GOA transit news, info etc

[MCIBUS]

Here's John Maconi retirement ceremony:

 

 

 

Discussion of Free Transit & LRT Issues:

 

 

Th

The problem with dropping RTG/RTM is most likely you'll get a law suit which will cost 500M+.

As for OC doing this "In House" I;m not sure how long it would take OC training in doing so.

 

Does the TTC do "In House" for their Streetcars?

 

[GTAmissions1]

23 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

The problem with dropping RTG/RTM is most likely you'll get a law suit which will cost 500M+.

As for OC doing this "In House" I;m not sure how long it would take OC training in doing so.

Does the TTC do "In House" for their Streetcars?

OC Transpo doesn't have experience with light rail vehicles why is why it is outsourced to Rideau Transit Maintenance. Breaking the term would cost a lot of money especially since it is a 30 year contract. After 30 years, the contract can either be renewed OR taken in-house and retaining the workforce under the City of Ottawa payroll. Of course, the private contractor gets paid monthly pending they reach certain targets and performance. 

TTC operates their streetcars in-house and doesn't rely on contractors. Those are the 500 route series.

Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown and Line 6 Finch West, TTC operates and maintains the rolling stock fleet. Line 5 has a 30 year maintenance contract for the line and stations with Crosslinx Transit Solutions where as Line 6, it is Mosaic Transit Group. Their responsibilities under the long-term contract is building out the stations and tracks along with providing maintenance and ensuring reliability. 

The concern with 30 year contracts is the fixed price and having to work within that budget limitation. With many variables that can happen in that long-term. 

[Shaun]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/westboro-bus-crash-trial-closing-arguments-1.6184034

I am in agreement with the driver not being at fault but where are the recommendations about how this can be avoided? 

What about some type of barrier to prevent the bus from crashing into the canopy? Better snow removal? More stricter enforcement of the speed? Raising the canopy hight to be higher than the bus?

[Bus_Medic]

3 hours ago, GTAmissions1 said:

OC Transpo doesn't have experience with light rail vehicles why is why it is outsourced to Rideau Transit Maintenance. Breaking the term would cost a lot of money especially since it is a 30 year contract. After 30 years, the contract can either be renewed OR taken in-house and retaining the workforce under the City of Ottawa payroll. Of course, the private contractor gets paid monthly pending they reach certain targets and performance. 

TTC operates their streetcars in-house and doesn't rely on contractors. Those are the 500 route series.

Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown and Line 6 Finch West, TTC operates and maintains the rolling stock fleet. Line 5 has a 30 year maintenance contract for the line and stations with Crosslinx Transit Solutions where as Line 6, it is Mosaic Transit Group. Their responsibilities under the long-term contract is building out the stations and tracks along with providing maintenance and ensuring reliability. 

The concern with 30 year contracts is the fixed price and having to work within that budget limitation. With many variables that can happen in that long-term. 

TTC will be driving them, they won’t be maintaining them.

[Bus_Medic]

3 hours ago, Shaun said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/westboro-bus-crash-trial-closing-arguments-1.6184034

I am in agreement with the driver not being at fault but where are the recommendations about how this can be avoided? 

What about some type of barrier to prevent the bus from crashing into the canopy? Better snow removal? More stricter enforcement of the speed? Raising the canopy hight to be higher than the bus?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/westboro-station-safety-changes-ottawa-1.6163816

You’re only going to get the bare minimum, since it’s all being demolished for phase 2 LRT anyway.

[ZümmyZüm]

4 hours ago, Bus_Medic said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/westboro-station-safety-changes-ottawa-1.6163816

You’re only going to get the bare minimum, since it’s all being demolished for phase 2 LRT anyway.

Exactly and the southern transitway doesn’t have the canopies hovering near the roadway except for south keys station but even that one is a few feet further away. 
 

the only way to have avoided this or avoid it going further? No Deckers on the transitway but we all know that is impossible 

[Bus_Medic]

5 hours ago, ZümmyZüm said:

Exactly and the southern transitway doesn’t have the canopies hovering near the roadway except for south keys station but even that one is a few feet further away. 
 

the only way to have avoided this or avoid it going further? No Deckers on the transitway but we all know that is impossible 

wanna bet?

[ZümmyZüm]

3 hours ago, Bus_Medic said:

wanna bet?

It’s also a single deck bus and it shows exactly my point, nobody died and that’s what’s most important in an accident. 

[Loud-Invero]

Not to mention:

The 2003 incident resulted in part of the station being demolished vs the bus. Goes to show how strong things were built back then vs today. Also I really have to keep hitting this,  but if you ask me, 2 accidents in 38 years tells me the design is not the problem...

[MCIBUS]

Not to mention after the accident the station was slightly modified.

[Shaun]

2 hours ago, Loud-Invero said:

Not to mention:

The 2003 incident resulted in part of the station being demolished vs the bus. Goes to show how strong things were built back then vs today. Also I really have to keep hitting this,  but if you ask me, 2 accidents in 38 years tells me the design is not the problem...

I think that it's not the design so much as where the canopy hit the bus and the speed. 

Buses today are capable of much faster speeds much easier than the days of that D40 in the picture.  The double decker bus was doing anywhere from 50-65Kmph that day. and the canopy hit the area where the windows are.

How fast was the D40 when it hit the canopy? 

[tomsbuspage]

7 hours ago, Shaun said:

How fast was the D40 when it hit the canopy? 

This is from an Ottawa Citizen article:

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/a-history-of-oc-transpo-bus-crashes

Quote

JULY 19, 2003: An OC Transpo bus on Route 86 Elmvale slammed into a bus shelter at the Lees Avenue station, injuring several people, at 7:50 a.m. People waiting in the shelter escaped unharmed, but six passengers required hospital treatment for cuts and bruises from flying glass and debris. The bus driver, who was not injured in the crash, was subsequently found guilty of dangerous driving causing bodily harm and sentenced to four months of house arrest, probation and banned from driving for a year. He also lost his job.

"Slammed" indicates that the bus was moving at a good rate of speed at time of the collision.  The speed limit of the Transitway between Campus and Lees stations was 80 km/h, which was the top speed anywhere on the Transitway at the time though I have known many drivers who exceeded that speed, including one who "buried the needle" on an Orion-Ikarus bus between Blair and Cyrville stations, exceeding 120 km/h.  Since the driver involved in the Lees Station crash was convicted and fired, I would conclude that he was playing fast and loose with the traffic laws.

[MCIBUS]

Someone correct me here, but I believe the speed limit has been reduced when entering Transitway station I think to 60KM/Hour but could be mistaken.

[Loud-Invero]

44 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

Someone correct me here, but I believe the speed limit has been reduced when entering Transitway station I think to 60KM/Hour but could be mistaken.

Today it's 50 km/h. I'm pretty sure it's actually in the transit by law.

3 hours ago, Shaun said:

Buses today are capable of much faster speeds much easier

70 km is 70 km whether it's a dd or a D40. The D40 was also running a Detroit diesel engine with a turbo so it wouldn't hesitate to get speed quickly like modern buses either way. At the end of the day no one can negate the fact that it's solely the driver that was responsible for the accident. Not the DD or stations fault. Double deckers and all buses have passed through those canopy stations hundreds of thousands of times with no issue.

Same thing with the Fallowfield incident... if I remember correctly they wanted to build an underpass at a cost of 13 million dollars. When The Simple Solution as the TSB implied was simply not have the driver distracted by giant screens that required constant monitoring...

[Oc4526]

Found this in a group that I follow.

 

4812 made contact with a light standard on 10th line in Orlèans.

Seems to be no injuries. 

[tomsbuspage]

2 hours ago, MCIBUS said:

Someone correct me here, but I believe the speed limit has been reduced when entering Transitway station I think to 60KM/Hour but could be mistaken.

1 hour ago, Loud-Invero said:

Today it's 50 km/h. I'm pretty sure it's actually in the transit by law.

It was 50 km/h around Transitway stations back then too, and when I took the bus regularly in the 1990s as well.  The speed limit between stations was 80 km/h back then, before some stretches were increased to 90 km/h sometime after I bought a car.

[Loud-Invero]

6 hours ago, tomsbuspage said:

Though I have known many drivers who exceeded that speed, including one who "buried the needle" on an Orion-Ikarus bus between Blair and Cyrville stations, exceeding 120 km/h.

I thought I'd add, but one of JCL'S videos of a ride on 8941 with a mechanic as the driver, the mechanic was clearing going full speed through Tunney's Pasture Station at about 80 or so, so I could believe people would floor it.

[Oc4526]

The NCC Fall colours shuttle is returning on Oct 2nd! 

Per.

[MCIBUS]

I'm assuming this is only weekends(for OCT) event. I'm guessing they'll be using artics for social distancing?

[Oc4526]

44 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

I'm assuming this is only weekends(for OCT) event. I'm guessing they'll be using artics for social distancing?

Can’t say about the specific bus type but it could be one of the newer units (Or one of the Hybrids as pictured ) as it’s advertised as a Wheelchair ️ and Bike rack equipped (Some trips may be substituted)

Schedule information can be found here. 
https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/free-ncc-shuttle-during-fall-rhapsody

 

[OCCheetos]

The city has chosen Renée Amilcar, executive director of bus services at the STM, as the new GM of the Transit Services department effective October 18th:

 

[MCIBUS]

Here's the responce from City General Manger Steve K.

sent to all city employee's

 

 

I am very happy to announce that after an extensive internal and external recruitment process, Renée Amilcar will be the General Manager of the new Transit Services Department, effective October 18, 2021.

 

Ms. Amilcar is an Industrial Engineer with a degree from École Polytechnique de Montréal and an MBA from Université de Sherbrooke. After working for Pratt & Whitney Canada and Nortel Networks, Renée joined the Société de Transports Montréal (STM) in 2002 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the first female Director of Bus Maintenance. While in this role, Renée earned a reputation as an exemplary servant leader with a strong capacity to understand operational issues and manage and engage multiple teams.

 

Renée was promoted to Executive Director of Bus Services for the STM in 2014, where she led a team of more than 5,300 employees and oversaw a fleet of 1,800 buses to deliver both regular and paratransit bus services throughout the city of Montréal. She helped develop the future strategy of the STM’s electric bus network and negotiated a strike-free seven-year convention with the driver’s union, which she believes is one of her proudest accomplishments. 

 

Renée received the 2018 Mercuriades Outstanding Woman in Leadership Award presented by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, was the first female bus committee chair of the International Association of Public Transit (UTIP) and is a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Quebec. 

 

Given her extensive experience, Renée is well-positioned to take the next steps in leading the transformation of Ottawa’s growing multi-modal system. She knows she will have the support of a strong internal team and is committed to maintaining productive relationships with the unions.

 

I look forward to seeing what innovations Renée will bring from her experience at the STM—the most heavily used urban mass transit system in Canada and one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems in North America.

 

The City’s entire senior leadership team is excited to add Renée’s experience and perspective to the table as we continue to work through this period of challenge and change, and to see what she will bring to her new department and the extended leadership team throughout the City.

 

I hope you will join me in welcoming Renée to the City of Ottawa, virtually for now, and in person when we get back to the time of meeting each other in the hallway.

 

During the transition period, Michael Morgan will oversee the Transit Services Department and continue to support the teams working to ensure the safe return to service of the O-Train Confederation Line 1.

 

Steve K.

 

[Waiting for 30 Minutes]

On 9/27/2021 at 3:41 PM, MCIBUS said:

Here's the responce from City General Manger Steve K.

sent to all city employee's

If you're a city employee, you should know better than to share internal emails, even if it's public information.

[Loud-Invero]

Out of the bloom, OC will be doing another mask blitz from today to tomorrow. Their main target will be R1 buses as apparently there has been an uptick in complaints regarding mask compliance on R1 (which sure, makes sense given the train is down). What I will note that I find interesting is this quote: 

Quote

Given recent customer feedback regarding mask compliance on R1 replacement buses, OC Transpo Special Constables will issue fines to those customers failing to comply with the mandatory mask policy. Those customers will also not be permitted to access the transit system.

My question is, how are they gonna enforce that, and can they actually legally ban anyone from the system, even if paying? To my knowledge, we don't even ban people who take dumps on our buses, tag buses, or other countless offenses people commit on a daily basis, so to me, regardless of your opinions on masking, this seems excessive in nature given their vague warning of "not being permitted to access the system".

[MCIBUS]

I don't know the actual rules, but I do know if a individual stated medical exemption, by-law, police or OC law enforcement CAN NOT ASK FOR PROOF that is a violation of the privacy act.