OC Transpo to stop running replacement buses today
The replacement buses that replaced Ottawa's light rail system while it was shut down will stop running after Tuesday’s evening rush hour, the head of OC Transpo says.
“Due to consistent O-train Line 1 service and low R1 replacement bus passenger volumes, R1 service will end after today’s afternoon peak period,” Renée Amilcar said in a memo Tuesday.
The LRT resumed partial service on Friday, but OC Transpo continued to run the R1 buses as another option for east-west passengers.
The train service had been shut down since Sept. 19 after two derailments in six weeks.
They ran only during peak periods on Monday after running all day last Friday and through the weekend.
OC Transpo diverted buses from other routes to provide the R1 service.
Transfer window not increasing
Council passed a motion last month to extend the maximum transfer time on OC Transpo by 60 minutes while R1 service was in place.
However, “given that OC Transpo reliability has increased since the resumption of O-Train Line 1 service, the transfer periods remain 90-minutes for most of the day and 105-minutes in the early morning and late in the day,” Amilcar said.
The city is going to consider a permanent two-hour transfer window after council passed another motion directing them to look into it. Staff are expected to report back in the second quarter of 2022.
Fare increase could be delayed
Coun. Allan Hubley, the chair of the Transit Commission, says he plans to introduce a motion at Wednesday’s meeting that would see a planned fare increase delayed.
Average OC Transpo fares are set to increase by 2.5 per cent on Jan. 1.
However, Hubley’s motion would see that planned increase delayed until one month after the LRT has the full complement of 15 trains running.
City officials say they hope full service will be in effect by mid-December.
That would mean the fare increase could be delayed until at least mid-January.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.