Latest news with #Amilcar
Ottawa Citizen
7 days ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Renée Amilcar departs with OC Transpo in a better, but still challenging place
Article content In her farewell statement to Amilcar, City of Ottawa manager Wendy Stephanson said she had always been impressed by Amilcar's ability to be fearless. Article content 'She's never afraid to make a tough decision or make a decision that might not be the most popular, but in the long run it's best for our community.' Article content Some have argued that public transit is in a much stronger position now than it was when Amilcar arrived in Ottawa in 2021. Line 1 performance has improved. Lines 2 and 4 are performing well. Eastern extensions of Phase 2 will open later this year, and the reliability of the bus service has improved, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said in June. Article content But others argue that the jury is still out on New Ways to Bus, the major overhaul of bus routes launched in April that changed dozens of routes, redeploying the limited pool of buses to where ridership was higher. Article content Those changes included introducing new routes while retiring others and revising routes to major destinations like hospitals, universities and colleges. For some riders, it was more efficient. For others, it has resulted in commutes so convoluted that a 90-minute bus transfer window no longer works. Article content Article content 'They called it a consolidation, but it was a reduction,' Grover said. 'Some routes got more frequency, but dozens and dozens had more transfer points.' Article content Article content 'We need to return to accountability and transparency with the people of Ottawa rather than information control and spin if the people are going to feel comfortable that their city is working for them,' said John Adair, co-lead counsel for the inquiry. Article content In the pre-Amicar era, Shantz pointed out, riders depended on texts from other transit users to notify them of significant issues such as a stopped train. Article content In the summer of 2023, when Amilcar shut down Line 1, she and other experts answered questions about progress in a daily media conference. Article content Article content 'She mentioned to me a number of times that she felt it was a cultural shift to be as open and transparent as possible. It has been an extremely different approach,' said Coun. Glen Gower, chair of the city's transit committee. Article content 'She was very hands-on. I wouldn't be surprised if she worked every day of the week,' Gower said. 'She lived and breathed transit.' Article content At the same time, details about technical questions, such as what actually caused the August 2021 derailment, have been sparse. (This past week, the CBC reported that Alstom, which manufactured the trains, claimed in a 2023 report that the tracks fall short of industry standards.) Article content 'I would like to see a future leader champion for that kind of transparency,' Shantz said. 'We need, in the public interest, to know what is going on.' Article content One of the unknowns is whether Line 1 tracks will ultimately have to re-aligned, Shantz said. If so, the public needs to know how long will it take and the contingency plans while it is being done. Article content 'We could face years of repair,' she said. 'We need to see independent assessments of these things. Otherwise, every year we'll be holding our breath and waiting for the next time the straw breaks the camel's back.' Article content Q: Amilcar has been keen to measure the system's performance using data. Has it been valuable? Article content A: OC Transpo set an ambitious goal of achieving 99.5 per cent service delivery — a measure of the degree to which planned trips are delivered — for conventional buses on its route network. Article content 'She really believes that, if your bus and train showed up when you expect them, that's the way to win new riders,' Gower said. 'Price is less of a priority.' Article content There are other goals, including measuring whether trips are evenly spaced on frequent routes. The goal in that case is 85 per cent. For less frequent routes, there's a target of 85 per cent for 'punctuality,' which measures whether the bus arrives at the stop no more than one minute early or five minutes late. Article content Article content Amilcar has not avoided addressing the gaps between the goal and reality. In April, she said the 98 per cent rate for daily trips in 2024 was 'not good.' Article content 'When we deliver a 96, 97 or even 98 per cent of the service, it's bad. It's very bad,' she said. Those marks would be great grades in school, 'but not for transit … not for buses. We need to deliver what we planned: 99.5 per cent.' Article content In her farewell speech to city council in June, Amilcar said OC Transpo had set the bar high. Article content 'We aimed for 99.5 per cent service delivery, and I know, with the right funding, we will get there,' she said. Article content For transit advocates, 'the right funding' is the big question. This year's transit budget is bigger than ever before, but fares are increasing and service has been pared back, Grover said. For public transit to thrive, it must be made more attractive and that means spending more money, he argues. Article content Article content 'I can't blame (Amilcar) for the stuff that happed. I would have liked to hear her speak out more for the things she needed. The role of general manager is limited. You're executing a plan. It would be good if the general manager could speak out more and be bolder for what they advocated for,' Grover said. Article content Shantz likes to see metrics, but points out they were also available before 2017, although not on as granular a level as now, because transit vehicles are equipped with GPS. Article content 'There are a few other things I would like to add — like the rider experience,' she said. 'I would like to see a regular pulse on how people are experiencing the system. I would like to see the metrics broken down to compare rush hour to non-rush hour. That's sometimes hidden in the numbers.' Article content Article content 'It was a good-looking relationship,' said Noah Vineberg, president of Amalgamated Transit Unit Local 279, which represents OC Transpo bus and train operators, maintenance workers, dispatchers and fare inspectors. 'I did like working with her. We had a good dialogue.' Article content However, Vineberg said, he has been disappointed by how little has changed. Sore points for drivers have been the scheduling of work and work-life balance. The amount of time scheduled to get from Point A to Point B was not realistic, he added. Article content 'When it came to taking care of her people, that vision never really came to fruition,' he said. Article content In May, union members said they were 'met with silence' at a city council meeting after showing up with a petition demanding higher wages and better working conditions. Article content 'The members' concerns were always on the back burner,' Vineberg said. 'The train got all the attention, and busing was neglected. It was part of the crisis.' Article content Article content Meanwhile, a recruitment campaign has failed to retain workers, he said. Article content OC Transpo on-boarded 800 operators within two years, Amilcar told city councillor in June. Vineberg argues that, while plenty of operators were hired, workers were being lost just as fast. Article content 'There have been a lot of promises that have not been fulfilled,' Vineberg said. 'Morale is at an all-time low. There used to be pride. The pride is gone. We're not satisfied with the service we provide to the public.' Article content Amilcar did a good job for transit, Vineberg said. 'She failed to look after some of her own people along the way.' Article content A: The solution to the LRT's wheel woes remain elusive. The 'sustainable solution' for Line 1 is an ongoing issue, Gower said. Amilcar was hoping to see a resolution to that before she left Ottawa. Article content Modernizing the bus fleet is also on the radar. By 2036, the entire fleet will be electric, a major project that includes new garages and charging stations, Gower said. Article content Article content But at this time there aren't enough buses, Grover said. 'Ten years ago, they had a thousand. Now they have 700, and 200 of them are in the garage.' Article content It's unclear how much New Ways to Bus fallout there will be when post-secondary students return to campuses in large numbers in September. Route changes had been introduced in late April, when many students had already departed the city. Article content Shantz points out that students are the best customers for transit. If they are satisfied with their experience, it will become a habit, and they might even convert their parents. 'We have to make sure its working for them,' she said. Article content Other users are not seeing better quality of service, though, Shantz said, citing the example of Para Transpo users who can't rely on same-day bookings. Article content 'It's frustrating to see service not improve in the ways it can move,' she said. 'Trains are great, but they're not the whole network. We need bread-and-butter fixes.'
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OC Transpo introducing monthly fare cap for Presto users
OC Transpo is introducing monthly fare capping for Presto cards, extending the money-saving payment feature to pay-per-ride passengers who are already eligible for discounts. The new fare cap starts Aug. 1, according to a memo from outgoing OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar on Tuesday. The feature will prevent Presto card holders from spending more than the cost of a monthly pass on individual fares. For example, a passenger paying the $4 adult fare will ride for free for the rest of the month once they've spent $135, the price of a monthly pass. Otherwise, they could end up paying for a monthly pass they don't fully use, or spend more paying per ride than they would on a pass. The feature was introduced for riders who pay with credit cards and mobile wallets in the late summer of 2023, and debit cards in the spring of 2024. However, certain discount fares for youth, seniors and lower-income customers have only been available to passengers using Presto cards. Now they, too, can take advantage of the fare cap. Riders are asked to keep tapping their Presto cards after they've reached the monthly cap to prove they've paid, and to allow for more accurate ridership tracking, according to Amilcar, whose time as general manager ends Friday. Riders who frequently take both OC Transpo and Société de transport de l'Outaouais buses are asked to keep buying monthly passes.
Ottawa Citizen
04-07-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
O-Train set single-day ridership record on Canada Day
OC Transpo saw its highest ever single-day ridership on the O-Train Line 1 on Canada Day with approximately 246,000 customer trips. Article content Buses and trains were operating free of charge on July 1, and outgoing OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar said the transit service operated without disruptions. Article content Article content 'High passenger volumes were observed travelling to the downtown core as customers took advantage of the safe, reliable and clean trains, buses and Para Transpo,' Amilcar said in a memo to council. Article content Article content This year marked the first Canada Day that O-Train Lines 2 and 4 were in operation to support the festivities, along with Line 1, Amilcar said. Article content Article content Line 1 saw approximately 246,000 customer trips, marking a 66 per cent increase from last year, and 'the highest single-day ridership ever on O-Train Line 1,' Amilcar said. Line 2 and 4 had about 24,000 customer trips. Article content Park & Ride lots along Line 2 at Bowesville, Leitrim and Greenboro stations almost reached capacity during the day's peak travel periods. Article content Amilcar said OC Transpo worked with Rideau Transit Maintenance and TransitNext to increase the number of trains in service to support customer volumes throughout the day. Article content Line 1 service was increased further following the fireworks and operated every three minutes for revellers leaving the downtown core. OC Transpo had approximately 120 buses on Albert Street after the fireworks for customers heading west. Para Transpo customers were supported at specific drop-off and pick-up locations.
Ottawa Citizen
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: OC Transpo woes aren't really Amilcar's fault
Amilcar wasn't to blame; the budget was Article content Article content While I agree that 'New Ways to Bus' has been a resounding failure, I would not put the blame completely onto Transit boss Renée Amilcar's shoulders. Article content I mostly blame the decisions of the past few years of council for approving entirely inadequate budgets to meet the real needs of this city. For Amilcar to have to shoehorn limited buses, drivers and mechanic needs into an entirely inadequate transit fund was an impossible task. Article content Article content Several other needs in this city have been postponed because there is not enough money. People and properties are suffering. Article content Municipalities are hamstrung in their ability to raise money to cover all the responsibilities shifted to them from higher levels of government. When we have families with great discretionary income to vacation abroad and buy the latest expensive luxury while others are housed in shelters and holding low-paying jobs, something is wrong with our tax system. Unless federal and provincial governments address the disparity in wealth, municipalities in this country will not thrive.
Ottawa Citizen
16-06-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: Canada Post is the backbone of charitable contributions
Article content I had the unfortunate experience of taking the O-Train recently. Having boarded at Rideau station and entering the curve towards uOttawa, I noted that the bogie chassis were shaking so violently I thought the train was going to derail. Children were crying because the noise was hurting their ears. The LRT trains have not been fixed. The city will be fortunate if there isn't a major derailment. Article content The truth of the matter is that Amilcar has gutted both train and bus reliability to save costs, not improve the transit system for commuters. Article content Now is the perfect time to add mental health to the public health-care list. Article content As but one survivor of a mental health-challenged parent, I am not unique in this request. My own mother lived with serious mental and emotional problems. She never got adequate care. She was often shunned by people in our extended family. Article content Article content One uncle, an actual psychiatrist for The Canadian Forces, would say about my mum: 'I'd rather lose a leg than lose my mind.' That was no help. Article content The smallish Ontario cities where I grew up in — Port Colborne and Sarnia — were simply not attractive to the level of professional mental-health professionals my dear mother needed. The care she did get through Sarnia General Hospital was useless at best. Article content Imagine being a part-time hospital janitor, as I was, and having to clean your own mum's room in the psych ward with her doped and in restraints. Yup, that happened.
