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TRANSITWAY Major routes The Transitway is one of the most extensive and successful implementations of Bus Rapid Transit ; many of the Transitway roads are above or below the grade of normal streets in Ottawa, by the use of overpasses, bridges, and trench highways. Thus, they rarely intersect directly with the regular traffic, and make it possible for the buses (and emergency vehicles) to continue at full speed even during rush hour. Buses that travel on the Transitway can cross very long distances (especially outside the downtown area) without stopping for a single traffic light. Most sections of the Transitway have a speed limit of 70-90 km/h (45-55 mph) between stations, and 50 km/h (30 mph) in the station areas. Many bus routes use parts of the Transitway, but there are three primary, high-frequency routes:
Other cross-town routes that includes significant transitway stretches include:
Future or proposed new routes Route 118 has been extended to Orleans in rush hour. If service is expanded to make it an all-day route, then it would be considered rapid-transit, and would be renumbered to route 108. A coalition group had launched a website (see external links section below) about a proposed new route from Barrhaven to Kanata via Bayshore and Baseline stations. This would require rebuilding the ramps connecting the grade-separated section of the Transitway to the Transitway lanes along Highway 417. Former 2009 Transit Service Plan In June 2006, the City of Ottawa released a 2009 service plan, for the O-Train route, the Transitway and new bus routes (''see City of Ottawa website ). Since the 2006 election that took place months later, this plan has been cancelled. It shows new extensions. To the west, there are new Moodie, Bells Corners, Queensway-Carleton, Hazeldean and Kanata North Transitway stops. To the south, there is a new Nepean Sportsplex stop, and proposed stops for Strandherd and Marketplace. To the east, the Southeastern transitway is extended to Hawthorne, and the Eastern to Blackburn Hamlet and beyond. To the north, there is a planned stop at the Les Terrasses Complex. It also investigates the possibility of transitway buses along Baseline, another downtown location, and from further east on the Queensway from Kirkwood all the way to Eagleson. New Routes 93, 94, 98, 101, 102, and 108 are included. Central transitway traffic issue In the downtown section of the Central Transitway , the busway consists of a single bus-only lane on Albert and Slater Streets (one-way public streets in opposite east and west directions). Traffic congestion here, where the buses mingle with private vehicles, sometimes causes service delays and is seen by some as the main weakness in the Transitway system. The Transit Committee had planned to reduce the number of buses travelling on Albert and Slater streets by 30% if the extension of the light-rail was implemented. Other measures may be implemented to avoid traffic problems despite the cancellation of the O-Train extension downtown. Type of buses The Transitway routes generally use Low Floor "accessible" buses, with an aim to improve access to the service by the elderly and handicapped, and to speed up boarding by other passengers; most of these are high-capacity Articulated Bus es. Route 96 has used the new Invero low-floor buses since September 2005 and route 101 (formerly known as route 99) since the start of spring 2006. Extension projects There have been plans to expand the transitway to reach other parts of Ottawa; currently it only runs along the North edge of the city for most of the central area, leaving Transitway bus routes (94, 95, 96, 97) to mix with other traffic on local streets on the end parts of their runs. Some future extensions may include:
O-TRAIN See Also: Ottawa O-Train Since 2001, Ottawa has operated a Light Rail transit system called the O-Train as a pilot for the full rollout of light rail transit technology. The pilot has been deemed a success, exceeding its ridership targets significantly; it carries 10,000 passengers per weekday. The pilot route utilizes former Canadian Pacific Railway track running south from the Ottawa River a distance of 8 km to the South Keys shopping plaza, slightly to the west of the downtown core. The system is used extensively by Carleton University students who have long complained about poor bus service relative to University Of Ottawa students (who have two bus stations on the central transitway). The current line was to be replaced, and then extended south-west (but later cancelled by City Council). It would have contained two parallel tracks, and be electrified. Full operation would have begun in 2009-2010 with a total length of 27 km. The route of the extension was chosen to service areas of future city growth (although some feel that it would have been better to focus on current problem areas). As a part of the extension, the service would have also be routed directly into the downtown core at the north end. The trains would have run on the downtown streets currently devoted to the rapid transit corridor, in dedicated lanes. There would have been a reduction in the number of buses passing through the downtown core to accommodate the train lanes. (See animation of downtown traffic flow .) A formal environmental assessment was underway to examine providing a second line for east-west service. Although the idea was to improve Ottawa's capacity problems for east-west transportation, critics of the process (including light rail supporters) believed the preferred route would have not address these problems successfully. RAPID TRANSIT STATIONS Transitway South-west (95)
From Strandherd to Fallowfield, buses travel north on Greenbank Road and then east on Fallowfield Road. However there are plans to connect Strandherd and Fallowfield with a bus-only roadway beside the Via Rail line. Fallowfield to near Nepean Sportsplex is along a newly-opened (as of , the first on the Transitway. From Nepean Sportsplex to Baseline, buses run along Woodroffe Avenue in a dedicated lane, making several stops at regular bus stops. Beyond Baseline, the Transitway is fully isolated to Lincoln Fields. West (96, 97) To this point the route is on non-dedicated street lanes along collector and arterial roads, much like a standard bus route. Regular stops are made between Stittsville and Eagleson. However, in the long range, there are possible plans to built a Transitway segment between the two stations. In addition, Teron Station located at the corner of Campeau Drive and March Road will be a new station starting in September 2007 and which will be serve by Rapid Transit Route 101 . {Link without Title} The Transitway proper starts past Eagleson, with a dedicated lane on the 417. One stop is made (on request only via a special signal) at the Moodie Drive interchange. The Transitway leaves the 417 at Bayshore and takes Richmond and Carling streets to Lincoln Fields. Eastbound 96 returns to the 417 (now the Queensway) to go via Queensway station, with one stop at the Pinecrest Road interchange. By 2009 a new extension of the West Transitway will be built using the northern edge of the 417 and will go towards Pinecrest Road with one new station : Dumaurier Station . There is no date on when the section between Pinecrest and the Southwest Transitway will be built. Central (all routes) At Lincoln Fields, the West and South-west branches merge. From Lincoln Fields to Dominion, the Transitway travels the Ottawa River Parkway in a shared traffic lane. From Dominion to just past Tunney's Pasture Station, the Transitway runs in an isolated, below-grade road built on the roadbed of a former railway line. From just past Tunney's Pasture Station to Booth Street, the Transitway runs in an isolated, at-grade road built on the roadbed of a former railway line. Just past Lebreton, the isolated transitway ends and eastbound buses take Slater Street, while westbound buses are on Albert Street; there are dedicated lanes on both streets, but traffic is generally slow in the dense downtown core. This arrangement continues to just past Metcalfe. Over the Mackenzie King Bridge, the Transitway continues in dedicated lanes. The isolated Transitway resumes at Waller Street. Just past Hurdman, the Transitway branches into two routes: the East Transitway and South-East Transitway. East (95) Past Train, the dedicated Transitway parallels the Queensway to beyond Blair. The Transitway joins the Queensway a short stretch past Blair, running in a dedicated lane. Route 95 buses exit at Montreal Road and at Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard and stop on the ramps at ordinary bus stops; these will be upgraded to full Transitway stations by 2009, tentatively named Montreal/St. Joseph and Jeanne d'Arc Stations. On their 2006-2007 system map OC Transpo had included Jeanne d'Arc as a transit station. {Link without Title} There is no dedicated bus lane from Place d'Orleans to Trim, buses run in mixed traffic. However, in the long range there could be a separate route built. South-east (97) The isolated Transitway ends at Hunt Club road; 97 buses continuing to the Airport take the Airport Parkway. Note: Buses heading towards the airport after approximately 10:00 PM use Hunt Club and Uplands rather than the Airport Parkway. Ottawa O-Train For more information see O-Train Route The Ottawa O-Train pilot service has five station stops. Bayview (at which it interfaces with the central transitway), Carling (interfacing with major bus routes), Carleton (serving Carleton University ), Confederation, and Greenboro (at which it interfaces with the south-east transitway). SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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