By Meaghan Butler
Centretown bus riders will get to their destinations much faster and easier next fall, says OC Transpo. Transit planners have proposed changes to more than 60 bus routes in the region, including those along Bronson and Bank Streets.
“The changes in Centretown are fairly minor,” says Colin Leech, a transit planner at OC Transpo. “One of the things we’re trying to do is solidify and consolidate routes.”
Transplan ‘99, the transit’s restructuring proposal, calls for straighter routes and faster more frequent service. If approved, the changes will be implemented this September.
The most noticeable modification to the downtown routes is the extension of route 4 north on Bronson Street up to Albert Street.
“One of the complaints was not having a bus running the full length of Bronson (Street),” says Leech.
He adds the change to route 4, which would no longer run on Catherine Street, may be a problem for some, but he says every time a route is modified there is always someone negatively affected.
Route 7, which now runs to St. Laurent station, would only travel to the Rideau Centre and would be extended west past Carleton University to Baseline Station. To compensate, route 1, which now runs to the Rideau Centre, would extend to St. Laurent station.
“That means the length (of route 7) will be cut in half and be more on time,” says Regional Coun. Clive Doucet.
He says he thinks many residents in Centretown and the Glebe will be happy with the proposed changes.
But some Centretown residents say they don’t think the changes will impact their daily routines.
Mina Akhtar, a grade 11 student at Glebe Collegiate Institute on Glebe Avenue, takes a route 4 bus from Bank and Queen Streets to get to school. She says it doesn’t matter if it changes because she can catch route 85 instead. “It’s just one less bus.”
John Martin, who works at Lansdowne Park, also says he won’t be affected by the changes since he can still take either route 1 or 7 down Bank Street.
If the proposal is implemented, route 19 and 11 are proposed routes to be cancelled. The loss of route 19 would be compensated by improvements to route 4, and route 11 would be replaced by increasing the service of route 1. Route 5 would be straightened for a more direct and faster trip from Vanier.
The proposal was presented to members of the regional council earlier this month.
Doucet says the route changes inside the greenbelt are good because they will bring better, frequent service on Ottawa’s principle streets such as Bronson, Carling and Bank Streets.
“(Now), when you walk to Bank Street you won’t have to sweat about when the next bus is coming.”
“I think it is improved service,” says Regional Coun. Diane Holmes. She adds that the straightening out of routes reduces the circles made in residential areas.
Doucet adds that the changes will lead to better connections to the proposed light rail station at Carleton University. “The idea is to create a rapid loop around Ottawa.”
He adds the improved routes and the light rail system will ease congestion downtown and make it easier to get in and out of Ottawa.
Transplan ‘99 is phase one of two the transit company is working on. Phase one will focus on routes inside the greenbelt while phase two will restructure routes outside the greenbelt such as those in Orleans and Kanata.
“It’s too much to do in one year,” says Leech. He adds delaying big changes to bus routes in communities outside the greenbelt is more efficient since they’re still expanding and might have to be changed again later.
Leech says OC Transpo’s next step is informing the public about the changes through a series of open-house presentations throughout the region in March. Meetings in Centretown are scheduled for March 22 and 23 at the Rideau Centre from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and March 30 at the Ottawa-Carleton Centre on Lisgar Street from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Take-home brochures will also be available on buses and the proposed changes can be found on OC Transpo’s web page at http://www.octranspo.com.
The deadline for residents to respond to the proposal is April 16.
Holmes says the more residents that come out and comment on the proposal the better.