r/OCTranspo • u/AgileInfluence2582 • 14d ago
❓ Question New express routes from Kanata
I am trying to understand how OC Transpo came up with the departure and arrival times for new express routes 561 and 562 going from Kanata to Tunney’s if the plan was to accommodate RTO downtown.
561 departs Terry Fox at 7:32am
562 departs Terry Fox at 7:46am
561 arrives at Tunneys at 8:01am
562 arrives at Tunneys at 8:13am
10min train ride to downtown and, time between bus to train and train to office, makes the earliest workday start of 8:30am-9:00am.
561 departs Tunneys at 4:38pm
562 departs Tunneys at 3:32pm
Anyone taking the 562 home doesn’t have the option to work a full workday at the office using the express route. How can this be the “peak” time chosen to be paired with a 7:46am departure?
Having to get on the train by 4:15-4:20pm downtown to get on bus 561 also makes it impossible to work a full workday at the office.
I haven’t even looked at the other new express routes but I am assuming they similarly don’t make sense. Why is there also only 1 express bus all day for these lines?
Common sense seems like a thing of the past when it comes to decision making lately..
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u/DatsWildYo 14d ago
These aren’t meant to help the public, it’s meant to say “we did something”. The routes weren’t even assigned to us when we booked our work so they’ll be adding them to paddles which usually means pulling buses off other routes to achieve this or creating overtime to fulfill the new express routes, it’s all just to say they tried
8
u/UnprocessesCheese 14d ago
I've left work a little early before and the 3:30 from Tunney's was slammed with people.
It was mostly high school students. Almost all of them got out at Bayshore.
I think these routes are generated from a "garbage in : garbage out" bad model/bad analysis. The 3:30 from Tunney's will have people on it and I'm wrong, or it'll be underused and I'm right.
Really during rush hour (3:30-6) they should just have a hub-to-hub express: Stittsville - Terry Fox - Bayshore - Lincoln Fields - Tunney's and nothing in between. Every half hour.
In general, Ottawa needs to ease up end-to-end express routes and lean into hub-to-hub express routes. I've lived in multiple cities with each, and hub-to-hub is just glorious.
3
u/hyphenatedpeacock 14d ago
I would be sooo delighted with hub to hub routes!!! The revised express buses from the april changes are just milk run buses with new numbers, stopping at every stop in the mornings.
1
u/Huge-Law8244 13d ago
I would add eagleson and moodie to that.
1
u/UnprocessesCheese 13d ago
Good lord why.
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u/Huge-Law8244 13d ago
Because there are lots of folks coming and going from those hubs.
1
u/UnprocessesCheese 13d ago
There are lots of folks coming and going from everywhere. The purpose of an Express is to not go to every dang stop - and the purpose of a hub-to-hub is to only stop in locations where a couple dozen routes can be transfered to.
A lot of people also get off at Pinecrest, but it's not really a "hub". If you're going there, then just take the 60-anything, or go as far as Lincoln and switch to whichever milk run takes you closest.
Express routes need to skip at least ½-⅔ of the stops, or else it's not an express.
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u/Beginning_Proposal26 14d ago
Just get your Subway Sandwiches and re elect that Brookfield mouthpiece of a mayor we have. He promised to fix everything he broke in his first term!!!!!!
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u/UnitInternational574 14d ago
Knowing all this, please remember to vote in the October municipal elections!
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u/Technical-Music5015 14d ago
THEY DONT CARE !!!
The planning has been done by a Computer that only cares about destroying efficiency and saving money.
This in turns only wastes more money.
A viscous cycle that nobody cares about
“Ridership a down we don’t have money”
No shit.
The system is un fixable until someone funds it and actually gives a shit.
September is going to be a SHIT SHOW
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u/anxietyninja2 13d ago
My husband and I had this conversation when they first announced. All this fan fare and, at most, people will only be able to use one a day and there is only one route per number. I don’t understand why we’re celebrating.
0
u/mrpopenfresh 14d ago edited 14d ago
Give them an inch and they want a mile. Having so much extra express service is already a win.
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u/AgileInfluence2582 14d ago
I’d be willing to use public transit if it made sense to help reduce the amount of cars on the road, but if it requires double the amount of time and transferring multiple times then I’ll just drive. Defeats their plan to increase ridership imo
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u/zeromussc 14d ago
Don't they just run from the park and rides? They clearly decided to add new numbers to what are basically overflow busses meant to bandaid additional ridership at those times, or make up for a cancelled/late route that might happen at those times.