Delays building BRT add new detours downtown
When it is finished, London, Ont.’s bus rapid transit (BRT) will speed up commutes, but for now the growing maze of downtown detours is fueling frustration.
“There is no such thing as bus schedules with all this construction!” says bus passenger Sherri Fraser. “I give myself an hour and 15 minutes so I can get to work early, but the unpredictability makes it all the more difficult.”
Next week, navigating the core will get even more difficult when the intersection at Talbot Street and Queens Avenue closes.
The city decided to begin work on the intersection in order to compensate for delays experienced building other segments of the rapid transit system in the area.
City of London Director of Construction and Infrastructure Jennie Dann describes the network of century-old pipes and utilities discovered during excavation in the area as “spaghetti.”
A map of closures in downtown London, Ont. starting Oct. 3, 2022. (Source: City of London)
“There are sections that have run into some challenges,” Dann explains. “We've been able to pivot and adjust with the changes we're making now, bringing some sections forward.”
London Transit warns the closure will impact 19 of its bus routes.
“With that additional amount of traffic and buses all utilizing Richmond, that is likely to result in delays which will mean further schedule adherence issues,” says London Transit Commission General Manager Kelly Paleczny.
Closing the intersection will block traffic in both directions on Talbot, and detour westbound drivers to either York or Horton.
“We are really pushing forward with the work on Ridout Street, so we hope to have that opening up closer to Halloween,” adds Dann. “There is a little bit of an overlap [with Talbot and Queens] and we really appreciate Londoners patience.”
The intersection closes on Oct. 3 and is anticipated to reopen in mid-December.
London Transit recommends utilizing real-time bus schedule information on its website.
Paleczny explains that adding extra buses to impacted routes isn’t possible because of an ongoing shortage of bus drivers.
“We would normally add ‘tripper buses’ to help alleviate the crowding and scheduling on our busier routes, but given our restrictions with respect to resources, we just aren't able to do that this year,” she says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.