CTV Ottawa asked me to comment today on ongoing transit service issues for a story that they are working on about late and cancelled buses this week.
My message: OC Transpo is very aware of the issues and councillors are very aware of the issues. I’ve been receiving emails and messages all week from bus riders. Late buses, crowded buses, and cancelled buses are leaving commuters stranded. This is completely unacceptable on any day of the year, but it’s particularly bad on cold weeks like this one.
I had separate meetings this week with senior OC Transpo staff and Transit Commission Chair Allan Hubley to talk about possible solutions in the short-term and long-term. I will be meeting with the Mayor and City Manager next week on budget issues and will continue the conversation with them as well. This is not a problem that’s unique to Stittsville, but cancellations can have a higher impact because we have fewer route options to choose from.
My entire team takes the bus to City Hall. I took the bus downtown yesterday and today. We experience the same things that riders are. We have a bus system stretched thin without many resources to spare. We are working to find more resources and improve communication with riders. I will continue to advocate for riders to improve reliability of our bus service.
In the meantime, keep sharing your experiences with me via glen.gower@ottawa.ca. Many of you have already shared text, photos and videos. Please keep them coming.
Spoke to CTV today about ongoing transit service issues in our ward and around the city. #stittsville residents – tell me what you are experiencing. Tweet me your OC Transpo stories & photos or email me glen.gower@ottawa.ca pic.twitter.com/uLq1egSKY3
— Glen Gower | Quartier Stittsville Ward | Ottawa (@CouncillorGlen) January 10, 2019
Bus delays and no shows a common theme on social media in Ottawa https://t.co/Gb11Kd22Px pic.twitter.com/klbfLPiBP6
— OttawaMatters (@OttawaMatters) January 10, 2019
"My philosophy is, the colder it is, the later the bus." Riders left out in the cold by OC Transpo delays, cancellations #ottnews https://t.co/UP512j6PyQ
— CTV Ottawa (@ctvottawa) January 11, 2019