September 14 Transit Commission Update  

It was another busy day for us at Transit Commission on September 14. We provided updates on on-demand transit, O-Train Line 1 and much more!

You can watch the presentation here or check out the highlights below.

On-demand transit pilot project to start this fall

A pilot project will bring on-demand transit service to Blackburn Hamlet this fall.

The goal of the pilot project is to improve the customer experience on OC Transpo by reducing waiting times and travel times.

The on-demand service will operate on weekends in place of Route 28, connecting customers within the community and to Blair Station. Route 28 will operate as usual during weekdays, while Route 25 serving Innes Road will continue to operate seven days a week.

The on-demand service will use minibuses that are already in the OC Transpo fleet. As the pilot will run on weekends only, there will be no impact on the availability of vehicles to deliver Para Transpo service, which uses the same minibuses, and has fewer booked trips on weekends.

Results from the pilot will be used to inform possible expansions of on-demand service across Ottawa in response to changing travel habits since the COVID-19 pandemic.

O-Train Line 1 update

In early September, trains in operation have increased with some double-car trains running throughout the day to provide more frequent service.

Based on current ridership levels, peak period Shuttle Express service to and from Blair Station will continue while service between Tunney’s Pasture Station and downtown has ended.

For more on changes to service during peak periods, visit Alerts | OC Transpo.

Bus fleet availability

During the Line 1 disruption, additional buses were deployed for the R1 replacement bus service. As a result, buses logged more kilometres than the average month. This led to unscheduled preventative maintenance needs and an increase in bus trip cancellations.

OC Transpo's transit fleet team are working to reduce this backlog and improve service as quickly as possible.

Station cleanliness

OC Transpo is also committing to ensuring stations along O-Train Line 1 are clean. Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) have hired additional staff and will be conducting detailed daily, weekly and seasonal cleaning of all O-Train Line 1 transit stations.

For more information on OC Transpo, visit octranspo.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.