OC Transpo temporarily cancels dozens of bus trips a day this spring

An OC Transpo bus with a "Not in service" sign is seen in this undated image. (CTV News Ottawa)

OC Transpo is proactively cancelling dozens of bus trips each workday this spring due to longer travel times and an “increase in fleet requirements,” as the transit service rolls out the new spring schedule this week.

The transit service proactively cancelled 255 trips each weekday between early January and April as it dealt with a shortage of buses due to an aging fleet, a backlog in maintenance work on buses and delays in the arrival of new buses.

With the new spring schedule now in effect, OC Transpo is cancelling 279 trips each weekday for the spring schedule.

“Increases in run times on some routes and an increase in fleet requirements have resulted in a temporary decrease of 279 trips each weekday for the spring schedule,” Rick Leary, new OC Transpo general manager, said in a memo to council last week.

“Work to further increase bus availability continues, and OC Transpo will increase the number of trips being delivered as it improves.”

Of the 279 bus trips proactively cancelled, 21 trips are on Route 5, 11 trips on Route 41 between Hurdman and Blair stations, 10 trips on Route 14, nine trips on Route 7, nine trips on Route 12, nine trips on Route 48, and eight trips on Route 90 between Greenboro and Hurdman stations.

OC Transpo has also cancelled 13 trips on Route E1, the express bus that runs between Blair Station and Lyon Station during morning and afternoon peak periods.

As of Friday, OC Transpo had an average of 534 buses available every weekday, with an average weekday requirement of 500 buses.

In a separate memo to council, Leary said the daily bus requirement will be increased slightly during the spring service.

The new spring schedule for OC Transpo began on Sunday, with the transit service making adjustments for seasonal service changes and adjustments for construction.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Changes to the OC Transpo schedule

Here are some of the changes to the OC Transpo spring bus schedule:

• Leary says weekday schedule adjustments will be made to routes 12, 15, 30, 53, 81, 82 and 168 to “better align with observed actual travel times.”
• Routes 7, 25, 75, and 88 will run less frequently during certain weekday time periods due to lower seasonal ridership levels as the winter term ends at post-secondary institutions, according to Leary.
• Routes 7, 10, 48 and 111 will run on detours through Carleton University due to watermain work along Campus Avenue.
• With work underway on Richmond Road at Bayshore Drive, routes 11, 57, 81 and 691 will be detoured when exiting Bayshore Station, via Holly Acres and Richmond roads.
• Route 87 will be detoured along Churchill Avenue and Richmond Road, between Scott Street and Woodroffe Avenue.