GOA transit news, info etc

[Guest]

5 hours ago, JCL said:

There will be a technical briefing, followed by a news conference tomorrow on how OC Transpo and STO will integrate their services with the O-Train Confederation Line. 

http://ottawa.ca/en/news/ottawa-and-gatineau-sign-agreement-harmonizing-public-transit-arrival-o-train-confederation-line-2018

Interestingly enough, this will take place at STO's new garage. 

So, is there going to be a live stream?

[HB_1024]

Since it says there's an embargo that lifts after the technical briefing, probably not.

[MCIBUS]

Here's the story:

CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/albert-slater-buses-transit-sto-1.4133115

CTV

 

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/changes-coming-to-downtown-sto-service-when-lrt-launches-1.3431131

Comments?

[tomsbuspage]

Press release on the STO's website

Quote

Historic transit agreement signed by Gatineau and Ottawa

Published : 05-26-2017

Today, after several months of discussion, Mayors Jim Watson and Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin announced an agreement between Ottawa and Gatineau that will better integrate the regional transit network. The Mayors were joined by Councillors Gilles Carpentier, Chair of the STO, and Stephen Blais, Chair of the Transit Commission.

This agreement, a first in the history of the two cities, will help ensure efficient connections between the two transit systems when the O-Train's Confederation Line begins service. It will also help achieve the two cities' transit objectives and meet the needs of users on both sides of the Ottawa River. In addition to addressing the City of Ottawa's long-standing concern over the volume of bus traffic on certain downtown arteries, the new service will help reduce travel times for a significant portion of Gatineau transit users who commute to Ottawa each morning.

Allowing STO buses to access Albert and Slater streets will bring many transit users closer to their workplace. Moreover, direct connections to the O-Train network at Lyon and Parliament stations will help improve access for users whose destinations are located further west or east in downtown.

The agreement also provides an ongoing commitment to optimizing interprovincial trips more generally, such as by revisiting OC Transpo operations in Gatineau and by studying how to optimize OC Transpo and STO services on both sides of the River.

Commitment to joint planning of interprovincial travel

In addition to new downtown Ottawa service, O-Train integration and optimized interprovincial travel, the bi-lateral agreement creates of a joint planning and coordination group, which will facilitate collaboration and dialogue on future studies and large-scale transportation projects. The two cities have committed to establishing this group within the next 60 days. An announcement regarding its composition and mandate will be made in due course. The group's main objective will be to ensure better integration of development plans related to transportation, especially plans that impact both sides of the Ottawa River.

Integration of STO services with the O-Train Confederation Line

With the O-Train Confederation Line's underground tunnel servicing the downtown core, Albert and Slater streets will no longer be major transit corridors and there will be a significant reduction in bus traffic.

Thanks to collaborative efforts between both transit agencies, the following changes to STO service in Ottawa's downtown will be implemented once O-Train service begins:

• STO routes will be relocated away from Wellington and Rideau streets between Bank and Waller streets.
• All STO routes into downtown Ottawa will connect with the O-Train Confederation Line at Lyon Station.
• STO's all-day routes and a limited number of peak-only routes will continue via Slater and Albert streets to the Mackenzie King Bridge and Laurier Avenue and Waller Street.
• The majority of STO's peak-only routes will loop via Bank Street to increase connectivity between the STO and OC Transpo bus route networks, in addition to allowing for a second connection with the O-Train at Parliament Station.
• STO buses will use either the Portage, Alexandra or Macdonald-Cartier bridges to enter or exit Ottawa's downtown core, based on what is most appropriate for each trip.

 

[JCL]

Here is the official news release from the City of Ottawa: http://ottawa.ca/en/news/historic-transit-agreement-signed-gatineau-and-ottawa

[Oc4526]

On 2017-05-17 at 7:46 PM, JCL said:

STO's new garage will be having an open house on June 3: http://www.sto.ca/index.php?id=693&L=en&source=sto_mobile&utm_source=site+STO&utm_medium=Image+rotative&utm_campaign=Portes_ouvertes_e

7901 will be on display 

 

[Transit geek]

Hope it'll still be alive and well on Canada Day! 38 years is an exceptionally long lifetime for a bus in revenue service...less so for trains. Bet you this will make global headlines if it survives till 2029.

[Oc4526]

8 hours ago, Transit geek said:

Hope it'll still be alive and well on Canada Day! 38 years is an exceptionally long lifetime for a bus in revenue service...less so for trains. Bet you this will make global headlines if it survives till 2029.

7901 is still going strong for a bus its age. 

One things for sure , Its doing a lot better then the older Lfs's. 0302 dead in tow (taken yesterday) 

[Centralsmt]

8 hours ago, Transit geek said:

Hope it'll still be alive and well on Canada Day! 38 years is an exceptionally long lifetime for a bus in revenue service...less so for trains. Bet you this will make global headlines if it survives till 2029.

This is the oldest bus in regular service in Ottawa, and probably sees more use than 7901

[JRM1000]

15 hours ago, Centralsmt said:

This is the oldest bus in regular service in Ottawa, and probably sees more use than 7901

Is that a 1962 Routemaster? 

[Centralsmt]

55 minutes ago, JRM1000 said:

Is that a 1962 Routemaster? 

No, there are no Routemasters in Ottawa.

Its a Bristol Lodekka

[Transit geek]

Admin: please remove this message, thank you.

[Centralsmt]

1 hour ago, Transit geek said:

It's a RHD drive bus likely imported from London or elsewhere in the UK. But unlike STO 7901, it is not used in revenue transit service but merely as a tourist attraction.

For someone who calls themselves a geek your knowledge of buses is very limited......the post above yours tells you exactly what type of bus it is.

Correct me if I am wrong but people do pay to travel on a sightseeing service, therefore it is in revenue earning service, as it is earning revenue for its owner, it is also in service far more often than 7901, which only makes sporadic appearances in public.

Also it would have been nowhere near London when it was in service in the UK, London Transport never operated Bristol Lodekka's.

 

[MCIBUS]

I don't seem to recall seeing that  Bristolr here in Ottawa for some time? The only DD buses(besides OC)are the ones run by the Grayline which also are Alexanders buses?

[Centralsmt]

29 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

I don't seem to recall seeing that  Bristolr here in Ottawa for some time? The only DD buses(besides OC)are the ones run by the Grayline which also are Alexanders buses?

It was in service practically every day last summer!

The sightseeing services only re-started a couple of weeks ago, so aren't at full service yet.

The open toppers are ADL buses, but they are Enviro 400's, which was the standard UK model, only 25 Enviro 500's were ever built for the UK.

 The Enviro 400 is only available in North America in open top form, I'm not actually sure if ADL is still producing it for NA as it has been replaced in the UK by the MMC version.

[Guest]

19 hours ago, Centralsmt said:

For someone who calls themselves a geek your knowledge of buses is very limited......the post above yours tells you exactly what type of bus it is.

Correct me if I am wrong but people do pay to travel on a sightseeing service, therefore it is in revenue earning service, as it is earning revenue for its owner, it is also in service far more often than 7901, which only makes sporadic appearances in public.

Also it would have been nowhere near London when it was in service in the UK, London Transport never operated Bristol Lodekka's.

 

Man, just remove the first paragraph, you'd just directly attacked someone 

[JRM1000]

23 hours ago, Centralsmt said:

No, there are no Routemasters in Ottawa.

Its a Bristol Lodekka

Thank you for the information. 

[JCL]

Technically, this isn't transit-related. However, this transportation-related project does have an impact to OC Transpo. 

The City is considering to grade-separate the rail crossing all along Barrhaven and Merivale, which includes the Southwest Transitway. Link to report and appendices: http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=6995&doctype=agenda&itemid=363176

To be discussed tomorrow at the Transportation Committee. 

[Transit geek]

3 hours ago, JCL said:

Technically, this isn't transit-related. However, this transportation-related project does have an impact to OC Transpo. 

The City is considering to grade-separate the rail crossing all along Barrhaven and Merivale, which includes the Southwest Transitway. Link to report and appendices: http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=6995&doctype=agenda&itemid=363176

To be discussed tomorrow at the Transportation Committee. 

This proposal was all sparked by that collision near Fallowfield train station where a OCTranspo double decker on the Transitway crashed into a VIA train at the grade crossing and caused six deaths back in September 2013. And from the infrastructure required for the Transitway, it is obviously a transit-related project that I would enthusiastically support. Bring it on, I think this might be ought to deserve its own thread.

[MCIBUS]

The city can't do it only, they need the Feds,Province & Via Rail to put money in as well or it won't be done.

[JCL]

On 3/20/2017 at 9:29 PM, JCL said:

There is a Request For Expression Of Interest (RFEOI) for additional DMU trains for the Trillium Line Extension Project between South Keys and Bowesville/Airport: https://www.merx4.merx.com/public/solicitations/411176864/abstract

The City has now issued a Request for Vehicle Supply Offer (RFVSO) for additional DMU trains: http://www.merx4.merx.com/cityofottawa/solicitations/open-bids/Request-for-Vehicle-Supply-Offer-for-Diesel-Multiple-Unit-DMU-Vehicles/0000058283?purchasingGroupId=149352201

[Oc4526]

 

[andreasv]

21 hours ago, JCL said:

The City has now issued a Request for Vehicle Supply Offer (RFVSO) for additional DMU trains: http://www.merx4.merx.com/cityofottawa/solicitations/open-bids/Request-for-Vehicle-Supply-Offer-for-Diesel-Multiple-Unit-DMU-Vehicles/0000058283?purchasingGroupId=149352201

I realize they have to put it out to bid because of the size of the order, but wouldn't it complicate things if the winning bid is for a different train model then the existing LINTs?

[MCIBUS]

How many are they getting? If saw correctly its only 2 trains? I know a while back the province gave them money for two trains?

[HB_1024]

A lot more than two.

Assuming six consists make up the expanded service, and plus the airport spur which needs two, and then two on top of that as spares, 10 trains are needed, 4 more than we have now.

But, if I remember right, the plan was to run two trainsets per consist, which then doubles that figure to 20 trains. This is assuming the airport spur will be running double trains, if it's not then take away two sets for 18. Still, that's three times the number we have now.