(Originally published by the Ottawa Citizen, November 22, 2023.)
Transit is essential to our city. Without transit, Ottawa cannot function.
Right now, OC Transpo struggles with low rider confidence, partly due to LRT issues and partly due to an underperforming bus system. Some customers are being served at a very high level with easy access and frequent routes, while many are left disappointed with long commutes, reliability concerns and limited service.
Commuter patterns have changed due to the pandemic and will continue to change. According to a Colliers report published this fall, Ottawa’s return-to-office rate stands at just 57 per cent compared to pre-COVID levels, behind Toronto (62 per cent) and Montreal (81 per cent). OC Transpo ridership is about 70 per cent of what it was before the pandemic.
OC Transpo’s bus route review was an opportunity to “re-think” transit in Ottawa to ensure we can deliver great service to the people in our community who need it the most.
Since January, OC Transpo has engaged with 8,200 people through virtual and in-person open houses, online surveys, outreach at major transit hubs, and in direct discussions with major employers, advocacy groups and city councillors. Transit planners have combined that feedback with demographic information and transportation data to come up with a new network of routes.
Unfortunately, a lot of the news coverage has focused on “cuts” without emphasizing the new routes and service being added. It’s true that some 200-series rush-hour routes will be removed, but in almost every case they’re being combined or replaced by another route. There are also new routes being added, and additional service where there is high ridership. And there’s also the launch of Line 2 and 4 of the LRT, providing high-frequency, high-capacity train service to the south end.
Some examples of new routes and service improvements:
• In Kanata, the new Route 60 will run all day from Eagleson/Cope to Terry Fox Station via Castlefrank, with peak trips to and from Tunney’s Pasture.
• In Stittsville, the new Route 163 will connect from Terry Fox Station to Stittsville Main via Abbott Street, with service to several new neighbourhoods. Weekend service will be added to Route 67.
• University students in Kanata/Stittsville will benefit from more frequent service on Routes 61, 62 and 63, which will run at least every 15 minutes at most times of the day.
• In West Ottawa and North Nepean, Route 82 will be expanded from Baseline Station to Lincoln Fields, with peak trips to and from Tunney’s Pasture Station, replacing part of Route 58. Route 116 will provide new service along Hunt Club Road between Woodroffe and Greenboro.
• In Barrhaven, Riverside South, Richmond and Manotick area, Route 75 is expanded to service Quinn’s Pointe.
• In Barrhaven, Ottawa South and Riverside South, many routes are being tweaked to provide direct connections to the new Line 2 light rail line.
• In South and East Ottawa, the new all-day Route 41 will connect from Billings Bridge—St. Laurent via Heron, Walkley, Russell and Elmvale, replacing part of Route 46.
• In East Ottawa and Orléans, Route 24 will be extended to serve St. Laurent to Chapel Hill via Ogilvie, Jasmine Crescent, Beacon Hill, Blackburn Hamlet, Brian Coburn and Renaud.
This is just a sample of some of the route changes, anticipated to start in Spring 2024.
Between now and then, OC Transpo will be sharing lots of information to increase awareness and understanding of the new bus route network.
Residents often decide where to live and where to work based on easy access to transit, so any change will have an impact. We know that some riders will have a slightly longer walking distance to a bus stop, or an additional transfer. Overall, the new network improves access to retail hubs and community services, and will mean faster travel times and more frequent service for many riders.
Residents with questions or comments should reach out to their city councillor for more information, or email routereview@ottawa.ca.