Staff Report #9
August 29, 2018
To All Commissioners
Re: 2018 Work Program – Planning – Second Quarter Update
Recommendation
The report be NOTED and FILED.
Background
The following report is provided as an update on major Planning projects as set out in the 2018 Work Program that are ongoing in nature and/or were scheduled to commence and/or be completed over the first six months of 2018, with the lead on same being the primary responsibility of the Planning department.
2018 Conventional Service Plan
At the January 2018 meeting, the Commission approved the 2018 Conventional Service Plan which calls for the net increase of 17,700 annualized service hours. The changes associated with the service plan will impact approximately 36,000 hours of service.
Work has continued on preparation for the September 2, 2018 implementation, including a significant public information campaign. The information campaign included notices and Transit Talks available on-board all buses starting in mid-July, advertisements in four cultural newspapers including French, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin, advertisements in Western University and Fanshawe College newspapers orientation editions, stop level notifications at stops along affected routes, detailed information on the London Transit website and an ongoing social media campaign which will conclude on September 7, 2018. Additionally, Customer Service, Planning and Operations staff will be available at Masonville Mall, White Oaks Mall, Westmount Mall, Argyle Mall and Downtown the week of September 3-7, 2018 to answer questions and direct passengers to the correct bus stop locations. Staff will also be available during Fanshawe and Western Orientation sessions to assist students with route planning.
At time of writing, the only outstanding item to be completed for the 2018 Service Plan preparation is the replacement of affected bus stop plates (approximately 260), which will be completed prior to September 2, 2018.
Bus Stop Spacing Review
Planning staff have continued to review stop spacing along major corridors throughout the city to ensure stop spacing is in line with London Transit’s Service Standards, as approved by the Commission on April 29, 2015. The location and number of stops along a bus route is a balance between customer service (providing convenient access to the service) and operational efficiency (faster travel time along the route).
A significant number of routes and corridors throughout the city have stop spacing far below the minimum guidelines, primarily as the result of historic requests for stops, service re-alignments etc. where new stops were added, but others not removed. Having stop spacing that falls within the approved service standards improves route performance and schedule adherence on the system as a whole.
In 2018, three sets of stop removals/relocations have been implemented to date and are set out in the table below
| Date of Implementation | Location | Impacted Routes |
| April 29 | Baseline, High and Grand | 6 and 24 |
| Horton and Ridout | 4, 15, 26 and 104 | |
| Southdale | 10 | |
| Wharncliffe | 11, 12 & 26 | |
| May 28 | Route 7 east of Downtown | Also impacts stops on Route 2, 14, 17 and 37 |
| Dundas- Egerton to Highbury | 2 | |
| Cherryhill | 20 & 33 | |
| Richmond- Queens to University Drive | 1, 4, 6, 13, 21, 104 and 106 | |
| Route 12 south of Commissioners | Also impacts stops on Routes 10 and 24 | |
| Route 4 south of Baseline | Also impacts stops on Routes 10 and 26 | |
| August 8 | Dundas- Highbury to Clarke | 2 |
| Fanshawe Park Road West and Aldersbrook Gate | 31 and 39 |
Corridor and route level stop reviews will continue throughout the remainder of 2018.
Shift Initiative
London Transit administration continues to work with civic administration on the Shift Initiative. On May 8, 2018, Municipal Council approved the Draft Environment Project Report which has started the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP). TPAP is the 120-day provincially legislated public consultation process for transit projects. Going forward, London Transit administration will continue to participate on both the Rapid Transit Steering Committee and Technical Committee as the project proceeds.
Industrial Service Strategy
Individual follow-up meetings with each of the Industrial areas have begun and will be completed by August 30, 2018. The intent of these meetings is to review each of the three alternative service delivery models as set out in Staff Report #1 dated June 27, 2018 in an effort to determine which model will work best for each of the areas. An update on the Industrial Service Strategy is anticipated to be presented to the Commission at the September 26, 2018 meeting.
New – King Street Cycling Facilities
At the July 17, 2018 meeting, the Civic Works Committee directed staff to review alternative options for enhancing cycling infrastructure along King Street to improve the safety for cyclists. London Transit administration has been in consultation with civic administration to review the alternatives and provide input on the best options from a transit perspective, noting commentary provided will be based on the following:
- Further impacts to transit routing/stops along the King Street corridor should be mitigated to the greatest extent possible noting the considerable disruption already being experienced by riders with the removal of buses off Dundas Street
- Any routing/stop refinement that may be possible will require time to implement noting all routes operating on this corridor need to have their schedules aligned to ensure transfers can be made in the core
- Potential areas of conflict between cyclist and transit (buses and riders waiting for the bus) should be avoided. By way of example, a cycle lane adjacent to the right side of the bus would be subject to potential conflict with the bus ramp being deployed into the cycle lane, as well groups of riders waiting for the bus could spill into the cycle lane.
London Transit administration will continue discussions with the City to ensure the best solution for all motorist including cyclists and transit.
Recommended by:
Katie Burns, Director of Planning
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager