A student found a way for light rail riders to avoid crowded buses

As OC Transpo engineers work to bring Ottawa’s light rail back into service, a University of Ottawa software engineering student has created a series of maps to help avoid R1 replacement buses, which are often overcrowded and late.

Self-proclaimed Ella Primeau Transit Obsessed Transgender. It began creating alternative routes that allowed riders to bypass the R1 bus service when the light rail was shut down a year ago.

It’s funny, I mostly make cards because it’s what I love to do […]. I often go by bus. So I gathered a lot of knowledge about the systemShe said the show Ottawa Morning, of CBC.

Although OC Transpo announced Monday that light rail service will not resume until July 31, Ms. Primeau cards continue to grow in popularity.

They recently created a stir on the community website, Reddit. Internet users called the student a heroine and a life saver.

A young student typically explains, I use these routes to avoid R1 when the train is down because I like to take shortcuts, minor routes and side streets.

I have this knowledge and it will be useful to people, now that the train will not operate again indefinitely.

R1 buses are often overcrowded during peak hours. Especially on the street the queen, downtown. OC Transpo is interested in running alternative buses near light rail stops. However, the street the queen Narrow, it congests the street and creates frustration among customers.

The public transport company recently tried to rectify the situation by diverting its buses to the streets Albert And Slater, still downtown. A decision that Mrs. Primeau approves of.

This will surely reduce the travel time. I think the confusion issue is still there. […] The route was also changed at the station LeesIt saves a lot of time, but I don’t know where the balance is between optimizing this route and having multiple shuttle services that confuse passengersShe analyzes.

Line 16 is the best of all

The alternatives proposed by Ms. Primeau may not be faster, but they allow users to board a bus where there is a seat available and the wait time at the stop is shorter.

One of the dedicated routes is line 16. According to Ms. Primeau’s calculations, it is 12 minutes faster than the R1 buses.

Line 16 stops at almost all downtown light rail stations. She stops [à la station] parliament, Lyons And goes to Tunny’s pastures. So if you live downtown and want a quick way to get to Tunney’s Pasture I think this is probably the best optionargued Mrs. Primeau.

Ella Primeau’s cards can be found on her Instagram account @ellalikesbuses, and they don’t just focus on city center journeys. They describe several options for users BarrhavenOrleans and Kanata-Stitsville.

Ms. Primeau’s maps offer public transit users the same kind of alternative routes that Mario Duguay offers motorists in his morning and afternoon traffic reports at ICI Premiere.

Although not geographically precise, [les cartes] Indicate where these buses go, at which stations they stop, and by doing so people can use them to bypass R1 and go directly to the stations they want to go to.Mrs. Primeau emphasized.

But will the popularity of these cards become obsolete if overused?

I think most people are aware of the existence of these alternative routes and probably more people on these buses. I haven’t looked into it yet, but I think there’s still a good chance of getting a seat thereshe said in response.

With information from Mario Carlucci CBC News