Sutcliffe Flops On Transit Fix: BENN

What has Mayor Mark Sutcliffe fixed on LRT in his three years in office?

Repairing the LRT covers a lot of ground. The problems associated with the LRT are not limited to broken axle-hub assemblies. They include dramatically improving reliability, completing the Stage 2 expansion and increasing ridership. They are inextricably linked issues.

The reliability of the LRT has improved, according to OC Transpo. The expanded and extended north-south Trillium Line opened … two years late, but operating. No derailments. Fewer unexplained breakdowns. That is something.

On the other side of the LRT coin, there are still a lot of ‘explained’ out-of-service events. The LRT system was closed for a couple of weeks last year. That was characterized as common for LRT systems. Yet no examples from analogous systems in Canada, such as in Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton, could be cited.

Then there is the as-yet-to-be-publicly-released root cause of the axle-hub failures. That’s a situation involving extra maintenance. Extra maintenance being the replacement of the axle-hub assemblies after materially lower usage rates than the original manufacturer specified. Who is bearing the extra cost? The system operator, Rideau Transit Group? The train supplier, Alstom? Or the city? Are there any outstanding legal claims regarding this problem? Just asking in the interests of promoting the oft-cited but seldom-delivered transparent, accountable governance model.

Both the east and west extensions of Stage 2 LRT are so far behind schedule that the city declines to set an expected completion date. That’s not consistent with best practices for project management. Along the Kichi Zibi parkway, traffic is disrupted including OC Transpo buses due to the when-will-this-be-finished construction. Same question for Richmond Road, a question posed not just by motor vehicle operators, but also the business owners and residents along the route.

Which brings us to the state of the bus service at OC Transpo. For the LRT to handle the ridership it was designed to handle, it needs a reliable feeder system. People need to get to the LRT stations to board the LRT. And therein lies the rub.

OC Transpo’s fleet management has been abysmal. Stittsville councillor and transit commission chairman Glen Gower provided some insights into this earlier this month. Apparently the actual out-of-service-for-maintenance factor for the obsolete diesel-bus fleet is 30 per cent while the forecast was for 20 per cent. No explanation on whether the 20-per-cent unavailable-for-service factor was reasonable. No explanation as to whether this 50 per cent above plan for unavailable for service is a new development, as contrasted with a continuation of previous under-performance.

Meanwhile, the delivery of the electric buses ordered by the city is far behind schedule. Such is the demand for the product from North American transit services. A key element of a competent due-diligence process involves evaluating the supply chain … determining whether the manufacturer is capable of meeting its obligations. Was this element skipped over when the city decided to place its order before it completed its due diligence?

Not that the late delivery matters. OC Transpo has acknowledged that the power supply to the service depot is insufficient to recharge the full fleet of electric buses. But they are working on it.

Gower also mentioned that of the 30 new electric buses in the fleet, on average about 21 of them are available for service on a daily basis. That works out to a 30-per-cent in-the-shop-for-maintenance factor. Is that consistent with expectations? What did the due-diligence process identify as a reasonable expectation?

Council decided to proceed with a $1-billion program before it completed its due diligence. A billion-dollar program that is a key element of a viable public-transit system. A core municipal service.

At a recent municipal transit conference hosted by Ottawa, Eric Alan Caldwell, chairman of the Board of La Societe de transport de Montreal, was quoted saying: “Operating costs are getting higher and higher. It’s a challenge for every transit society. And if we are not adapting, if we are not increasing our service level, people will lack confidence in our system and that is the start if a downward spiral.” That’s a concise summation of OC Transpo. Failure to adapt. Reduction in service levels. Downward spiral.

So here’s the state of light rail. Reliability of the existing LRT system has improved a bit. The cause of the excess wear on the axle-hub assemblies continues to be unacknowledged, nor is there a solution at hand. The LRT expansion is behind schedule with no expected completion date. The fleet of buses is aging with the replacements behind schedule. Maintenance levels exceed plan by 50 per cent. Service levels have been reduced increasing the momentum for the downward spiral.

Not exactly a glowing example of delivering on an election promise.

Ron Benn, a finance executive, has been a member of the Centrepointe Community Association for the better part of three decades.

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