Members of Ottawa’s Transit Commission are concerned that bus reliability is far below where it needs to be in advance a major overhaul of bus routes across the city planned for next Spring.
New Ways to Bus, is to begin in April, some months after the opening of the LRT Lines 2 and 4, expected in November. The bus plan is designed to make it easier for residents to travel across the city while connecting as much as possible to the growing LRT network.
River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington told a recent Transit Commission meeting that OC Transpo needs to make more progress on improving bus reliability.
“I do believe that the … major campaigns that [OC Transpo General Manager Renée Amilcar] has initiated will make on-time performance better but if we don’t hit the target, we still have one in five buses running late. We have to look at what are the other alternatives that will contribute to improving bus reliability,” Brockington said.
Transit staff presented statistics showing on-time bus performance was 10 per cent lower in September 2024 than in 2023. The punctuality of buses over a year was 75 per cent, 10 per cent below the transit services’ target.
Amilcar and her staff told the commission the agency has:
- Hired more than 800 bus operators since 2022;
- A bus maintenance plan is underway, all of which will contribute to more reliable service.
Amilcar also said “crazy” traffic in Ottawa as a factor in the on-time bus performance numbers.
Brockington, who commended OC Transpo management for the recruitment efforts, urged Amilcar to request measures from the city that would help the on-time performance, particularly with 2025 budget planning underway.
“What I am asking for as a transit commissioner as we’re going into the budget for 2025 is to look to you and your team for direction. What more do you need from the Transit Commission from a resource perspective to help you address on-time performance,” said Brockington, pointing to examples like possible additional bus lanes or more advance lights for buses at busy intersections.
Meanwhile the trial runs on LRT Lines 2 and 4 have so far met or exceeded targets so far, putting it on track for a November opening, the meeting was told.
