What you need to know about OC Transpo's bus route overhaul

It's been more than four months since OC Transpo announced it's planning to overhaul its bus routes and now customers have a few more details about changes to their commutes.

Last week, thetransit service launched its new campaigndubbed "New Ways to Bus"to help riders prepare for major changeswhen the expanded north-south Trillium Line trains return later in spring or summer.

OC Transpohas called it a "route optimization" and said the sweeping changes will drop about 74,000 service hours per year, or 3.5 per cent of current network service levels.

Ridership fell short of recent targets and has consistently trailed the pandemic recovery of other Canadian cities, contributing to a budget gap.

OC Transpo's general managerRene Amilcartold the city's transit commission the overhaulwas not about "cost-cutting," but rather "the responsible decision" by a steward of taxpayers' dollars.

The city hired third-party consultantDillon Consultingto study, review and propose changes tothe network.

• Will you be affected by the bus route overhaul? Share your story with us.

What are the changes?

The overhaul coming this year is the biggest since a review in 2011 thatprompted thousands of customer complaints.

According to the New Ways to Bus website, "every neighbourhood and most customers will see changes to their trip."

There will be more frequent service on some routesand 58 local routes designed to deliver riders to neighbourhood destinations and busy transit hubs.

There will also be 17 fast,peak-period connections to theO-Train.

Some people will have to travel farther to get to bus stopsand in some cases,transfer more frequentlyto connecting buses or trains, OC Transposaid.

Some routes will be axed completely due to low ridership, but the transit service says alternatives will be available nearby.

"A lot of the new routes try to capture the common denominator," explained Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo, who said the changes will mean less focus on connecting to downtown and more emphasis on bridging local travel.

"I completely understand the cynicism and unease that comes with any major change," he said.

"I believe this is our last chance to truly recover OC Transpo's reputation."

Which routes are affected?

OC Transpo saidat this time, it's not planning to change 300-series shopper routes, 400-series event routes, 600-series school routes or nighttime routes, but urges customers to keep checking its website for any updates.

Since most routes will see some change from extensions totimingto replacements the city has listed 27 routes that will remain unchanged: 6, 14, 19, 21, 23, 26, 38, 42, 44, 45, 47, 51, 56, 57, 67, 84, 87, 90, 98, 139, 158, 221, 222, 228, 237, 262 and277.

Several 200-series routes will be cancelled. Some transit riders told CBC News in the fall they felt betrayedby that decision.

OC Transpo's website breaks down the changesby route number, so customers can see how their individual travel patterns will change.

"So feeder buses to the train the old express routes, the old connection routes that's where people are going to see the greatest reduction," said Pat Scrimgeour, director of transit customer systems and planning with OC Transpo.

"We're responding to travel patterns that people are making now."

When will the changes begin?

It's not clear exactly when transit riders will start seeing their bus routes change, as OC Transpo says it'll begin once O-Train lines 2 and 4 start running.

TheTrillium Line has been delayed a few timesand no firm deadline was given during last month's progress update.

Transit staff at the time suggested the Trillium Linemay open between July and September.

"We'll open the system when we'll be ready, but for now I'm confident that it will be this spring," Amilcar said in response to a question last week.

At one time, a smaller line was supposed to be open in the fall of 2021. The target was September 2022 by the time construction began.

Scrimgeour said more information will emerge in the coming weeks and months, includingspecific schedules anddates.

"We can't say yet what those dates are," he told CBC on Monday.

Ottawa Morning10:51Whats in OC Transpos bus route overhaul?

OC Transpo says its helping customers prepare for a major overhaul of its network with a campaign called 'New Ways to Bus' it launched last week. We get a preview with the chair of the transit commission, Coun. Glen Gower.