The Next Stop Blog
The Next Stop Blog is your destination for OC Transpo stories and explainers.
Stories and explainers
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OC Explained: Winter Operations
Heads up Ottawa. Winter is here!
The good news is that OC Transpo begins planning for winter well in advance.
Ottawa has seen its fair share of winter storms. We never know what mother nature is going to throw at us. Travelling in the snow can be challenging.
Let’s peek behind the scenes to see how OC Transpo prepares and adapts to severe winter weather.
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The Next Stop Blog’s 2023 Year-End Review
Can you believe that 2023 is coming to an end?
When we launched The Next Stop Blog earlier this year, our goal was to help you get to know OC Transpo better. More than 40 stories later, we hope we’ve done a good job of introducing ourselves.
This year we introduced fare capping, a new pride bus, kids go free, and expanded Wi-Fi to more Line 1 stations. We also told you about how we prepare for winter, our new Zero-Emission Buses, and what sun kinks are.
On behalf of The Next Stop Blog team, thank you for reading our articles and for sharing your feedback. It has been a pleasure to tell stories about the people and projects that have made our transit system better in 2023.
Before we close the door on 2023, here are some stories from The Next Stop Blog that made our year.
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Day in the Life: Special Constable Unit (SCU)
The safety and security of OC Transpo customers is all in a day’s work for the Special Constable Unit (SCU).
Special Constables are sworn peace officers who play an important law enforcement and security role in preserving the peace, preventing crime, providing assistance to those in need and protecting customers and employees.
They regularly patrol stations, trains, buses and all OC Transpo assets and properties to help deter offences and respond quickly to incidents. They’re also much more than that.
We caught up with Sergeant Flint with OC Transpo’s Special Constable Unit (SCU), to find out more about how they’re working 24/7 to keep our transit system safe and help customers.
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2023 year-end update on the O-Train extension and transit projects
Didn’t get a chance to tune into the December 14 Transit Commission and Light Rail-Sub-Committee meeting? No worries! The Next Stop Blog is here to get you caught up on the latest transit updates.Read More about 2023 year-end update on the O-Train extension and transit projects
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Project Spotlight: Stage 2 Emergency Responder Training
The O-Train System will soon allow you to take a train as far as Riverside South on Line 2 and to the Ottawa International Airport on Line 4.
On October 31, OC Transpo was joined by first responders at the airport for a unique training exercise to test emergency training, plans, and procedures. This was a critical milestone to ensure our team, City services and our partners are ready to safely operate the new system when it opens to the public.
To find out more, we caught up with the Rail Construction Program’s Security Consultant, Peter, to learn about the training exercise and how it will help to ensure we are prepared for emergency situations leading up to the launch of Line 2 and Line 4.
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Day in the life: Bus operator
One of Aditi's most satisfying parts of the job is interacting with passengers.
For most of our customers, their trip begins with the help of a bus operator.
Even with more than 1600 bus operators on the OC Transpo team, it isn’t uncommon for customers to remember the operator on their route. For many operators, it is the same for their customers and the job is much more than driving a bus.
We caught up with Aditi to find out what inspired her to work for OC Transpo and what it takes to be a bus operator.
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November 20 - Highway 174 Eastbound at Trim Road - Overnight Full Closure
As part of the Stage 2 O-Train Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, motorists travelling eastbound on Highway 174 at Trim Road should anticipate impacts to traffic as crews complete necessary construction activities.
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November 14 Transit Commission Update
It was a busy Transit Commission meeting for us on November 14. We presented OC Transpo’s 2024 draft budget, and provided an update on our bus route review and ridership numbers.
You can watch the presentation here or check out the highlights from the meeting.
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Project spotlight: Traction power substation installation
What moves you? Well, if you asked a train on O-Train Line 1 it would say electricity.
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October 27 Light Rail Sub-Committee Update
On October 27, the Light Rail Sub-Committee received a progress update on all three O-Train Extension projects.
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October 12 Transit Commission Update
It was another busy Transit Commission for us on October 12. We provided updates on severe weather incidents, wheel bearing issues that caused recent O-Train service disruptions, ridership levels and a lot more!
You can watch the presentation here or check out the highlights from the meeting