and transit use. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

44. The City will update, as appropriate, the City’s cash-in-lieu of parking policy to ensure fair and equitable application across the city. This policy permits entering into agreements with an applicant to reduce or eliminate the provision of on-site parking otherwise required by the zoning by-law, subject to the payment of money to the City.

45. As a condition of development application approval, the City will apply further policies for parking lots as outlined in Section 4.3.

Movement of Goods

46. The City will minimize the impact of truck traffic on residential neighbourhoods caused by the presence of these vehicles and their noise, vibration and emissions by ensuring the availability of a comprehensive truck route network based on the arterial road system.

47. The City will explore alternative means to accommodate interprovincial truck travel to minimize impacts on the Central Area, in particular along and in the vicinity of King Edward Avenue. Upon the completion of a new interprovincial corridor to accommodate trucks in a safe and efficient manner, the City will remove Rideau Street and King Edward Avenue from the City’s identified truck route system. See also, policy 8 in Section 3.6.6 on the Central Area. [OMB decision, June 17, 2005]

Transportation Terminals

48. The City will provide convenient road and transit access to all major inter-city passenger terminals (airport, train and bus stations).

49. The City will support the establishment of multi-modal, inter-city passenger terminals like the existing co-location of the Fallowfield VIA Rail and transitstations.

50. In industrial and commercial areas with rail access, the City will encourage the development of inter-modal terminals such as truck/rail transfer facilities that reduce the amount of freight transported by road.

Annex C. Transportation Master Plan – Chapter 7, Public Transit

Transportation Master Plan

Chapter 7 – Public Transit

Ottawa has achieved greater levels of transit ridership than other North American cities of its size, but must become even more transit-oriented. The City’s growth management strategy aims to increase transit’s peak hour share of motorized person-trips to 30%. This is almost twice today’s level, and compares well to many large European cities. Such an ambitious objective requires the City to improve the competitive position of transit, relative to the automobile.

To make transit the preferred choice of even more residents, the City must make a deliberate series of improvements to the transit system as well as to its physical, social and economic context. To achieve a peak hour transit modal split of 30%, all measures identified in this chapter are required. Partial implementation will lead to inadequate transit ridership, greater air pollution and the need for more road infrastructure to prevent unacceptable congestion and road safety risks.

The City’s transit strategy recognizes that substantial increases in ridership call for greater availability, reliability, speed and comfort of transit service. All of these will be achieved or enabled by expansion of Ottawa’s rapid transit system — the cornerstone of Ottawa’s transit strategy. This chapter discusses a number of key elements within the overall strategy:

Essential supporting measures in the areas of land use planning, parking management, transportation demand management, financial incentives for transit use, intermodal integration and infrastructure priority setting
Transit service strategy initiatives related to route network structure and service standards, fares and funding, service to villages and rural areas, interprovincial transit service, and service from adjacent municipalities
Transit service for customers with disabilities through more accessible conventional services as well as specialized services
Transit priority initiatives that will reduce delay and increase reliability for transit vehicles operating on arterial roads
Rapid transit system expansion to create Transitway and light rail networks several times larger than today’s, and to build dozens of new stations and several new Park & Ride lots
Fleet expansion and replacement to upgrade and almost double the size of today’s transit fleet while integrating environment-friendly technologies that can reduce air emissions

7.1 Essential Supporting Measures

A variety of measures are required to maximize transit’s competitiveness with automobile use, as described in the following paragraphs.

Land use planning. Through the Province of Ontario’s Planning Act and its own Official Plan, the City has the authority to shape land use within its borders. It controls the land uses that are permissible in various areas, and can establish conditions on new developments including the extent, type and location of automobile parking. Section 4.1 of this plan summarizes many of the transit-supportive land use policies that are contained in the City’s Official Plan.

Parking management. The availability and price of parking are major determinants of the attractiveness of transit in reaching a destination. Section 4.1 and Chapter 10 of this plan identify a number of measures through which the City can limit the challenge that abundant, free parking poses to achievement of transit ridership objectives. Examples of such measures include limiting parking supply in the vicinity of rapid transit stations, encouraging shared and/or structured parking to enable more compact development patterns, and pursuing the ability to impose levies on non-residential parking spaces.

Transportation demand management. Chapter 4 identifies a framework for the City’s transportation demand management (TDM) program. There are a number of TDM efforts that can help increase transit ridership, including partnerships with various groups to raise public awareness of transit options, build positive attitudes towards them, and promote their use.

Financial incentives. Transit faces several areas of competitive disadvantage related to the price of travel. Free parking (especially at workplaces) is the most significant, since it reduces the out-of-pocket costs for most automobile trips to below the cost of a transit fare; the considerable fixed costs of automobile ownership and operation do not influence individual trip-making decisions. The City currently has virtually no ability to influence the provision of free parking but will pursue the required authority, possibly through the power to impose a levy on non-residential parking spaces such as that being considered by the Quebec government. The City will also urge the federal government to enforce the taxability of employer-provided parking benefits, and to make employer-provided transit benefits tax-exempt. The City will also consider whether transit incentives such as a fare-free zone would help to achieve key objectives.

Intermodal integration. Transit users rely on connections with other modes to make their trips as convenient and comfortable as possible. City initiatives to improve modal integration include linking transit to walking (via pathways and sidewalks), cycling (via bike parking at rapid transit stations, and provision for transit vehicles to carry bicycles), automobile use (via Park & Ride lots, passenger drop-off zones at rapid transit stations) and intercity carriers (via service to air, rail and bus terminals).

Infrastructure priority setting. The City can improve the competitive balance between transit and automobile use by placing a higher priority on the provision of infrastructure that improves transit service, relative to infrastructure intended to improve service for automobile users. Importantly, this is not an issue of rapid transit lines versus roads — in fact, new road infrastructure can be favourable to transit, particularly when it provides priority to transit vehicles or otherwise improves the speed and reliability of transit operations. The phasing of new infrastructure can also influence the travel patterns of residents in new developments, and whatever infrastructure is needed to provide high-quality transit service to such areas should be a high priority. Chapter 14 describes the infrastructure priorities established by this plan.

The City will:

Direct new developments to be transit-supportive, through measures outlined in the Official Plan including those related to parking management
Partner with employers, educational institutions and community groups to implement measures that encourage transit use through education, promotion and incentives
Urge the federal government to locate its employment centres adjacent to rapid transit stations
Urge other governments to address the imbalance of inequitable public subsidies of automobile travel, and provide a more level playing field for travel by public transit, through:

Federal government enforcement of the taxability of employer-provided parking benefits
Federal government designation of employer-provided transit benefits as non-taxable
Provincial government adoption of enabling legislation granting municipalities the authority to impose levies on private parking spaces
Federal government elimination of subsidized parking for its employees

Continue to enhance the integration of transit with other travel modes, making transit services and facilities more accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, automobile drivers and passengers, and intercity travelers
Give priority to the enhancement of transit service when setting priorities for all infrastructure projects, and particularly for those that serve developing communities

7.2 Transit Service Strategy

7.2.1 Route Network and Service Standards

The City of Ottawa’s transit service strategy is based on two major objectives:

To provide high-quality service that is reliable, accessible, cost-effective, safe and courteous, and that responds to the needs of residents, businesses, schools and visitors
To support the City’s objectives for increased transit ridership

The City’s transit route network is structured around Ottawa’s rapid transit facilities (Transitway and O-Train) and will evolve over the next two decades to take advantage of the expanded new rapid transit facilities (light rail lines and Transitway extensions) described in Section 7.4. The route network currently includes the following major components:

Transitway service — High-frequency, high-capacity rapid transit bus routes on the Transitway, and extending beyond the ends of the Transitway to major urban nodes.
O-Train service — A high-capacity rapid transit rail service, which will be upgraded to high-frequency service along the same alignment, but extending directly into downtown.
Main line service — Regular routes operating all day, seven days a week on city streets and the Transitway, connecting communities, activity centres and other transit focal points. As the rapid transit network grows, some of these will be replaced by new rapid transit lines.
Local service — Feeder bus routes connecting residential and employment areas with rapid transit service and other major urban nodes. As the rapid transit network grows, more of these will be focussed on new light rail and Transitway stations.
Express service — Direct-to-downtown bus routes from residential areas during peak periods that minimize travel time and the need for travelers to transfer between buses. As the rapid transit network grows, some of these will be replaced by local services feeding light rail stations.
Employment area service — Direct bus routes during peak periods from the central area of the City and the Transitway to major non-central employment areas to minimize transfers and travel times to commuters in those areas from the central area.

In planning the level of service on transit routes, the City must balance passenger comfort and convenience with the need to deliver service cost-effectively. Inevitable trade-offs will require some peak period passengers to stand on a bus, rather than sit. Outside peak periods all passengers will normally have a seat, except over short distances at the busiest point of the route, or on longer trips at particularly busy times. Transit service will be provided only where it meets Council-approved minimum cost-recovery targets. The City strives to operate every scheduled trip on time, and to respond quickly to delays that arise due to weather, collisions or mechanical problems.

The City will:

Expand the transit route network to serve increasing numbers of passengers as the City grows and as the transit modal split increases, in accordance with the major objectives outlined above, and in consultation with transit customers
Increase service on routes with growing ridership, in order to sustain desired service levels, to allow room for growth, and to attract new transit users
Improve the cost-efficiency of providing transit service by acquiring high-capacity light rail vehicles and articulated buses, by using lower-cost service delivery methods in areas where ridership is insufficient to support conventional service, and by reallocating operating resources away from services that do not meet minimum ridership targets.
Improve the reliability of transit service through new technologies, such as vehicle location using global positioning systems for service control and monitoring, as well as through other measures including enhanced operator training and additional time points
Provide clear, accurate and effective transit information to potential customers, making use of advanced technologies where appropriate
Undertake necessary measures to minimize any interruption to the O-Train service while it is being upgraded as part of the priority plan for a north-south rail rapid transit from Lebreton Station to Leitrim Road Station.
Develop quality of service indicators and targets that can be used to assess transit operating conditions, and to evaluate possible changes to them

7.2.2 Fares and Funding

In 2002, about 57 percent of the City’s transit operating costs were recovered from passenger fares, with the remainder funded by property taxes. No funding for transit operations is received from the provincial or federal governments, and the City has no local funding source other than property taxes.

Transit fares do far more than simply pay for transit operations. Discounts for select groups contribute to social goals, discounts for off-peak travel can encourage better use of spare capacity, and fare levels generally help to determine the economic competitiveness of transit use compared to car ownership and operation. Technologically advanced fare collection systems can take advantage of this potential, helping the City to achieve its financial performance, modal shift and social objectives.

The City will:

Encourage the provincial and federal governments to contribute to the cost of operating transit service
Set transit revenues including fares, in a manner that meets the key service objectives described in Section 7.2.1, and adjust fares annually such that transit revenue is, at least, kept constant in real dollars
Investigate the business case for a "smart card" fare system that would enable fare differences by user type, time of day, distance travelled or other factors, and that could enable promotional measures such as a fare-free zone in the downtown area

7.2.3 Service in Villages and Rural Areas

In the rural area of Ottawa, the City provides peak period transit service directly between downtown Ottawa and Bearbrook, Carlsbad Springs, Cumberland Village, Kars, Manotick, Munster Hamlet, Navan, North Gower, Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Sarsfield, and Vars. All-day service is also provided to and from Manotick, the largest rural village.

The operating costs of transit service to villages and rural areas are funded about equally by customer fares and rural property taxes. The capital costs are paid from property taxes in the rural area, with a contribution in 2003 from the provincial government toward the expansion of the bus fleet.

Large Park & Ride lots are located in Kanata, Orleans, South Nepean and South Ottawa, at the end of each arm of the Transitway. Passengers from rural areas can drive to these lots, park their cars and continue their trip by transit. Smaller Park & Ride lots are located at City properties in the rural villages served by direct peak-period service to downtown Ottawa.

Bus service from rural areas within the City has also been provided by private intercity bus companies for many years. Such services are provided from Cumberland Village, Dunrobin, Greely, Metcalfe, North Gower, Vars, Vernon and Woodlawn. The City supports these services by providing information to and by sharing the use of City transit facilities such as Transitway stations.

The City will:

Provide transit service to and from the rural villages from which a sufficient number of people travel to and from the central part of Ottawa; these services will be provided in peak-periods only or all day long, as determined by the actual and potential ridership levels.
Provide Park & Ride lots at the outer ends of all present and future rapid transit lines, to provide access to the transit network for residents who live in areas without transit service.
Provide smaller Park & Ride lots in the rural villages served by direct peak-period service to downtown.
Support and promote the services provided by private intercity bus companies connecting rural areas and villages with the City’s urban areas.

7.2.4 Interprovincial Transit Service

The City’s transit route network extends into the Hull sector of the City of Gatineau. Similarly, Gatineau’s transit service, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) extends into downtown Ottawa. The two transit systems are complementary and the fares are integrated. The two systems do not compete with each other, but instead cooperate to serve the needs of all transit passengers between Ottawa and Gatineau.

The City will:

Seek to provide seamless coordination of transit services and fares with the STO
Undertake a study to identify interprovincial rapid transit requirements, in cooperation with the City of Gatineau, the National Capital Commission and other levels of government including the possible extension of LRT service across such bridges as the Lemieux Island Rail Bridge, the Portage Bridge or the Chaudière Bridge, to create an integrated GO (Gatineau-Ottawa) Light Rail Transit Service

7.2.5 Transit Service from Outside the City of Ottawa

For many years, private intercity bus companies have offered bus service from towns outside Ottawa including Alfred, Arnprior, Bourget, Carleton Place, Casselman, Embrun, Hawkesbury, Kemptville, Limoges, L’Orignal, Merrickville, Perth, Plantagenet, Rockland, Russell, Wendover and Winchester.

The City will:

Support and promote the services provided by other municipalities and by private companies connecting Ottawa with the surrounding areas
Assist other municipalities as they consider whether to introduce new transit services connecting with Ottawa

7.3 Service for Customers with Disabilities

Over the life of this plan, there will be an increased demand for accessible public transit service. Ottawa’s population of seniors will continue to rise, and medical advances will increasingly allow persons with disabilities to lead fully independent lives. Barriers to transit travel by these important transit customers have been progressively removed since the 1980s, and today’s transit services are developed with the objective of providing them with maximum accessibility. All stations on the Transitway and O-Train are built as barrier-free as possible, and all buses purchased since 1997 have been low-floor models able to carry customers who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs. By about 2015, all existing high-floor buses should have been replaced.

There will always be some people whose disabilities prevent them from using conventional transit services for some or all of their trips — a greater number in winter than summer, because cold weather, snow and ice are barriers to travel. As well, until the City’s bus fleet is entirely composed of low-floor vehicles, there will be some passengers who require accessible service but are traveling on routes where, or at times when, accessible service is not provided. For these passengers, the City will continue to provide door-to-door Para Transpo service. Even though the number of persons with disabilities is expected to increase over the next two decades, the greater accessibility of the conventional transit fleet should minimize the need for substantial Para Transpo service expansions.

The City will:

Design all new rapid transit facilities to accommodate people with disabilities
Acquire only low-floor light rail vehicles and buses, with the objective of operating low-floor buses exclusively by 2015
Until the fleet is 100 percent accessible, assign low-floor buses to routes and trips where they will be of greatest use to passengers who can benefit from their features
Consider the needs of people with disabilities when setting fares and providing information on transit services
Maintain Para Transpo service sufficient to accommodate the needs of passengers who are unable to use conventional transit services

7.4 Transit Priority

In Ottawa, over 85% of transit service is delivered on roads. In these mixed traffic environments, traffic congestion increases delay and reduces reliability for transit services. Transit priority measures can minimize the impacts of congestion through physical, operational, and legislative means that give transit buses preferential treatment over other vehicles. Their main objective is to improve the competitiveness of transit, compared to the automobile, by reducing travel times and improving service reliability. A secondary objective is either to reduce transit operating and capital costs, or to provide more transit capacity and service with the same resources.

Transit priority measures include dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority treatments, bus queue jumps, special bus stop arrangements, and traffic management techniques such as queue relocation. A recent Transit Priority Network Study has led to the identification of the following policies in support of the City’s transit priority program, and to the identification of specific projects, shown in Annex A, that are required to create the recommended network.

The City will:

Implement the transit priority network shown on Map 4 through measures that include, but are not limited to, the transit priority projects identified in Annex A
Maintain ten-year transit priority network targets and a five-year implementation plan including an annual work program
For those corridors shown on Map 4 that require road widening to create transit priority measures, initiate functional planning, property requirement identification and Environmental Assessment as soon as possible
Investigate transit priority measures and implement them, as appropriate, whenever roadway or intersection modifications are done, but especially at the following locations:

At intersections of the Transitway and other roads
At intersections and roadways adjacent to Transitway stations
Along the transit priority network identified in Map 4

Implement cost-effective, ridership-enhancing interim transit priority measures in the staging of rapid transit corridor development
Where required to preserve public safety or the integrity of transit operations, exclude other road users (e.g. bicycles, taxis) from bus lanes
Identify and mitigate any short-term negative impacts of transit priority measures, including those arising from diverted automobile traffic or changes in queuing patterns
Build public awareness and a positive attitude towards transit priority measures through education and promotion

7.5 Rapid Transit System

7.5.1 Rapid Transit Corridors

The successful implementation of an expanded rapid transit network will be a critical element in the achievement of the City’s transit objectives. Through the Rapid Transit Expansion Study, the City has developed a strategic approach to expanding its rapid transit system in response to future transportation needs.

The recommended rapid transit network consists of an interconnected system of existing and planned corridors in which a rapid transit facility may be located. The rapid transit network identified on Map 5 includes about 100 kilometres of double tracks for electrified rail, 42 kilometres of Transitway extensions, and 58 new rapid transit stations. This network, roughly four times the size of Ottawa’s current rapid transit system, will be implemented over the coming two decades. Annex A identifies the rapid transit infrastructure projects that will be required.

The City will:

Implement a seamless network of rapid transit corridors, including incremental extensions to urban centres outside the Greenbelt, as shown on Map 5
Protect the opportunity to fully grade-separate all elements of the rapid transit system, as and when required, within or beyond the planning horizon
Defer the costs of grade-separating rapid transit elements by introducing transit priority measures that reduce delay and improve reliability, and by incrementally introducing further enhancements to isolate transit from mixed traffic
Implement rapid transit corridors in urban centres outside the Greenbelt in a manner that permits interim uses at early stages of development, while ensuring the earliest possible provision of high-quality transit service and the future potential to incrementally introduce grade-separated transit facilities
Improve service along the Central Area Transitway through operational changes to intersections, modified station locations, the upgrading of amenities at all stations and integration of stations with adjacent buildings
Provide, where feasible, separate cycling facilities or multi-use pathways in or adjacent to rapid transit corridors
Provide walking and cycling crossings of rapid transit corridors, where feasible, considering the level of demand and alternative crossing opportunities

7.5.2 Rapid Transit Stations

Rapid transit stations serve high volumes of passenger transfers between transit routes, and between transit and other travel modes such as walking, cycling, taxis and private automobiles. They must make all transfers as convenient, comfortable and secure as possible. Stations are also meeting points between the rapid transit system and the surrounding community, and their environments can help to generate transit ridership from nearby workers and residents.

Rapid transit stations are also excellent locations for future employment opportunities. However, poor planning of surrounding land uses can limit the ability of transit passengers to get to and from the station in safety, security and comfort. As well, the provision of abundant free parking for employees near rapid transit stations will negatively affect the competitiveness of the rapid transit service. The City’s land use policies, as contained in the Official Plan and summarized in Section 4.1 of this plan, outline strategies to encourage integrated office and commercial developments at selected rapid transit stations. Additional policies related to the planning of rapid transit stations are located in Chapter 5 (walking considerations), Chapter 6 (cycling considerations) and Chapter 10 (parking management).

The City will:

Enhance the comfort, security and convenience of rapid transit stations through measures such as improved signage, seating, heating, accessibility for disabled persons, and convenience retail and service uses
Improve transfer facilities at rapid transit stations by enhancing or adding features such as taxi loading areas, passenger drop-off and pick-up facilities, bicycle parking facilities, and pedestrian walkways
Pursue opportunities, alone or in partnership with others, to provide and improve pedestrian connections between rapid transit stations and adjacent developments

7.5.3 Park & Ride Lots

Park & Ride lots are an important adjunct to rapid transit stations. They serve passengers arriving by car from the rural area or adjacent municipalities, as well as passengers from the urban area who drive to and from transit in order to meet other needs en route, such as childcare, shopping or other personal business. This plan envisions several new Park & Ride lots at the locations shown on Map 5.

The City will:

Maintain adequate and appropriately-located Park & Ride lots at locations shown in Map 5
Monitor and adjust Park & Ride lots as the City grows and the rapid transit system expands
Pursue opportunities to provide or designate daily parking spaces for transit customers at existing or new developments

7.6 Transit Fleet and Related Facilities

By the end of 2003, the City’s fleet of conventional transit vehicles would include 12-metre standard buses (725 vehicles), 18-metre articulated low-floor buses (200 vehicles), two small buses and three diesel rail cars. Para Transpo vehicles are provided by contracted service providers, and include 91 lift-equipped vans, 25 cars and a number of taxis.

7.6.1 Fleet Expansion and Replacement

The increased transit ridership that is expected by the City's Official Plan and this Transportation Master Plan will require a significant investment in new transit vehicles to expand and replace the current fleet. Four main factors will drive this need:

Ridership growth resulting from service improvements, complementary land use and parking management policies, and a 50 percent increase in population
The need to replace all buses in the current fleet over the next 20 years, since they have an expected lifespan of 18 years
The desire to increase fleet reliability by reducing the age of vehicles below the current average of 10 years (today’s articulated buses are less than two years old, but standard buses are an average age of 14 years old)
The need to create a light rail fleet of about 105 high-capacity cars, each capable of carrying about 100 seated and 100 standing passengers

Annex B includes an approximate schedule for the acquisition of transit vehicles over the life of this plan.

The City will:

Acquire sufficient new buses and light rail vehicles to provide desired service levels to a growing number of transit passengers, according to the approximate schedule in Annex B
Reduce the average age of the bus fleet to about nine years by 2021
Acquire a number of small buses for use on routes serving rural areas or urban areas with low transit ridership

7.6.2 Vehicle Propulsion

Diesel technology has powered almost all transit vehicles for the past several decades. However, with increasing attention paid to the impacts of emissions from conventional diesel engines, significant research and development has occurred in the field of new propulsion technologies. When powered with low-sulphur diesel fuel, clean diesel engines can achieve up to a 90% reduction in several key air toxins, compared to traditional diesel engines. Hybrid diesel-electric technologies are now in limited use in Europe and North America, and will be more widely deployed as they grow more reliable and affordable.

The City will:

Buy low-emission/clean-powered light rail vehicles
Buy buses with clean diesel engines until 2006
Phase in the use of ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel, with the goal of using it to run all buses by 2006
Begin acquisition of hybrid diesel-electric buses in 2007 in accordance with the City’s Fleet Emission Reduction Strategy
Monitor opportunities to acquire zero-emission buses as soon as feasible

7.6.3 Garages and Maintenance Facilities

The City’s maintenance and storage facilities can just accommodate today’s bus and rail fleet, with no room to spare. Expansion of the bus and light rail fleet will require additional storage and maintenance facilities. Annex B provides additional detail on these capital project requirements.

The City will:

Construct four new bus garage facilities to accommodate growth of the bus fleet, following the schedule in Annex B
Construct new or expanded light rail storage and maintenance facilities to accommodate growth of the light rail fleet, following the schedule in Annex B

7.7 Transit Safety and Security

In recent years, input from transit customers and employees have made safety and security issues a high priority for transit systems across North America. Transit systems are working to foster greater safety and security through innovative physical and operational measures, as well as through public outreach. Safety and security must maintain a high priority if the City is to achieve its transit objectives.

The City will:

Increase transit system security by hiring additional uniformed Transit Law Enforcement Officers
Enhance the public profile, image and training of Transit Law Enforcement Officers allowing them to perform their duties more effectively and efficiently
Expand centrally monitored video surveillance systems to rapid transit stations and Park & Ride lots
Cultivate and maintain partnerships among transit staff, police, school officials and community groups, and participate in joint initiatives to address common concerns
Raise customer and employee awareness of safety and security through internal outreach programs and presentations to schools and community groups
Continue its violence prevention program for transit employees
Conduct security and safety audits of rapid transit stations and Park & Ride lots in conjunction with community groups and police, using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to identify and correct deficiencies
Enhance incident reporting, and standardize related procedures with other transit agencies