STO and OC Transpo Routes

[M.Wright]

On 3/31/2020 at 10:19 AM, Bill Henry said:

I would have all school routes except for 609, 613, 645, 660, 661 and 698 replaced by service using regular school buses, because those routes run for only part of the year. Also, separate numbers should be used for Confederation Line trips serving Algonquin Station (1 Orleans-Algonquin) and those serving Kanata (4 Orleans-Moodie), along with having rail service to Ottawa International Airport identified as route 3. For the purpose of correcting route numbers, all trips on route 88 between Terry Fox and Hurdman should be renumbered 68, with trips on route 80 between Tunney's Pasture and Barrhaven renumbered 76 and all other trips replaced by route 96. To match numbering systems used for part of the same area, route 85 should be renumbered 52, as a move towards reserving 80, 180 and 280 series numbers for routes starting and ending at Baseline Station. One other thing is to have routes 170 and 171 renumbered 70 and 71, in preparation for having them extended to operate between Barrhaven and Algonquin, replacing routes 270 and 271. 

Changes for after the extension of the Confederation Line to Algonquin Station:

58 rerouted to replace 50.

74 rerouted to replace 84 and 284.

75 rerouted to replace 87, along with replacing all service on 275.

81 extended to replace 83.

111 renumbered 85.

 

Assuming this is your "wish list" for service changes, I am going to respond to it as a "wish list".

School routes:
School routes and planned in cooperation with the appropriate transportation consortium. Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) is responsible for English boards. Consortium de transport scolaire d'Ottawa (CTSO) is responsible for French boards.

How it works: When the transportation consortium determines you are eligible for transportation (as a student), they get to choose HOW you will get to school. They'll either buy a bus pass, put you on a yellow bus, van or wheelchair bus, depending on location. Lately school bus operators are having trouble retaining drivers because they get paid such a low rate that it's hard to make a living off of driving a school bus. Transportation Consortiums can't afford to pay the company more, as they're funding is limited. As a result, OSTA has actually increased the number of OC school routes in recent years due to the constant driver shortage.

I HIGHLY doubt you'll see a reduction in OC school routes, due to the school bus driver shortage with no end in sight. Also seeing as your justification would be to reduce routes for "partial service throughout the year", you would cause some OC labour issues by reducing the ability to have more OC bus operators on vacation during "prime time" (which would be the summer time). By having more service operate year-round, you require more operators to be working. Bus operators would NOT be happy seeing a reduction in school services, with the corresponding decrease in summer vacation.

Everything else:
Correct me if I'm wrong but I got an issue with your reroutings. What is your ultimate goal of your "wish list"? Is your ultimate goal to cut service more for cost savings? Are you trying to provide more service? You generally need to have an ultimate goal when providing a "wish list" if you want it to be taken seriously.

I feel your ultimate goal would be cost savings. Right now that would not be good to push for, as OC would gladly cut anything they can. Also by pushing for route "optimization" you will get a repeat of Post-2011 Optimization, which would be lower ridership overall, because the system because very unreliable (with inconsistent hours of operation, added transfers, and unnecessary deviations from former routings). I would suggest avoiding what we achieved in 2011, because it was not good for overall transit ridership.

The only thing "optimization" will be successful in achieving is getting more people to choose their car over the bus, as their means of transportation from point A to point B.

In the end:
I would be open to more explanation on your reasoning for your changes, but right now I do not see them as a "feasible proposal". I do like your ideas for the route renumbering, but I got issues with your route reroutings, especially the 74 replacing the 84 and 284, as that seems more like a "optimization" type move.

Also could you explain the 83 and 81 merger a bit more? Would it be new service between the two terminus's on Merivale Road? If that is the case, I do support that.

Though given the limited increases you're proposing overall, going back to your school cuts, is there a logical rationale for eliminating school services? As I could see it if you wanted to use the service elsewhere, as a reason to cut it, but given you're proposing very limited increases, it seems like an very unnecessary cost-cutting proposal. Like for example, would you want OC to increase the frequency of existing services? As that'd be a valid "increase" to counteract the "cutting" aspect.

[Loud-Invero]

R1 has had a sneaky change added. Route will serve Mackenzie King and will also travel along Star Top in the east

[JCL]

1 hour ago, Loud-Invero said:

R1 has had a sneaky change added. Route will serve Mackenzie King and will also travel along Star Top in the east

It also appears that both direction will be servicing Lees Station (previously only eastbound). 

[Flalex72]

3 hours ago, JCL said:

It also appears that both direction will be servicing Lees Station (previously only eastbound). 

Functionally, this was always the case. There was supposed to be service eastbound only, with a shuttle up King Edward for those going west. In the end, it was too confusing to implement, and all trips usually served Lees when R1 was running. If R1 were ever implemented in that section at peak, then the shuttle may have been implemented, as the loop around Main Street is a pain.

[OC Transpo Route 95]

11 hours ago, Loud-Invero said:

R1 has had a sneaky change added. Route will serve Mackenzie King and will also travel along Star Top in the east

Actually, whenever I took the R1 Tunney's Pasture in late January during the major O-Train Line 1 disruptions, which was daily, these WB R1's I was on always turned onto Star Top from Innes.

The R1 Blair trips that I also took daily travelled along Cyrville to Innes, then onto Highway 417.

The R1 map that I screen shotted in December 2019 that I posted above does not show the Star Top portion. Given that all of the Westbound R1's I took used Star Top, it appears that the updated routing was already in use in January. They just forgot to update the R1 map.

 

7 hours ago, Flalex72 said:

Functionally, this was always the case. There was supposed to be service eastbound only, with a shuttle up King Edward for those going west. In the end, it was too confusing to implement, and all trips usually served Lees when R1 was running. If R1 were ever implemented in that section at peak, then the shuttle may have been implemented, as the loop around Main Street is a pain.

Precisely, although IIRC, OC originally stated that the King Edward (Lees to Rideau) shuttle would only run occasionally during Line 1 closures (i.e., during a long closure, but not during a short disruption).

As I mentioned above, I was taking the R1 daily when OC was running the parallel Line 1 and R1 service at the end of January. Every single R1 trip I was on going Westbound served Lees, like you said.

To be fair, overall there were not enough people taking the R1 during the January O-Train disruptions to warrant an extra Lees to Rideau WB shuttle (often I was alone on R1; as most opted for S1 or Line 1), but I would agree that a shuttle may have been needed at peak times. Most of the WB R1's that I took kept getting stuck on Main in heavy traffic.

 

[GTAmissions1]

Just saw the route timetable for R1 bus replacement service on the weekend.

They already programmed in the R1 schedule for the two weekend closures. Second weekend closure which is three additional days doesn't have the schedule programmed into the trip planner yet at time of writing this post. The shuttle service matches the hours the train is supposed to run, but running on 3 minute headways and a total running time of approximately 52 minutes one-way. If the total running time is 60 minutes, that would require around 20 buses in each direction and in both a total of 40 buses.

Final comments:

Assuming the first two shutdowns of May 2020 go well, it is hinted that more weekend shutdowns are planned for the summer. Taking advantage of lower ridership plus most of the special events have been cancelled (Bluesfest and Canada Day celebrations) that would require additional resources no longer needed to serve the crowds.

[OC Transpo Route 95]

2 hours ago, GTAmissions1 said:

The shuttle service matches the hours the train is supposed to run, but running on 3 minute headways and a total running time of approximately 52 minutes one-way. If the total running time is 60 minutes, that would require around 20 buses in each direction and in both a total of 40 buses.

Thanks for the info @GTAmissions1. I also had time tonight to look through the full R1 schedule in the Travel Planner.

I will add that the R1 headways in both directions improve to every 2 minutes during the daytime, from approximately 09:00 to 19:00, on both May 2nd and 3rd. Also, in both directions, the R1 headways for late-night Saturday service on May 2nd increase to every 4 minutes after 00:00 on Sunday (while still on the Saturday schedule).

Assuming your prediction that around 20 buses will be needed in each direction, for a total of 40 buses; for 3 minute headways:

• For 2 minute headways: around 30 buses will be needed in each direction, for a total of 60 buses.
• For 4 minute headways: around 15 buses will be needed in each direction, for a total of 30 buses.

 

On a side note, I don't know about anybody else, but these 2-4 minute R1 headways reminds me of pre-OnTrack2018 (pre-June 2015) peak period headways on route 95, especially the PM peak headways on eastbound 95 service from downtown to Orleans (which were also 2-4 minutes).

 

[Flalex72]

13 hours ago, OC Transpo Route 95 said:

Precisely, although IIRC, OC originally stated that the King Edward (Lees to Rideau) shuttle would only run occasionally during Line 1 closures (i.e., during a long closure, but not during a short disruption).

As I mentioned above, I was taking the R1 daily when OC was running the parallel Line 1 and R1 service at the end of January. Every single R1 trip I was on going Westbound served Lees, like you said.

To be fair, overall there were not enough people taking the R1 during the January O-Train disruptions to warrant an extra Lees to Rideau WB shuttle (often I was alone on R1; as most opted for S1 or Line 1), but I would agree that a shuttle may have been needed at peak times. Most of the WB R1's that I took kept getting stuck on Main in heavy traffic.

 

The February R1 supplementary service was a bit of a mess, and you're right that nobody was on it.

When there was an issue on January 25th, R1 service was running from Rideau to St. Laurent or Blair, I don't recall. Operations was directing some trips to skip Lees, others to serve it depending on loads and how close the buses were to each other.

[OC Transpo Route 95]

6 hours ago, Flalex72 said:

The February R1 supplementary service was a bit of a mess, and you're right that nobody was on it.

When there was an issue on January 25th, R1 service was running from Rideau to St. Laurent or Blair, I don't recall. Operations was directing some trips to skip Lees, others to serve it depending on loads and how close the buses were to each other.

Thanks for the additional information. Furthermore, I will add that whenever I took the R1 in January/February, the bus rarely picked up or dropped off anyone at Lees, in both the Eastbound and Westbound directions.

According to my notes; on Saturday, January 25; R1 and R1 Express were running from around 15:30 to 19:30; from Parliament and Rideau to St. Laurent (as trains were only running from Tunney’s Pasture to uOttawa; and from Tremblay to Blair). My notes also say that this was due to a disabled train at Lees (as a result of an electrical arcing/circuit breaker issue). There were a few issues on Line 1 that day.

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by OC Transpo Route 95

[JCL]

On 4/30/2020 at 2:40 AM, GTAmissions1 said:

Just saw the route timetable for R1 bus replacement service on the weekend.

They already programmed in the R1 schedule for the two weekend closures. Second weekend closure which is three additional days doesn't have the schedule programmed into the trip planner yet at time of writing this post. The shuttle service matches the hours the train is supposed to run, but running on 3 minute headways and a total running time of approximately 52 minutes one-way. If the total running time is 60 minutes, that would require around 20 buses in each direction and in both a total of 40 buses.

Final comments:

Assuming the first two shutdowns of May 2020 go well, it is hinted that more weekend shutdowns are planned for the summer. Taking advantage of lower ridership plus most of the special events have been cancelled (Bluesfest and Canada Day celebrations) that would require additional resources no longer needed to serve the crowds.

 

On 4/30/2020 at 3:56 AM, OC Transpo Route 95 said:

Thanks for the info @GTAmissions1. I also had time tonight to look through the full R1 schedule in the Travel Planner.

I will add that the R1 headways in both directions improve to every 2 minutes during the daytime, from approximately 09:00 to 19:00, on both May 2nd and 3rd. Also, in both directions, the R1 headways for late-night Saturday service on May 2nd increase to every 4 minutes after 00:00 on Sunday (while still on the Saturday schedule).

Assuming your prediction that around 20 buses will be needed in each direction, for a total of 40 buses; for 3 minute headways:

• For 2 minute headways: around 30 buses will be needed in each direction, for a total of 60 buses.
• For 4 minute headways: around 15 buses will be needed in each direction, for a total of 30 buses.

 

On a side note, I don't know about anybody else, but these 2-4 minute R1 headways reminds me of pre-OnTrack2018 (pre-June 2015) peak period headways on route 95, especially the PM peak headways on eastbound 95 service from downtown to Orleans (which were also 2-4 minutes).

 

For the benefit of other board members who do NOT know how to access the timetable for R1 on OC Transpo's web site, you must go to the Travel Planner (https://plan.octranspo.com/plan), select 'Route Schedules' on the left hand navigation, select the date (May 2 or May 3), then in the dropdown menu below select the either 'R1 Blair' or 'R1 Tunney's Pasture'. I'm saying this because as I post this, the R1 schedules are NOT available if you go to the usual 'Schedules and Maps' section of the web site (https://www.octranspo.com/en/plan-your-trip/schedules-maps/) -- only the Travel Planner. 

To summarize the frequency levels, they are as follows:

Saturday:

• First trip departing Blair and Tunney's Pasture at 06:00
• 3 minute frequency between 06:00 and 09:00
• 2 minute frequency between after 09:00 (09:02 departure) and 19:00
• 3 minute frequency between after 19:00 (19:03 departure) to 24:00
• 4 minute frequency between after 24:00 (24:04 departure) and 26:00 (26:00 = 2am Sunday morning)
• Last trip departing Blair and Tunney's Pasture at 26:00
• 52 minute run time given in each direction between 06:00 until before 11:00 (10:58 departure); 55 minutes run time given between 11:00 and before 19:00 (18:58 departure); 52 minute run time given between 19:00 and end of service

Sunday:

• First trip departing Blair and Tunney's Pasture at 08:00
• 3 minute frequency between 08:00 to 09:00
• 2 minute frequency between after 09:00 (09:02 departure) and 19:00
• 3 minute frequency between after 19:00 (19:03 departure) and 23:00
• Last trip departing Blair and Tunney's Pasture at 23:00
• 52 minute run time given in each direction between 06:00 until before 11:00 (10:58 departure); 55 minutes run time given between 11:00 and before 19:00 (18:58 departure); 52 minute run time given between 19:00 and end of service

I don't know how much recovery time OC is giving to the R1 runs. The amount of recovery time at each endpoints (Blair and Tunney's) that OC gives would impact how many buses are required to run the R1 service.

Contractually, OC Transpo is only obligated to give a minimum of 5% Recovery Time of the amount of time required to complete the previous trip (52 minutes X 5% = 2.6 minutes, but round up to to the next available scheduled trip; 55 minutes X 5% = 2.75 minutes, but round up to the next available scheduled trip). However, best case scenario is that OC Transpo gives more recovery time than contractually required. 

To determine the amount of buses required, the math formula I used is this:

• Run time for westbound direction
• + the Recovery Time given
• + run time for eastbound direction 
• + the Recovery Time given
• Get the above total number, which will be referred to as the the "cycle time"
• Then use the "cycle time" total divide by the given Headway (aka frequency)

Here are my calculations:

Time Period	Frequency (Headway)	Run Time (each direction)	Total buses required with minimum 5% Recovery Time given	Total buses required if Recovery Time is greater than 5%
Start of service to 09:00	3 minutes	52 minutes	39.3 buses (round down to 39 buses) 5% recovery time = 7 minutes	40.667 buses (round up to 41 buses) If given 10 minute recovery time is given
After 09:00 to before 11:00	2 minutes	52 minutes	56 buses 5% recovery time = 4 minutes	60 buses If given 8 minute recovery time is given
From 11:00 to before 19:00	2 minutes	55 minutes	60 buses 5% recovery time = 5 minutes	65 buses If given 10 minute recovery time is given
19:00 to 00:00 (Saturdays) 19:00 to end of service (Sundays)	3 minutes	52 minutes	39.3 buses (39 buses) 5% recovery time = 7 minutes	40.667 buses (41 buses) If given 10 minute recovery time is given
Saturdays only from after 00:00 to end of service	4 minutes	52 minutes	28 buses 5% recovery time = 4 minutes	30 buses If given 8 minute recovery time is given

One additional comment: Whether it's 60 buses or 65 buses required to operate a 2 minute service between 11:00 and before 19:00, there will likely be more actual runs (buses) scheduled in one day for the following reasons:

• Work shift requirements
• Bus fueling requirements (artics are only out on the road between 12 to 14 hours, give or take, before being required return back to the garage for re-fueling at "Countdown")

Particularly on Saturday where R1 would be operating between 6am and 2:52am (an almost 21 hour day), if a run starts sometime after 05:00 in order start its first trip for 06:00, that run will likely return back to the garage sometime between 15:00 and 18:00. As a run from the early morning returns back to the garage between 15:00 and 18:00, a new afternoon run will start "its day" at that timeframe and will do its scheduled assigned trips before returning to the garage between 26:00 and 27:30. There will likely be almost 100 runs in order to maintain the 60 bus or 65 bus requirement to maintain service. 

[M.Wright]

@JCL is correct for there being 100 runs.

In regards to Lees, obviously I've been closely following the R1 routings. It was only when the decision was made to run R1 all day long in February that the westbound service started serving Lees. Prior to that it was just supposed to be the shuttle, though in most cases, operators were directed to have customers take the R1 Eastbound to Hurdman then transfer to a Westbound R1. (If they'd actually give any instructions/information to operators, which was a rarity on its own)

Shuttle never got implemented, as far as I'm aware, but same for WB people wanting Lees, get off at uOttawa, transfer to EB R1 service.

I don't personally agree with them modifying it, as it adds an extra 5 minutes to anyone not wanting Lees, and that's if you hit no traffic, and get green lights the entire way. But that's what we get for building a rail line that doesn't follow a road.

[OC Transpo Route 95]

On 4/30/2020 at 5:21 PM, JCL said:

For the benefit of other board members who do NOT know how to access the timetable for R1 on OC Transpo's web site, you must go to the Travel Planner (https://plan.octranspo.com/plan), select 'Route Schedules' on the left hand navigation, select the date (May 2 or May 3), then in the dropdown menu below select the either 'R1 Blair' or 'R1 Tunney's Pasture'. I'm saying this because as I post this, the R1 schedules are NOT available if you go to the usual 'Schedules and Maps' section of the web site (https://www.octranspo.com/en/plan-your-trip/schedules-maps/) -- only the Travel Planner. 

Don't exactly know where to post this, but as of this morning, R1 schedules are also unavailable on 560560 and transit information screens, as per an Alert from OC Transpo's website, which I have quoted below.

 

Quote

R1 bus schedules

Date effective: May 02, 2020

R1 buses are providing frequent service in place of O-Train Line 1 on May 2 and 3.  Departure times are not available on 560560 and transit information screens.  Please use the OC Transpo Travel Planner or App for R1 schedules.

 

 

Also, as of posting (11:10 A.M.), R1 schedules are still unavailable online in 'Schedules and Maps', as JCL noted on Thursday. However, in the OC Transpo Travel Planner, R1 schedules are now available for May 9 and 10; but strangely, are still NOT available for May 11 to 13.

To access the schedules, you can go to the Travel Planner and simply follow the instructions from @JCL that I have quoted above, but select either the date of May 9 or May 10 instead.

 

EDIT: (May 5, 2020 at 11:25 A.M.): R1 schedules for May 11 to 13 are now available in the Travel Planner.

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by OC Transpo Route 95
R1 Schedules for May 11 to 13 Are Now Available Online

[JCL]

Some visual observation of the R1 service while I was driving earlier this morning in my car

• It looks like the scheduled 2 minute service might be a bit of an overkill. Around 11:40am, while I was driving northbound on Riverside Drive about to enter RR174 eastbound, I saw three consecutive R1 Westbound bunched up on the left-turn lane waiting to make a left turn from Tremblay westbound to Riverside Drive southbound (to Hurdman Station)
• There was little to no passengers
• Artics are mostly assigned, however there are at least three double decker buses (possibly more) assigned to R1 (one was at Tremblay at Riverside Drive, two laying up at Blair Station) -- hopefully they will be out tomorrow.

Based on what I could see visually while I was driving, I think the 2 minute frequency between 11am and before 7pm may be a bit of an overkill. If you ask me, they could probably get by with 5 minute frequency and still achieve physical social distance requirements. 

[Loud-Invero]

16 minutes ago, JCL said:

It looks like the scheduled 2 minute service might be a bit of an overkill.

Yeah I think it's a bit overkill as well. While doing a timestop on Route R1 on 8047, I saw 3 empty R1 West arctic's pass right by us in less than 10 seconds. They should reduce the frequency because even when we had trains during the weekday, I was waiting up to 10 minutes where as on Saturday  there seems to be ironically MORE service than what the trains offered during the weekday

[OCCheetos]

1 hour ago, Loud-Invero said:

there seems to be ironically MORE service than what the trains offered during the weekday

Frequency ≠ Capacity

Even if it's overkill, it'll appease the general population who are worried OC Transpo would run too infrequent of a service to allow for physical distancing.

[MCIBUS]

And I'll bet when the week day portion happens May 11,12,13 there'll be less service with mainly 40 buses from 6AM -9Am, with more people on them.

[Loud-Invero]

I extensively took the R1 buses and here are my observations:

Lees Station is served in BOTH directions as opposed to eastbound only. Buses travelling west travel via 417, Right onto Lees, serves Lees Station, Right on Main, Right on Greenfield then Left onto King Edward to normal routing. Trip time from each end to the city took about 45 mins approx. which is was longer than I expected.

Double deckers ran until near midnight and service levels maintained less than 5 minute service until about midnight, with relatively frequent service even at 1 AM when I arrived at Hurdman after taking the last Line 2 trip.

Trips do not actually serve Tremblay Station technically but instead just stays on Tremblay Road and serves the bus stop adjacent to the train station. (Which by the way, the roads are crap, especially after Avenue K!)

[JCL]

9 minutes ago, Loud-Invero said:

I extensively took the R1 buses and here are my observations:

Lees Station is served in BOTH directions as opposed to eastbound only. Buses travelling west travel via 417, Right onto Lees, serves Lees Station, Right on Main, Right on Greenfield then Left onto King Edward to normal routing. Trip time from each end to the city took about 45 mins approx. which is was longer than I expected.

Double deckers ran until near midnight and service levels maintained less than 5 minute service until about midnight, with relatively frequent service even at 1 AM when I arrived at Hurdman after taking the last Line 2 trip.

Trips do not actually serve Tremblay Station technically but instead just stays on Tremblay Road and serves the bus stop adjacent to the train station. (Which by the way, the roads are crap, especially after Avenue K!)

I'll be trying out the R1 later today to see for myself.

They did schedule 52 minute or 55 minute run time in each direction (as per the timetable on the Travel Planner). If it took 45 minutes to complete the trip, that means buses likely became ahead of schedule at some point along the trip. 

From your extensive riding of the R1 yesterday, what how many passengers were on the buses you rode on (including yourself)?

[Loud-Invero]

11 minutes ago, JCL said:

They did schedule 52 minute or 55 minute run time in each direction (as per the timetable on the Travel Planner). If it took 45 minutes to complete the trip, that means buses likely became ahead of schedule at some point along the trip.

I recorded the whole trip in each direction. The one heading east was a little earlier because they driver had asked us if we were going to Blair when we arrived at St. Laurent Station. So instead of travelling via Cyrville and 417, we went right on the 417 to Blair Station saving about 7 minutes (Video I recorded was 40 minutes long). The westbound trips didn't bypass any stations and took its normal routing and was only 42 minutes long. 

 

14 minutes ago, JCL said:

From your extensive riding of the R1 yesterday, what how many passengers were on the buses you rode on (including yourself)?

Ridership varied throughout the day. Most people were taking to and from downtown only and the amount people on my trips was usually less than 5. To be fair, when buses are running super frequently, you're going to see more empty rides spaced out. When I took 8067 at 10:30 PM from Blair to Tunney's  it was only me and another person up until Mackenzie King where about 13 people boarded, who all got off at Tunney's Pasture.

[Loud-Invero]

Line 2 bus service is signed as "2 South Keys" or "2 Bayview"

[Centralsmt]

There’s an awful lot of essential journeys in this thread.

[JCL]

6 hours ago, Loud-Invero said:

I recorded the whole trip in each direction. The one heading east was a little earlier because they driver had asked us if we were going to Blair when we arrived at St. Laurent Station. So instead of travelling via Cyrville and 417, we went right on the 417 to Blair Station saving about 7 minutes (Video I recorded was 40 minutes long). The westbound trips didn't bypass any stations and took its normal routing and was only 42 minutes long. 

 

Ridership varied throughout the day. Most people were taking to and from downtown only and the amount people on my trips was usually less than 5. To be fair, when buses are running super frequently, you're going to see more empty rides spaced out. When I took 8067 at 10:30 PM from Blair to Tunney's  it was only me and another person up until Mackenzie King where about 13 people boarded, who all got off at Tunney's Pasture.

Here are my observations today.

Westbound it would take approximately 48 minutes to complete the trip; Eastbound approximately 46 minutes to complete the trip. The scheduled run time is 55 minutes (as per the Travel Planner) between 11am and 7pm.

In terms of riders, on the westbound bus (bus 8158 departing Blair at 12:20pm), there was only a maximum of 3 passengers. Eastbound (bus 8128 departing Tunney's Pasture at 2pm), there was a maximum of 2 passengers. 

I was at Tunney's Pasture for a period of time. Many R1s upon arrival had no passengers on board, some buses had very few passengers, only one artic (D60LF) had about 12 passengers on board exiting the bus.

On a side note, I saw few Nova LFS's and one Orion VII Hybrid doing the R1. 

[Loud-Invero]

2 hours ago, JCL said:

On a side note, I saw few Nova LFS's and one Orion VII Hybrid doing the R1

I saw one Invero at Tunney's Pasture at around 5 PM signed up as R1 Blair, 4458 if I'm not mistaken. There was a code 50 call at around 4 or 4:30 asking if drivers were looking for extra work "after around 6:30 PM". My guess is they are short on staff to run the current R1 service levels that they're trying to run (which in my opinion is too much). Though today I couldn't help notice the lack of bike racked buses on the R1 service and earlier today in general... When I was at bayshore, 7 artic buses in a row had no rack for me despite being rapid/frequent routes (57, 62, 63, 85). I had to wait at least 20 mins to get a rack on the 11 Parliament to get to downtown to do my shopping (Kanata is too far for me, service to Bells Corners is hourly on the 57, so downtown was the middle ground). When on R1, it seemed like out of every 10 artics, only 1 or 2 would have racks. No DD's had racks still and racked Inveros are already as scarce as they are. Though I noticed a significant amount of racks have been installed on the Novas recently which is good (for me anyways )

I also tried Line 2 bus service for the hell of it today and as mentioned earlier, it seems that they sign "2 South Keys" and "2 Bayview". Though I'm not sure as the Nova (scrap) I boarded had a broken destination sign that was blank with the good old "A1 ME!" error on the rear sign so I had a listen at the exterior announcement. They run at the same frequency as the O-Train but seem to be empty like the R1 buses

 

Edit: In fact, bike racked buses were so infrequent that I boarded (with permission) with my bike. The driver understood and was okay with it. And no, I didn't break the tape...

 

[Enviro_1203]

9 minutes ago, Loud-Invero said:

I saw one Invero at Tunney's Pasture at around 5 PM signed up as R1 Blair, 4458 if I'm not mistaken. There was a code 50 call at around 4 or 4:30 asking if drivers were looking for extra work "after around 6:30 PM". My guess is they are short on staff to run the current R1 service levels that they're trying to run (which in my opinion is too much). Though today I couldn't help notice the lack of bike racked buses on the R1 service and earlier today in general... When I was at bayshore, 7 artic buses in a row had no rack for me despite being rapid/frequent routes (57, 62, 63, 85). I had to wait at least 20 mins to get a rack on the 11 Parliament to get to downtown to do my shopping (Kanata is too far for me, service to Bells Corners is hourly on the 57, so downtown was the middle ground). When on R1, it seemed like out of every 10 artics, only 1 or 2 would have racks. No DD's had racks still and racked Inveros are already as scarce as they are. Though I noticed a significant amount of racks have been installed on the Novas recently which is good (for me anyways )

I also tried Line 2 bus service for the hell of it today and as mentioned earlier, it seems that they sign "2 South Keys" and "2 Bayview". Though I'm not sure as the Nova (scrap) I boarded had a broken destination sign that was blank with the good old "A1 ME!" error on the rear sign so I had a listen at the exterior announcement. They run at the same frequency as the O-Train but seem to be empty like the R1 buses

 

Edit: In fact, bike racked buses were so infrequent that I boarded (with permission) with my bike. The driver understood and was okay with it. And no, I didn't break the tape...

 

Bus just didnt have the updated program in the sign.

 

5 hours ago, Centralsmt said:

There’s an awful lot of essential journeys in this thread.

I couldn’t agree more. I guess my “announcement banner” on every page of this forum right at the top hasn’t been seen by everyone.

[Centralsmt]

9 hours ago, Enviro_1203 said:

 

 

I couldn’t agree more. I guess my “announcement banner” on every page of this forum right at the top hasn’t been seen by everyone.

It seems for the obsessives the need to spot and ride buses and to be first to provide “news” trumps their health and the health of others around them.