Ottawa's public transit predicament

Good morning! 

When I was a kid, I remember taking public transit with my parents all the time. We’d use it to get downtown or to parts of the city where parking was a hassle. You’d arrive at the station and, within a few minutes of the scheduled time, the bus would show up. The trip usually didn’t take much longer than it would have if you drove yourself.

Those days feel long gone.

Talk to anyone who regularly relies on transit today, and you’ll hear the same frustrations: buses that never arrive, waits stretching close to an hour in some cases, overcrowded vehicles, and routes that can take three or four times longer than driving.

It’s part of the reason ride-hailing prices through Uber and Lyft surge during peak hours; many people have simply given up on transit and are willing to pay more because, as the saying goes, time is money.

Complaints about OC Transpo aren’t exactly new, but the past couple of months have been particularly rough. Light-rail breakdowns and a shortage of buses have left riders dealing with thousands of cancelled trips.

There may finally be a bit of good news on the horizon. Trains on the east extension of Line 1 are still expected to begin carrying passengers sometime this spring — a move that should free up buses and help ease the wave of cancellations.

Let’s get to it!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor

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WEATHER

Monday: 14 🌡️ 2 | 🌤️

Tuesday: 8 🌡️ 2 | 🌧️

Wednesday: 5 🌡️ -1 | 🌧️

By Charlie Senack. Read the story online here.

Ottawa’s long-awaited eastern extension of the O-Train Confederation Line should still open this spring after reaching a key construction milestone. 

OC Transpo officials confirmed this week that the Stage 2 east extension of Line 1 has achieved “substantial completion,” a contractual checkpoint that signals the core infrastructure has been finished and can now move into the final preparation phase before opening to the public.

Substantial completion means the builder has delivered the major elements of the project — including track, stations, and operating systems — and that they are capable of being safely operated and maintained. Responsibility for the new infrastructure now shifts to Rideau Transit Maintenance, which will oversee operations and maintenance as the system moves toward its launch. 

With work on the project nearing the end, the next phase will involve trial runs and final system preparation before trains can begin carrying passengers.

Transit officials say Rideau Transit Maintenance will spend time becoming familiar with the new infrastructure as part of the handover process, a step described as standard practice before launching major rail projects. 

The extension will lengthen the Confederation Line east from Blair Station to Trim Road in Orléans, adding several new stations and improving rapid transit access for residents in Ottawa’s east end. 

The western extension, which will take passengers from Tunney’s Pasture to Algonquin Station and Moodie Drive, is slated to open sometime in 2027, though officials have been tight-lipped about how construction is progressing. It will add 16 new stations and follow much of the previous transit way routes. 

There is still talk of funding Stage 3 out to the suburbs in Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven, but to date, no dollars have been allocated to the project. During the last provincial election, Ontario Premier Doug Ford committed to funding the extension, but the City of Ottawa has stressed that there is currently no viable business case.  

Part of the concern stems from steep costs and low ridership. In 2023, it was confirmed that OC Transpo’s 25-year projections are down $3.7 billion — more than $100 million per year — and the organization said at the time that pre-pandemic ridership won’t return until at least 2030. 

If built, Line 3 would cost an estimated $64 million per year to operate and would bring only an estimated two per cent increase in ridership, increasing funds by $5 million annually.

Ottawa city council has directed OC Transpo to carry out a safety audit of the O-Train’s Confederation Line following a mechanical issue that sidelined much of the fleet earlier this year.

The motion, brought forward by Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill, calls on OC Transpo’s chief safety officer to examine the so-called “spalling” problem affecting the trains’ axle bearings and determine whether safety, regulatory, and technical standards are being fully met.

The review will take place once full train service on Line 1 has been restored.

Hill said on Facebook he was pleased his council colleagues supported the motion. 

“We need transparency to rebuild transit rider trust.  Our public transit system requires, in order: ‘to be safe, to be reliable, to be affordable’,” he wrote. 

“I am committed to holding RTG to account for their contractual obligations, and having an audit will provide me with the external technical assessment to do this.  A partnership means that obligations are met in exchange for payment — non-compliance to the existing contract means financial penalties.”

The audit request comes after OC Transpo was forced to remove a large number of trains from service beginning in January when maintenance crews discovered signs of spalling in cartridge bearing assemblies on the vehicles.

Spalling occurs when small flakes break off the metal surface inside a bearing, creating pits that can grow over time. If the damage worsens, it can eventually lead to cracks or component failure. 

Additional work is still underway even as the line nears completion. Crews will continue refining elements such as train control software, camera systems along station platforms, landscaping, and paving along Highway 174 and other surrounding areas. 

At the same time, the city and Rideau Transit Group are continuing technical work to restore full train capacity on the existing Line 1 system, including improvements to cartridge bearing assemblies on the trains — an issue that has previously limited fleet availability.

For those hoping to avoid the trains altogether, buses don’t always offer an improvement as the city continues to see an uptick in OC Transpo bus route cancellations. 

New data released by the city’s transit agency shows 6,555 bus trips were cancelled during the month of February, representing thousands of missed departures across the system. Despite the high number, officials say the final week of February showed modest improvement compared with earlier weeks. 

Transit staff described the improvement as “incremental progress,” pointing to fewer cancellations toward the end of the month as operational adjustments began to stabilize service.  

According to OC Transpo, a variety of issues contributed to the large number of cancelled trips.

In the final week of February, many cancellations were linked to on-street operational challenges such as traffic congestion, collisions and other incidents that forced buses to fall behind schedule. 

Other cancellations earlier in the month were tied to staffing shortages and limited vehicle availability, problems the transit agency has been grappling with for months. 

Transit officials have also cited maintenance demands and fleet availability as contributing factors. When buses require repairs or inspections, fewer vehicles are available to cover scheduled service, increasing the likelihood that trips will be removed from the schedule.  

OC Transpo has been attempting to reduce cancellations through a series of operational adjustments. These include real-time changes to routes when buses fall behind schedule and prioritizing trips considered essential, such as school runs or the last departure of the day.

The agency is also working to expand its fleet and workforce in the coming years. Plans include adding hundreds of new zero-emission buses while continuing to hire additional mechanics and improve maintenance systems. 

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2,700

That’s how many thefts were reported to Ottawa Police as of Feb. 12, an increase compared to the same period last year. According to OPS data, reports of theft rose by 28 per cent year-over-year, with 334 people charged so far in theft-related cases. [CityNews]

♻️ The organization that oversees Ontario’s blue box system will now deliver replacement recycling bins and will be phasing out black bins, eventually transitioning to a system with purely blue recycling bins. Read more. [CTV]

🪧 More than 1,000 Iranians and supporters gathered on Parliament Hill on Sunday afternoon and marched towards the U.S. Embassy to rally in support of the U.S. and Israeli governments. Many carried the lion and sun flag, a symbol of resistance against the Iranian regime. Read more. [Ottawa Citizen]

🪫 Dozens of fires in Ottawa have been caused by lithium-ion batteries, and firefighters are warning of the hazards and risks they pose. To prevent fires, Ottawa Fire Services recommends taking precautions when charging and storing lithium-ion batteries. Read more. [CTV]

🚨 The Ottawa Police Service is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing 56-year-old man. Mihnea Victor Marcu was last seen in the ByWard Market around 1:50 a.m. on March 4; his vehicle was later located at Hog’s Back Falls that morning. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Ottawa police. Read more. [Ottawa Police]

📣 A local advocate is raising concerns over the lack of data collection so far in the City of Ottawa’s Anti-Racism Strategy. The strategy began partially due to a racial hate crime in Rideau-Rockcliffe and has since been collecting and analyzing data to inform anti-racism initiatives, but local activist Robin Browne says there are gaps. Read more. [Capital Current]

🌧️ Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for areas of the Outaouais region, including communities of Chelsea, Wakefield and Cantley, that it says could be “potentially critical” and bring outages and travel disruptions. Read more. [CTV]

📚 As of September, changes are coming for Adult High School students over the age of 21. While there are few details, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will be changing to a “continuing education model” as the school board continues to grapple with a growing deficit. Read more. [Ottawa Citizen]

🏙️ Two high-rises and a seniors residence have been proposed for Carling Avenue near the Altea Ottawa fitness centre. Read more ($) [Ottawa Business Journal]

🏫 The proposed sale of the Grant Alternative School site in Nepean is raising questions among community members concerned about privatization. Read more. [Capital Current]

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Ottawa Nostalgia and Collectible Show | Nepean Sportsplex 1701 Woodroffe Ave. | March 15, 9am | 50+ top dealers exhibit on 100+ tables packed with interesting, hard-to-find memorabilia. The only show of its kind in Eastern Ontario. | Learn more [Sponsored]

Guys Buy-Drive | Plato’s Closet Hazeldean | March 9 at 11 a.m. | Bring gently-used menswear to Plato’s Closet and get paid on the spot | Free

March Coffee Collab | Rona + Kanata | March 10 at 8 a.m. | Join the Stittsville Business Association for coffee and networking for business owners | Free, registration required

Ottawa Valley Farm Show | EY Centre | March 10-12 | Join Ontario’s premier, longest-running agricultural expo | Tickets $12+

Stud Country Queer Line Dancing | Overflow Brewing Company | March 10 at 7 p.m. | Join your community for line dancing, hosted by Queering613, with a lesson and a dance party | Tickets $20

Ottawa Trivia League | The Robo Lounge | March 10 at 7 p.m. | Grab a table and your smartest friends for trivia night | Registration required

Songwriting Workshop | 66 Hearst Way, Unit 4 | March 12 at 6:30 p.m. | Join songwriters Naledi Sunstrum and Kira Montfort for creative exercises and practical tools to support songwriters at any stage | Free with RSVP

Dikanza social | Pure Havana Dance Studio | March 12 at 9 p.m. | A night of music, connection and Dikanza dancing featuring DJ Gaz | Tickets $20

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The snow-eating fog descended on Ottawa this weekend, a welcome change from ice and slush.