The old route 114

[OCCheetos]

Does anyone know anything about this route?

I've got a transit map for Sept 2002 which shows a peak hour route 114 that started at Baycrest and Heron and seems to end at Lincoln Fields.

I can't find anything about on the wiki.

P.S. Fares need to be updated on the wiki.

[Oc4526]

Does anyone know anything about this route?

I've got a transit map for Sept 2002 which shows a peak hour route 114 that started at Baycrest and Heron and seems to end at Lincoln Fields.

I can't find anything about on the wiki.

P.S. Fares need to be updated on the wiki.

Here is what i found on the Way back Machine 114 Alta Vista / Lincoln Fields and Route Map .

From what i gathered by looking at the route map (Btw fun fact one of the stop pole for this route is still in place though the flag was removed) was to serve the industrial area of Laperriérre and Woodward and link the residential areas on Heron/Baseline/Carling.

[MCIBUS]

How do you search for these old routes?

[OCCheetos]

How do you search for these old routes?

Well, I guess you would just change the route # in the url to the one you're looking for

i.e. http://www.octranspo.com/mapscheds/currenttables/times/111map.htm

[Oc4526]

How do you search for these old routes?

Well, I guess you would just change the route # in the url to the one you're looking for

i.e. http://www.octranspo.com/mapscheds/currenttables/times/111map.htm

@ Mcibus I googled Way Back Machine and entered www.octranspo.com then selected the year and month i wanted to look up. Though not all years or some months work anymore.

This is a snapshot from Feb 2004

http://web.archive.org/web/20040205062011/http://www.octranspo.com/maps_menuE.htm

@OCCheetos

I tried that but will not work you have to click the back button to select another route.

[tomsbuspage]

I checked through my old maps and documents, and I found that route 114 was created along with route 116 in December 1983 to replace the pre-Transitway route 54, which was created in the late 1970s as a peak-period supplement to old route 53. Route 53 was cancelled in 1982 when it was merged with route 58, which became route 111 in September 1984. Route 116 didn't last very long, being cancelled in 1987, but route 114 lasted for more than twenty years until September 2004.

One thing I find interesting about the 114 is that its route was virtually unchanged the entire time, with identical routings in 1983 and 2004. The only change I could find is that the western end of the route was shortened to end at Carlingwood in 1988, but extended back to Lincoln Fields in 1997.

[8792]

I used to take the 114 to St. Pat's in the early 1990s. It was a lightly travelled route and used to operate with an Orion I. I remember how a lot of students (including me) would get a kick out of being on the 'short' Orion Is with the funny front and rear doors. However, from Riverside to St. Pat's as the route was 'discovered' by students, it became consistently overloaded on that stretch of route, so it was upgraded to a 40 footer...almost always a New Look, I'm pretty sure on all trips. Hard to believe how Heron & Riverside were once major transfer/connecting points prior to the opening of the southern Transitway.

I was always puzzled as to why the route terminated in front of St. Pat's along Heron...didn't even go the extra 500m to the Herongate Mall. I'm sure the route would have had a lot more ridership had it continued to Elmvale.

[tomsbuspage]

I used to take the 114 to St. Pat's in the early 1990s. It was a lightly travelled route and used to operate with an Orion I.

It's interesting that OC used Orion Is on a cross-regional route like the 114, as I really only saw them running local routes in the suburbs. Of course, when the Orions were retired around 1993, OC would have had no choice but to switch to 40' buses.

[OCCheetos]

How would the buses have turned around at baycrest/heron? They couldn't have just did a u-turn could they? Did they use the govermental building's round about?

[Oc4526]

How would the buses have turned around at baycrest/heron? They couldn't have just did a u-turn could they? Did they use the govermental building's round about?

My guess is a on the street loop via Baycreast and Sandelwood (dependent on how the area was back then) or a turnaround at St Pats?

[M.Wright]

I always wondered why this route existed, but now that I've read this page, it makes sense. Also one thing I would like to point out is it was part of the major service cut in 2004, one of the many post-amalgamation financial crisis cuts that the city did. (I've been researching the history of the rural transit services here in Ottawa, and I came across that). Speak of rural express routes, did you know that Carp, Dunrobin and Greely (all now serviced by the shopper specials) were originally supposed to be serviced by the rural transit services?

[tomsbuspage]

Speak of rural express routes, did you know that Carp, Dunrobin and Greely (all now serviced by the shopper specials) were originally supposed to be serviced by the rural transit services?

I remember discussing this at the time with one of my colleagues who lives in Greely, and he told me that he and all his neighbours were dead-set against paying higher taxes for a bus route nobody wanted. I guess the city listened to them and kept the rural partner service with WUBS Transit.

[8792]

My guess is a on the street loop via Baycreast and Sandelwood (dependent on how the area was back then) or a turnaround at St Pats?

The bus never turned around within the school. It would loop on either Baycrest or Sandalwood as you said, but as I recall the route was only eastbound in the morning and westbound in the afternoon. Some buses would continue straight on Heron, presumably dead-heading to Elmvale or to St. Laurent garage(s).

Again, why the 114 didn't terminate at Elmvale or even St. Laurent, was always beyond me because apart from the school, all there was in the area is housing, Herongate a 500m walk up the road or transfers to route 8. If they'd done so, not only would have the 114's ridership probably at least doubled, but then the only 114 trip that would have needed to start at St. Pat's would have been the 114 SPECIAL school trip.

[MCIBUS]

Are you sure it was St Pats and not Charliobose(SP) French School before St Pars bought it?

Never understood why in hell they would build a french high school right next to an english high school(Righmont).

^^^^^

Note: for to some younger memebers those 25 and under, I remeber fights all the time between the schools. Had friends that went there telling me all about them, even though living close by there growing up went to a downtown school, GOOD OLD Tech High School at the Corner of Albert & Bay

[OCCheetos]

The bus never turned around within the school. It would loop on either Baycrest or Sandalwood as you said, but as I recall the route was only eastbound in the morning and westbound in the afternoon. Some buses would continue straight on Heron, presumably dead-heading to Elmvale or to St. Laurent garage(s).

Again, why the 114 didn't terminate at Elmvale or even St. Laurent, was always beyond me because apart from the school, all there was in the area is housing, Herongate a 500m walk up the road or transfers to route 8. If they'd done so, not only would have the 114's ridership probably at least doubled, but then the only 114 trip that would have needed to start at St. Pat's would have been the 114 SPECIAL school trip.

Which St. Pats are you reffering to? The one right on Heron? Or the one at heron/alta vista? Or are they both run by the catholic board?

[MCIBUS]

I was refuring to the one at the Corner of Alta Vista, not Baycrest.

[8792]

I was refuring to the one at the Corner of Alta Vista, not Baycrest.

I was referring to Heron & Baycrest, which at the time was the only St. Pat's campus (English Catholic Board) for all grades 7-OAC. In 1993, grades 9-OAC moved to the ex-Charlebois (French Public Board), which is where they are to this day (well now it's grades 9-12 of course). Grades 7 & 8 are still at Heron & Baycrest. I attended both campuses in the 90s. In '93 we shared the school with Charlebois. Charlebois ended up shutting down and not relocating elsewhere.

So yes, the old 114 terminated at Heron & Baycrest.

[MCIBUS]

If thats the case its possible we might of been on the same bus Route 8 when I was coming home from work? Thats if you took the route 8?

[8792]

If thats the case its possible we might of been on the same bus Route 8 when I was coming home from work? Thats if you took the route 8?

I didn't take the 8 very often at that time. I actually took it more often in the late 90s.

[Loud-Invero]

Thank god there was a wiki for however long here. 

https://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Ottawa-Carleton_Regional_Transit_Commission_route_114_'Lincoln_Fields/Alta_Vista'

[8792]

On 12/18/2012 at 5:20 PM, tomsbuspage said:

It's interesting that OC used Orion Is on a cross-regional route like the 114, as I really only saw them running local routes in the suburbs. Of course, when the Orions were retired around 1993, OC would have had no choice but to switch to 40' buses.

To add to what I wrote about 6 1/2 years ago, yeah it was rare for an Orion I to be on a non-local route as it was lightly travelled until large numbers of St. Pat’s and Ridgemont students discovered its usefulness. I distinctly remember the route being upgauged to GMs a good year prior to the Orion I being retired. Traffic on the 114 then took another tumble around 1995 after the opening of the Transitway south of Billings. A lot of the 114’s Heron & Riverside transfer traffic shifted onto the 111 at Billings instead.

Speaking of the Orion Is, I wonder if OC would have held onto them for years longer had the Mike Harris era of no Provincial transit support happened prior to their retirement?

[romanr27]

On 12/17/2012 at 1:28 PM, 8792 said:

I used to take the 114 to St. Pat's in the early 1990s. It was a lightly travelled route and used to operate with an Orion I. I remember how a lot of students (including me) would get a kick out of being on the 'short' Orion Is with the funny front and rear doors. However, from Riverside to St. Pat's as the route was 'discovered' by students, it became consistently overloaded on that stretch of route, so it was upgraded to a 40 footer...almost always a New Look, I'm pretty sure on all trips. Hard to believe how Heron & Riverside were once major transfer/connecting points prior to the opening of the southern Transitway.

I was always puzzled as to why the route terminated in front of St. Pat's along Heron...didn't even go the extra 500m to the Herongate Mall. I'm sure the route would have had a lot more ridership had it continued to Elmvale.

Is this why there are those underground tunnel connectors? Always thought they were peculiar and unique (I actually assumed they were washrooms when I was young lol), but never even considered they were put in if it was a major bus transfer point.

[MCIBUS]

There actually 3 sets of tunnels

1st set-Heron & Bronson(somewhat down from the intersection)

2nd set- by Heron & Riverside(on one side is the Fed secret commuinications center)and other side from Canada Post Headquarters)

3rd sey-Riverside & Heron(on one side by Canada Post, on the other side Public Works{Feds}Tupper Building.

 

Those tunnels have since been blocked off and no longer have public access. I'm not sure if the tunnels have been filled in or not?I'm not sure of when they where closed of I think either sometime in the late 1980's or 1990's I think.

 

When they where opened they where quite heavily used, but I'm guessing because security and public safety usage was stopped.

[Oc4526]

20 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

2nd set- by Heron & Riverside(on one side is the Fed secret commuinications center)and other side from Canada Post Headquarters)

Those tunnels have since been blocked off and no longer have public access. I'm not sure if the tunnels have been filled in or not?I'm not sure of when they where closed of I think either sometime in the late 1980's or 1990's I think.

 

When they where opened they where quite heavily used, but I'm guessing because security and public safety usage was stopped.

As far as I'm aware the Tunnel on Heron at Canada post is still Accessible to the general public but never used. 

[romanr27]

25 minutes ago, Oc4526 said:

As far as I'm aware the Tunnel on Heron at Canada post is still Accessible to the general public but never used. 

I actually used it two summers ago when I worked at Canada Post to catch the 111 Baseline home.