OC Transpo's fall changes steer passengers to LRT

OC Transpo's new fall schedule comes with changes to two dozenroutes, the final tweaks beforethe launchof the city's new light rail system.

The schedule came into effect Sunday.

Routes running throughOrlans, Vanier, Overbrook and downtown are being directedtoward LRT stations, most of which are doubling now as Transitwaystops.

Route 12will probe further into downtown Ottawa after complaints from people living east of the core.

The changeover to fall means more frequent stops alongschool routes and others that saw reduced service during the summer months, as well asthe end of routes such as the 139 to Petrie Island and 185 to the Canada Agriculture and FoodMuseum.

Here are some otherhighlights:

Downtown

• Route 11 is being shortened, ending at Elgin and Queen streets atits east end and at Lincoln Fields to the west.
• Routes 6, 7, 11, 12, 16 and 19 will move from Wellington, Albert and Slater streetsto Queen Street, where the new Parliament Station will open near Bank Street, once Queen Street construction ends.
• Routes 17 and 18 will alsoconnect to Parliament Station.
• Route 4 to Carleton University becomes the10, but will follow the same route.

Orlans

• Routes 32, 34 and 38 will run all day to Blair Station.
• Route 134 will be replaced by Route 34.
• Route 131 will no longer travelnorth of Highway 174.Route 138 will connect Place d'Orlansto theSaint-Louis Residence.

Overbrook and Vanier

• The aforementioned route 12 connecting Blair station to downtown through Vanier stops atMetcalfeStreet, not Bank Street.
• The city says routes 18 and 19 will connect more directly with St-Laurent station.
• New route 20 will run to the Montfort Hospital andRichelieu-Vanier Community Centre.

Other

• Route 106 has been shortened to end at the Riverside hospital, not Hurdman station.
• Route 107, which replaces the O-Train when it's out of service, will now be named R2. This is either short for "Line 2 Replacement" or a homage to the cute droid fromStar Wars.

Once the trains are running, more changes will be coming to steer bus commuters toward light rail stations such as Tunney's Pasture, Blair and Hurdman.