OC Transpo looks to improve service on Route 85

An OC Transpo bus turns onto Elgin St. from Wellington St. in downtown Ottawa, Ont. in this undated photo. (Photo by Shubham Sharan on Unsplash)

OC Transpo is looking at options to improve service on Route 85, including a shuttle loop from Pimisi Station to Gatineau, according to a city councillor.

Route 85 between Bayshore and Gatineau, serving Lincoln Fields, the Ottawa Hospital and Pimisi, is one of the worst performing routes in the transit service, with dozens of trips cancelled.

Statistics presented to the Transit Commission showed there were 165 trips cancelled on Route 85 in May.

"This route is highly unreliable and unable to adhere to its time schedule," Coun. Riley Brockington said on Twitter.

Brockington, Transit Commission Chair Glen Gower and Coun. Jeff Leiper met with OC Transpo General Manager Renee Amilcar on Thursday to discuss the challenges with Route 85, after several councillors raised concerns about the route during the June Transit Commission meeting.

"We discussed challenges, as well as possible options to improve service. I am committed to a solution," Brockington said.

A graphic shared by Brockington outlining the challenges and observations says, "Overall reliability is low for both directions of Route 85."

Transit staff say late trip starts account for a large proportion of the lateness in both directions, with the "most significant pinch points" being Lincoln Fields Station and the Chaudiere Crossing over the Ottawa River.

OC Transpo staff say run times are affected by many factors, including construction at Lincoln Fields Station and on the Chaudiere Crossing and increased congestion along Carling Avenue and Hwy. 417.

In response to a comment on Twitter proposing a single line loop serving Gatineau from Tunney's Pasture, Brockington said, "This was one of the main options discussed, a shuttle loop from Pimisi Station."

Amilcar promised councillors a plan to fix Route 85 service in June, adding OC Transpo would put additional service on the route to fill gaps.

The other two worst performing routes are Route 11 (254 trip cancellations in May) and Route 75 (165 undelivered trips).

In May, OC Transpo's bus service delivery was 98.7 per cent for all routes, with an average of 130 out of 8,100 trips cancelled on an average weekday.