OC Transpo is set to take its biggest route overhaul in decades, but nobody knows

As the LRT Trillium line gets set to ride the rails this fall, it will mark the beginning of OC Transpo’s largest route overhaul in history. The addition of 12 stations from Bayview to Limebank Road in Riverside South will mean connections need to change in order to bring buses to the train stations. 

While this is being branded as a big win for the city, it also comes as a cost: a reduction in service. The shakeup will result in about $10 million in savings, a step that is needed at a time when the transit organization is facing a $120 million deficit. There will be about 75,000 fewer hours of service too, which OC Transpo says won’t be missed due to more reliable service. The bizarre statement essentially says they will do more with less. Because OC Transpo will now work within its means, the hope is there will be fewer cancelled trips, which will bring more predictability. 

At transit commission meetings, commuters shared fears over what the longer routes will mean for getting stuck in traffic congestion. There were concerns over longer walks to get to a transit station, too. 

The route changes were supposed to come into effect this spring but were delayed due to construction not being complete on the Stage 2 line. There is still no clear date as to when the train will open to the public, but it’s unlikely to be before late October. 

Despite some consultations, the route changes have brought confusion. Many transit riders have recently been surprised to hear that drastic service changes are coming. Many only realized something was up when new transit signs were hung on posts with black garbage bags covering the new numbers. 

The Ottawa Lookout reached out to city officials repeatedly to sit down with OC Transpo General Manager Rene Amilcar or a route planner to address the changes, but were told no one was available. They then agreed for questions to be answered over email, but when the Q & A was submitted, we were just directed back to their website. 

So we reached out to local city councillors for their feedback instead. While most seem to agree the unfortunate reality is cuts are the only answer right now, they fear what it will mean for confidence in a system that’s been problem-plagued for years.   

Local routes a win, but fewer options to Downtown 

Perhaps no city councillor knows OC Transpo better than Wilson Lo. 

The first-time Barrhaven East representative worked for the transit organization as a bus operator for a number of years before joining its communications department. He’s admittedly a transit nerd, and watches closely what other suburban communities across Canada are doing. 

Barrhaven’s woes are not new or unique. The community of about 100,000 people is rapidly growing as one of the fastest-developing suburbs in Ontario. It’s cut off by the Greenbelt and continues to grow outward closer to Manotick. 

Lo said one of the wins that came out of this route review is better-localized routes for people who want to travel from their home to a shopping district in the community, a sporting activity, or to bring their kids to school. 

For example, a bus ride from the Stonecrest neighbourhood on the east side of the suburb to the Walter Baker Centre in Old Barrhaven would take about 45 minutes compared to a 12-minute drive. Walking the 5.1 kilometre stretch would take roughly an hour. Changes should slightly improve this. 

“I’m not saying I’m ecstatic about this new network, but I think it better reflects our transit patterns. It makes it easier to get around Barrhaven. It makes it easier to get to less traditional destinations. With Line 2 a good amount of Carleton university students from Barrhaven will see their commute reduced and improve,” said Lo. “The fact there is a park and ride also allows another option.”

In Half Moon Bay Route 75 will travel further south to reach deeper into the growing community. There will also be changes that allow a more effecient route between Barrhaven and the Kanata Tech Park. 

Those who live near Cresthaven and Leiken will have a new route in addition to the 80 which will connect to main hubs at Fallowfield Station and the new LRT station at Limebank.  

“That unlocks everything else in Barrhaven for them. One of the things I was hoping for is that it would be a full day or peak extension to Tunney’s Pasture for that community, but that won’t happen,” said Lo. 

A negative change, Lo said, is the removal of express 400 series buses. When the decision was made, employees were rarely commuting from the suburbs to downtown for work. But with federal workers being back in-person at least three days a week, this has created some hurdles. 

On Facebook, Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill said the back-to-work changes have resulted in more people riding the bus from the community. While good for the transit organization, it has already led to overcrowded buses which are unable to pick up more passengers. OC Transpo has also needed to pull Barrhaven buses to support the light rail system when it breaks down. 

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