Transit Commission today recognized more than 3,000 OC Transpo employees for their work, on Transit Operator and Worker Appreciation Day. This annual event is an opportunity to recognize and thank Canada’s transit workers for their dedication to move people safely. Representatives of frontline employees from across OC Transpo attended the meeting to highlight the diversity of roles and acknowledge their contributions to keeping our city moving.
OC Transpo provided an update on the Zero Emission Bus Program, which supports the City’s Climate Change Master Plan and greenhouse gas emission targets. Four battery electric buses have been in service since February 2022 and are approaching 500,000 kilometres on the road. The vehicles have been performing successfully on routes longer than 10 hours and driving distances exceeding 200 kilometres on a regular basis. Since 2022, OC Transpo has seen a fuel savings of 25,000 litres per bus, per year. The latest performance data demonstrates that battery electric buses continue to be a viable replacement for diesel buses.
Commission members also received an update on the staggered delivery of 102 new electric buses. Twenty-two new battery electric buses are scheduled to arrive in Q4 2024 and an additional 29 buses in Q4 2025. Staff are working on an agreement to purchase 51 additional buses and will continue to provide regular updates. Infrastructure work to prepare building facilities for the maintenance and storage of the new buses is also underway.
The Transit Commission heard that ridership was at six million trips in January 2024. During the month of February, O-Train Line 1 service delivery was 98.8 per cent and conventional bus service delivery was 98.7 per cent. Staff also provided an update on key Para Transpo ridership and service levels. In February 2024, Para Transpo ridership was at 68,900 total customer-trips.
Staff presented an update on the new bus route network planned for this year. These route adjustments are part of OC Transpo’s Five-Year Roadmap and respond to customers’ changing travel needs and ridership patterns. The network changes closely align with upcoming O-Train extensions and marks a significant step towards meeting OC Transpo’s service reliability target of 99.5 per cent.