| Headquarters | 1500 St. Laurent Boulevard |
|---|---|
| Locale | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Service area | National Capital Region |
| Service type | bus service, paratransit, bus rapid transit, light rail |
| Routes | 248 (includes school routes) |
| Fleet | 1 048 buses, 91 wheel trans buses, 9 light rail cars [1] |
| Daily ridership | 535,600[2] |
| Fuel type | Biodiesel, Diesel, Hybrid Technology, Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel |
| Operator | City of Ottawa[3] |
| Web site | www.octranspo1.com |
OC Transpo is the urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. An integrated hub-and-spoke system of services is available consisting of: (1) regular buses travelling on fixed routes in mixed traffic, typical of most urban transit systems; (2) a bus rapid transit (BRT) system — a high frequency bus service operating on the transitway — a network of mostly grade-separated dedicated bus lanes within their own right-of-way and having full stations with Park & Ride facilities further supported by on-road reserved bus lanes and priority traffic signal controls; (3) a light rail transit (LRT) system known as the O-Train operating on one north-south route; and (4) a door-to-door bus service for the disabled known as ParaTranspo.
OC Transpo routes also provides service to the downtown core of the nearby city of Gatineau, Quebec, especially during rush hour.
OC Transpo currently has a fleet of 1,048 buses (as of September 2011) that run on regular streets, all of which are fully accessible[4]. The vast majority of regular routes are served by low-floor buses. OC Transpo utilizes many articulated buses to provide service. Some of the routes that run on the Transitway, including the city's most-used bus routes, are served almost exclusively by articulated buses (e.g. 95, 96, and 97). It is the most expensive public transportion in Canada.
In 2001, a pilot diesel-powered light rail service project, known as the O-Train, was introduced. The local government had announced expansion plans for the light rail to other parts of Ottawa, including a possible link to the Ottawa International Airport. Service to Gatineau would have also been possible, over the nearby Prince of Wales railway bridge over the Ottawa River. However, on December 14, 2006, City Council led by Mayor Larry O'Brien had cancelled the north-south extension project. A new model of the project, to have a city-wide integrated light rail system, has been made and the revised project should be completed by 2007, with work beginning as early as 2008. This new project upgrades one single section of the bus-based Transitway, but only does that after adding 65 km of new busways. The final LRT system duplicates many of the existing busways, not replace them. It also includes the 2006 NS-LRT as a component.
For a number of years, OC Transpo has carried bicycle racks on some routes as a part of the "Rack&Roll" campaign. These racks carry up to two bicycles at the front of the bus, and fold up against the bus when not in use. Although it started only on three routes, this service has been expanded to include routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 12, 14, 85, 95, 96, 97, 99 101, 102, 105, 118, the O-Train, all articulated (long) buses[5] and several new Invero low-floor buses (in addition, bike racks do randomly end up on other routes from time to time). Traditionally, the racks have been available only between April and October, and there has been much debate over continuing the program throughout the year. However, cyclists may use the racks at any time, on any bus that is equipped with a rack (including routes that don't normally offer them), provided there is room for the cyclist in the bus.
There are four bus depots located throughout the city. The largest and headquarters is located at 1500 St. Laurent Boulevard, with two other smaller but frequently used depots being located at 168 Colonnade Road (Merivale Garage) and the other on Queensview Drive (Pinecrest Garage). A depot which opened its doors late 2010 is located on Industrial Ave. The Queensview and Colonnade garages are usually for employees working during the rush hour and generally not used during weekends. For the latter two stations, it consists mostly of older buses although some articulated buses (in the 60xx's) can be found at Colonnade and other low-floor buses at both Colonnade (Inveros in the 42xx's) and Queensview (Orion VI).
Ottawa's first public transportation system began in 1886 with the operation of a horsecar system.[6] The horse-drawn streetcars travelled back and fourth from New Edinburgh to the Chaudière Bridge.[6] The horsecar would remain a staple means of public transportation until 1891 after Thomas Ahearn founded the Ottawa Electric Railway Company. This private enterprise eventually provided heated streetcar service covering the downtown core.[6] Electricity had been employed in a few places in Ottawa since the first demonstration of the incandescent bulb in 1883 (the earliest were Parliament Hill and LeBreton Flats).[7] In May 1885, electric lighting commenced in the city. In 1885 council contracted Ottawa Electric Light Company to install 165 arc lamps on the city's streets.[7]
Transit in Ottawa was provided by the Ottawa Transportation Commission until 1973, when transit service in the city and its suburbs was transferred to the auspices of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. Its formal name was the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission, but the service would be promoted in both English and French under the OC Transpo name, whose OC initials are derived from Ottawa-Carleton.
The 20-day 1979 strike was fought over a wage difference of a nickel and became known as "the five-cent bus strike." A pay increase of 16.5% was rejected by the union.[8]
In the early 1980s, OC Transpo began planning for a bus rapid transit system, the Transitway. Construction of its various stations and segments followed over many years. The first segments were from Baseline to Lincoln Fields in the west end and from Lees to Hurdman in the east end.
The second strike for OC Transpo ran from November 25, 1996 to December 16. The strike ended under arbitration.[8]
On Tuesday April 6, 1999, former OC Transpo employee Pierre Lebrun shot six people, killing four, in a shooting spree at OC Transpo's St. Laurent Boulevard garage, before killing himself.[9][10] Lebrun had been fired in August 1997 but was later reinstated, and quit again in 1998.[10][11]
An inquest into the shooting revealed that Lebrun had been the subject of teasing for his speech impediment, and that his complaints to management had not been investigated.[12] The inquest revealed an "atmosphere of bullying", described as a "poisoned" environment by an employment equity manager.[10][12] In response, OC Transpo instigated zero-tolerance policies regarding workplace harassment, a new employee-management communications program, and increased training on workplace respect.[13] However, studies in 2003 and 2004 found there to be lingering elements of a negative work environment,[13] and employee-management communication was reported to be strained following the 1996 strike.[10]
The province of Ontario ordered the amalgamation of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton and its component municipalities into a single City of Ottawa municipality. When the new local governance took effect in 2001, OC Transpo became a department of the new city.
Following amalgamation, a bilingual replacement backronym for "OC" was sought, but no suitable candidates have been found. The now-ambiguous acronym has been kept, instead of the costly task of replacing the decals on all buses, bus stops, bus stations, and promotional material.
A new section of the southwest Transitway opened on December 12, 2005, between the Nepean Sportsplex and Fallowfield Station. The new section runs parallel to Woodroffe Avenue and was built at a cost of $10 million. The new section has no stations and has replaced service along Woodroffe Avenue between the Nepean Sportsplex and Fallowfield Station. There are further plans to extend the Transitway south into the heart of the ever-growing community of Barrhaven where a new station called Strandherd opened on January 2, 2007. There are also long range plans for other extensions in the Orleans and Kanata areas to keep up with more growing communities there too.
During the 2006 municipal election campaign, Larry O'Brien (who would be elected as mayor) was sceptical of the project's benefits, and promised to cancel the project if elected, assuming the City's legal position did not preclude this. After multiple votes deciding the fate of the city's north-south light rail expansion project, post-election City Council decided to annul the project by a margin of 13-11 on December 14, 2006.
OC Transpo drivers, dispatchers, and maintenance workers under Amalgamated Transit Union local 279 went on strike December 10, 2008 at 12:01am.[14] The main causes of the strike were disagreements between the City of Ottawa and the union regarding scheduling, payroll and seniority. Rona Ambrose, the Federal Minister of Labour ordered a union membership vote on January 8, 2009 on the city's contract proposal[15] in response to a request from mayor Larry O'Brien.[16] Both the city and the union published their positions on respective websites.[17][18] Vote results released on January 9, 2009 revealed that of those eligible to vote, 64% rejected the offer.[19]
Meetings were held with a mediator throughout the month, but talks were repeatedly broken off. The ATU had requested to send all issues not related to scheduling to arbitration, which the city refused as they requested all issues to be sent to an arbitrator. As the strike entered the 50th day, Ambrose, who had initially refused to table back-to-work legislation, announced that such legislation would be introduced. However, on January 29, the city and the ATU reached a deal that sent every issue to binding arbitration, thus ending the 51-day long strike.[20] On February 2, 2009 the O-Train started service after being out of service due to the strike. Buses followed the following Monday February 9, 2009. Not all buses returned at once and OC Transpo said that all buses and routes were due to return by April 6, 2009. OC Transpo offered free transit for a week. December pass holders could either use their December passes until March, or could get a refund. December pass holders were also subject to a 60% discount on March passes in order to win back transit users.
OC Transpo has approximately 250 bus routes that are grouped both by their number and the colour with which they are represented on system maps and on bus stop signs.
Only models with at least some buses currently in service are listed, and the number in fleet is based on the number originally ordered. All GMDD models of 1982 or before (also known by many as fishbowls or New Looks) were retired by the beginning of April.
In 2006 and 2007, OC Transpo evaluated a double-decker bus on the Transitway and express routes. This bus, an Enviro500 built by British firm Alexander Dennis, can carry nearly 100 passengers. The initial service demonstration ran from June 28 to July 12, 2006, with a further demonstration under winter conditions in February 2007. The City of Ottawa purchased three Enviro500 buses and they were delivered in November 2008. OC Transpo decals were added to the buses in December, but the strike delayed the introduction of these buses. The buses started service in February.
The OC Transpo fleet numbering scheme changed in 1999. Prior to 1999, the two last digits of the year of purchase were the first two digits of the fleet number. The scheme was changed because OC Transpo ordered 140 Orion 06.501, and also because buses purchased in 2000 would have been in the 0000 series, which was not favoured by the computer system. The new numbering scheme starts with 4 for 40-foot buses, 6 for 60-foot buses, 1 for the Enviro500 double-decker buses, and 5 for the Orion VII NG HEV, followed by a three-digit consecutive fleet number.
In August 2010, OC Transpo took advantage of an offer by New Flyer Industries, replacing 226 of its older 60-foot D60LF articulated buses (purchased between 2001 and 2004), and replacing then with brand new D60LFR models. The bus exchange was completed in March 2011. OC Transpo also received other incentives as part of the deal, including rebates on the trading-in of the old buses and a credit on new parts. Eighty new D60LFR articulated buses were also purchased from New Flyer, bringing the combined total to 306 buses.[21][22] All of the 2001-2004 D60LFs are now retired.
Some of the older New Flyer D60LF sixty-foot articulated buses have caught on fire during the summer of 2006 and the Summer/Fall of 2010, due to overheating engines, effectively putting them out of service.
OC Transpo has created a business plan for their bus fleet. The plan includes a purchase of 75 more double-decker buses to replace the older 40-foot models currently in service (namely the buses purchased between 1997 and 1999). These extra double-decker buses would be used mainly on express routes. Such a purchase would lower the cost per person for OC Transpo, as double-decker buses carry more passengers than any other bus model in the fleet. Double-deckers also use about the same amount of fuel as an articulated 60-foot bus, but take up less space than 60-foot models (they take up the same area as a regular 40-foot bus), meaning they are able to free up space (especially downtown), while providing increased passenger capacity and lower operating costs. As a result of the proposed purchase, the 60-foot articulated buses would be moved from express routes to Transitway and other mainline routes, replacing the 40-foot models currently used on some trips by those routes. Those 40-foot models would replace the older 40-foot models currently used on local routes, which would be retired from service.[23] This plan was approved by the Transit Commission on April 20, 2011. The extra 75 Alexander Dennis E500 double-decker buses are expected to be in service by 2012.
On July 12, 2011 OC Transpo announced that all remaining high floor buses were retired.[24]
| Model | Year | Bus Numbers | No. In Fleet* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orion VI 06.501 | 1999–2000 | 4001-4140 | 140 | These buses are low-floor allowing full access for strollers and wheelchairs. Buses numbered 4010, 4139 and 4140 received bike racks for one season only. They are used on various local routes, and some express route and peak route trips. Buses 4010, 4029, and 4037 have been retired due to fires. Bus 4083 has been retired due to corrosion. Bus 4011, 4104, and 4116 were retired in August 2011. |
| New Flyer D40i "Invero" | 2003 | 4201-4202 | 2 | This order of two buses was the first order of Inveros. Bus number 4201 was sent ahead as a demo. All New Flyer D40i Invero models (buses 4201-4526) have working Thermo King air conditioning and are low-floor and fully accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. |
| New Flyer D40i "Invero" | 2004 | 4203-4273 | 71 | On September 20, 2005, the 4200 and 4300 series buses had been governed to 50 km/h because of steering problems caused during high speeds.[25] According to Transport 2000 "several bus drivers reported that the front end of the bus vibrates when driven at more than 60 km/h."[25] An Operations and Safety Memorandum claims that on Friday, 21 October 2005, steering dampers where to be installed on one hundred and nine Invero buses and that the governors were to be raised to 100 km/h on buses 4201 to 4227 (except bus 4205), resolving the problems.[26] Bus 4209 suffered an engine fire in November 2010. Bus 4244 suffered a brake fire in June 2011. |
| New Flyer D40i "Invero" | 2005–2006 | 4274-4439 | 166 | Bus number 4299 was crashed into a median en route to the stop at Queensway Station. It has been rebuilt and has re-entered service. Buses 4427 to 4439 are equipped with bike racks between May and October. |
| New Flyer D40i "Invero" | 2007 | 4440-4526 | 87 | Bus number 4444 is used for Ottawa's Santa Claus Parade. All have entered service as of October 2007. The drivers seat has arm rests and the stop-request chime is different than all other OC Transpo buses. These buses are equipped with bike racks between May and October. |
| Orion VII 07.501 NG HEV | 2008–2009 | 5001-5177 | 177 | These vehicles are diesel-electric hybrids, and therefore they are mostly used on routes that do not use the Transitway or highways. Most bus routes that use 40 foot buses use these buses. Some express trips also use them, because these buses replaced a lot of older high-floor buses previously used during peak periods. Buses 5001 and 5002 were the first to arrive in November 2008. As of July 2010, all 177 buses have entered service. Bus 5117 was involved in a major accident in August 2010 and has re-entered service June 22, 2011. |
| New Flyer D60LF | 2008 | 6351-6398 | 48 | As of October 16, 2008, buses numbered 6351-6398 have entered service. Bus number 6394 had a special wrapping for the Transitway Anniversary, but it was removed in April 2010. There was a recall on these buses because of overheating brakes, so New Flyer Industries sent the required parts to fix this problem. The Axion destination signs look the same but when there is something written, it is pushed to one side. The route number displayed on the rear of these buses are larger and more readable than those on the New Flyer D60LF buses from 2001-2004. Bus number 6387 was in a collision with a 5 ton truck in downtown Ottawa. On August 1, 2010, bus 6391 was involved in a major front end collision when it rear-ended bus 4290. 6391 is currently awaiting rebuild. (This bus has since been towed away to an unknown location for inspection.) All New Flyer D60LF and New Flyer D60LFR models are articulated buses and all are fully accessible for strollers and the disabled. These buses are equipped with bike racks between May and October. |
| New Flyer D60LF | 2009–2010 | 6399-6403 | 5 | Bus number 6399 arrived during the last week of 2009, and buses 6400-6403 arrived the week of January 17–23, 2010. Bus number 6399 entered service January 29, 2010. Since, buses 6400-6403 have also entered service. They use the same bus design, and the same Axion destination signs (front, side, back), as buses 6351-6398 from 2008 (see above). These buses are equipped with bike racks between May and October. |
| New Flyer D60LFR | 2010–2011 | 6404-6709 | 306 | They are 226 buses replacing the New Flyer D60LF buses from 2001–2004, and 80 new buses expanding OC Transpo's bus fleet. All are arriving in Ottawa between August 2010 and March 2011.[21] The 306 buses are coming from two different manufacturing plants in Minnesota. Buses 6404-6579 are coming from St. Cloud and buses 6580-6709 are coming from Crookston. Starting in September 2010, OC Transpo will receive deliveries of fifteen D60LFR buses a week. The first bus, 6404, entered service on August 30, 2010. As of April 4, 2011, all 2011 D60LFR buses have entered service. All of these buses come with the Next Stop Announcement System already installed. These buses are equipped with bike racks between May and October. |
| Alexander Dennis Enviro500 | 2008–2009 | 1201–1203 | 3** | Double-decker buses entered service on route 94 on March 30, 2009. They have since also been used on routes 31, 35, 38, 61, 77, 96, 97, 98 and 112. These buses contain more seats(82) than the New Flyer D60LF and D60LFR buses(55), but with less room to stand; however, they still hold more passengers than the articulated buses can. All double-decker buses are equipped with bike racks from May to October. OC Transpo is expected to purchase 75 more of these buses, which would be in service by 2012. |
| Bombardier Talent BR643 | 2000 | C1-C3 | 3 | This is the light-rail vehicle used by OC Transpo for the O-Train, which runs North/South between Bayview Station and Greenboro Station. |
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OC Transpo fares can be paid in coins or bus tickets, which are must be purchased in advance at various retail outlets or bus stations for a lower fare ($1.30 each). Transfers are given to passengers upon boarding and are valid for minimum 90 minutes in any direction, with stopovers allowed.
OC Transpo has 3 levels of fares for its buses:
Additionally, children 6 to 11 can ride for $1.60, or 1 ticket, and children age 5 and younger ride free. Full-day passes are $7.50 and can only be purchased on the bus.
Tickets for the O-Train light rail line are $2.75 each, and are sold at O-train stations.
Monthly and annual passes are also available for all three route classes (regular, express, and rural) with cost differences for adults, students, and seniors. Passes require OC Transpo photo ID card, which available at extra cost. Additionally, Ecopasses (reduced-rate monthly passes) are available through participating employers in the city, providing applicable OC Transpo riders with single-card indefinite passes in exchange for a flat bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly payroll deduction.
As of the December 1, 2005 fare increase, OC Transpo had the highest basic cash bus fares of any major transit service in Canada. This fare was matched by STO, the transit operator across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Québec on January 1, 2006. OC Transpo & York Region Transit as of January 1, 2009 have the highest cash fares in Canada, at $3.25.
On July 2008, fares were increased by 7.5% because of a shortage in funding for the City of Ottawa. This fare hike is supposed to be in effect until 2010 including a 6.5% hike in 2009. This meant Ottawa residents saw regular adult passes rise from $73 a month to $81 and adult express passes from $90 to $101 a month. However, cash fares remained the same.[29]
This section only lists the Regular Adult fares.
Para Transpo is an accessible paratransit service available to Ottawa patrons who find it extremely difficult or impossible to use the conventional OC Transpo routes. Service is provided directly to the residences of eligible users who book trip appointments with a call centre at least one day in advance. Para Transpo drivers will provide some assistance to passengers to board designated vehicle and to access building entrances.[31]
Para Transpo operations were contracted to First Bus Canada, previously operated by Laidlaw. On January 1, 2008, the City of Ottawa assumed complete control of this service.[31]
The transit strike of 2008 did not interrupt Para Transpo service. However, Para Transpo service has encountered delays, facing the traffic increase due to the strike.
Advertising on OC Transpo buses is contracted to Pattison Outdoor Advertising. Advertising on bus shelters is contracted to Clear Channel Outdoor. There has also been local funding to advertise on local TV stations such as CTV and A Channel.
The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 279 is the OC Transpo employees' union consisting of over 1700 members consisting of bus operators as well as other staffing positions within the company, including mechanics located at various garage depots throughout the city.
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