OC Transpo’s Fall schedule begins today. New Express routes, more frequent O-Train service

OC Transpo is running full service, with double-car trains, on O-Train Line 1 Monday morning. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

OC Transpo rolls out its new Fall schedule and service changes today, with new Express routes and schedule adjustments designed to keep commuters moving this fall.

The City of Ottawa and OC Transpo are anticipating an additional 65,000 trips into downtown Ottawa a week as federal public servants spend more time in the office and post-secondary students return to the fall semester.

• Ottawa outlines roadmap to keep commuters moving this fall

OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary says the fall transit schedule is focusing on “Your ride made better.”

“We’re enhancing the customer’s experience and providing targeted improvements to key employment areas where we expect ridership to increase,” Leary told councillors on Aug. 20.

Leary promised, “We’re ready to welcome our customers.”

The changes include increased frequency weekdays on O-Train Line 1, earlier start times on O-Train Line 2 Monday to Friday, seven new Express routes serving Orléans and Kanata, and adjustments to the run times on the 30 most popular routes.

OC Transpo says new Express service serving Kanata includes 20 new non-stop express bus trips from Park and Ride lots to Tunney’s Pasture Station, Kanata North and the Department of National Defence campus on Carling Avenue. There will be 10 new non-stop bus trips from Park and Ride lots to Blair Station as part of the Express service in Orléans.

The new fall schedules are available on OC Transpo’s website to allow commuters to plan out their trips.

Here is a look at some of the changes:

O-Train Line 1

• O-Train Line 1 service every four minutes during morning and afternoon peak periods Monday to Friday. O-Train Line 1 is currently running every five minutes during the summer.
• Six-minute service in the midday Monday to Friday, improved from 10 minutes this summer
• Seven-minute service in the early evening on weekdays, improved from 10 minutes over the summer
• Two-car trains will continue to operate Monday to Friday

O-Train Line 2

• The first train on O-Train Line 2 will depart Limebank Station at 6 a.m.
• The first train on O-Train Line 2 will depart Carleton Station at 6:05 a.m.

Bus Route adjustments

OC Transpo’s fall schedule includes adjustments to the schedules on 30 routes that serve 50 per cent of OC Transpo riders. The transit service says the schedule adjustments will make the bus trips “more reliable.”

The new schedules for the fall are on bus routes 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30, 41, 42, 48, 51, 53, 61, 63, 73, 75, 81, 82, 85, 88, 117, 163, 168 and 173.

New Express bus service

OC Transpo is launching seven new peak-period Express routes from Park and Ride lots to “key employment areas” and O-Train Line 1 stations.

The Express routes will be identified by route numbers in the 500s and have “distinct orange Express Route” icons on maps and signage, according to Leary.

• 526 Express – Blair-Chapel Hill will run between Chapel Hill and Blair LRT Station Monday to Friday during peak periods. There will be seven morning trips and three return afternoon trips.
• 539 Express – Blair-Millennium will run between Blair Station and Millenium Park and Ride past Trim and Place d’Orleans during Monday to Friday peak periods. OC Transpo’s schedule shows three bus trips during the morning commute and three return trips in the afternoon.
• 561 Express – Tunney’s Pasture-Terry Fox will run between Kanata Centrum and Tunney’s Pasture through Eagleson and Moodie during Monday to Friday peak periods. There is one trip from Terry Fox to Tunney’s Pasture during the morning commute and one return trip in the afternoon.
• 562 Express -Tunney’s Pasture-Terry Fox will run between Kanata Centrum and Tunney’s Pasture through Eagleson and Moodie during peak periods Monday to Friday. There is one trip from Terry Fox to Tunney’s Pasture during the morning commute and a return trip in the afternoon.
• 563 Express – Tunney’s Pasture-Innovation will run between Innovation/Richcraft Rec Complex and Tunney’s Pasture, with stops along Moodie Drive, Eagleson and Moodie park and rides during Monday to Friday peak periods. There is one trip during the morning commute and a return trip in the afternoon.
• 565 Express – Innovation-Carling Campus will run between the DND Carling Campus and Innovation/Richcraft Rec Complex with stops at Kanata Centrum/Terry Fox, Eagleson and Moodie during Monday to Friday peak periods. OC Transpo’s schedule shows two trips during the morning commute and two return trips during the afternoon commute.
• 566 Express – Tunney’s Pasture-Carling Campus will run between the DND Carling Campus and Tunney’s Pasture through Moodie during Monday to Friday peak periods. The route will operate during peak periods.

Other changes

• OC Transpo says some trips on routes 74, 75, 561, 562 and 563 will extend “directly into Gatineau,” eliminating the need to transfer buses
• More trips between Innovation Station in Kanata North and Tunney’s Pasture
• Route 5 – New trips will be added between Elmvale and Waller
• Route 63 – New trips will be added from Tunney’s Pasture Station in the morning and from Innovation Station in the afternoon
• Route 98 – New trips will be added at peak periods
• Route 226 – New trips will be added from Eastpark Drive/Innes Road in the morning and from Blair Station in the afternoon
• Route 256 – New trips will be added from Cope Drive in the morning and from Tunney’s Pasture Station in the afternoon.
• Additional buses will be standing by at key locations, ready to be deployed to provide support service where required, according to Leary.