OC Transpo to reduce service, cut articulated buses in bad winter weather

A new severe weather pilot program fromOC Transpowill bringin a Saturday schedule whenever a bad storm hits on a weekdayand pullmost articulated buses out of service.

Articulated buses strugglein deep snow, OC Transpo general managerRene Amilcarsaid in a memo issued Thursday about the pilot project.The longer buses with accordion-style connections can get stuck and disrupt service.

This winter, the service will make changeswhen more than 30 centimetres of snow is expected to fall,or in other "severe circumstances."

Most articulated buses will be taken out of service in severe winter weather seven days a week. If astorm is forecast fora weekday, service willreduce toa Saturday schedule, but willbe increased to hospitals.

Both Para Transpo and the O-Train will run normally, but Amilcar said passengers should expect delays. She said customers willbe told in advance of any weather-related schedule changes.

Bike racks, winter service changes

TheAmalgamated Transit Union, which represents OC Transpo workers, has been calling for more flexibilityduring winter storms since at least 2013.

It isn't common to get snowstorms that drop more than 30 centimetres of snow in Ottawa. Environment Canada data shows that's happened just once in a day in the last five years (excludingmany storms where that amount fell over two days).

Amilcarestimates the new pilot may only be implemented one or two times over the course of the winter.

OC Transpo is also expanding its winter Rack and Roll program that puts bike racks on the front of buses. This winterit's putting racks on all buses after trying it out on double-decker buseslast winter.

The winter schedule begins Dec. 25. OC Transpo is extending some Route 671 trips west to Apolune Street and sending Route 62 further east to the Robert Grant Avenue roundabout on weekends.