Transit Service during Confederation Line Construction – Updates for 2016

_ (via City of Ottawa) _ Councillor Stephen Blais, Chair of the Transit Commission, and John Manconi, OC Transpo General Manager, along with City personnel delivered a technical briefing today on the last phases of transit service adjustments to allow for O-Train Confederation Line construction.

Transit service between Laurier and Lees stations will be adjusted on April 24, and transit service between Tunney’s Pasture Station and Merton Street will be adjusted on June 19. All stations will remain open except Campus Station, which will close on April 24. Once these service adjustments occur, buses will never again run on the Transitway between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair stations, as this section will remain closed until 2018 when the O-Train Confederation Line officially opens for service.

“As construction for the O-Train Confederation Line continues to progress, I want to thank Ottawa residents and transit customers for their collaboration and ability to adjust to the various service changes over the past year,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “Light rail transit is the single most important step we can take as a community to enhance our quality of life for generations to come. The trains are now being assembled and I for one look forward to climbing aboard in 2018.”

Council has invested $74 million in mitigation measures to minimize the impacts to transit customers affected by the service adjustments. Bus route adjustments have been designed to minimize customer and resident inconvenience, continue to serve customers’ destinations, maintain key transfer points and provide a cost-effective service. Out of the 340,000 network-wide daily customer trips, approximately 94 per cent will not be affected by the April service adjustments, and approximately 86 per cent will not be affected by the June service adjustments.

“The City of Ottawa is going through an unprecedented undertaking as we convert the Transitway to light rail while continuing to provide safe and efficient transit service to our customers,” said Chair Blais. “Thanks to the hard work, thoughtful planning and strong collaboration of OC Transpo, the Rail Implementation Office, my Council colleagues and the City of Ottawa as a whole, each transit service adjustment has been a success.”

In addition to the service adjustments in April and June, the new Hurdman Station bus platform will be in service starting on September 4.

A comprehensive communication program will ensure all customers are informed in a timely manner. Customers are encouraged to look for “Our Transit Future Is On Track” messages, and to visit octranspo.com over the coming months for more information.

The ** Transit Service during Confederation Line Construction – Updates for 2016 ** report will be presented at the February 17 Transit Commission meeting.