OC Transpo rider frustrated with chronically late bus

An Ottawa man is disputing Mayor Jim Watson's claims about the reliability of one of the city's OC Transpo routes, saying it's become increasingly tardy over the past month or so.

Andrew Arsenault takes the 87 Greenboro/Uplands from Glabar Park near the Carlingwood Shopping Centre to the Mackenzie King Bridge between 8:30 and 9 a.m to get to work downtown.

He rides that route about three times a week, and said it's been late most days over the past month — and he has the screenshots from a third-party transit app to prove it.

"It's so frustrating. It's wasting so much of my time, absolutely. I start work at 10 o'clock every day and I have to leave my house at 8:30 most days, just to make sure I'm going to get there on time," said Arsenault.

"There's still some days that I'm cutting it close."

Arsenault contacted CBC after he heard Watson telling CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning about his experience riding that route.

Watson said Wednesday that he rides the 87 a couple times each month and that it's pretty reliable, being at most one or two minutes late or early.

"That was something to hear. Anyone who knows me, knows my frustrations with the 87," said Arsenault. "I had people messaging me being like, 'Ah, he says it's on time."

Watson did say he's seen long bus lineups around Mackenzie King Bridge, and that there have been recent construction-related delays.

He also said that the city's bus rapid transit works well, but that routes get clogged up without separated lanes on Slater and Albert Streets downtown.

Watson said that when the new light rail network launches, traffic will improve.

'A bit insane'

Arsenault said he usually leaves his house when his app tells him his bus is five minutes away.

The arrival time just keeps climbing as he waits at his stop, he said.

Arsenault said that doesn't make sense, as the route begins at Baseline station and his stop is the 10th one on the route.

He's taken screenshots that suggest the bus has been anywhere from 14 to 29 minutes late on at least nine occasions since Sept. 4 — although it was on time on Friday.

"For the route to take 25 minutes [to arrive at my stop] is a bit insane to me," he said. 

"There's a lot of people [at the stop] shaking their heads, sighing, checking their phones, checking their watches."

In a statement to CBC News, OC Transpo said traffic congestion in the area of Baseline Road and along Woodroffe Avenue​ can sometimes delay the 87.

"Bus service along major corridors can frequently be subject to variability and delay," the statement said. "OC Transpo monitors all routes for on-time performance ... we continue to monitor the performance of this route."

OC Transpo said its service reliability will improve with the launch of the Confederation LRT line.

Many complaints

Arsenault said he's sent in dozens of complaints regarding the 87 through OC Transpo's website and has contacted Mark Taylor, his city councillor.

Arsenault said Taylor was prompt and courteous and passed on his concerns to OC Transpo right away — but he's not satisfied with the response he got from OC Transpo boss John Manconi two-and-a-half weeks later. 

The email from Manconi said: "Apologies to both of you. We will look into this and provide you a response or a time when you can expect a response. Again my apologies."

Arsenault said that sounded like "nonsense."

"I just want to know what's going on with my bus, why it's late and how I can get to work," he said. 

The full OC Transpo statement about Route 87

Providing reliable service to our customers is one of OC Transpo's top priorities. Bus service along major corridors can frequently be subject to variability and delay, due to a number of factors including construction, traffic congestion, inclement weather, on-board medical emergencies and other unforeseen events. 

The area of Baseline Road and along Woodroffe Avenue often experiences traffic congestion, which can sometimes delay buses serving Route 87. Additionally, there are a number of construction-related detours and congestion through the downtown core, which often has an impact on bus routes across the city.  In some cases, these factors may cause them to be late at the start of a route, particularly if they are delayed on an earlier trip.

OC Transpo monitors all routes for on-time performance, and our staff work diligently and will deploy or re-allocate resources, when possible, to limit the impact to customers in the event of a significant delay.  

We continue to monitor the performance of this route and anticipate that there will be improvements to service reliability across our entire bus network upon the launch of O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, as it will reduce the amount of cross-city bus travel and help to alleviate traffic congestion we see on an ongoing basis through the downtown core.