Ottawa Rapid Transit is a public transport system serving Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Operated by OC Transpo, it consists of two largely grade-separated, independent rapid transit systems:
- the Transitway, a network of bus rapid transit (BRT) routes operating on dedicated right-of-ways outside the city centre and on-street bus lanes in the city centre
- the O-Train, a light rail transit (LRT) service consisting of two lines:
- the operational Trillium Line, using lightweight diesel-powered train sets
- the under-construction Confederation Line, which will replace the central part of the Transitway with electrically-operated light rail vehicles
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Bus rapid transit: the Transitway
Major routes
The Transitway was 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 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 have a significant portion of their route along the Transitway (only bus only roads count as transitway; excluding all routes in Ottawa as transitway routes):
61 - St-Laurent; Hurdman to Laurier; Lebreton to Dominion; Lincoln Fields to Queensway (Queensway - eastbound only); Pinecrest to Bayshore; Terry Fox.
62 - St-Laurent; Hurdman to Laurier; Lebreton to Dominion; Lincoln Fields to Queensway (Queensway - eastbound only); Pinecrest to Bayshore; Terry Fox.
63 - Lebreton to Dominion (peak periods only); Lincoln Fields to Queensway (Queensway - eastbound only); Pinecrest to Bayshore.
64 - Lebreton to Dominion (peak periods only); Lincoln Fields to Queensway (Queensway - eastbound only); Pinecrest to Bayshore.
91 - Place d'Orléans; Jeanne d'Arc; Blair; St-Laurent (westbound only); Campus to Laurier; Lebreton to Dominion; Lincoln Fields to Baseline.
94 - Blair; St-Laurent; Campus to Laurier; Lebreton to Tunney's Pasture and Dominion; Lincoln Fields to Baseline; Hunt Club Road to Fallowfield (Tunney's Pasture to Fallowfield - some trips only).
95 - Place d'Orléans; Jeanne d'Arc; Blair; St-Laurent; Hurdman to Laurier; Lebreton to Dominion; Lincoln Fields to Baseline; Hunt Club Road to Barrhaven Centre (Baseline to Barrhaven Centre - most trips).
97 - South Keys to Laurier; Lebreton to Tunney's Pasture and Dominion; Lincoln Fields; Bayshore (Tunney's Pasture to Bayshore - most trips).
98 - South Keys to Greenboro and Laurier; Lebreton to Tunney's Pasture (Greenboro to Tunney's Pasture - most trips).
99 - Barrhaven Centre to Marketplace; South Keys to Greenboro and Laurier; Lebreton (Greenboro to Lebreton - peak periods only).
The following routes are other major crosstown routes that use small stretches of the Transitway:
6 - South Keys to Greenboro; Billings Bridge.
4 - Billings Bridge to Hurdman.
11 - Bayshore; Westboro.
40 - Greenboro to South Keys; St-Laurent; Hurdman.
44 - Billings Bridge to Walkley; Hurdman to Laurier; Lebreton.
80 - Hurdman and Campus to Laurier (Hurdman - AM trips only); Lebreton to Tunney's Pasture (Hurdman to Tunney's Pasture - peak periods only); Marketplace to Barrhaven Centre.
85 - Hurdman to Laurier (most trips weekdays only); Lincoln Fields; Bayshore.
86 - Hurdman to Laurier; Lebreton to Tunney's Pasture; Baseline (86B only).
87 - Greenboro to South Keys; Billings Bridge to Hurdman and Laurier; Lebreton to Dominion; Baseline (Hurdman to Baseline - most trips).
88 - Billings Bridge to Hurdman; Baseline; Terry Fox.
96 - South Keys to Greenboro and Hurdman (Greenboro to Hurdman - peak periods only).
101 - Place d'Orléans; Jeanne d'Arc; Blair; St-Laurent; Hurdman to Lees (Place d'Orléans to St-Laurent - peak periods only); Queensway; Pinecrest to Bayshore.
106 - St. Laurent via Elmvale, The Ottawa Hospital and Smyth to Hurdman; Lebreton (Lebreton - overnight only).
111 - Billings Bridge; Baseline.
Most peak-only and all 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 launched a website 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.
2009 Transit Service Plan
In June 2006, the City of Ottawa released a 2009 service plan for O-Train LRT services, 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.
Central Transitway traffic issue
The downtown section of the Transitway, the Central Transitway, consists of two 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 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 initial O-Train extension downtown.
The Confederation Line project will replace the downtown portion of the Transitway with an underground, high-capacity rapid transit rail line by 2018. The City of Ottawa has branded this conversion to light rail as #OnTrack2018.
Type of buses
All OC buses are now 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 61 (formerly known as 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 experimented with three Alexander Dennis Enviro500 double decker buses. The three demo models were sold to BC Transit in the summer of 2012, but OC Transpo purchased 75 more Enviro500 double decker for use on its express routes, of which 73 are in revenue service (bus 8017 was involved in a major accident with a Via Rail train on September 18, 2013 and is presumed retired), while bus 8010 was destroyed by a fire.
Extension projects
There have been plans to expand the transitway to reach other parts of Ottawa; it now only runs along the north edge of the city for most of the central area, leaving Transitway bus routes (61, 62, 63, 64, 91, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99) to mix with other traffic on local streets on the end parts of their runs.
Some future extensions may include:
- From Bayshore Station to Moodie Drive to provide service to the new National Defence Headquarters site.
- From Eagleson Station to Moodie Drive.
- From Eagleson Station to Hazeldean Road west of Terry Fox Drive
- From Place d'Orléans Station to Trim Station
- A temporary roadway linking the Innes Road/Blair Road area to south Orleans - then potentially reverting to a future East-West light-rail route.
Rail transit: the O-Train
Since 2001, Ottawa has operated an urban rail transit system called the O-Train. The current diesel-powered line, called the Trillium Line, was 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) via Carleton University, and initially operated with Bombardier "Talent" diesel multiple unit trainsets, designed and manufactured by Bombardier in Germany. This was the only application of the Talent in North America. These units have since been retired and replaced with Coradia LINT units made by Alstom.
The existing 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-street in the downtown area now 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.
Rapid transit stations
Transitway
Southwest (94, 95, 99)
- Barrhaven Centre - This is the terminus of most daytime of westbound route 95 and all route 95 overnight trips (route 95 runs 24/7). It was originally intended to be the future end of the City's O-Train route. Supplementary service is provided by routes 80, 99, 176, 305, and 406.
- Marketplace - Located just north of Barrhaven Centre in the core of Barrhaven's shopping district. Most routes that serve Barrhaven Centre also serve Marketplace, as the two stations are near each other.
- Strandherd - This station has the 95 running every 2-5 minutes during rush hour, and every 10-15 minutes outside rush hour. Supplemental services are provided by local routes 170 and 171, connexion routes 271 and 273, and event route 406. This site has roughly 300 parking spaces, later to be expanded as the need is demanded.
- Longfields - This station acts as a local station, between two major populated areas. Routes 95, 271 and 273 serve this station, with local route 177 travelling northbound during morning rush hour.
- Nepean Woods - Located at the corner of Woodroffe/Strandherd, this is the westerly terminus of some route 94 trips; most trips are extended to Riverview. Also served by route 99 as a result of the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge. A park and ride lot opened here on 24 February 2014. Served by routes 80, 94 and 99.
- Beatrice - Opened on November 12, 2014 along a bus corridor on Chapman Mills Drive in central Barrhaven. Served by northbound route 80 and route 99.
- Fallowfield - Located at the corner of Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road in Barrhaven, beside Via Rail's Fallowfield Station. This station acts as the western terminus of route 95 trips not continuing to Strandherd, Longfields, Martketplace, and Barrhaven Centre. Northern terminus for Barrhaven local buses.
- 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". Also served by cross-town routes 88 and 111, among several other local and express routes.
- Iris - Located on Iris Street in Kenson Park.
- Queensway - Located at the Queensway and Woodroffe in the Whitehaven neighbourhood. Also serves eastbound routes 61 and 62 travelling to Hurdman and St. Laurent station.
West (61, 62, 63, 64, 97)
- Stittsville - Western terminus of some route 61 trips and most weekday route 62 trips. Located at Goulbourn Recreation Complex on Shea Road.
- Terry Fox - Located adjacent the Kanata Centrum shopping centre at Kanata Avenue and Earl Grey Drive (near 417 and Terry Fox Drive). Most eastbound 61 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. Terminus of all Kanata local routes. Served by special route 404. No Express service.
- Teron - Opened September 2007 and located north of the 417 near the corner of Campeau Drive and Teron Road, the gateway for the Transitway to the North in Kanata. Served by rapid routes 63 and 64 and local routes 164, 166 and 168. Connexion routes 265 and 268 serve here during both morning and afternoon peak.[1]
- Eagleson - Park and Ride located at Eagleson Road and Highway 417. All morning Kanata connexion routes (and routes 267 and 269 in the afternoon), and routes 61, 63 and 64 (routes 63 and 64 eastbound only), serve this station, along with local routes 164, 166, 168, and special route 404.
- Bayshore - Located at the Bayshore Shopping Centre. Main Western terminus of route 97 and route 101.
- Pinecrest - located north of Highway 417 at the interchange with Pinecrest Road. East terminus of Scotiabank Connexion route 404. Served by routes 61, 62, 63, 64 and 101.
Central (all routes)
- Lincoln Fields - Located at Carling Avenue and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
- Dominion - Located off Dominion Avenue on the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
- Westboro - Located on Scott Street in Westboro.
- Tunney's Pasture - Located at Scott Street and Holland Avenue at the Tunney's Pasture government office complex. Main western terminus for routes 94 and 98. It also serves as an occasional terminus for route 97 as well as some rush hour trips of route 95.
- Bayview (O-Train Trillium Line) - Located at the eastern end of Scott Street when it becomes Wellington Street. Northern terminus of the Trillium Line.
- Lebreton - Located on Booth Street in Lebreton Flats. Rush hour terminus for routes 63, 64 and 99.
- 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.
- Mackenzie King - Located on the Mackenzie King Bridge at the Rideau Centre and the Department of National Defence headquarters. After 1:00 a.m., Transitway routes 61, 95, and 97, travel via Rideau Street instead of the Mackenzie King Bridge.
- Laurier - Located at Laurier Avenue and Waller Street at the University of Ottawa.
- Hurdman - Located near Riverside Drive and Industrial Avenue. Eastern terminus of most route 61 and 62 trips, as well as the primary western terminus for route 106 which travels to St. Laurent via Smyth, The Ottawa Hospital and Elmvale.
East (61, 62, 91, 94, 95)
- Train - Located at Via Rail's Ottawa Station on Tremblay Road. Relocated to Tremblay for Confederation Line construction starting on 28 June 2015.
- St. Laurent - Located at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre on St. Laurent Boulevard. Only operational underground station. Eastern terminus of crosstown route 101 except during rush hour. Eastern terminus of rapid-transit routes 61 and 62.
- Cyrville - Located at Cyrville Road and the Queensway. Closed on 28 June 2015 for Confederation Line construction.
- Blair - Located at the Gloucester Centre on Blair Road.
- 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 route 91, 95, and 104.
- Trim - Located on Trim Road at Ottawa Road 174. This park-and-ride station is used by route 95 and 91 on weekdays. Also served by route 22 and route 122.
- Millennium - Intersection of Trim Road and Innes Road. This is the eastern terminus of rapid-transit route 94 and express routes 22 and 30.
Southeast (94, 97, 98, 99)
- Lycée Claudel (formerly Abbey) - Located on old Riverside Drive across from the Lycée Claudel school.
- Smyth - Located at Riverside Drive and Smyth Road.
- Riverside - Located at the Riverside Campus of the Ottawa Hospital on Riverside Drive.
- Pleasant Park - Located at Pleasant Park Road and Riverside Drive.
- Billings Bridge - Located at the Billings Bridge Plaza on Bank Street.
- Heron - Located at Heron Park on Heron Road.
- Walkley - Located at Walkley Road and the Airport Parkway.
- Greenboro - Located at Bank Street and Johnston Road at the north end of the South Keys shopping complex. Southern terminus of the O-Train Trillium Line. Occasional terminus for route 98 and main north terminus for route 99.
- South Keys - Located at Bank Street and the Airport Parkway at the south end of the South Keys shopping complex. Main east terminus of Route 97.
- Airport - Located at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, and is served by route 97.
- Leitrim Station - Terminus of 93, served by Route 99 with Stop Request.
- Riverview Station - Occasional rush hour terminus of route 99. Terminus of some route 94 trips via the Vimy Memorial Bridge. Served by routes 94, 99 and 189.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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