To All Commissioners
Re: 2018 Transit Shelter Program
Recommendation
That the Commission:
- APPROVE the following list of warranted locations for installation of non-advertising shelters in 2018:
- Huron east of Highbury Eastbound
- Adelaide at Little Simcoe Northbound
- Oxford at Wharncliffe Eastbound
- Oxford at Britannia Eastbound
- Wellington at Grand Northbound
- Oxford at Gammage Westbound
- Wharncliffe at Wyatt Southbound
- Grenfell at Adelaide Eastbound
- Adelaide north of Dundas Northbound
- Thompson west of Chesterfield Westbound
- Hyde Park north of Gainsborough Southbound – Alternate
- Wonderland north of Bradley Northbound – Alternate
It being noted that:
- the sites are subject to approval by the City of London (i.e. sightlines, utility locates, traffic flow and safety); and
-
- if required, a signed encroachment agreement with the property owner must be obtained; and
- APPROVE the associated increase in the 2018 capital budget for the Shelter Replacement Program by $73,000, funded from the Provincial Gas Tax Reserve.
Background
As per the current shelter contract with Outfront Media, London Transit has the ability to add three new shelters to the existing inventory on an annual basis. In 2017, two additional shelters (five in total) were added, reducing the number of new shelters for 2018 to one.
In addition to the one new shelter that can be installed under the contract provisions, nine shelters were removed along Dundas Street as part of the Dundas Place project which will result in the removal of bus service between Ridout and Wellington. The removal of the shelters along this corridor provides the opportunity to install shelters at an additional nine locations as part of the 2018 shelter program.
It should be noted that the existing Victorian shelters along Dundas place are not structurally sound to be relocated and therefore new Avanti shelters will need to be purchased for all ten locations.
Table I below, sets out the warranted shelter priority list for 2018. The priority list contains ten highly scored stop locations that meet the current shelter warrant criteria and two alternates should one of the top scoring locations not be feasible for installation.
Table I
2018 Shelter Priority List
| Priority | Location | Ranking |
| 1 | Huron east of Highbury Eastbound | 97 |
| 2 | Adelaide at Little Simcoe Northbound | 92 |
| 3 | Oxford at Wharncliffe Eastbound | 91 |
| 4 | Oxford at Britannia Eastbound | 90 |
| 5 | Wellington at Grand Northbound | 89 |
| 6 | Oxford at Gammage Westbound | 87 |
| 7 | Wharncliffe at Wyatt Southbound | 87 |
| 8 | Grenfell at Adelaide Eastbound | 85 |
| 9 | Adelaide north of Dundas Northbound | 82 |
| 10 | Thompson west of Chesterfield Westbound | 82 |
| Alt1 | Hyde Park north of Gainsborough Southbound | 73 |
| Alt2 | Wonderland north of Bradley Northbound | 73 |
Requests for shelters come from the following sources:
- ridership data acquired from the Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system
- customer/public requests
- suggestions from employees
- internal review of transfer points and high use stops
- site plan review process for new developments, road works, and neighbourhood improvements
Potential sites for shelters are evaluated on the following criteria:
- passenger usage
- average passenger wait time
- physical site conditions
- service area
Points are assigned for each element and locations are evaluated as requests are received. Shelter warrant scores and rankings are updated on an annual basis utilizing the most up-to-date Automatic Passenger Count (APC) data available.
As previously mentioned, the alternate locations will be considered if the priority sites are determined to be unusable. There are an increasing number of locations that meet the warrant criteria but either have sightline issues (therefore not approved by the City of London) or encroach onto property where an agreement cannot be obtained. Such locations will not be considered for future shelter programs unless the physical site and/or ownership conditions change. Locations that require an encroachment agreement and are not granted will be replaced with the next highest ranking warranted site.
It is estimated that the cost of the 2018 shelter program will be approximately $89,000 of which $16,000 has been accounted for in the 2018 capital budget, based on the addition of three new shelters on an annual basis. The additional shelters being recommended for the 2018 program, with an approximate cost of $73,000, will be funded from the Provincial Gas Tax Reserve.
In addition to the shelters discussed above, funding for new shelter installations on Queens was included in the Dundas Place budget, these new shelters will be ordered and installed as part of the 2018 shelter program.
Recommended by:
Katie Burns
Director of Planning
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny
General Manager