Decision made: Bus Route on Richmond Road Will Remain Status Quo
The LRT Stage 2 construction on Richmond Rd between Richardson and Cleary is affecting transit services. For this reason, OC Transpo stated that they were looking at detour options to ensure riders safety and accessibility for a stretch of Richmond Road. They considered 2 alternate routes but the final decision, which I support, is to keep the status quo route with some bus stops removed for safety reasons.
As a result of this decision some bus stops on the south side of Richmond will need to be removed from service. Bus stops on the north side of Richmond Rd will not be affected.
On September 14th, I hosted a well-attended public consultation for residents who would be affected by the possible changes. Residents living north and south of Richmond Road were represented. The City had proposed the three options, one option was keeping the status quo route on Richmond, one route on Knightsbridge and one on Honeywell.
Residents were overwhelmingly against any bus detour through these local streets. I agreed and am supporting the decision to stay on Richmond. This will mean the removal of bus stops on Richmond Road however it was clear that all options would have required some transit riders to walk a little further for the next couple of years until it is safe for the bus stops to be re-established. This is an inconvenience however the long term result is a return to the bus stops and an LRT transit system. I should add that I have requested that snow clearing to the remaining bus stops be prioritized to help make the walk easier.
I want to thank all the residents who took the time to participate and share their concerns and recommendations. The Stage 2 construction will continue to present many challenges in the coming years. I will continue to work with all stakeholders on resolving and mitigating issues as they come up. Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime.
In the meantime I am working with city staff to implement traffic calming measures on Knightsbridge to ensure further safety on this street.
Be kind, stay safe, stay well,
