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Transitway (Ottawa)

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In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the public transit service operated by OC Transpo has two rapid transit systems: the Transitway, a bus rapid transit (BRT) network, and the O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail transit (LRT) service operated on one line.

Bus Rapid Transit: the Transitway

Ottawa Rapid Transit

Major routes

The Transitway is one of the most extensive and successful implementations of bus rapid transit, having begun service in 1983; many of the Transitway roads are above or below the grade of normal streets in Ottawa, by the use of overpasses, bridges, and trench highways. Thus, they rarely intersect directly with the regular traffic, and make it possible for the buses (and emergency vehicles) to continue at full speed even during rush hour. Buses that travel on the Transitway can cross very long distances (especially outside the downtown area) without stopping for a single traffic light. Most sections of the Transitway have a speed limit of 70–90 km/h (43–56 mph) between stations, and 50 km/h (31 mph) in the station areas.

The following routes are high-frequency routes that travel along the Transitway:
94 - Millennium to Tunney's Pasture.
95 - Trim to Barrhaven Centre.
96 - Hurdman to Queensway (Queensway eastbound only), Pinecrest, Bayshore, Eagleson, Terry Fox, and Stittsville.
97 - Ottawa Airport, via South Keys to Lincoln Fields, as well as Bayshore.
98 - Hawthorne via South Keys to Tunney's Pasture.
99 - Lebreton to Greenboro during rush hour. Greenboro and South Riverside, or Riverview at all times.
101 - Place d'Orleans to Lees, as well as Queensway, Pinecrest (westbound), Bayshore, Eagleson (eastbound), Teron, and Kanata North.
102 - Place d'Orleans to Lees, via Carling to Tunney's Pasture.
106 - Hurdman to Elmvale via Smyth

The following routes are other major crosstown routes that use significant stretches of the Transitway:
4 - Billings Bridge to Hurdman
8 - Lebreton to Hurdman and Walkley to Billings Bridge.
85 - Bay to Hurdman
86 - Lincoln Fields to Baseline and Tunney's Pasture to Hurdman.
87 - Heron to Dominion and South Keys to Greenboro.
111 - Lincoln Fields to Baseline and Heron to Hurdman.
114 - Hurdman to St-Laurent and South Keys to Greenboro.
116 - Hurdman to South Keys (Greenboro to Hurdman peak-periods only) and Baseline to Lincoln Fields (peak-periods only except at Baseline).
118 - Terry Fox, Baseline, and Billings Bridge to Place d'Orleans (Hurdman to Place d'Orleans - peak periods only).
176 - Tunney's Pasture to Hurdman (peak-periods only, except at Tunney's Pasture), Fallowfield
182 - Eagleson to Bayshore and Lincoln Fields to Hurdman. Route 182 is an expanded peak-only route.
Most peak-only and express routes also use the Transitway, mostly from downtown out towards the suburbs.
Some Greyhound intercity buses use the Transitway from St-Laurent to Laurier either to/from the city's main bus terminal.

Future or proposed new routes

A coalition group had launched a website (see external links section below) about a proposed new route from Barrhaven to Kanata via Bayshore and Baseline stations. This would require rebuilding the ramps connecting the grade-separated section of the Transitway to the Transitway lanes along Highway 417.

Former 2009 Transit Service Plan

In June 2006, the City of Ottawa released a 2009 service plan for the O-Train route, the Transitway and new bus routes. (This plan was cancelled shortly after the 2006 municipal election.)

To the west, there are new Moodie, Bells Corners, Queensway-Carleton, Hazeldean and Kanata North Transitway stops. To the south, there is a new Nepean Sportsplex stop, and proposed stops for Strandherd and Marketplace. To the east, the Southeastern transitway is extended to Hawthorne, and the Eastern to Blackburn Hamlet and beyond. To the north, there is a planned stop at the Les Terrasses Complex. It also investigates the possibility of transitway buses along Baseline, another downtown location, and from further east on the Queensway from Kirkwood all the way to Eagleson.

New Routes 93, 94, 98, 101, 102, and 108 were included.

Central Transitway traffic issue

Bus congestion on the Central Transitway

The downtown section of the Transitway, the Central Transitway, consists of a couplet of single bus-only lanes on Albert and Slater Streets (one-way public streets in opposite east and west directions). Traffic congestion here, where the buses mingle with private vehicles, sometimes causes service delays and is seen by some as the main weakness in the Transitway system. The Transit Committee had planned to reduce the number of buses travelling on Albert and Slater streets by 30% if the extension of the light-rail was implemented. Other measures may be implemented to avoid traffic problems despite the cancellation of the O-Train extension downtown.

Type of buses

OC Transpo articulated bus

The Transitway routes generally use low floor "accessible" buses, with an aim to improve access to the service by the elderly and handicapped, and to speed up boarding by other passengers; most of these are high-capacity articulated buses. Route 96 has used the new Invero low-floor buses since September 2005 and route 101 (formerly known as route 99) since the start of spring 2006. Route 94 and express 61 and 77 are currently experimenting with three Alexander Dennis Enviro500 double decker buses and OC Transpo plans to buy more to integrate them on other transitway routes.

Extension projects

There have been plans to expand the transitway to reach other parts of Ottawa; currently it only runs along the north edge of the city for most of the central area, leaving Transitway bus routes (94, 95, 96, 97) to mix with other traffic on local streets on the end parts of their runs.

Some future extensions may include:

Heavy Rail Transit: the O-Train

The O-Train
Main article: Ottawa O-Train

Since 2001, Ottawa has operated a heavy rail transit system called the O-Train as a pilot for the full rollout of light rail transit technology. The pilot has been deemed a success, exceeding its ridership targets significantly; it carries 10,000 passengers per weekday. The pilot route utilizes former Canadian Pacific Railway track running south 8 km from the Ottawa River to Greenboro Station (where the South Keys shopping complex is located), and serves Carleton University.

The current line was to be replaced, and then extended south-west (but later cancelled by City Council). It would have contained two parallel tracks, and be electrified. Full operation would have begun in 2009-2010 with a total length of 27 km. However, a new transit plan was voted by Council for extensions to Riverside South and with possible extension to downtown (via a tunnel), Blair, Cumberland South and portions of the west end of the city.

The route of the extension was chosen to service areas of future city growth (although some feel that it would have been better to focus on current problem areas). As a part of the extension, the service would have also be routed directly into the downtown core at the north end. The trains would have run on the downtown streets currently devoted to the rapid transit corridor, in dedicated lanes. There would have been a reduction in the number of buses passing through the downtown core to accommodate the train lanes.

A formal environmental assessment was underway to examine providing a second line for east-west service. Although the idea was to improve Ottawa's capacity problems for east-west transportation, critics of the process (including light rail supporters) believed the preferred route would have not address these problems successfully.

The O-Train utilizes the Bombardier "Talent" Diesel Multiple Unit double-ended trainsets, designed and manufactured by Bombardier in Germany. This is the first application of the Talent in North America.[1]

Rapid transit stations

Westboro: a Typical Transitway Station

Transitway

Southwest (95)

  • Barrhaven Centre (also known as Marketplace Station) This is the terminus of route 95 on some routes travelling westbound. Located in the shopping core of Barrhaven, the majority of the routes in Barrhaven now pass this busy and ever expanding shopping arena. This was originally intended to be the future end of the City's O-Train route.
  • Strandherd One of the newest additions to the Transitway network in Ottawa, this station has the 95 running every 12-15 minutes every rush hour, and every 30 minutes until 23:00. Supplemental services are provided by the 71,73,181,186, and the Scotiabank Bus 406 and the morning route 873. This site has roughly 300 parking spaces, later to be expanded as the need is demanded.
From Strandherd to Fallowfield, buses travel north on Greenbank Road and then east on Fallowfield Road. However there are plans to connect Strandherd and Fallowfield with a bus-only roadway beside the Via Rail line. [1]
  • Fallowfield - Located at Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road in Barrhaven, beside VIA Rail's Fallowfield Station. This station acts as the western terminus of Route 95 for trips not continuing to Strandherd and Barrhaven Centre.
Fallowfield to near Nepean Sportsplex is along a newly-opened (as of December 13, 2005) $10 million isolated bus-only road [2], although that section has no stations and features a railway level crossing, the first on the Transitway. From Nepean Sportsplex to Baseline, buses run along Woodroffe Avenue in a dedicated lane, making several stops at regular bus stops.
  • Baseline - Located on Woodroffe Avenue across from Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology. Western terminal of about half of all midday trips of Route 95; buses terminating here are marked 95X Baseline.
Beyond Baseline, the Transitway is fully isolated to Lincoln Fields.

West (96, 97)

  • Stittsville - Western terminus of some route 96 trips. Park and Ride facility located in Stittsville.
  • Terry Fox - Located adjacent the Kanata Centrum shopping centre at Kanata Avenue and Earl Grey Drive (near 417 and Terry Fox Drive. Most eastbound 96 trips begin here. Entered service in September 2004 with construction still having been underway at that time; it officially opened on February 22, 2005. Previously, a small terminal at Kanata Town Centre, on Katimavik Road, was used.
To this point the route is on non-dedicated street lanes along collector and arterial roads, much like a standard bus route. Regular stops are made between Stittsville and Eagleson. However, in the long range, there are possible plans to built a Transitway segment between the two stations. In addition, Teron Station located at the corner of Campeau Drive and March Road will be a new station starting in September 2007 and which will be serve by Rapid Transit Route 101. [3]
  • Eagleson - Park and Ride located at Eagleson Rd. and Highway 417. All morning Kanata express buses and some afternoon ones serve this station.
The Transitway proper starts past Eagleson, with a dedicated lane on the 417. One stop is made (on request only via a special signal) at the Moodie Drive interchange.
The Transitway leaves the 417 at Bayshore and follows the northern edge of the 417 to the new Pinecrest Station before returning to dedicated lanes on Highway 417. There is no date on when the section between Pinecrest and the Southwest Transitway will be built.[4]

Central (all routes)

At Lincoln Fields, the West and Southwest branches merge.
From Lincoln Fields to Dominion, the Transitway travels the Ottawa River Parkway in a shared traffic lane.
  • Dominion - Located off Dominion Avenue on the Ottawa River Parkway.
From Dominion to just past Tunney's Pasture Station, the Transitway runs in an isolated, below-grade road built along the alignment of a former railway line.
From just past Tunney's Pasture Station to Booth Street, the Transitway emerges from below-grade and runs in an isolated, at-grade road built on a former railway yard. Main western terminus for routes 94, 98 and 102. It also serves as an occasional terminus for route 97 as well as some rush hour trips of route 95.
Just past Lebreton, the isolated transitway ends and eastbound buses take Slater Street, while westbound buses are on Albert Street; there are dedicated lanes on both streets, but traffic is generally slow in the dense downtown core. This arrangement continues to just past Metcalfe.
  • Bay - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Bay Street.
  • Kent - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Kent Street.
  • Bank - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Bank Street.
  • Metcalfe - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Metcalfe Street.
Over the Mackenzie King Bridge, the Transitway continues in dedicated lanes. The isolated Transitway resumes at Waller Street.
Just past Hurdman, the Transitway branches into two: the East Transitway and Southeast Transitway.

East (94, 95)

Past Train, the dedicated Transitway parallels the Queensway to beyond Blair.
The Transitway joins Regional Road 174 a short stretch past Blair, running in a dedicated lane. Route 95 buses exit at Montreal Road and at Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard and stop on the ramps at ordinary bus stops; these will be upgraded to full Transitway stations by 2009, tentatively named Montreal/St. Joseph and Jeanne d'Arc Stations. On their 2006-2007 system map OC Transpo had included Jeanne d'Arc as a transit station. [5]
  • Jeanne d'Arc - Provides supplemental parking spaces to the expanding suburb of Orléans (roughly 30 parking spaces).
  • Place d'Orléans - Located at the Place d'Orleans shopping complex in Orleans and is the main eastern terminus of routes 95 and 101 and peak-only route 102.
There is no dedicated bus lane from Place d'Orleans to Trim, buses run in mixed traffic. However, in the long range there could be a separate route built.
  • Trim - Located at Trim Road. This park-and-ride station is used by route 95 on weekdays.
  • Millennium - Intersection of Trim and Innes roads. This is the eastern terminus of route 94.

Southeast (97, 98, 99)

The isolated Transitway ends at Hunt Club road; 97 buses continuing to the Airport take the Airport Parkway. Note: Buses heading towards the airport after approximately 10:00 PM use Hunt Club and Uplands rather than the Airport Parkway.

Ottawa O-Train

For more information see O-Train route

The Ottawa O-Train pilot light rail service has five station stops. Bayview (at which it interfaces with the Central Transitway), Carling (interfacing with major bus routes), Carleton (serving Carleton University), Confederation (intersecting Heron Road), and Greenboro (at which it interfaces with the Southeast Transitway).

See also

References

  1. ^ O-Train Light Rail Project - Transport Canada
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