Around 100 OC Transpo buses immobilized during storm: Gower

The head of Ottawa’s Transit Committee says around 100 OC Transpo buses got stuck on the roads during Thursday’s snowstorm.

Ottawa saw 32 centimetres of snow between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, much of it falling during the morning commute.

OC Transpo implemented a Severe Storm Schedule, which put fewer buses on the roads and ran routes at reduced rates. Many of the transit fleet’s 60-foot articulated buses, which tend to underperform in the snow, were pulled from service, but some were still out on the roads, and some became stuck.

Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron, Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower, the chair of the Transit Committee, said the number of articulated buses dispatched Thursday was reduced, but the service still needed to use some of them.

“Normally on a weekday morning, OC Transpo sends out about 550 buses of all types and this morning, there were about 350 out on the road,” he said. “Usually, out of that 550, there are 260 articulated buses. This morning, there were 90. They have to do some service on articulated buses to provide a level of service.”

A memo sent Thursday afternoon from Transit Services general manager Renée Amilcar said this led to fewer issues with buses.

“Under the Severe Storm Schedule we were able to reduce the number of articulated buses in service this morning by 65 per cent. Early indications show that this has resulted in a significant reduction in immobilized buses as compared to previous extreme snowfall events,” Amilcar wrote. “We will be reviewing today’s operations for any lessons learned to apply in future severe weather events.”

Gower said just under 100 buses became immobilized Thursday. Some had to be towed, but most were able to eventually move again fairly quickly. It’s not clear whether this total includes buses that became stuck more than once.

“There were definitely some that got stuck today. Some of the regular buses, the smaller buses did as well. OC Transpo is trying to get out as many of the runs out as they can,” he said. “Luckily, these storm events are rare, but when they happen, we’re going to have issues.”

Taking all articulated buses out of service during snowstorms would impact service further, Gower said.

“There’d be longer waits, there might not be the capacity to move people. OC is trying to find that right balance between providing the level of service we need to keep people moving around but also making sure we’re reducing the number of incidents out there.”

Gower said moving the fleet to electric buses would help in future storms.

“One thing with the new electric buses, they do have better traction because of where the battery is and how they’re weighted, so that’s something that, in future years, in any kind of storm or inclement weather, that’s going to help in making sure those buses can keep moving around,” he said.

Ottawa’s target is to have 350 zero-emission buses on the roads by 2027.

Amilcar said Para Transpo service is operating with “minor delays” due to the road conditions.

“Para Transpo customers are being contacted proactively to provide support and share the status of their trips. Customers can also track their trips using the My Para Transpo app,” she wrote.

Blowing snow hampers Line 1

There were significant delays on Ottawa’s LRT lines Thursday.

Service on Line 1 was reduced to a single track between Tremblay and uOttawa stations, slowing down train delivery in both directions. Delays were also reported on Line 2 and Line 4 Thursday morning, and Line 4 was out of service for about an hour between 1 and 2 p.m.

“Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) has been clearing snow from tracks and infrastructure on O-Train Line 1 throughout the day. They are particularly focused on the section of track between uOttawa and Hurdman stations where a high accumulation of snow and blowing snow has made it difficult to keep the tracks clear,” Amilcar’s memo said. “Line 1 service will continue this afternoon along the entire line with trains travelling on one track between uOttawa and Hurdman stations to allow for ongoing snow clearing operations. Snow clearing operations will continue across the line throughout the remainder of the day and into the overnight hours. Customers may find that their trip is longer as crews clear snow in certain areas.”

Service on all platforms between uOttawa and Tremblay stations resumed just before 5:30 p.m. after single-track service was in place in that area for most of the day.

“O-Train Line 2 and 4 continues to operate across the entire line. Some delays may be experienced this afternoon as snow clearing activities continue in some areas,” said Amilcar.

Gower said there is a lot to learn from how the transit system fared in the storm.

“Far from a perfect commute,” he said.