Councillors want downtown buses back until LRT is more 'dependable'
Buses again replaced LRT trains on east end of line Tuesday afternoon
Three Ottawa city councillors are calling on OC Transpo to restore bus service through the core until the transit agency can ensure the new light-rail system is "dependable."
Coun. Jeff Leiper said an LRT breakdown Tuesday which left commuters trudging through snow was, in his mind, the "straw that breaks the camel's back."
"We saw social media discussions about people waiting for some long times in the cold, people being asked to walk … on sidewalks that didn't look plowed," he told CBC's Ottawa Morning Wednesday.
"The train needs to work before we can ask people to continue relying on it."
It was -10 C at 4 p.m. at the Ottawa airport, with a wind chill making it feel like -19.
Train service between St-Laurent and Blair stations came to a halt for approximately one hour Tuesday because of a stopped train at Cyrville station.
OC Transpo ran backup buses between the stations.
Councillors Catherine McKenney, Carol Anne Meehan and Leiper tweeted to express their frustration.
"After careful consideration [Coun. Jeff Leiper] and I are calling for the restoration of all R1 busses until the trains are dependable," Coun. McKenney wrote in a Tweet.
R1 buses run along the Confederation Line route when rail service is disrupted, mirroring the routes which used to be served by retired buses such as the 95.
After careful consideration <a href="https://twitter.com/JLeiper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JLeiper</a> and I are calling for the restoration of all R1 busses until the trains are dependable. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LRT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LRT</a>
—@cmckenneyI feel horrible for commuters tonight delayed in the cold by another train failure. It’s time to bring back the suburban routes until some period of virtually flawless performance is achieved. <a href="https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimWatsonOttawa</a>, we need to initiate discussions on how to do this. <a href="https://twitter.com/cmckenney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cmckenney</a>
—@JLeiperI agree. Serious solutions are needed now. City has to act because according to transit Chair Allan Hubley RTG maintenance is not taking problems seriously. <a href="https://t.co/iHnGlYegF6">https://t.co/iHnGlYegF6</a>
—@MeehanCarolAnneThe transit agency said 17 buses were used for Tuesday's replacement service, which also saw Routes 25, 30 and 39 begin their routes at St-Laurent — the 30 and 39 usually begin at of Blair.
Since the LRT took over for major bus routes Oct. 6, more than a dozen delays have prompted OC Transpo to run backup buses.
With files from CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning