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O-Train)
Map of Ottawa Rapid Transit (click to enlarge)
In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the public transit sevices operated by OC Transpo have two rapid transit systems: the Transitway, a bus rapid transit network, and the O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail line.
Transitway
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.
It is traveled by three bus routes, all primarily east-west:
- 95 - Fallowfield to Orleans/Trim
- 96 - Kanata/Stittsville to Hurdman
- 97 - Bayshore to South Keys/Airport
One trouble spot is in the downtown section of the central Transitway, where the busway consists of a single bus-only lane on each of 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 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; many of these are high-capacity articulated buses.
Route legs
South-West (95)
- Fallowfield - Located at Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road in Barrhaven, beside the Barrhaven VIA Rail Station. Western terminus of Route 95.
- Fallowfield to Baseline is along Woodroffe Avenue in a dedicated lane.
- Baseline - Located on Woodroffe Avenue across from Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology.
- Beyond Baseline, the Transitway is fully isolated to Lincoln Fields.
- Iris - Located on Iris Street in Kenson Park.
- Queensway - Located at the Queensway and Woodroffe in the Whitehaven neighbourhood. Also serves eastbound Route 96.
West (96, 97)
- Stittsville - Western terminus of some Route 96 trips. Park and Ride facility located in Stittsville.
- Terry Fox - Located adjacent the Kanata Centrum shopping centre at Kanata Avenue and Earl Grey Drive. Most eastbound 96 trips begin here (including all Sunday and holiday trips). Entered service in September 2004 with construction still having been underway at that time; it officially opened on February 22, 2005. Previously, a small terminal at Kanata Town Centre, on Katimavik Road, was used.
- 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.
- Eagleson - Park and Ride located at Eagleson Rd. and Highway 417.
- 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.
- Bayshore - Located at the Bayshore Shopping Centre . Western terminus of Route 97.
- 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. Plans are for a new Transitway corridor parallel to the 417, although the high cost has put that off indefinitely.
Central (All routes)
- At Lincoln Fields, the West and South-West branches merge.
- Lincoln Fields - Located at Carling Avenue and the Ottawa River Parkway .
- From Lincoln Fields to Dominion, the Transitway travels the Ottawa River Parkway in a dedicated lane.
- Dominion - Located off of Dominion Avenue on the Ottawa River Parkway.
- From Dominion to Lebreton, the Transitway runs in an isolated, below-grade road.
- Westboro - Located on Scott Street in Westboro .
- Tunney's Pasture - Located at Scott Street and Holland Avenue at the Tunney's Pasture government office complex.
- Bayview (O-Train) - Located at the eastern end of Scott Street when it becomes Wellington Street. Northern terminus of the O-Train.
- Lebreton - Located on Booth Street in Lebreton Flats .
- 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 arragement continues to just past Metcalfe.
- Bay - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Bay Street.
- Kent - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Kent Street.
- Bank - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Bank Street.
- Metcalfe - Located on Albert and Slater Streets at Metcalfe Street.
- The isolated Transitway resumes at Elgin Street.
- Just past Hurdman, two isolated routes branch off: the East Transitway and South-East Transitway.
East (95)
- Train - Located at the Ottawa Train Station (VIA Rail) on Tremblay Road.
- Past Train, the dedicated Transitway parallels the Queensway to beyond Blair.
- St. Laurent - Located at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre on St. Laurent Boulevard .
- Cyrville - Located at Cyrville Road and the Queensway.
- Blair - Located at the Gloucester Centre on Blair Road.
- 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 may be upgraded to full Transitway stations in the future.
- Place d'Orleans - Located at the Place d'Orleans shopping complex in Orleans and is the main East terminus of Route 95.
- There is no dedicated bus lane from Place d'Orleans to Trim, buses run in mixed traffic.
- Trim - Located at Trim Road. This park-and-ride station is used by Route 95 in peak periods.
South-East (97)
- Lycée Claudel (formerly Abbey) - Located on old Riverside Drive across from the Lycée Claudel school.
- Smyth - Located at Riverside Drive and Smyth Road.
- Riverside - Located at the Riverside Hospital on Riverside Drive.
- Pleasant Park - Located at Pleasant Park Road and Riverside Drive.
- Billings Bridge - Located at the Billings Bridge Plaza on Bank Street.
- Heron - Located at Heron Park on Heron Road.
- Walkley - Located at Walkley Road and the Airport Parkway.
- Greenboro (O-Train) - Located at Bank Street and Johnston Road at the north end of the South Keys shopping complex. Southern terminus of the O-Train.
- South Keys - Located at Bank Street and the Airport Parkway at the south end of the South Keys shopping complex. Main east terminus of Route 97.
- The isolated Transitway ends at Hunt Club road; 97 buses continuing to the Airport take the Airport Parkway.
O-Train
The O-Train was introduced in 2001 as a pilot project for light rail service. The initial line runs north-south on a purchased railway line, from Bayview to Greenboro. It is entirely isolated from road traffic and not shared with other trains, but the O-Trains must occasionally stop to allow freight or passenger trains to pass at crossings.
The present system uses three diesel-powered Bombardier Talent low-floor trains. These trains are similar to ones used on main-line railways in Germany and Austria, and so would normally be classed as heavy-rail trains, but as they do not meet North American standards for buffer strength, they are being considered for the pilot project and for future planning as if they were light-rail vehicles (for example, OC Transpo does not believe Transport Canada would approve operating them on lines shared with freight trains).
The project may eventually expand to a point where electric-powered vehicles replace the diesel Talents, making it a true light-rail system in all respects.
The local government has announced expansion plans for this rail service to other parts of Ottawa (preferably using electric trams suitable for running in an urban environment), including possible links to the Ottawa International Airport, the growing Riverside South community (and eventually Barrhaven), and downtown as far as the Rideau Centre. Another east-west route, between Kanata and Orleans mainly via an existing railway right-of-way bypassing downtown, has been planned. Service to Gatineau would also be possible (and desirable, considering the potential base of commuters), as there is a railway bridge over the Ottawa River nearby, but the government of Gatineau is opposed to extending the O-Train into their territory. As well, the track north of the Bayview station would need to be re-built to meet the O-Train's standards.
It has been suggested that the name O-Train is based on the name of Toronto's commuter rail system, the GO Train, but it also matches in form exactly with Calgary's C-Train, and is similar to New York City's various subway routes, the A-Train, B-Train, and so on.
Stations
