OC Transpo riders will pay more in 2025 as the city struggles to contain budget shortfalls driven in large part by a rising transit deficit.

A draft budget presented to City Council Nov. 13 is recommending a 2.9 per cent increase in the property tax bill, an eight per cent increase to the transit levy and a host of other fee increases for recreation, museum admissions and other services.

OC Transpo single ticket fares for adults will rise from $3.80 to $4, monthly passes will rise 4.9 per cent to $135, senior monthly passes will jump 120.4 per cent from $49 to $108 and U-passes will increase five per cent from $229.07 to $240.52 per semester.

“The 2025 budget is one of the most complicated we’ve had in many, many years,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said. He insisted that the budget focuses on essentials, strives for balance, but he also recognized that not everyone’s needs will be met.

One of the biggest challenges is the $120 million OC Transpo deficit. The draft budget relies on receiving $36 million from other levels of government to help offset the transit deficit, but, so far, no funding commitments have been made despite the mayor’s public Fairness for Ottawa campaign.

“Unlike other levels of government, the city cannot budget for deficits, and we are legislatively required to provide a balanced budget,” Cyril Rogers, the city’s general manager and chief financial officer.

Sutcliffe said fixing the transit budget will be a multi-year project, and noting that council has already begun to outline Ottawa’s budget for 2026.

Though Rogers said that “opening the extension of the whole train Liine One to Trim station, improvements in reliability, and investments to improve Para Transpo” are on the to do list, it is unclear how these will be funded, especially considering the current financial struggles.

Of the $4.98 billion in the city’s net operating budget, transit is the second-largest item, at $824.2 million.

The budget will be finalized on Dec. 11, 2024.

The Transit Commission will meet Nov. 25 to continue to discuss the 2025 budget.

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