STO buses to continue stopping short of Confederation Line

Transit riders from Gatineau hoping to transfer directly onto Ottawa's new Confederation Line once it opens Saturday will have to wait a while longer.

The majority ofSocit de transport de l'Outaouais(STO) buses crossing into Ottawa will continue to stop on Wellington Street instead of proceeding to the new Lyon station one block south on Queen Street, at least for now.

"We don't have a formal date as towhen they are going to do their change," John Manconi, Ottawa's general manager of transportation services,told councillors at a committeeTuesday.

LRT delays to blame

Manconi said OC Transpo and the STO have been negotiating the transition for more than a year, but failed toarriveat a plan in time for Satuday's LRT launch.

"With our changes and delays they had to adjust accordingly," Manconi said."They have asked for a lot of notice because it impacts them very significantly."

Manconi said he's meeting again with STO officials this week, and hopes to secure a date for the route changes.

"They are being very cautious," he said.

Spring 2020

STO spokesperson KarineSauvconfirmed no date has been set for the switchover to Lyon station.She said the transit service neededsix months notice to prepare its fall schedule, and said the change likely won't happen until next spring.

Sauv said the STO needs time totest the tweaked routes to ensure a smooth transition for both drivers and passengers.

Starting Saturday, STO passes encoded with the capability to transfer can be used to board the Confederation Line, according toPat Scrimgeour, OC Transpo's director of transit customer systems and planning.