OC Transpo Route 61

Map of the rapid transit routes, including the 96 (the old name of the 61)

Route 61 (formerly known as Route 96) is a major bus-rapid transit route that travels between Terry Fox Station and St. Laurent Station via downtown Ottawa and the Transitway. Selected route 61 trips are also extended to serve Stittsville Station.[1] It is one of the busiest routes operated by OC Transpo, and provides rapid transit service in Kanata along with OC Transpo Routes 62, 63 and 64. Route 61 is also the most congested route in service.

Purpose


The 61 is currently a key commuter route that serves the centre of Kanata, especially its two park and ride facilities at Terry Fox Station and Eagleson Station. However, it is much slower than all express routes that serves the suburb, as the 61 serves Moodie Drive, Pinecrest Road and Bayshore Shopping Centre, which extends the trip by several minutes. In addition, most express routes only drop passengers out after exiting the Queensway. However, the special 61D trips are faster than the regular 61 trips by several minutes, as they avoid travel time on Katimavik Road between Castlefrank Road and Eagleson Station. In addition, special 61C trips to/from Stittsville offer faster service than 61 trips by avoiding Terry Fox Station and, like the 61D trips, Katimavik Road in the morning.

The route, like route 95 and route 97, travels through the heart of the touristic district of the downtown core. The Rideau Canal, the Byward Market, the National Arts Centre and Parliament Hill are all located within a few blocks from the transitway.

This is another route for shoppers, as many shopping centers are located alongside several stations, which includes the Kanata Centrum at Terry Fox Station, Bayshore Shopping Centre, Pinecrest Shopping Centre just off Greenbank Road and Highway 417, Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre, the Sparks Street Mall, the Bank Street Promenade and the Rideau Centre.

The University of Ottawa is also a major destination and many students use Campus Station located on the western edge of the complex.

Future Expansions


There are no current expansion plans for the route in the West end in upcoming years as there are no further developments south/west of Stittsville.

Buses


During its first year, route 96 was served by mostly D60LF New Flyer articulated buses. However, in 2005, OC Transpo switched to the new Invero buses. The seating capacity of those buses are much lower than the articulated buses which increases the risk of buses being full. The frequency of the route was increased due to the lower capacity buses.

In the summer of 2006 and the winter of 2007, OC Transpo tested a double decker bus, the Alexander Dennis Enviro500 on this route as well as some express routes. The testing was made in order to determine whether double decker buses will be possible to operate within the Ottawa system as it contains a higher seating capacity than the articulated buses although with lower total capacity (including standing room only) than the latter due to the height restriction of the upper floor of the bus. . Double decker buses were re-used on the route during the summer of 2009.

Due to the increased ridership on the 96 since the 2008 winter bus strike, the frequency of the route has not changed much, but OC Transpo is using more New Flyer D60LF articulated buses on the route along with the Alexander Dennis Enviro500 double decker bus to cope with the extra passengers using the route. Currently, most of the trips are serviced with articulated buses (particularly weekdays and Saturdays), with some trips served by a regular bus (particularly peak periods and Sundays).

In April 2017, route 96 was renamed route 61, as part of a broader pre-LRT renumbering. [2]

Additional bus rapid transit routes

Three additional rapid transit routes supplement route 61 to/from/within Kanata.

OC Transpo Route 62

Rapid route 62 is a new route that entered service on 23 April 2017, replacing route 92 and providing the same service. Route 62 provides an alternative to route 61 for travellers heading to/from downtown Ottawa, and provides service on Campeau in Kanata north (as opposed to route 61 on Katimavik in Kanata south). As of September 3rd 2017, evening and weekend trips start/end at Terry Fox Station and no longer serve Tanger Outlets. Service to/from Tanger Outlets is provided by local route 162.

Route 62 frequencies are largely every 30 minutes during most time periods, with the exception of eastbound AM peak period, late night weekend, and early morning Sunday service, which operates hourly, roughly.

Route 62 is primarily served by articulated buses, like route 61, with the exception of Sundays and peak periods.

Route 62 destination signs include:
Westbound:

  • 62 Terry Fox (early morning, evening, and weekend trips)
  • 62 Stittsville (weekday midday and peak)

Eastbound:

  • 62 Terry Fox (late night trips from Stittsville - these trips do not go downtown)
  • 62 St-Laurent (most trips)
  • 62 Hurdman (morning peak on weekdays only)

OC Transpo Route 63

Route 63 (formerly route 93) is a rapid route serving north Kanata, including the Kanata North Technology Park. It replaced former express route 60 and local route 160 in Briarbrook, and also serves new Innovation station. Route 63 is supplemented by route 64 on weekdays east of the Kanata North Technology Park.

Route 63 operates every 30 minutes during all time periods, except during weekday peak periods. During the morning rush hour, westbound service is every 10-15 minutes from Lebreton, and westbound every 12-15 minutes to Mackenzie King. Afternoon peak periods are every 12-15 minutes from Mackenzie King westbound, and every 10-15 minutes to Lebreton.

Route 63 is primarily served by standard 40 foot buses, with the odd articulated bus used on weekdays. Weekday peak period trips are largely double-decker buses and articulated buses due to its dual purpose as a Kanata north employment route and as a west end Ottawa commuter route.

Route 63 destination signs include:
Westbound:

  • 63 Briarbrook via Innovation (most trips)
  • 63 Innovation (afternoon peak trips on weekdays only)

Eastbound:

  • 63 Tunney's Pasture (most trips)
  • 63 Lebreton (afternoon peak trips on weekdays only)
  • 63 Mackenzie King (morning peak trips on weekdays only)

OC Transpo Route 64

Route 64 supplements route 63 on weekdays only.

Route 64 destination signs include:
Westbound:

  • 64 Morgan's Grant via Innovation (most trips)
  • 64 Innovation (afternoon peak trips on weekdays only)

Eastbound:

  • 64 Tunney's Pasture (most trips)
  • 64 Lebreton (afternoon peak trips on weekdays only)
  • 64 Mackenzie King (morning peak trips on weekdays only)

Miscellaneous

Destination signs

Westbound

There are a few different destination signs used for Westbound 96 buses. They include:

  • 61 Kanata/Terry Fox: These are usually rush hour, late night, and early morning trips only. They end at Terry Fox Station in Kanata, also serving Eagleson Station and Bayshore Station. They do not serve Stittsville.
  • 61 Stittsville Main via Terry Fox: For trips that travel to Stittsville via Hazeldean Road, Castlefrank Road, Terry Fox Station, Bayshore Station, and Eagleson Station. These trips run every day of the week, including Sundays, usually at 30 minute intervals (60 minute intervals Saturday and Sunday evenings). Some trips may be signed 61C Stittsville Main via Terry Fox or 61 Stittsville Main via Kanata but the routing is identical. These trips travel via Stittsville Main Street as opposed to route 62 on Fringewood Drive/Iber Road.
  • 61C Stittsville Main via Castlefrank: These trips operate during PM peak at approximately 15 minute intervals, and bypass Terry Fox Station by turning from Katimavik Road onto Castlefrank Road towards Stittsville. Within Stittsville, they travel via Stittsville Main Street, whereas 62 trips travel via Fringewood Drive and Granite Ridge Road. These trips still serve Eagleson Station.

There are no special signs for trips that serve Pinecrest Garage in the morning (same thing for eastbound trips), as well as the Sunday morning detour due to the Nokia Sunday Bikedays on the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.

Please note that all route 61 buses do not serve Queensway Station when travelling westbound towards Kanata and Stittsville. As well, all route 61 trips traveling westbound towards Kanata and Stittsville travel via Katimavik Road.

Eastbound

There are currently eight different signs for route 96 buses travelling eastbound:

  • 61 Hurdman : These trips generally operate during AM peak, early mornings, and late evenings from Terry Fox Station in Kanata. They serve Katimavik Road between Castlefrank Road and Eagleson Road in Kanata. Some of these trips also operate from Bayshore Station or Lincoln Fields Station during AM peak as extensions of route 152, which replaces express route 59 in Crystal Beach.
  • 61 St-Laurent : The new eastern terminus. Service to/from Blair is dropped as a result of the Transitway closure. All trips, except selected morning peak trips, end at St-Laurent Station. They also serve Tremblay Road between Hurdman Station and St-Laurent Station.
  • 61C Hurdman via 417 : These are morning peak trips that start in Stittsville, travelling via Stittsville Main Street, Hazeldean Road, and Castlefrank Road before taking Highway 417 to Eagleson Station, and consequently do not serve Katimavik Road. The routing is otherwise identical to 61 Hurdman trips. Some of these trips are extended to St-Laurent Station and are signed 61C St-Laurent via 417.
  • 61D Hurdman via 417 : All these trips start at Terry Fox Station. They still serve Bayshore Station and Eagleson Station, but they do not serve Katimavik Road, using Highway 417 instead. These trips are AM peak only (between 6 AM and 9 AM Monday to Friday). Some of these trips are extended to St-Laurent Station and are signed 61D St-Laurent via 417.

All route 61 trips travelling eastbound towards Hurdman Station / St. Laurent Station serve Queensway Station.

Frequencies

Since its initial service frequencies, the service on the 61 has been augmented significantly. During weekdays, the 61 travels every 2–7 minutes during rush hours towards downtown and Hurdman Station (and sometimes St-Laurent Station) in the morning, and towards Terry Fox Station and Stittsville Station in the afternoon. Peak service from Stittsville in the morning and to Stittsville in the afternoon is approximately every 15 minutes on route 61C. Rush hour service is every 30 minutes to Stittsville Station in the morning and to St-Laurent Station in the afternoon. Midday service in both directions is generally every 30 minutes between Stittsville Station and St-Laurent Station (almost all weekday 96 trips operate between Stittsville Station and St-Laurent Station but a few start/end in Kanata at Terry Fox Station). Weekdays between 6 PM and 7 PM, westbound trips are every 20 minutes to Stittsville Station; Eastbound trips are every 30 minutes from Stittsville Station. Between 7 PM and 12:10 AM, service is every 30 minutes in both directions between St-Laurent Station and Stittsville Station. Service to/from Stittsville Station is every 30 minutes until around 10:55 PM to Stittsville, and until 11:40 PM to St-Laurent Station.

Saturday service is generally every 30 minutes between Terry Fox Station and St-Laurent Station. Trips to/from Stittsville are every half an hour between 6:50 AM and 6:50 PM eastbound, and between 7:10 AM and 10:55 PM westbound. There are hourly eastbound trips from Stittsville from 6:50 PM to 10:50 PM eastbound.

Sunday service is every 30 minutes throughout the day on route 96 between Kanata and St-Laurent Station. Trips from Stittsville are hourly from 7:20 AM to 8:20 AM eastbound, with 30 minute service to/from Stittsville starting at 8:20 AM eastbound and 8:40 AM westbound. Between 5:20 PM and 9:20 PM eastbound, and between 6:40 PM and 8:40 PM, Stittsville service is every hour, with 30 minute service to/from Terry Fox Station in Kanata.

Communities Served

Major Attractions/Locations along the route

References

  1. ↑ "OC Transpo - Routes & Maps - Route 96". OC Transpo. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "How spring OC Transpo changes will affect your commute".

See also


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