Latest news with #OCTranspo
Ottawa Citizen
21 hours ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Adam: Amilcar will leave OC Transpo in better shape than the transit system was in four years ago
Come to think of it, it is not a huge surprise that OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar is leaving the job to pursue new career opportunities elsewhere. Article content Almost four years in the pressure-cooker position of managing the city's beleaguered transit service is probably about all anyone can take. You can't blame her for walking away. Article content Article content Amilcar, who leaves her post July 18, inherited an impossible task when she came to town in 2021, but she must have known what she was getting into. She arrived at a time when the transit service was in complete disarray, plagued by low ridership that was exacerbated by COVID-19, budget shortfalls, poor management, lack of transparency and in particular, a broken LRT system. We all remember the busted axles, gear box, wheel hubs and bearing issues that derailed the Confederation Line and led to the suspension of service for weeks on end in August and September 2023. Article content Then there were delays with the Trillium Line, which, combined with everything that was going on, sapped public confidence in the transit service. The city was at war with its main rail contractor, the Rideau Transit Group (RTG), exchanging legal blows in court filings. It was the most inopportune time for anyone, no matter how experienced, to land at OC Transpo. Things were so bad, the Ontario government launched a public inquiry into the handling of the city's LRT. Justice William Hourigan's subsequent report was a scathing indictment of the city and RTG, exposing 'deliberate malfeasance' of managers and 'egregious errors' that called into question the ability of the city to run such a massive infrastructure project. Though not of her doing, Amilcar became the face of everything that was wrong with OC Transpo, and did her best under the circumstances, though it may not have been enough to satisfy riders. Article content Article content Amilcar certainly steadied the ship, bringing some stability to the Confederation Line, helping launch the Trillium Line extension, and the spur to the airport. One of her bigger achievements may have been the restoration of transparency and accountability at OC Transpo. Before her time, OC Transpo was a closed shop where a few people made decisions behind closed doors with no transparency or accountability. She changed that, to some degree. Throughout the 2023 derailment, she was upfront with information, telling residents what she knew and what she didn't. It was a breath of fresh air. Article content Article content But one thing she completely owns is 'New Ways to Bus,' the largest bus service change in the city's history. The idea is to improve bus frequency, local service and connections to LRT. The system overhaul, which meant the elimination or rejigging of some routes, has been met with fierce criticism from riders, who say it is a backward move that will cause a reduction in service as some 70 routes are eliminated or replaced. It is too early to say whether New Ways will be successful or not, but this is one thing for which she will wear the outcome.
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Construction continues on O-Train East extension, with no timeline for opening to passengers
An O-Train on Line 1 is seen in this undated image. (CTV News Ottawa) Construction and train testing continues on the new O-Train eastern extension into Orléans, but there is still no word on when passengers will be riding the rails. A report for the June 12 Transit Committee meeting provides an update on construction on Stage 2 of the light rail transit system, which includes extending O-Train Line 1 from Blair Station to Trim Station. 'In the east, final construction activities and train testing are well underway and nearing completion,' says the report, submitted by Transit Services general manager Renee Amilcar. 'Remaining major fleet activities include software upgrades and operator training. Communication rooms and the setup of system parameters, to ensure devices such as switches and cameras function as required, is now complete at all stations in the east. Communication systems testing continues.' Amilcar says the commissioning of the communication-based train control system is 'well advanced with multiple trains continuing to run in loops.' 'Boundary testing between stage 1 and Stage 2 territories has been completed. OC Transpo has already said O-Train Line 1 service will be affected on the weekends of July 5 and 26 for Stage 2 Integration work, and there will be additional impacts on Line 1 through the summer as testing and commissioning progresses on the eastern extension. Amilcar says operator training on Stage 2 East is expected to begin in late July, which will lead to the certification of the required number of personnel to support trial running on the O-Train line. The report says there is several things to do before opening the eastern extension of O-Train Line 1 to customers, with the 'path to revenue service' including testing and commissioning, substantial completion, trial running and final safety approval. After the contractor achieves substantial completion, the city will begin trial running on the east extension and the existing Stage 1. Amilcar says trial running will 'exercise and evaluate the performance' of the system's infrastructure, vehicles, operating and maintenance personnel and operating procedures. There will be a 21-day Trial Running period before launch. The report does not mention a timeline for opening the O-Train East Extension, but Amilcar has previously mentioned the fall for opening to passengers. Convent Glen Station An overhead view of the new Convent Glen Station on the O-Train east extension. (OC Transpo/report) Here is a look at some of the items to be completed, according to the report. System installation, integration, testing and commissioning 'Significant work is currently underway to integrate communication systems for the east extension with the existing live systems on Line 1,' Amilcar said. 'Testing of systems began in a lab environment and will be migrated to a production environment over the next several weeks. This iterative and complex integration process will be phased and carefully coordinated to minimize customer impact.' Amilcar says the majority of the system integration work will be conducted during overnight hours, but there may be some closures on the O-Train line. Operations and maintenance readiness Amilcar says 'work is progressing' on the training program, staffing and recruitment and maintenance readiness. The hiring of new Electric Rail Operators and the familiarization training is underway, and training on Stage 2 is expected to begin in late July. Line 1 East Stations Amilcar says occupancy permits for the stations are expected over the summer. 'Station occupancy for the east stations is nearly complete with deficiency closeout, building code service reviews, and occupancy permits expected in Q3 2025.' Work outside the 'guideway' Amilcar says work 'outside the guide' required for substantial completion is currently underway, including grading, drainage, headwall installation, slope finishing, top-lift paving, guardrail installation and landscaping along Highway 174. That work is expected to be completed this spring. The second phase, following Substantial Completion' includes slope finishing, top-lifting paving, guardrail installation and landscaping. Once the eastern extension opens, Line 1 will stretch 25 kilometres between Tunney's Pasture and Trim Station. The western extension from Tunney's Pasture to Moodie Drive and Algonquin College is scheduled to open in 2027.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
OC Transpo GM resigns
OC Transpo GM resigns The head of Ottawa's transit services Renee Amilcar is leaving her role next month. CTV's Austin Lee reports.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Renée Amilcar leaving OC Transpo in July: Memo
Renée Amilcar, the City of Ottawa's general manager of Transit Services, will be leaving her role next month, City Manager Wendy Stephanson says. The news was announced in a memo sent to city councillors and the mayor Tuesday. Stephanson says Amilcar will be leaving the City of Ottawa to 'pursue a new career opportunity outside the organization.' Her last day with the city will be July 18. Amilcar came to Ottawa in October 2021, after having previously served as executive director of bus services for the Société de Transports Montréal. Amilcar became the head of OC Transpo as the transit system in Ottawa was dealing with low ridership and a litany of issues on the newly launched light rail line. In her nearly four years with the city, she has overseen the construction of the expansion of Line 1 of LRT, the delayed launch of Lines 2 and 4 of LRT, and the New Ways to Bus overhaul of the OC Transpo bus network. OC Transpo is facing significant funding issues, with lower ridership and higher costs contributing to projected shortfalls of between $120 million and $150 million over the next several years. The City has been seeking financial support from the federal and provincial governments to fill the gap. The 2025 budget included a $36 million line item for funding from upper levels of government that has yet to be confirmed. In the meantime, fares have increased, train frequency on Line 1 has been reduced, and the New Ways to Bus reorganization has resulted in 74,000 fewer hours of bus service each year. In 2023, Amilcar announced OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Group (RTG) were working with Alstom to redesign the axles and wheel hub assemblies on every vehicle on Line 1, something Amilcar called 'a permanent fix' that would address issues that had been affecting the line for years, including a derailment of an LRT vehicle at Tunney's Pasture Station in August 2021 and a 28-day shutdown in July and August 2023 after a routine inspection discovered excess grease on an axle hub assembly. Work on the redesign was briefly paused in 2024 as Alstom and RTG traded opinions on the source of the issues affecting the line, but councillors were told last September that the work had resumed. Stephanson says Troy Charter, director of Transit Service and Rail Operations, will serve as interim general manager of Transit Services. 'I recognize that ensuring strong, stable leadership during this time is of paramount importance—particularly as we continue to deliver safe, reliable transit service to residents while advancing major city-wide transformational projects,' Stephanson wrote. 'An executive recruitment process for a permanent GM of Transit Services will be launched, and an update will be provided to council.' Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower, chair of the city's transit committee, told Newstalk 580 CFRA in a statement that Amilcar led OC Transpo through a period of unprecedented change. 'Under her leadership we've seen stabilization of LRT line 1 and the successful launch of Line 2 & 4. She's led the transition from diesel to electric buses, implemented a data-driven approach to management, and changed the culture at OC Transpo to improve transparency and accountability to council and residents. All while managing significant funding challenges since the pandemic,' Gower wrote. 'She's earned the trust of council and her leadership at OC Transpo will have a positive impact on our city for many years to come. I will miss working with her, very big shoes to fill.' Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney, chair of the city's transportation committee, told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with guest host Chris Holski that he's been critical of Amilcar in the past, but credited her for the rollout of Lines 2 and 4 and for improving transparency at OC Transpo. 'A lot of the things that she was asked to do by council, she achieved, and now we have an opportunity for new leadership and it's going to have a whole series of criteria that we've only really identified in the last few years, based on what's happened,' he said. 'Who is going to be the visionary that's going to help us redirect now that we've gone through the housekeeping duties of things? How are we going to get this train working more effectively? That's what I want to see.'
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Renée Amilcar resigning as OC Transpo general manager as of July 18
OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar will be leaving the transit authority on July 18 after more than three years in the position. Article content In a memo Tuesday afternoon, City Manager Wendy Stephanson said Amilcar had led OC Transpo 'through a period of significant operational transformation, modernization and service improvement' since joining the organization in 2021. Article content Article content Article content Troy Charter, director of transit service and rail operations for the City of Ottawa, will serve as interim general manager after Amilcar leaves, the memo added. Article content 'On behalf of the senior leadership team, I want to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Renée for her contributions and wish her continued success in her future endeavours,' Stephanson wrote. Article content 'I recognize that ensuring strong, stable leadership during this time is of paramount importance — particularly as we continue to deliver safe, reliable transit service to residents while advancing major city-wide transformational projects.' Article content The announcement of Amilcar's departure came a little more than a month after OC Transpo's 'New Ways To Bus' initiative was met with sharp criticism from transit users and advocates. Previously, she told reporters that the sweeping changes were designed to improve connectivity to community hubs and to provide 'a sustainable network that meets the evolving needs of our customers.' Article content Article content But the community group Ottawa Transit Riders had previously said that their voices and opinions were not heard. Transit users have also said they lost trust in the public transportation agency, especially because service could be very unreliable. Article content Members of ATU Local 279, a union representing OC Transpo operators, called for a 'serious, honest review of Ottawa's transit system' last Friday. Union president Noah Vineberg previously told reporters that riders were frustrated at the city's transit system and that operators were overworked and exhausted. Article content 'For years we've heard promises of New Ways to Bus — promises of innovation, better service, and a transit future we could believe in,' Vineberg said. 'But we lived through unrealistic schedules and a system spiralling deeper into dysfunction for both riders and workers.'
