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Finding the cost of free transit in Ottawa
The city needs about $1 million to study the costs and benefits of making trasit free in the city.
Robert Hiltz
13 Jul
Good morning!
For the past few months I’ve been playing softball every Tuesday night. Been having a blast the whole time, even if we aren’t the winningest team the the league. It’s also fun because I get to see the various and assorted ways my body has broken down in the decade since I last played.
Fortunately, my absurd pants and high socks are still in perfect working condition, so at the very least I know I look spectacular on the diamond. It’s also a great way to get out and see some parks around the city I’d never seen before. Carlington, for one, is a pretty interesting one, tucked away as it is.
Anyway, enough about high socks and all that, let’s get to the news.
— Robert Hiltz, managing editor
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Weather Report
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LRT Inquiry: What we’ve learned
To study, or not to study: To find out the effect of rebalancing how much OC Transpo relies on fares, city staff say they will need $1 million study the issue. Study options include the benefits of free fares and shifting the ratio of fares versus funding.
The ratio: Currently the ratio is 45:55 of fares to funding. Options that are on the table include changing to 30:70, or go to no fares at all, according to CTV.
Costs: Staff estimates it would cost $209 million per year to make fares entirely free. But those figures are based on pre-pandemic levels, which the system has yet to come close to recovering. In its latest figures, the city said ridership was only 3.8 million riders in April 2021, fewer than half of the 8.4 million transit riders in April 2019.
City staff say free transit could increase the average property tax bill by $482 at pre-pandemic levels.
For comparison: That cost is slightly more than the $465 it costs per year to add suburban homes on undeveloped land, according to a city study reported on by CBC.
Savings: Free transit isn’t just about costs. Coun. Shawn Menard pointed out on Twitter it would reduce costs in other areas reducing the need to expand roads for increased traffic, and no longer needing to pay to maintain fare collection systems and enforcement.
Dig deeper: ‘I feel landlocked’: Accessible transit users call for more options in Ottawa [CTV]
The $1 million to conduct the study would need to either be approved separately in next year’s city budget, or take money from elsewhere in the current budget. Earlier this year, council voted to free up $8 million to study the proposed plans for Lansdowne 2.0.
What could it look like? Advocacy group Free Transit Ottawa’s ideas for improving transit while eliminating fares include:
Free fares for people on social assistance;
Added weekend routes;
Added Para Transpo buses;
The creation of neighbourhood routes for transportation where they live, not just commute downtown;
And the creation of dedicated bus lanes for routes which are most often late.
Coun. Jeff Leiper posted the full memo from staff to city council here where you can read it yourself.
Ottawa by the numbers
0.75%: The amount the Bank of Canada is expected to raise its key interest rate today. [The Canadian Press]
3.6%: The unemployment rate in Ottawa-Gatineau in June, the lowest it's been in two decades. [OBJ]
141: The speed, in km/h, of a wind gust recorded at the Ottawa Airport. If accurate, weather historian Rolf Campbell said it would be an all-time record.
Fighting for a more beautiful city
Gardening revolution: A New Edinburgh resident decided to replace the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road with a garden. After someone complained the garden was violating a city’s bylaw because the garden was in the right-of-way, an officer demanded the garden be removed or the city would charge for the removal.
Rather than rip in out, Andrew Fyfe explained to CBC he wanted to fight back against what seemed like an arbitrary and archaic rule. So, instead, he set up a petition beside the garden, asking his neighbours and passersby what they thought of the garden.
You can fight city hall: In the end, he nearly 200 signatures in two weeks. Councillor Rawlson King visited, and eventually to called on city staff find a way to loosen the rules so unobstructive gardens can be planted.
Starting your own garden? Our food and drink editor Ralf, and resident gardener, has numerous gardening store recommendations, including Ottawa Horticultural Society’s Gardening 101 page to set a solid foundation and the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton which has plenty of in-depth advice to help you out.
Looking for more garden tips? Ralf has even more you can find here.
Imagine yourself at Imagine Monet
Imagine yourself strolling through an entire area filled with beautiful Monet paintings, surrounded by the beauty of the Impressionist artist.
You don’t need to imagine it. Enter our giveaway to win two free tickets to the stunning Imagine Monet exhibit in Ottawa. Here’s how:
Follow us on Instagram and tag your friends on our contest post
Enter the giveaway through our contest form.
If you’ve already entered, you can increase your chances by referring your friends. Enter your email address to get your own custom referral link. But hurry, the giveaway closes Friday evening.
Busking bagpiper badgered by bylaw
Two tickets: A bagpiper who has busked outside Bluesfest gates for several years racked up two fines from the same bylaw officer for playing music on Booth Street. Nico Gravel told the Ottawa Citizen he now has $2,260 in fines for encumbering a roadway, the same ticket convoy protesters (eventually) received.
“I’m a busker, not a transport truck,” Gravel said to the Citizen.
When contacted by the paper, the head of bylaw services said Gravel could cause a safety risk by blocking an emergency vehicle from getting through. Booth has been closed along the stretch where he was busking so pedestrians could get to and from Bluesfest.
You can donate to Gravel’s GoFundMe here.
House of the week
What’s better than having a pool? Having a pool while also being on the Rideau River. This house not far from Osgoode has pretty much everything you could want, while still being within reach of the city:
A 3.4 acre lot;
Dock, firepit, and waterfroont gazebo;
Giant windows with a view of the garden;
Open concept design;
Renovated bathroom;
And three bedrooms.
Want to see the interior? Check out the listing here.
Stories you might've missed
Booster announcement today: It’s expected Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, will announce the details of a COVID booster expansion. Currently, fourth doses are only available to people 60 and older. [CTV]
Rogers class-action lawsuit launched: The first steps have been taken for a class-action lawsuit against telecom giant Rogers for last week’s outage. The claim, filed in a Quebec court, is asking for $400 per customer — half of that for the outage, and the other half for claiming to have the most reliable network. The lawsuit is also seeking compensation for members of Rogers sub-brands like Fido, and people unable to use Interac payments. [CTV]
Small-town healthcare crisis: The continued closure of the Perth Hospital emergency room is part of a broader crisis in hospitals in communities across the province. Perth Mayor John Fenik warns the healthcare system is unravelling like a quilt. “I think rural hospitals are an endangered species,” Fenik said. [The Canadian Press]
Knife victim home, fundraiser continues: The woman who survived a knife attack that killed her sister and mother has been released from hospital. A fundraiser has been organized to help her through an unimaginably difficult time. So far they have raised more than $60,000, but are hoping to hit $75,000. You can donate to the GoFundMe here.
Sutcliffe says no to developer donations: New mayoral entrant Mark Sutcliffe said he wouldn’t accept donations from executives or family of local developers. (He’s also said no to union donations.) Coun. Catherine McKenney, another mayoral candidate, said they will continue their long-time practice of refusing those donations. Bob Chiarelli said he would accept donations from anyone, but no more than $500 (less than the $1,200 legal limit). [Ottawa Citizen]
Officer charged with misconduct: While criminal corruption charges have been dropped, an Ottawa police officer is still facing internal discipline at a review board. Const. Mohamed Mohamed is facing a charge of discreditable conduct and insubordination. He had previously been charged with obstructing justice for allegedly sharing evidence with a witness, but that charge was dropped because it had no chance of conviction, prosecutors said. [CBC]
Some good news: Space!
So, a photo of something 7,600 light years away may be stretching the idea of local news by a little bit, but honestly we couldn’t help but share this fantastic photo released yesterday by NASA of the Carina Nebula. But it’s pretty good news to look at something this wonderous. The “peaks” of the nebula you’re seeing are about seven light years high. (To give you a sense of scale, Earth is about eight light minutes from the sun.)
It’s one of the first images released from the new James Webb Space Telescope, which is operated by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. To get some idea of how much better the Webb telescope is, you can find an image of the same nebula captured by the Hubble Space Telescope here.
Community highlights
Star Sens defenceman Wade Redden has returned to the team as a development coach. [Ottawa Citizen]
Is the clutter in your home making you feel stressed and overwhelmed? Declutter4Good can help. Reach out to them today to book a free consultation.*
That perfect sandwich is out there, and our food editor Ralf is determined to find it on his Sandwich Safari.
Bluesfest roars on and Apt613 has great photos from plenty of performers.
Ottawa Fire Services were able to save seven pets — five snakes and two birds — from a serious house fire. [Narcity]
Goalie Matt Murray is no longer a Senator, after being traded to the Maple Leafs who will only pay 75 percent of his salary the rest being picked up by Ottawa. [CBC]
Summer in the city means ice cream or gelato, and Ralf has you covered for spots you need to try to stay cool.
Good news for travellers, as Via Rail and its union reached a tentative deal, averting a strike. [CBC]
*Sponsored advertisement
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Latest COVID stats
Note: Ottawa Public Health is now only updating COVID stats twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Because of the Lookout’s publishing schedule, this means the numbers here may be out of date. For the most recent stats, see the OPH COVID Dashboard.
Active Cases: 780
Total deaths: 826
Ottawans In Hospital: 24
Ottawans In ICU: 3
Acute Beds Occupied: 96%
ICU Beds Occupied: 76%
ICU Ventilator Beds Occupied: 20%
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