OC Transpo making service changes as ridership remains low and summer arrives

By CityNews Ottawa

Ottawa's public transit system is set to see a number of service changes starting at the end of this week.

The City of Ottawa says OC Transpo is making COVID-19 service changes, starting Sunday, June 20, to balance connectivity and capacity with the needs of customers while ridership remains low.

For full details, visit octranspo.com and use the Travel Planner to find out how your trips will change.

Service improvements

The city expects service to be improved on a number of routes, with an emphasis on hospitals, shopping districts, and growing employment and residential areas.
  • Route 11 – Trips departing Bayshore Station will be extended across the Mackenzie King Bridge to improve connections to the Rideau Centre and University of Ottawa.
     
  • Route 19 – Service will be extended to Hurdman Station during retail hours at Ottawa Train Yards to improve connections between Vanier, Overbrook and the Ottawa Train Yards shopping area.
     
  • Route 32 – Weekday trips will be extended to end at Chapel Hill Station to increase connections to the Innes Road corridor and introduce some midday service to areas around Mer Bleue.
     
  • Route 33 – Midday weekday service will increase to every 30 minutes, with trips starting and ending at Place d’Orléans Station.
     
  • Route 53 – All trips will operate via Holland Avenue instead of Parkdale Avenue to reduce travel times and improve reliability.
     
  • Route 55 – Sunday service will be extended from The Ottawa Hospital – General Campus to Westgate Shopping Centre.
     
  • Route 56 – All trips will operate via Parkdale Avenue instead of Holland Avenue to replace service provided by Route 53. New trips will be introduced between Tunney’s Pasture Station and The Ottawa Hospital – Civic Campus, matching the previous hours of service on Route 53.
     
  • Route 62 – To improve travel options in Stittsville, most trips will start and end at CARDELREC Recreation Complex Goulbourn. Frequency will increase to every 30 minutes.
     
  • Route 88 – On Saturdays, frequency will increase to every 15 minutes for most of the day.
     
  • Route 98 – On Sundays, frequency will increase to every 30 minutes during mornings and evenings, and to every 15 minutes during the afternoon.
     
  • Route 110 – A new local route will provide new connections between Barrhaven and Kanata, with improved service to the CitiGate area, including the new Amazon building. Buses will run between Fallowfield Station and Innovation Station, replacing service offered by Route 179 and some trips on Route 63.
     
  • Route 170 – All trips will operate on portions of Citigate Drive and Systemhouse Street.
     
  • Route 294 – All trips will operate on Kelly Farm Drive between Dun Skipper Drive and Leitrim Road to reduce walking distances through Findlay Creek and better serve growing areas.
Peak-period route suspensions
 
Routes most impacted by low ridership due to customers working or learning from home will be suspended until ridership increases closer to normal levels. In all cases, alternative routes are available.
  • Route 17 from Wateridge – Customers can use Routes 7 and 27.
     
  • Route 179 – Customers can use new Route 110, which permanently replaces Route 179.
     
  • Route 224 from Beacon Hill – Customers can use Route 24 to connect to Blair Station.
     
  • Route 225 from Orléans and Chapel Hill South – Customers can use Route 34 and adjusted Route 32, with a new early morning and a late afternoon trip, to connect to Blair Station.
     
  • Route 233 from Orléans – Customers can use Route 33 to connect to Blair Station.
     
  • Route 235 from Orléans – Customers can use Route 35 to connect to Blair Station. Northbound service in the morning and southbound service in the afternoon will be added on Route 35.
     
  • Route 251 from Bells Corners – Customers can use Route 57 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station.
     
  • Route 266 from Kanata – Customers can use Routes 63 and 64 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station.
     
  • Route 275 from Barrhaven – Customers can use Route 75 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station.
     
  • Route 284 from Manordale – Customers can use adjusted Route 82 to connect to Tunney’s Pasture Station. All trips on Route 82 will operate via Newhaven Street and Majestic Drive.
Route adjustments
 
Some bus routes are being adjusted where parallel service exists. The city says there is enough room on remaining routes for current customers and some ridership growth.
  • Route 15 – Midday service on weekdays between Parliament Station and the Museum of History in Gatineau will be removed. Customers can use STO Route 67 to travel between Lyon Station and the Canadian Museum of History.
     
  • Route 37 – All trips will start and end at Place d’Orléans Station. Customers can connect to Route 39 and other routes to continue to or from Blair Station.
     
  • Route 40 – All trips that currently extend via the Transitway will start and end at Greenboro Station. Customers can connect to Routes 97, 98 and other routes to continue to or from Hurdman Station.
     
  • Route 55 – Service will start and end at Westgate Shopping Centre seven days a week. Customers can connect to Route 85 to continue to or from Bayshore Station.
  • Route 58 – All trips will start and end at Lincoln Fields Station. Customers can connect to Routes 57, 61, 62, 63, 64, 74, 75 and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
     
  • Route 74 – All trips will start and end at Nepean Woods Station. Customers can connect to Route 99 to continue to or from Riverview Station. On Route 99, early morning and late evening trips have been added between Riverview and Barrhaven Centre.
     
  • Route 83 – All trips will start or end at Baseline Station. Customers can connect to Routes 74, 75 and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
  • Route 84 – All trips will start or end at Baseline Station. Customers can connect to Routes 74, 75 and other routes to continue to or from Tunney’s Pasture Station.
Frequency adjustments
 
Frequency adjustments are planned on most routes. Service is expected to accommodate current customers and leave room for ridership to grow. Frequency of service will be increased as transit ridership recovers. 
 
The following routes will be adjusted: Line 2 buses, 5, 6, 7, 9, 18, 19, 26, 28, 30, 33, 34, 38, 39, 40, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 57, 61, 62, 63, 66, 73, 75, 80, 81, 82, 86, 88, 89, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, 111, 164, 171, 175, 231, 232, 234, 236, 237, 252, 256, 257, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 268, 270, 271, 272, 273, 277, 278, 282, 290, 291 and 294.
 
Seasonal adjustments
  • OC Transpo will make frequency adjustments on Routes 25, 82 and Line 2 buses during certain time periods to reflect reduced seasonal ridership in the summer months.
     
  • Weekend service to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and Canada Aviation and Space Museum will return as provincial COVID-19 restrictions permit. Start dates will be available on octranspo.com.
     
  • Service to Petrie Island on Route 139 will begin Saturday, June 19.
     
  • Special school service will not operate during the summer.
STO service in Ottawa changes Monday, June 21
 
On Monday, June 21, all STO routes in downtown Ottawa will change to better connect with O-Train Line 1 and OC Transpo bus service, and to improve transit service for all customers travelling between Ottawa and Gatineau. All STO routes that serve downtown Ottawa will connect with O-Train Line 1 at Lyon Station, serving bus stops on Lyon and Queen streets, Kent and Sparks streets and Wellington at Lyon streets. Some STO routes will serve Parliament Station on Bank Street north of Queen Street and on Albert Street, as well as Mackenzie King Bridge. For more information, visit octranspo.com or sto.ca.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today