When will the Trillium Line open?

Good morning! 

My partner reminded me yesterday it was National Boyfriend Day. For any of you who may have forgotten like me, this is your reminder that they really do have a day for everything and to do something special for your significant other. 

If one of your date nights in the near future includes riding the light rail transit system, we finally have a tentative timeline for when the Trillium Lime will once again welcome passengers. Below you can read specifics on the trial testing phase that is set to begin on Monday. 

If you decide to jump in your car instead, be aware of new idling rules which have just come into effect. We have written about all the new specifics so you won’t get a ticket. 

Have a great weekend! 

— Charlie Senack, [email protected].

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WEATHER

Friday: 20🌡️ 9 | ☁️

Saturday: 18 🌡️ 7 | ☀️

Sunday: 18 🌡️ 11 | ☁️

Monday: 16 🌡️ 6 | ⛅

TRANSIT

Commuters could be riding the LRT Trillium Line this November 

A promising sign: We now have a month for when OC Transpo plans to launch its Phase 2 light rail Trillium line to passengers, but there is still no exact date in sight. 

At a technical briefing on Thursday, the transit organization said the trial would commence on Oct. 7. If it goes well, trains could be ready for commutes as soon as mid November. 

• “TransitNext has spent the last several years preparing for this test. This is TransitNext's final exam, and it will be a rigorous one,” said OC Transpo general manager Reneé Amilcar. “TransitNext and OC Transpo have studied hard, have practiced multiple times and we are united in our confidence in the reliability of the system. But the proof will be in the daily testing results.”

The trial runs must take place without issues for at least 21 days before opening and will be done in two increments of seven days — one week for on-time performance evaluation and one week for maintenance and operations evaluation. 

High grades are needed: A performance level of 98.5 per cent is needed over the 14 day average. Once that part of the testing is over, maintenance and operational teams will be tested for possible issues that could arise such as door jams, which stopped Stage 1 trains early in its opening. 

• CTV wrote a comprehensive list of all the steps that need to be taken. 

Better connectivity: The trains will commute between Bayview Station where it connects to Phase 1 all the way to Limebank Road in Riverside South. Another train will travel from South Keys to Uplands and the Airport. Once in operation the trains will provide better connectivity for Carleton University students who should have their commutes shortened. 

Not looking to make the same mistakes again: If it seems like OC Transpo is being cautious with opening the train line, that’s because they are. The 2019 o-train of the Confederation Line was widely criticized by Justice William Hourigan, who was in charge of a judicial inquiry into the problems with Stage 1. Many key officials including former Mayor Jim Watson and city managers were criticized for putting pressure on the rushed opening. 

• “As I’ve stated many times, the 104 recommendations from the public inquiry report and lessons learned from Stage 1 LRT have been incorporated into trial running,” said Amilcar. 

Predicting problems: Amilcar said while she’s hopeful testing will go off without any major ordeals, issues — like with any system — will arise. Still, the system is much different than its Confederation Line sibling. While it doesn’t have sharp curves or bearing assemblies, it does have switches that move the trains down the tracks which can be “very sensitive.”  

Changes to bus routes: To better serve transit riders with the opening of more LRT stops, OC Transpo is drastically changing its bus routes to accommodate the LRT changes. Those alterations — which will result in about 75,000 fewer service hours — were supposed to come into effect this fall with Lines 2 and 4 opening, but have now been pushed back to the spring. 

Amilcar said they did not want to drastically change the service at a time when winter service adjustments were already being made. They are now expected to start in April 2025. That means R2 bus service between Bayview Station and South Keys will continue running until then. 

To put the cuts into context: After the Ottawa Lookout wrote about the bus route changes for Insider members, Stittsville Councillor Glen Gower, who is also chair of the transit committee, emailed us a response to put the cuts into context. He said it’s more like 74,000 hours — totalling about 3.5 per cent of the 2.111 million service hours in 2024.

• Service added: With the launch of O-Train lines 2 and 4, 62,000 hours of train service are being added — meaning only a reduction of about 12,000 hours. 

Next steps: When the Trillium Line opens, it will be over two years after its initial proposed summer 2022 timeline. Construction on the Confederation Line extensions have also been delayed with the eastern expansion out to Orleans expected to open in summer 2025. The western expansions out to Moodie Drive and Baseline Station at Algonquin College are now in the books for late 2026 or early 2027. 

What it means: OC Transpo knows it has a lot on the line with Stage 2 opening. Ridership is low and is facing difficulty climbing back during cuts to the service. There is hope a new train — which runs differently than the problem-plagued Stage 1 Confederation Line — will take commuters out of cars. If ridership increases, then OC Transpo says it can provide more resources again. There is also an uncertain future over Phase 3 expansions out to Barrhaven, Kanata and Stittsville. Many councillors are renewing calls for expanding the bus rapid transit system instead. 

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🚙 234 km/h: The speed an Ottawa driver was caught going on Highway 174 in the east end. He has been arrested and charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police under the Criminal Code and stunt driving. [CTV]

🏒 12%: The additional stake Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer has purchased from the team. [CTV]

🚔 3: The number of persons of interest after a teen football player was shot and killed in Centretown last month. [Ottawa Citizen]

CITY HALL

New rules for idling vehicles come into effect

New Rules: The City of Ottawa is implementing new rules to crackdown on drivers who idle their vehicles during extreme cold or warm weather, but the new restrictions won't be as severe as initially proposed. 

The city’s environment and climate change committee and the emergency preparedness and protective services committee approved a bylaw last month which limited idling to one minute every hour — or five minutes on very cold and hot days when using heating or air conditioning was warranted. In a 15-8 vote, the council voted to up that to three and 10 minutes, respectively. 

•  "I heard from my own residents that the original staff report was a little bit too far, too soon," said Coun. Steve Desroches, according to CBC. 

A happy mayor: Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa, said he was happy with the changes, noting it was a “step forward”, especially given enforcement would be hard to implement. 

• “The signal that we have sent is that we don’t want people to idle in their cars. Even on cold and hot days, there should be a limit on what they’re doing. We know there’s not going to be a huge amount of enforcement of this bylaw as there wasn’t much in the past either,” said Sutcliffe, according to the Ottawa Citizen. 

How is this different from before?: Three minutes of idling was permitted before when temperatures were below 5 C or above 27 C — an occurrence that takes place more than 200 days a year in Ottawa. 

Some exemptions: Emergency vehicles responding to a call, people with medical notes or attending medical appointments, don’t need to follow these rules. Fines for not complying are typically $500. 

THE AGENDA

🚎 OC Transpo says it’s scraping its plan to purchase 60-foot electric buses — at least for now. According to documents filed for the March 18 Transit Commission meeting, the city was supposed to receive 26 zero-emission buses in the last quarter of 2024. New timelines extend the delivery of the first 26 buses to March 2025 at the latest and now includes 80 buses expected between September 2025 and January 2026. Plans for 60-foot zero-emission buses will no longer be purchased due to a lack of supply, instead being replaced with 40-foot buses. [CTV]

🐈 The hunt for a missing cat who was snatched from a pet store in Orleans is over. Nacho, who was taken from the Pet Valu at the Convent Glen Shopping Centre on Friday afternoon, was found Wednesday. Ottawa Police said the investigation was ongoing. [CTV]

👔 The federal government has said it won’t rule out mandating its employees back to in-person work four days a week. Deputy clerk of the Privy Council Christaine Fox says the government is "committed to hybrid" but “ready to adjust” if necessary. [Ottawa Citizen]

🏗️ The companies behind the Zibi development in Gatineau have said they are interested in joining forces with another real estate firm to build amenities that could include a hotel and convention centre. In a news release the companies said the property has room for up to one million square feet of development. [Ottawa Business Journal]

🚘 It’s been a big year for car thefts in Ottawa with more than 1,200 vehicles already being stolen this year, including 115 in September. The hot spot is in Gloucester-Southgate, which has reported 124 vehicle thefts this year. Bay Ward comes in second place at 85, and Rideau-Vanier in third at 79. [CTV]

🕎 The Soloway Jewish Community Centre says members of a nearby seniors centre were left feeling concerned for their safety after a pro-Palestine demonstration was held outside the centre. David Sachs from the Jewish Federation of Ottawa said at one point seniors were told by police it might not be safe to leave. [Ottawa Citizen]

🔪 The trial is continuing for Hamid Ayoub who stabbed his ex Hanadi Mohamed 39 times along Baseline Road in June 2021. He then turned the knife on his 22-year-old daughter who was stabbed 12 times. Court heard the family suffered from his abuse for many years, with altercations which led to 911 being called. [CBC]

👮🏼‍♀️ Monday marks one year since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and Ottawa Police said they are “closely monitoring” the situation to assess any local impacts on Ottawa residents. An increased law enforcement presence will be seen at Jewish and Islamic places of worship and community centres. [Ottawa Citizen] 

EVENTS

What to do this weekend

👻 Stittsville Haunted Heritage Tours | 1549 Main Street South, Stittsville | Oct. 4-5 | Combine a riveting historical tour on the quaint and eerie town of Stittsville with a haunted twist to get this annual heritage tour. | Tickets are $22.

💀 sKreamers | Proulx Maple & Berry Farm, 1865 O'Toole Rd | Oct. 4-5 | Looking for a spooky group adventure this month? Look no further than this haunted weekend event full of wagon rides and scary surprises. | Tickets start at $12.50.

🧑‍🎨 Chelsea Wakefield Studio Tour | Various locations in Chelsea and Wakefield | Oct. 5-6 | From painting to sculpture, functional and decorative ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, photography and glass, the artists never fail to inspire. Free. 

🛍️ One World Bazaar | 6110 Mitch Owens Rd | Oct. 4-6 | You will discover a heritage barn packed with beautiful handmade goods from all over the planet — everything from clothing and jewellery to dishes, home décor and furniture. Free. 

Mac My Cheese Fest | Orléans Client Service Centre, 255 Centrum Blvd | Oct. 4-6 | Mac My Cheese Fest is perfect for you if you love cheese! Join in for three days of the best in delicious comfort food in the heart of Ottawa. Free. 

👗 613flea | at Lansdowne | Oct. 5 | The event features an exciting lineup of over 140 vendors who offer eclectic goods, handmade treasures, vintage finds and one-of-a-kinds. Makers and bakers, artists and artisans, antiques and vintage clothing, records and comics, plus great food too! Free. 

🚒 Ottawa Fire Truck Pull | Lansdowne | Oct. 5 | Teams of 10 demonstrate that they have the fortitude to pull a 10+ tonne fire truck 100 feet. Watch the teams compete and cheer them on! | By donation. 

🎨 Art+ Fall Showcase | Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave | Oct. 5 | Celebrate equity, diversity, inclusion, and pluralism in the arts, including local artists from all Western and non-Western art disciplines | Free. 

🏈 Panda Game | Lansdowne | Oct. 6 | The battle of Ottawa’s universities is back! Book your seats to watch the University of Ottawa’s Gee-Gees vs the Carleton Ravens in this iconic football game you won’t want to miss. Ticket prices vary. 

CAPITAL EATS

This week in food

🍷(Insiders) Are you a wine lover looking for a different cultural taste? Try out this Lebanese offering you can find in Gatineau.

🍦 With the warmer weather returning you need to visit Love & Electric Microcreamery located on Wellington Street West. It is run by the same owners who opened Britannia’s wildly popular Beach Coners. 

🥗 Vegan dieters can oftentimes find it hard to find a healthy fast food alternative. Odd Burger thinks it has all the answers. 

🇪🇸 Craving great Spanish food? La Barrica has isles of fine Iberian products. 

🇹🇷 (Insiders) Looking for a cultural dinner experience? Check out Memories of Azra, the Turkish restaurant Ottawa needed.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Former Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien has penned a science fiction book. [Ottawa Business Journal]

• Looking for a job? Curious about your career options? Ottawa’s biggest and best career expo is coming on Oct. 17th at the Shaw Centre. Get face-to-face with 75+ of the region’s best employers. Visit www.bestplacestoworkexpo.ca. [Sponsored]

• More than 1,400 people registered for the Ottawa Humane Society’s Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run held on Sept. 29. [Stittsville Central]

• The City is launching its revamped Commemorative Naming Program. [Stittsville Central]

• Here is a fact you probably didn’t know. Much of the Ottawa River shoreline was built using garbage. Chances are you’re driving over it. [Kitchissippi Times] 

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Ellen Bond for sharing this photo of a sunset over Tunney’s Pasture.

OTTAWA GAMES

Think you can solve this week’s Ottawa Wordle? Play now.