Some Carleton University students frustrated by new parking pass restrictions and hours-long daily commutes, are now having to pay for expensive Uber rides and daily tickets to reach campus.
On May 1, the university increased parking permit rates to “encourage commuters to consider using public transit whenever possible,” the school wrote in an April-May newsletter.
The school then announced a further measure in a July-August newsletter limiting parking permits to students living outside the U-Pass transit zone. This made students in Barrhaven, Kanata, Orléans and Stittsville ineligible for parking passes and facing long commutes to school.
“Due to the high demand for parking on campus, student parking permits are only available for students with U-Pass waivers for the 2025-2026 school year,” the university wrote.
Lily Doré, a second year student at Carleton who commutes from Britannia, said her travel time to campus has tripled. She said inconsistent OC Transpo buses often make her late to class.
“I’m hoping the buses become more reliable,” said Doré. “Last week, a bus drove right past me, so I had to walk home, drive here and pay about $16 for the day. People without cars have to rely on Uber, which is really inconvenient.”
Doré added that she usually parks in a lot that’s further from her classes because the daily tickets are cheaper, which “adds up over time.” She’s also worried bad winter weather conditions will affect students’ academic performance.
“A lot of students who used to drive now take the bus because of the cost,” said Doré. “When it’s extremely cold or slushy, I end up missing one or two classes a week. It’s easy to fall behind, and if you’re already behind, sometimes it feels better to stay home and catch up.”
The university said some students with “extenuating circumstances” can still get parking passes, as was the case for Eman Karkouti, a fourth-year student commuting from Kanata. She submitted a doctor’s note explaining that her anxiety makes public transit stressful.
She described the process of getting approved for a permit as rigorous and competitive, because, she believes, many other students also took this route.
“Getting a parking pass under those conditions is very difficult for a lot of students,” said Karkouti. “I had to send multiple unanswered emails, provide medical documentation and go back and forth for three months before finally securing a pass at a higher rate.”
If Karkouti had failed to get her parking pass, she said she would have endured a daily two-hour commute.
“Even when I take the bus, if I miss it, I’m stuck waiting for the next one and risk missing class,” said Karkouti. “The system just isn’t reliable, and students shouldn’t have to bear the consequences for that.”
Unreliable transit
Since January, the O-Train Line 2 has made it easier for Carleton students in the Chinatown and South Keys neighbourhoods to commute to campus. But many still need to catch a bus to get to Line 2, or drive to nearby parking lots, said Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo.
“Line 2 gives a mostly predictable 20 to 25 minute ride from Limebank or Bowesville to Carleton, which is why the parking lot at Bowesville has been filling up,” said Lo.
The councillor added that cuts to bus services in April have made their commutes less predictable.
“Students and employees enjoy the train, but once they transfer to buses — especially congestion from Baseline Rd. or crossing the Vimy Memorial Bridge into Barrhaven — they face delays,” said Lo.
The city is promising to address OC Transpo’s reliability problems after years of delays, breakdowns and rider complaints. Troy Charter, interim general manager of transit services, committed to 85 per cent on-time performance by December 2027 in a recent report. According to OC Transpo, buses on less frequent routes were only punctual around 71 per cent of the time as of August 2025.
The agency is also struggling with shortages for buses and technical staff who maintain them, Lo said.
“Staff are struggling to keep up because our older buses spend more time in maintenance, a result of poor procurement decisions in the 2000s and delays from bus manufacturers,” said Lo. “I’ve moved to pause electric bus purchases for next year and switch to diesel or hybrid to ensure we have enough vehicles to maintain reliable service. Right now, much of the committee is focused on raising fares and taxes to cover revenue gaps, but I don’t think that’s the right approach.”
Lo said many students rely on public transit to get to Carleton, and recent policy changes are meant to encourage students to use their U-Pass instead of driving to campus.
“Whether it achieves that goal remains to be seen, since it’s only been a month. With any major policy change, people will find ways to adapt, either following the policy or finding alternatives.”
Students like Doré are wondering if Carleton will stick with the policy if attendance drops or students struggle to get to class.
“I hope this isn’t a long-term move,” said Doré. “It feels a bit disrespectful, especially when you’re paying so much for your education. If attendance drops because of it, that’s going to be frustrating, and I hope enough people speak up to push for change.”
On Oct. 2, Carleton Parking Services opened a waitlist for parking permits. A parking services spokesperson said 350 students signed up before the waitlist closed.
“We have heard the concerns shared about availability for student parking on campus for the 2025–2026 academic year,” according to a statement by Carleton Parking Services on its website. “Our team is actively reviewing parking capacity to make sure we’re making the most of the space we have.”
