Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
DANNY ALBERT
Sustainable Transportation Manager
ACT Canada ConferenceToronto, November 2009
uOttawa
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Roger-Guindon
Alta-Vista
uOttawa (main campus)
200 Lees
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
• Parking management: – Policies/programs for efficient use of parking resources– Parking rates
• Public Transit:– Transitway (approx. 2,700 buses commute by campus every weekday)– Employee payroll deductible programs (OC Transpo and STO)– Student discounted passes
• Carpooling– Ridematching website– Preferential parking– Emergency Ride Home
• Shuttle Service (to 3 campuses)
• Active Transportation– Cycling education– Bike-Share– Bike theft prevention– Infrastructures
• Car-Sharing
• Taxi programs
Sustainable Transportation programs
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
2008 uOttawa Modal Share
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Mitigating strategies & Lessons learned (51 day OC Transpo transit strike)
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Monday December 8th 2008
• Learned through the media of a potential transit strikeon Dec 10th;
• 2006 contingency plan (last potential strike);
• Immediately began implementing our mitigationstrategies;
• First day of exams (Dec 10th).
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Was cancelling exams an option?
• No – then why not?
• 3,000 students live in residence• 9,000 live within 5 KM• 4,600 live in Gatineau• 5,300 drive• 1,600 carpool
• Many students prepared for alternate transportation• Students had studied hard and were ready for their exams• Some students were finishing their degrees (graduating)
• Rescheduling exams during the winter term would be extremely difficult• Prerequisite courses • We didn’t know how long the strike would last
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Immediate contingency plan
• Increased parking availability
• Set a daily maximum rate of $6.00
• Provided shuttles (mini vans) from peripheral lots
• Increased the number of shuttles servicing our regular shuttle routes
• Provide a Website & communication with information on alternatives(carpooling/ridesharing, cycling, walking, taxi, telework)
• Provided emergency shuttles service throughout the city(secured 4 shuttles; 2 as of Dec 11th, 2 additional as of Dec 12th)
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
OTTAWA, December 10, 2008In light of the recent transit strike, the University of Ottawa in collaboration with the Student Federation (SFUO) willprovide a free shuttle service to uOttawa students. The service will offer round trips within the City of Ottawa to the maincampus during the exam period.
1) Round trips from South Keys Mall to University of Ottawa will operate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., 7 days a week from December 11 to December 22 inclusively.
2) Round trips from Place d’Orleans to the University of Ottawa will operate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., 7 days a week from December 11 to December 22 inclusively.
3) The existing round trip shuttle service from the University of Ottawa to Carleton University will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 10:20 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.
Two additional bus routes will be added on Friday depending upon the demand.
Please see the following link www.protection.uottawa.ca for other possible ways to get to the University of Ottawa.
INFORMATION:Danny AlbertSustainable Transportation ManagerUniversity of OttawaParking and Sustainable transportation613.562.5800, ext. [email protected]://www.protection.uottawa.ca
Media release: uOttawa organizes shuttle service for students during the OC Transpo strike
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Picket lines: not becoming a target
• ATU local 279 had mixed issues on picketing our shuttles
• SFUO - work together to get the both sides back to the table
• Importance that our students need to complete their exams
• Received a called back that our shuttles were safe
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Where to implement shuttles first?
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Emergency and Regular shuttles
• Route 1 – Kanata & Bells Corner• Route 2 – Nepean• Route 3 – Orleans• Route 4 – South Keys• Route 5 – Gloucester Centre & St-Laurent
• uOttawa – RGN• uOttawa – Carleton
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Shuttle pick-up points (modifications)
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Too many shuttles on main campus (9)
Stop A – uOttawa, Lees Ave., Saint-Paul University, RGN Hall (2 shuttles)
Stop B – uOttawa, Carleton University (2 shuttles)
Stop C – Kanata/Bells Corner, uOttawa (1 shuttle)
Stop D – Orléans, uOttawa (1 shuttle)
Stop E – Nepean, uOttawa (1 shuttle)
Stop F – South Keys, uOttawa (1 shuttle)
Stop G – Gloucester Center, St-Laurent, uOttawa (1 shuttle)
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Weather: Days at -20ºCDate Weather high Weather low Precipitation
December 13 -12.2 ºC -21.8 ºC 1.7 cm
December 22 -10.7 ºC -23.5 ºC 0 cm
December 23 -6 ºC -24 ºC 1.3 cm
January 10 -10.2 ºC -23.9 ºC 0 cm
January 13 -0.2 ºC -20.5 ºC 1.4 cm
January 14 -20.4 ºC -26.1 ºC 0 cm
January 15 -20.3 ºC -29.9 ºC 0 cm
January 16 -19.9 ºC -29.8 ºC 0 cm
January 17 -14.9 ºC -24.3 ºC 0.6 cm
January 20 -10 ºC -20.4 ºC 0 cm
January 21 -6.2 ºC -20.4 ºC 0.6 cm
January 24 -9.7 ºC -25.6 ºC 0 cm
January 25 -13.2 ºC -25.7 ºC 0 cm
January 26 -13.9 ºC -28.1 C 0 cm
January 31 -9 ºC -20.2 ºC 0.6 cm
February 5 -14.6 ºC -22.7 ºC 0 cm
AVERAGE (during the strike)
- 6.9 ºC -15.9 ºC 9.8 cm
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
OTTAWA - January 8, 2009
Ottawa’s four post-secondaryinstitutions have joined forces to helpstudents attend classes should theOC Transpo strike continue after theJan. 8.
Ottawa’s university and collegepresidents all recognize that theirstudents face tremendous hardshipsas a result of the transportationstrike.
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
MEDIA
uOttawa Pulled outThe Student Federation of the University of Ottawa has officially pulled out of the shuttle service.
City to help pay for student shuttlesATU local 279 – asked that we confirm in writing by same day that our institution would not accept any City money. If no confirmation, ATU 279 reserved the right to picket any labor scab
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Registered shuttle services, such as those servicing colleges
and universities, will be permitted to use the transit way.
MEDIA
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
uOttawa student created a Google map with all the Shuttle pick-up points
(Some radio stations in Ottawa were kind enough to mention the site yesterday and it attracted over 700 visitors on its first day yesterday.)
Unfortunately the map was inaccurate …
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Other challenges
• Ecopass holders: Pay deductions continued until mid-January
• Academic staff were unhappy that they weren’t allowed to use the emergency shuttles
• Students who lived in the areas where the shuttles weren’t servicing said it wasunfair and discriminatory
• Too many sources of misinformation
• We weren’t able to assist students with mobility problems
• Overall frustration “cranky” … yet people helped one another
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Carpooling & ridesharing
• Carpooling was immediately implemented in our communications
• Having a carpool / ridematching website was key to our success
• Majority of individuals registering in the University’s ridematching Website were passengers
• Only problem that occurred with our ridematching website: University E-mails system went down
• Encourage permit holders and those who live near the shuttle pick-up points to pick-up students that were being left behind
• Encourage permit holders to register into the carpool database to increase matching
• University offered a carpool contest
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
January: Temporary housing program for students
Allan Rock, president and vice-chancellor for the university, said officials are helping match students with residents close to the university because the transit strike has made it difficult for some students to get to class.
University of Ottawa president Allan Rock said he has room for two students in his home in Sandy Hill. (CBC)
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Other tips & lessons learned
• Be as consistent as possible with your communications
• Be ready for the media coverage (interviews)
• Make sure your maps are as clear as possible
• Accept that you will not be able to help everyone, but expectations are high
• Mobilize a team
• Set an “Out of office” reply
• FAQ’s
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Ridematching database – active users
0
400
800
1200
1600
2000
Sept 08 Oct 08 Nov 08 Dec 08 Jan 09 Feb 09 Mar 09 April 09
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Regular shuttles: (utilization 07/08 & 08/09)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
RGN and Carleton shuttle use
2007-2008 2008-2009
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Ecopass ridership• November 2008 – 352
• July 2009 - 297
• October 15, 2009 – 317
• 10 % decrease (1 yr)
260
280
300
320
340
360
Nov. 2008 July 2009 Oct. 2009
Ecopass # of users
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Average # of cars parked on campus during the strike (main campus only)
• November 2008 – 1,400
• January 2009 – 1,700
• 21.4 % increase
• Parking revenue generated $69,000.00
0200400
600800
10001200
14001600
1800
Nov. 2008 January 2009
Ave cars parked
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Students who boarded onto the emergency shuttles
December exams: 5,900
January – week 1: 7,800
January – week 2: 9,600
January – week 3: 10,000
January – week 4: 10,000
February – week 1: Unk
Total (approx.) 53,300
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
Cost of shuttles $206,776.69
OC Transpo transit strike quick facts
• 1979 – 20 day strike• 1996 – 23 day strike• 2008 – 51 day strike (Dec 10th 2008 until Jan 29th 2009)
• Main cause: disagreement regarding scheduling & overtime
• January 8th, 2009. Federal Minister of Labour order a union membership vote (64% rejected the city's offer)
• Inevitability of back-to-work legislation forced both sides to go into binding arbitration
• Feb 2nd, O-Train started service• Feb 9th, some buses started service • Full service late spring
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools
DANNY ALBERT
Sustainable Transportation ManagerParking & Sustainable Transportation Division,
Protection ServicesUniversity of Ottawa
137-139 Louis-Pasteur, Ottawa, ON, K1N [email protected]
www.uOttawa.ca/sustainabletransportation
Mitigating the OC Transpo strike through shuttles and carpools