New OC Transpo route numbers take effect Sunday
Bye-bye No. 2, hello No. 11.
On Sunday, 14 OC Transpo bus routes will get new numbers, while a new colour-coded system will indicate different kinds of bus services.
The changes are to pave the way for the major expansion of rail service in Ottawa in 2018. For example, the north-south Trillium Line will be known as Route 2, which is why the longtime bus Route 2 is being renumbered — come Sunday, it'll be known as the 11.
The east-west Confederation Line will be known as Route 1, so expect the bus Route 1 to be changed sometime in the near future.
Some numbers are being changed to fit into their new "categories." Here's how OC Transpo is organizing the city-wide bus service starting April 23:
- Rapid-service buses, which will have numbers under 100 in a blue circle, will run along the Transitway and/or the highway.
- Frequent service buses will be denoted by an orange hexagon and route numbers under 100. They'll run along main roads and connect to the O-Train.
- "Connexion" buses replace express routes. Their symbol is a violet oval, and they'll number in the 200s. Connexion buses will only run during weekday rush hours and will take passengers from residential areas — from Munster to Vars — to downtown. When the LRT opens next year, Connexion routes will deliver passengers from the suburbs directly to the Blair, Tunney's or Hurdman stations.
- Local service buses will provide service within communities. Their symbol is a black rectangle.
- Other custom routes include school service routes (numbered in the 600s), free trips connecting rural communities to shopping malls (numbered in the 300s) and direct service to Lansdowne and the Canadian Tire Centre for special events (numbered in the 400s).
Rack & Roll
OC Transpo's Rack & Roll program also starts this weekend. The bus service expects bicycle racks to be installed on 600 buses by Monday, April. 24.
