New Ways To Bus Going Great …

… and how about picking up a swell deal on the Brooklyn Bridge?

Here’s an update below on the New Ways To Bus initiative which is a nice (and PR-expensive way) to say that we’re cutting service.

What’s wrong with just cutting service and saying so? You know … the truth. Barrhaven East Councillor Wilson Lo, a former OC Transpo employee, isn’t afraid to tell the truth, why not Transpo? Informing the public that Transpo has a honkin’ big deficit and that the prudent thing to do with your tax money is to find a more efficient and smaller way of providing service. Seems like the right thing to do.

But no … better to stick to Old Ways To PR.

For all of you who were concerned about New Ways To Bus (maybe you heard about it on your beater car radio commuting to work), everything is going great. Maybe just like the efficient transfer of funds from traffic cameras to general revenues and the police when it was supposed to go to a council-ordered road safety fund. Maybe New Ways To Bus is on-time and on-budget. Maybe like how the Transportation Safety Board report was the same as the rosy OC Transpo report on the Hurdman train derailment except that it wasn’t. Or maybe this summary below (much rosy) is as accurate as the daily missive on the proceedings at the provincial light rail inquiry that left the city looking like as pure as wind-driven snow and generated the ire of the inquiry because the city taxpayer-funded unsolicited summary was, how should we put it, wrong.

Look if the city told your agent that the world was flat, I wouldn’t believe it until I walked over the edge somewhere near Vars. Hard to file a story from that one.

You see, the city has lost the trust of the public because it has … uh … embellished the truth so many times that no one believes a word out of Happy Town News.

Want to know if New Ways To Bus (also known as New Ways To Provide Service With Fewer Vehicles But Tell The Public Otherwise) is successful? You can’t trust what is below. It might be true. It might not be true.

Here’s what to do. Flip a coin. Throw some dice. Pick up a card in a poker game and see what happens.

Everything is happy happy happy at Happy Town News. But if everything is so happy at Ottawa City Hall, why is it running so badly? Why do so many senior job titles start with the word “interim.” It’s so hard to know.

Anyway, here’s a release on the great success of New Ways To Bus.

Good luck.

Ken Gray

—

Mayor and Members of Council,

This email is to provide you with an update on the New Ways to Bus network, which was implemented on Sunday, April 27.

I am pleased to advise that we have observed that service is running as planned. From Sunday to Tuesday there were no major issues across the network. Staff have been working quickly to resolve minor errors with signage at some stations and updating customer information tools on our website. Customer volumes are also being closely monitored to determine if additional steps need to be taken to ensure sufficient capacity is being provided.

DND: We Stand On Guard For Geese

Staff are closely monitoring the system from the Transit Operations Control Centre for any issues and transit supervisors are at key stations supporting bus operations. Customer Outreach staff will remain at key locations throughout the week to support customers as they adjust to the new bus routes and schedules. The overall network operations are being closely monitored for performance. Customers can provide feedback online at octranspo.com. This feedback will be reviewed and used to consider any adjustments to the network in the future.

We recognize that every customer’s trip is going to look different and may result in longer travel times, additional transfers, or a further walk to the bus stop. The best way for customers to plan their trips is to use the OC Transpo Travel Planner and the Transit App. Customer service representatives are also available by calling 613-560-5000 from 8 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 5pm on weekends.

New Ways to Bus is the largest bus service change in the City’s history, and it’s a big step toward OC Transpo’s goal of increasing service delivery to 99.5%. It takes advantage of O-Train Lines 2 and 4 and improves connectivity to community hubs and provides a sustainable network that meets the evolving needs of our customers.

We also continue to promote the no charge service weekend taking place this Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. Everyone is encouraged to enjoy unlimited free rides on buses, trains, and Para Transpo, all weekend long. Residents are also invited to join OC Owl and friends at Hurdman Station on Saturday, May 3 from 10 am to 2 pm for a fun, family-friendly event. We look forward to welcoming many customers and residents to try our new transit system and explore our beautiful city.

Thank you,

Renée Amilcar

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