Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Manconi's memo

Here's new OC Transpo GM John Manconi's memo to Ottawa's Transit Commission. It details another round of service changes that will go into effect April 22.

To / Destinataire	Chair and Members of the Transit Commission	File/N de fichier:
From / Expditeur	General Manager Transit Services
Subject / Objet	April 2012 Transit Service Improvements	Date: February 27, 2012

I am happy to be providing you with this memo, to present an overview of the transit service changes and adjustments that will be made starting Sunday, April 22, and Monday, April 23, 2012. These service improvements are the result of feedback from customers, Councillors and staff, combined with a detailed operational assessment. They are financed from the $5.5 million in new OC Transpo funding that was included in Budget 2012.

As a matter of course, OC Transpo schedules are adjusted four times a year - April, June, September, and December. Transit Commission members and Council are provided with a synopsis of the service changes in advance of each schedule period. These changes are aimed at improving reliability and service for many customers, and have been made based on feedback from customers and operators and on operating data that have been collected.

Improved reliability
- The scheduled running time for every trip, Monday to Friday, on many routes has been calibrated based on measurements taken since the route network was changed in September 2011. These changes will improve the reliability of departure times at the start of each trip and the reliability of arrivals at stops along the route. This work has been completed for Routes 2, 8, 12, 14, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 30, 31, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 60, 61, 62, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 76, 77, 86, 105, 128, 129, 156, 221, 231, 232, 261, 262, 263, and 283. Other routes and service on other days of the week are currently being analyzed, for improvements to be made with the June and September schedule changes.

Added trips and c
apacity increases - Additional trips will be provided at key times on Routes 94, 96, 134, 143 and 144 to provide new travel times and to increase capacity. Additional capacity will be provided by assigning articulated buses to busy trips on Routes 30, 40, 60, 71, 76, 86, 87, 94, 96, and 98.

Kanata North
- Improvements will be made to Route 93, to provide all-day service on Innovation Drive and Legget Drive. These changes replace the interim changes that were made in January. Route 93 will be changed from a one-way loop to a two-way route through the residential part of Kanata North to improve convenience. The eastern end of the route will be extended to Lincoln Fields Station to provide improved connections (peak period trips will continue to operate to/from LeBreton Station). Most trips on the current Route 169 will be combined to be part of Route 93, and the trips that serve Herzberg, south of Carling, will be renumbered as Route 181.

CE Centre
- Two routes will be modified to provide improved transit service to the new CE Centre. Route 147 will be changed, seven days a week, to travel south from Greenboro and South Keys Stations via the Airport Parkway instead of Uplands Drive. Buses will stop at the front entrance to the CE Centre, then continue on the current route through CFB Ottawa and back along Hunt Club to South Keys and Greenboro Stations. Northbound trips on Route 99 on Saturdays and Sundays will be changed to operate via the front entrance to the CE Centre, and continue via Uplands and Hunt Club to South Keys and Greenboro Stations. These services will be reviewed after the completion of the pedestrian connections between the CE Centre and the primary nearby bus stops of Route 97 on the Airport Parkway.

Barrhaven South
- With the completion of Kilbirnie Drive through to Greenbank Road, Route 177 will provide all-day service on Kilbirnie, and the temporary operation on Dundonald will end. Northbound trips during the morning peak period on Route 177 will be extended to Fallowfield Station, where customers will have additional transfer connections possible.

Other route changes
- Minor changes will be made to Routes 112, 201, 205, and 232, and to the Rideau Street trips on Route 16. The times of the trips on Route 129 that serve the Aviation and Space Museum will be adjusted to better suit the museum's opening and closing times.

Capacity adjustments on school services
- Based on actual ridership levels, and following discussion with the school boards and their transportation authorities, the number of school trips will be increased on Routes 18, 86, 118, 130, 134, 613, 665, 669 and 674. The number of school trips will be reduced on Routes 5, 16, 87, 114, 131, 164, 176, 602, 612, and 622.

Construction
detours - Several major road construction projects will affect transit service this spring. Buses will be detoured as required to carry out the work, and some of the detours will increase customers' travel time by a few minutes. The areas of work include:

Abbeyhill between Eagleson and Old Colony

, affecting Routes 61, 118, 161, and 164;

Bronson between Arlington and MacLaren

, affecting Routes 4 and 14;

Heron Road Bridge

, affecting Routes 111 and 118

Meadowlands between Fisher and Inverness

, affecting Routes 86B and 111; and,

Rideau between Dalhousie and King Edward

, affecting Routes 1, 7, 9, 12, 14, and 18.

Full details of these service changes will be communicated to customers throughout March and April. Please direct any customers to octranspo.com or to our telephone information centre (613-741-4390) for more information. Once the new service begins, customers can find up-to-date schedules by using octranspo.mobi, calling 613-560-1000, or texting 560560.

Once these service changes are in place, we will evaluate their success based on feedback we collect from customers and operating staff and based on ridership and operational data measurements. Our aim continues to be to provide excellent service for customers as their travel needs change.

If you need additional information on these changes, please Pat Scrimgeour, Manager, Transit Service Design at ex. 52205 or myself at ext. 52111.

Original signed by:

John Manconi

c.c. Members of Council

Executive Committee

Chief, Corporate Communications

Program Manager, Media Relations

Transit Services Management Team

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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