Report to/Rapport au:

 Transportation Committee/Comité des transports

August 3, 2004/le 3 août 2004

Submitted by/Soumis par: R.T. Leclair, Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe,

Public Works and Services/Services et Travaux publics

Contact/Personne-ressource: G. Diamond, Director/Directeur,

Transit Services/Service du transport en commun

842-3636 ext. 2271, gordon.diamond@transpo.ottawa.on.ca

SUBJECT:     EXPRESS BUS ROUTES

OBJET:          CIRCUITS D’AUTOBUS EXPRESS

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Transportation Committee receive this report for information.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des transports prenne connaissance du présent rapport à titre d’information.

BACKGROUND

At its meeting of May 5, 2004, Transportation Committee directed that “staff identify routes which are currently considered as ‘express’ buses which provide less frequent or efficient service than similar routes which are currently ‘regular’ routes, and that staff report back to Committee in June 2004 exploring the adjustment of the fares.”

Express-fare transit routes, which offer limited-stop, transfer-free service from the suburban areas of Ottawa to downtown, were introduced in 1976, and provide a high level of service for customers willing to pay a premium fare.  The original policy states: Express routes provide a premium service where the majority of passengers have a no-transfer trip, which saves at least ten minutes over a regular route from the same community.

In the course of the Comprehensive Review of OC Transpo Services in 1997 and 1998, the route network and service design guidelines were reviewed.  A new service plan was developed, much of which was put in place during 1999 and 2000.  At that time, express routes were designated only if they operated outside, or within, the Greenbelt.  Inside the Greenbelt, the approach to what had formerly been express routes was to combine them with local services.  An example of this was the combination of express Route 78 and local Route 152 into a single route with some trips extended to downtown during peak periods.  This approach left the longer routes as the express route network. With this change in approach, no formal adjustment was made to the existing policy.

There are currently 34 express routes, together carrying over 35,000 customer-trips each weekday.  The higher fares paid by customers offset somewhat the higher costs of operating these relatively long direct routes.  The average revenue/cost ratio for express routes is 45% compared with 60% system wide in the peak period.  The overall revenue/cost ratio for the transit system is approximately 56%.  Although no formal policy exists for the transit system’s cost recovery, it has been between 55% and 60% for the last 20 years.

Monthly express passes are priced approximately 25% higher than regular passes in recognition of the premium service.  Effective July 2004, an adult express pass will cost $78 and an adult regular pass will cost $63.

DISCUSSION

The motion from the May 5, 2004 Transportation Committee meeting directs staff to review the express route network in comparison with other peak-only routes to see if there should be some re-classification of fares.

Information about the 34 existing express routes and the six longest peak-period daily regular-fare routes is provided in Table 1. 

Since express routes operate outside or within the Greenbelt, they operate for a significant distance after they leave their main pick-up area.  They provide service directly to downtown. A comparison of distances travelled after leaving the main pick-up area shows that, with one exception, regular-fare peak period routes travel less than 15 kilometers from the last stop in the neighbourhood to the central area, while express routes travel 15 kilometers or more (Table 1).  The exception is Route 67, which serves Trend Village and Arlington Woods, and which travels 17 kilometres after leaving its pick-up area to downtown Ottawa.

The average time saving enjoyed by users of the 34 express routes and six longest peak-only routes are shown in Table 1.  On average the time saved by using an express route is about 14 minutes although this varies from 10 to 21 minutes, while for the peak-only routes the range is from 7 to 8 minutes.  The time savings on express routes are made up of three elements: time saved by not having to transfer; time saved through fewer stops and less dwell time at Transitway stations; and, in some cases, time saved by a shorter trip to the Transitway.  For peak-only routes these three elements also apply, although more stops are made at Transitway stations.  In general, passengers on express routes are more likely to get a seat, and have to stop fewer times at Transitway stations than passengers on regular-fare service.

Routes are not designated express because of their service frequency.  There are examples of very frequent express routes as well as low-frequency ones.

The general rule now used to differentiate express routes from other downtown-bound peak period services is based on their geographic location relative to the inner boundary of the Greenbelt as well as the travel time savings and direct-to-downtown service.  All express routes pick up the majority of their passengers outside or within the Greenbelt during the morning peak period, whereas regular fare transit routes running in the morning peak period pick up passengers only inside the greenbelt.  The existing practice could be defined as:

Express routes are routes which pick up the majority of their passengers outside or within the Greenbelt, provide a premium service where the majority of passengers have a no-transfer trip, and save at least ten minutes over a regular route from the same community.

This rule, which was adopted as part of the Comprehensive Review, gives a clear definition of which routes require a premium fare.  The comparisons in this report show that the definition remains equitable, fair, and appropriate.  The customers who are using services that cost more to operate and that give a substantial saving in travel time are the customers who pay the higher fare.

In the fall, a report on the Transit Service Design Guidelines will be presented to the Transportation Committee.  This will cover fares, as well as service provision, and will provide an opportunity to review fare policies, in a broader context.  It is not recommended that any changes be made in advance of this.

CONSULTATION/PUBLIC NOTIFICATION

The service plan developed through the Comprehensive Review of OC Transpo Operations was implemented in 1999 and 2000 with full public consultation.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Currently the 34 express routes carry over 8,750,000 passenger trips per year.  The estimated revenue from these routes is $9,437,500 annually and the average revenue/cost ratio is 45%.  The cost of an express pass is $78, which is $15 greater than a regular pass at $63. 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Table 1:    Distance and Time Differences, and Revenue/Cost Ratios For Express and Regular Peak-Period Routes

DISPOSITION

No further action is recommended.

TABLE 1