OC Transpo adding more shelters to Hurdman, Tunney's Pasture stations

OC Transpo says it will be adding more shelters to the bus stops at Hurdman and Tunney's Pasture stations over the next six weeks.

These two LRT stations used to have temporary scaffolding up to help shield riders from the elements as they went from the Confederation Line LRT to bus stops, but the scaffolding was removed last spring.

Now, OC Transpo says commuters will notice construction while the new bus shelters are installed — nine at Hurdman and 14 at Tunney's Pasture.

"The interim on-street style shelters will be added on the bus loop platforms between the existing shelters. Customers will notice on-site signage in place to guide them around construction work," OC Transpo says.

Installation of the new shelters will begin Monday at Tunney's Pasture. Workers will be removing the tree pits at Hurdman Station, starting Monday, before the new shelters are installed. OC Transpo says the shrubs that were planted at Hurdman have already been replanted at Cyrville Station.

OC Transpo confirmed each of the new temporary shelters costs $10,000, but they can be reused. 

"Once a permanent solution is constructed to improve shade and weather protection at Tunney's Pasture and Hurdman stations, the on-street shelters will be relocated elsewhere in the network to reduce throwaway costs," OC Transpo said.

Director of customer systems and planning Pat Scrimgeour told CTV News Ottawa the scaffolding was becoming costly, and the shelters were a better alternative.

"We were renting it, so it's expensive to rent. So we took that out, and what council asked us to do is have another look at what we could do to give more comfort in the years until this station (Tunney's Pasture) is reconfigured again with the further extension of the line. And so these shelters are what's going on right now," he said.

Tunney's Pasture is currently the western terminus on the Confederation Line, but it will become another stop along a much longer line when the Stage 2 western extension is complete. The current timeline for completiton is late 2026. 

Transit riders say they're happy to get some more room to shelter from the elements.

"They do get full; like, when there was the snow storm a couple of days ago and I came home from school. It was so full, there was no space for me to go in," said Isabelle Mook-Jodouin. "With the bus coming by, sometimes there's slush and then it sprays you. So this, at least, gives you a barrier so you don't get splashed."

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau.

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