Frequency, Reliability and Flexibility with the Rapibus

The Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) today adopted the system of routes that will become effective when the Rapibus starts operation. This system will offer higher frequency, reliability and flexibility for thousands of riders every day.

“This is a renewed service offer that will meet the demands of today and tomorrow, because travel needs evolve and it is necessary to address them now,” explained STO Chairman Patrice Martin. In addition to providing a higher frequency in the corridor during peak periods and improved service in the neighbourhoods, the system enhances the public transit offered in off-peak hours, and on evenings and weekends. In fact, the STO will be in service until midnight along the corridor, and until 11:30 p.m. in most neighbourhoods in the Gatineau sector.

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The Rapibus translates into a 25% improvement in services in the neighbourhoods during peak periods, more than 20,000 additional service hours per year and over 600,000 kilometres travelled annually. “The Rapibus proposes a new way of travelling that allows many residents to reconsider their travel habits with stations within walking distance of some 20,500 homes, and with easy access to over 800 businesses and various public places and points of interest such as the sports centre, Maison de la Culture, the two Cégep de l’Outaouais campuses and UQO, thanks to simplified east-west links. Creating red and blue routes will promote better distribution of the number of passengers on the buses according to whether they are heading to the downtown area of Ottawa or the Hull sector, while at the same time reducing the volume of buses going to Ottawa.

The STO responded favourably to the majority of the comments about the proposal that was presented at the public information sessions last fall. The comments were all compiled and thoroughly analysed, resulting in some significant changes to the proposed system. To help accomplish this, the STO refined its analyses and carried out field tests, among other things.

“The STO reworked the proposal to take the concerns voiced by the population into account. Naturally, and this is true for any public policy, social program or service for the public in general, the Rapibus project aimed to meet the needs of the greatest possible number of residents,” stated Mr. Martin.

For the large majority of riders, the new commute times will remain the same or equivalent (just a few minutes different). The STO has made changes to 15 local itineraries by making shorter, more direct bus routes to the stations, and by adjusting the travel time on these routes and in the Rapibus corridor. It has created 4 new routes and added more service to several routes. To minimize travel and connection times, the STO has optimized the synchronization between local buses and the Rapibus system. There is now better coverage of the area and service for new sectors being developed. In all, there are 8 exclusive bus routes and 22 feeder routes to the stations serving a significant portion of the city. “Our teams worked to ensure that the greatest number of people benefited from the new system,” added Mr. Martin.

The service adopted this morning will be the one in effect when the Rapibus starts. “As we do everywhere else in the system, we will ensure that any necessary adjustments are made, based on observations and analysis of our data. If needed, and this is one of the advantages of this type of rapid transit, we can adjust our aim. After the Rapibus starts, the STO will have ongoing measures to improve operational efficiency and to follow up on comments in the framework of a normal monitoring process and also through satisfaction assessments. Every year, the STO makes improvements to the service offered, and a portion of the budget for this aspect is earmarked for the Rapibus as well,” Patrice Martin further explained.

In the upcoming weeks and months, the STO will be making the schedules for drivers, assigning routes, preparing information guides and updating Plani-Bus. Information about the system will go on line today to supplement what is already posted. The new transit map and detailed routes for each neighbourhood bus will be available on the Web site at sto.ca. The travel times per route during the morning and afternoon peak periods will be posted on the Web site sometime next Monday as a follow-up to the Board of Directors meeting because of the large number of tables and the time required to prepare everything.

“The Web site is an ideal tool to learn more about the major advantages of the Rapibus. The site will continue to be updated until the Rapibus starts operations. It is therefore useful for everyone to check it often, whether they are regular or occasional public transit riders, youth or adults, or future patrons,” said Mr. Martin. Around mid-September, the Plani-Bus trip planner with the detailed Rapibus timetables will allow riders to get the best travel options based on their own needs.

Note that uniform fares for adults, students and seniors will then also apply to all riders. Consequently, when the Rapibus is launched, the current regular fare will apply to everyone.

“The STO is aware that this is a major change, but it is confident that everything will go smoothly, and as riders test the performance of the system, they will see all the advantages of the Rapibus, a unique project in Quebec! But to achieve that, we have to give the system a chance to prove itself and give it a try,” concluded the STO’s Chairman.

See Le réseau Rapibus une combinaison de choix efficaces document

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