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Consultation in progress: Review of the service offer in certain sectors, February 27 to March 19, 2023

Background

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the STO is reviewing the service offer and level in certain Gatineau sectors in preparation for the fall service slated to begin on August 28.

In a context of limited resources and the challenges posed to public transit by urban sprawl and urban infrastructures, the STO must optimize the use and allocation of its current resources. Moreover, it wants to ensure that tomorrow's system better reflects mobility needs that have been constantly evolving over the past few years.

There is also the extension of the Rapibus corridor to boulevard Lorrain, including the connection to station Lorrain, which, starting this fall, will present new opportunities for the use of public transit. Thus, the STO would like to modify the current circuit to make the most of this new infrastructure and thereby optimize its service in Gatineau's east end.

In addition to the available human, material and financial resources and operational parameters, several factors informed the reasoning that led to the development of the scenarios that are being submitted for public consultation. These factors include feedback from customers and drivers, trip durations, ridership and over-crowding, trip generators, population density, public consultation results regarding mobility, schools served and new developments.

The offer and level of service were reviewed in the following sectors:

To fill out the online consultation, click here.

For information about the key stages of the service offer review and the public consultation, click here.

Labrosse/Lorrain

The extension of the Rapibus corridor between boulevard Labrosse and boulevard Lorrain, including the connection to station Lorrain, will present new opportunities for the use of public transit in Gatineau's east end. The circuits for routes 18, 68, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 88, 93, 94, 97, 400 and 800 will all be modified to make the most of this new infrastructure. In fact, it should be noted that residents had the opportunity to take part in a collaborative workshop on November 29, where they were able to share a number of ideas and help us design a new system concept that could meet their needs.

Details of the proposed modifications

As indicated during the public consultation on mobility, the service offer proposed below would be concentrated on the major axes, providing improved access to the Labrosse and Lorrain stations. It would also benefit local trip generators, such as businesses, grocery stores and pharmacies. It would maintain a good level of service in sectors with higher density and needs. In addition, the proposed modification to the route 78 circuit would provide partial service to the growing Aéroparc sector. The extension of routes 68 and 800 to station Lorrain would lead to improved service for the main campus of Université du Québec en Outaouais and the Gabrielle-Roy campus of Cégep de l'Outaouais.

Route 68

  • Significant modification: the terminus in the sector to the east of this route would now be station Lorrain instead of boulevard des Affaires.
  • At the same time, the link between station Labrosse and boulevard des Affaires would be provided by the modified route 79.
  • The frequency for route 68 would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 30 minutes, in both directions, on weekdays.

Route 73

  • Minor modification: the circuit would remain on boulevard St-René but brought closer to businesses and dense residential areas. Service along rue Magnus would be discontinued.
  • There would be a new loop south of station Labrosse: via boulevard Labrosse, boulevard Maloney, rue Côtéville, rue Notre-Dame, rue East, rue Notre-Dame and back to boulevard Labrosse.
  • The frequency would be every 30 minutes in both directions during peak periods, and every 60 minutes at other times on weekdays.

Route 74

  • This route would be discontinued because the service would now be provided by the modified routes 73, 75, 77 and 78.

Route 75

  • Minor modification: the terminus to the east of this route would now be station Lorrain instead of the intersection of boulevard Lorrain and boulevard La Vérendrye.
  • Between station Lorrain and rue Notre-Dame, the route would run along rue Sainte-Rose, rue des Sables, boulevard Maloney and rue Doré.
  • The modified routes 79 and 97 would provide the link along boulevard Lorrain between station Lorrain and boulevard La Vérendrye.
  • The frequency would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 20 minutes during peak periods (60 minutes in the opposite direction), every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 60 minutes evenings and weekends.

Route 77

  • Significant modification: the departure and arrival terminus for this route would now be station Lorrain.
  • The route would provide a one-way link from station Lorrain via boulevard Lorrain southbound, via boulevard Maloney eastbound, and avenue du Cheval-Blanc, rue du Sous-Bois, montée Dalton, boulevard St-René and back to boulevard Lorrain, to station Lorrain.
  • In order to compensate for the discontinuation of route 88, early morning trips would be added destination station Lorrain.
  • The frequency would be every 30 minutes during peak periods and every 60 minutes at other times, including evenings and weekends.
  • The combined service of routes 77 and 78 would allow greater service frequency on certain portions of boulevard Maloney and avenue du Cheval-Blanc.

Route 78

  • Significant modification: the departure and arrival terminus for this route would now be station Lorrain.
  • The route would serve boulevard Lorrain, boulevard Maloney, boulevard de l'Aéroport, rue Atmec, boulevard St-René and avenue du Cheval-Blanc, returning to station Lorrain via boulevard Maloney, rue Mitchell, rue Dumais and back to boulevard Lorrain.
  • In order to compensate for the discontinuation of route 88, early morning trips would be added destination station Lorrain.
  • The adjustment of the route 78 circuit would enable partial service to the Aéroparc sector via boulevard de l'Aéroport between boulevard Maloney and rue Atmec.
  • The frequency would be every 30 minutes during peak periods and every 60 minutes at other times, including evenings and weekends.
  • The complementarity of routes 77 and 78 would allow for greater service frequency on certain portions of boulevard Maloney and avenue du Cheval-Blanc.

Route 79

  • Significant modification: mornings, the route would provide a link between station Labrosse and the STO maintenance and operations centre via boulevard Labrosse and boulevard des Affaires. The route would then continue to the Saint-Thomas residential sector via boulevard Labrosse, rue Chambord, rue Elzéar, chemin St-Thomas, rue de Sainte-Monique, rue Chambord and boulevard Lorrain, passing by station Lorrain and running along boulevard Lorrain and boulevard Saint-René direction station Labrosse. Afternoons, the route would do be reversed.
  • The adjustment of the route 78 circuit would enable service to the boulevard des Affaires industrial park as well as the one along boulevard St-René est.
  • The frequency would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 30 to 45 minutes during peak periods and two trips at midday weekdays.

Route 88

  • This route, which has not been running since the start of the pandemic, would be officially discontinued. The service would be provided by the modified circuits of routes 75, 77 and 78.
  •  In order to compensate for the discontinuation of route 88, early morning trips would be added to routes 77 and 78 destination station Lorrain.

Route 97

  • Significant modification: the circuit would be modified to offer improved access between the Georges / Route 148 park-and-ride and the Rapibus corridor via station Lorrain and autoroute 50.
  • Between boulevard de l'Aéroport and boulevard Labrosse, the service would be offered by the modified circuits of routes 73, 75, 77 and 78.

Rapibus routes

  • All route 18, 68 and 800 trips would be extended to station Lorrain.
  • A certain number of route 400 trips would be extended to station Lorrain with an average frequency of 15 minutes.
  • Since the start of the pandemic, routes 100 and 200 have been suspended until further notice. Their resumption is being reviewed and cannot be confirmed for the time being.

To see the recommended changes, click here.
To see the current system, click here.

To fill out the online consultation, click here.


Buckingham and Masson-Angers

Starting this fall, the extension of the Rapibus corridor between boulevard Labrosse and boulevard Lorrain, including the connection to station Lorrain, will present new opportunities for the use of public transit in Gatineau's east end. In order to make the most of this new infrastructure and thereby optimize the service, all of the circuits running close to boulevard Labrosse and boulevard Lorrain will be modified, including route 97, to improve access to the Rapibus for residents in the Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors. The STO has also taken the opportunity to propose a few adjustments to the local service, which has been enhanced by the on-demand public transit service for local trips.

Details of the proposed modifications

Route 97 would now run along the autoroute to improve access to the Rapibus' station Lorrain. Adjusting the route 93 and 94 circuits would provide better coverage for Angers. And for students, extending routes 68 and 800 to station Lorrain would improve service to the main campus of Université du Québec en Outaouais and to the Gabrielle-Roy campus of Cégep de l'Outaouais.

Routes 93 and 94

  • Significant modification: these circuits would be modified in Angers between the Georges / Route 148 park-and-ride and autoroute 50, and would run along chemin de Montréal, rue des Laurentides, rue du Progrès, rue de la Forteresse, rue de Neuville and rue des Laurentides to autoroute 50. Afternoons, the routes would do the reverse trip.
  • During morning peak periods, route 93 would maintain the link with station de la Cité and route 94 would maintain it via autoroute 50 to the downtown.
  • During afternoon peak periods, route 93 would maintain the link with station de la Gappe.
  • Adjustment of the circuits for routes 93 and 94 would provide better public transit coverage for all Angers residents.
  • In order to optimize the service with the currently available resources, one route 94 trip would be discontinued during the morning peak periods and one route 93 trip would be discontinued during the afternoon peak periods.
  • The frequency would be adjusted to every 20 to 30 minutes during peak periods.
  • It should be noted that on-demand public transit is available for local trips in the Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors.

Route 97

  • Significant modification: the circuit would be modified in Angers and the Gatineau sector to offer a more direct link between the Georges / Route 148 park-and-ride and the Rapibus corridor via chemin de Montréal, rue des Laurentides, autoroute 50 and boulevard Lorrain, ending at station Lorrain. In the afternoon, the route will do the reverse trip.
  • The current circuit running east of the Georges / Route 148 park-and-ride would not be modified.
  • The three route 97 trips that start at station de la Cité during the afternoon peak periods would be maintained.
  • The frequency would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 30 to 60 minutes during peak periods, and every 60 minutes weekdays and weekends.
  • Between boulevard de l'Aéroport and boulevard Labrosse, the service would be offered by the modified circuits of routes 73, 75, 77 and 78.
  • It should be noted that on-demand public transit is available for local trips in the Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors.

Rapibus routes

  • All route 18, 68 and 800 trips would be extended to station Lorrain.
  • Some route 400 trips would continue to station Lorrain to offer average frequency of every 15 minutes.
  • Since the start of the pandemic, routes 100 and 200 have been suspended until further notice. Their resumption is under review but cannot be confirmed for the time being.

To see the recommended changes, click here.

To see the current system, click here.

To fill out the online consultation, click here.

Plateau/Manoir des Trembles

The Plateau sector has had a significant population increase over the past few years, which has resulted in an increase in transportation needs. In an effort to optimize current resources, based on the demand for transportation and in order to simplify the system, the STO is reviewing the offer and level of service in the Plateau sector and surrounding areas.

Details of the proposed modifications

In general, the following proposal would introduce a simplified system along boulevard du Plateau on weekdays. During peak periods, service levels would be adjusted to support the higher demand. Fine-tuning peak period routes would also make it easier to adjust their frequency later on. Outside of peak periods before 10 p.m., the revised route 134 circuit would offer a more direct link between the Plateau sector and the downtowns while preserving the alignment with route 34, which would provide good frequency over a common portion. That being said, due to limited resources, the link with the Aylmer sector via boulevard des Allumettières could not be maintained.

Route 22

  • This route would be discontinued because the service would now be provided by the modified route 26 circuit.

Route 23

  • Significant modification: the current circuit would be modified between boulevard de l'Europe and the downtowns. During morning peak periods, starting from boulevard de l'Europe, the route would serve rue de l'Atmosphère, boulevard des Grives, boulevard des Allumettières and rue Saint-Rédempteur before reconnecting with its current circuit to the Portage Bridge. During afternoon peak periods, starting from Terrasses de la Chaudière, the route would run along rue Montcalm, boulevard des Allumettières, boulevard des Grives and rue de l'Atmosphère before reconnecting with its current circuit between boulevard de l'Europe and boulevard d'Amsterdam.
  • The frequency would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 30 minutes during peak periods.
  • The schedule for this route would be aligned with that of route 25 to provide combined frequency of every 15 minutes over the two routes' common portion.
  • In downtown Ottawa, the route would run along the same circuit as route 25.

Route 24

  • This route would be discontinued because the service would be provided by the modified route 134 circuit during peak periods.

Route 25

  • Significant modification: the current circuit would be modified between boulevard des Grives and the downtowns. During morning peak periods, starting from the intersection of rue de l'Atmosphère and boulevard des Grives, the route would serve boulevard des Grives, boulevard des Allumettières and rue Saint-Rédempteur before reconnecting with its current circuit to the Portage Bridge. During afternoon peak periods, starting from Terrasses de la Chaudière, the route would run along rue Montcalm, boulevard des Allumettières, boulevard des Grives and rue de l'Atmosphère before reconnecting with its current circuit between boulevard de l'Europe and boulevard de l'Amérique-Française.
  • The frequency would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 30 minutes during peak periods.
  • The schedule for this route would be aligned with that of route 23 to provide combined frequency of every 15 minutes over the two routes' common portion.

Route 26

  • Significant modification: the current circuit would be modified between the intersection of rue de l'Atmosphère and boulevard des Grives and the downtowns. The route would serve rue de l'Atmosphère, boulevard du Plateau, boulevard Saint-Raymond and boulevard Alexandre-Taché, before reconnecting with its current circuit to downtown Ottawa. In the afternoons, the route would reverse its circuit.
  • The route's terminus would also be changed in the afternoon to the intersection of chemin Pink and rue de la Gravité (instead of the intersection of chemin Pink and rue de la Sapinière).
  • The frequency would be improved to every 20 minutes during peak periods.
  • With the modified circuit of route 26, the link would be maintained for the north-east end of the Plateau district towards UQO.

Route 28

  • This route's circuit would not be modified.

Route 29

  • This route's circuit would not be modified.

Route 34

  • Significant modification: the portion of this route between the Allumettières park-and-ride and the intersection of chemin Vanier and rue de Seto would be discontinued due to low ridership.
  • The frequency would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 30 minutes outside of peak periods, on weekdays and weekends.
  • The schedule for this route would be aligned with that of route 134 to provide combined frequency of every 15 minutes at certain times of the week.
  • Evenings and weekends, only route 34 would provide service.

Route 134

  • Significant modification: the current circuit would be modified via boulevard du Plateau between chemin Vanier and boulevard Saint-Raymond, by-passing rue de l'Atmosphère and Manoir des Trembles. This new circuit would provide a more direct link between the Plateau sector and the downtowns.
  • The frequency would be similar to what it currently is, that is to say every 30 minutes outside of peak hours and on weekdays.
  • The schedule for this route would be aligned with that of route 34 to provide combined frequency of every 15 minutes at certain times of the week.

Route 39

  • This route's circuit would not be modified.

Route 49

  • This route's circuit would not be modified.

Route 50

  • This route's circuit would not be modified.

To see the recommended changes, click here.

To see the current system, click here.

 

 

To fill out the online consultation, click here.

Key stages of the service offer review and the public consultation

Fall 2022

  • Detailed analysis of the current system in the sectors under study
  • Collaborative workshop with residents in the Labrosse-Lorrain sector
  • Development of a service proposal for the target sectors

February 27 to March 19, 2023

  • Public consultation on the service proposal

March 20 to April 27, 2023

  • Compilation of the feedback received and adjustments to the initial service proposal

April 27, 2023

  • Adoption of the service offer by the STO Board of Directors

August 28, 2023

  • Coming into effect of the new fall service

To be kept up to date on consultation activities and to complete the surveys regularly sent to riders, join the STO rider panel.

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