Transit Service Detours during Confederation Line Construction

1. Transit Service Detours during Confederation Line Construction Transit Commission December 9, 2013

2. Background • Construction of the Confederation Line requires closure of sections of the Transitway for conversion to light rail • During construction, bus service normally on the Transitway will need to move to parallel corridors • This is an integral part of the Confederation Line project • The Confederation Line project includes the construction of parallel corridors for transit service

3. Events Affecting Transitway Service • June 2013 – Transitway closed at Laurier/Nicholas • 2014 – Highway 417 expansion, Ottawa on the Move • June 2015 – Booth Street closes at LeBreton • October 2015 – Transitway closes, Hurdman to Blair • February 2016 – Transitway closes, Merton to LeBreton • May 2016 – Transitway closes, Laurier to Hurdman • June 2016 – Transitway closes, Tunney’s Pasture to Merton • 2018 – Confederation Line opens

4. Impacts on Customers • As each section of the Transitway closes, bus service will be moved to the parallel corridors • Customers’ travel time will be longer by several minutes • Service standards stay the same • As some stations close, customers’ connection points between bus routes will change

5. Impacts on Operations • Longer bus travel time along the parallel corridors increases operating costs to provide the same capacity • More buses required, more operating and maintenance staff required • Example: • Trips every 5 minutes on a route that takes 30 minutes to complete – 6 buses required • Trips every 5 minutes on a route that takes 35 minutes to complete – 7 buses required • Same capacity (buses every 5 minutes), higher operating costs (1 more bus and one more operator required)

6. Impacts on Costs • More buses required – need to buy or lease more buses, above the current fleet • More operating staff required – enough operators to drive the additional buses • More maintenance staff required – enough service staff to maintain the additional buses • More fuel and other costs incurred

7. How these impacts have been accommodated in the project • Bidders on light rail contract were given strong financial incentives to minimise impact on transit service • Council approved expansion of O-Train service to provide additional north-south transit capacity – to be completed and open in 2014 • Council has approved $74 million in funding: • $63 million for additional operating costs (part of light rail approval, December 2012) • $11 million for acquisition of buses (part of the 2014 capital budget)

8. Planning Service and Operations • Each bidder prepared a different construction plan, with different phasing and different detours • Once RTG was selected to build the Confederation Line, OC Transpo staff began to plan service arrangements under the selected construction plan • OC Transpo staff developed bus route and connection point options to minimise customer inconvenience and to minimise additional operating cost

9. Transitway Realignment at Laurier • In operation since June 2013 • Has added 1 to 2 minutes to customers’ travel time • 2 minutes more built into all scheduled trips • There were no route changes; all connections were maintained

11. Booth Street Closure - June 2015 • Booth Street will be closed at LeBreton Station to allow construction of new Booth Street overpass over Pimisi Station • Booth Street traffic will be moved to a temporary Preston extension • LeBreton Station transferring will take place at the new intersection of Transitway/Preston extension

13. Transitway Closure, Hurdman to Blair - October 2015 • Will be the first major Transitway closure • Most bus routes will move to new bus lanes on Highway 417 and Road 174, under construction by RTG • Some bus routes will move to Tremblay Road to maintain service to the VIA Rail Ottawa Station and nearby businesses • Customers who use Cyrville Station will walk to nearby bus stops

15. Transitway Closure, Merton to LeBreton - February 2016 • Bus routes will move to new bus lanes on Scott and Albert, to be constructed by RTG • There will be no route changes; all connections will be maintained • In discussion with RTG to possibly move the date of this closure earlier to allow for CSST construction

17. Transitway Closure, Laurier to Hurdman - May 2016 • This will be the Transitway closure with the greatest effect on customers • Most bus routes will move to Nicholas • Some bus routes will move to King Edward to maintain service to the University of Ottawa and nearby locations • Bus routes for Billings Bridge and South Keys will continue to serve Hurdman Station • Connections to Carleton University from the east will be relocated to St-Laurent Station

19. Transitway Closure, Tunney’s Pasture to Merton - June 2016 • Bus routes will move to new bus lanes on Scott, to be constructed by RTG • There will be no route changes; all connections will be maintained • By this time, Booth Street may be reopened for north-south traffic on the new overpass

21. Detours continue until 2018 • Each section of the Transitway, once it closes for conversion to light rail, will never reopen for buses • Transitway detours will remain in place until the Confederation Line opens • Next set of route changes occurs when the Confederation Line opens • Central parts of the Transitway and express routes will be replaced by train service • Express and local routes will be adjusted to feed the Confederation Line stations

22. Planning Fleet and Operating Requirements • Service detours require additional buses, staff, and other costs • $74 million in funding approved for capital and operating costs • 22 buses available within current fleet • Bus acquisition must be initiated in early 2014 because of lead time to manufacture and deliver buses • Options examined for bus acquisition: • What type of buses to acquire? • How to acquire the buses?

23. Bus Type Options • The required capacity could be provided by adding: • 78 new 40-foot buses • 52 new articulated buses • 39 new double-decker buses • Conclusion: • Acquire higher-capacity buses • Both articulated and double-decker buses have lower capital costs and lower operating costs than 40-foot buses • Current experience indicates that double-decker buses have the lowest costs per customer

24. Bus Acquisition Options • Leasing • Investigated by a RFI to suppliers • Approximately 75% of purchase price for a three-year lease • Purchase as early replacement • Buy buses in 2015-16 that would otherwise have been required in 2019-21 to replace life-expired buses from 2001- 2003 • Use new buses to increase fleet size from 2015-16, retire life-expired buses on schedule in 2019-21 to reduce fleet size to required levels after the Confederation Line opens • Conclusion: • Leasing unaffordable • Early replacement recommended; fits transit affordability plan

25. Bus Acquisition Strategy • Go to market to confirm pricing • Issue RFP for purchase of buses in early 2014 • Advise bidders that decision will be made on all-in operating and capital costs • Will provide solid, market-tested capital costs • Potential for capital costs to be lower with competition • New buses will meet current standards – security cameras and DVR, Wi-Fi* automated passenger counters. *evaluating options for Wi-Fi use, including corporate Wi-Fi strategy

26. Expected Costs – Ongoing Management • Costs are being kept as low as possible • Assumed very high availability of new buses • Using cautious estimates of time for detours • Based on same capacity standards as the rest of the transit system • Operating costs may vary from current calculations • Details of detours still under discussion with RTG • Actual travel time may vary when detours are in place • Actual transit ridership levels could be higher • Bus fleet availability could be better after current projects • We will manage and adjust to meet the $74 million available

27. Customer Information Strategy • Being developed to help customers adapt to: • Relocated station platforms • Relocated connection points • Longer travel times • Service benefits to come with the Confederation Line • Will be ready before first major section of Transitway closes in 2015

28. Questions?