Transit Ottawa
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transitottawa.bsky.social
Transit Ottawa
@transitottawa.bsky.social
88 followers 79 following 42 posts
From reliability and funding to transparency and planning, holding politicians and OC Transpo accountable for transit affairs in Ottawa.*

https://otransitottawa.blogspot.com/

*I am not affiliated with the City of Ottawa or OC Transpo.
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Reposted by Transit Ottawa
glengower.ca
OC Transpo memo to council re: winter service changes & updates.
The purpose of this memo is to provide an overview of OC Transpo’s winter service changes, effective Sunday, December 21, 2025. Regular schedule adjustments take place four times a year – spring, summer, fall and winter – and memos are provided in advance of each new schedule period. The winter service change includes the following: • Service improvements • Seasonal service changes • Service adjustments for construction Service Improvements • Routes 17 and 25 will be extended to follow their long-term alignment, continuing further into Wateridge via Hemlock Road; service will be removed from Mikinak Road. • Short trips on Route 24 that currently begin on Shefford Road or end on Loyola Avenue will be extended eastward to start or end at the future Montréal Station, seven days per week. • Starting on Monday, January 5, 2026, four trips will be added to Route 26. These trips will leave Blair Station at 9:45 am, 10:45 am, 11:45 am, and 12:50 pm. Trip times may vary slightly based on final schedules. • Route 45 evening frequency on weekdays will be increased to every 15 minutes until 8:30 pm. • The two special Sunday trips on Route 53 to and from Antares Drive will be modified to bring service closer to the Gurdwara. • A new trip will be added to Route 70 on weekdays, starting at Limebank Station at 5:27 am to improve early morning travel options. • Alternating peak period trips on Route 86 will be adjusted to serve destinations on Colonnade Road, operating every 30 minutes. With this change, peak period service to Antares Drive on Route 86 will be adjusted from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes. • On weekdays, two northbound early morning trips on Route 105 that currently start at Uplands Station will be extended to start at Limebank Station to improve early morning travel options from Riverside South before O-Train Line 2 service starts. These trips will leave Limebank Station at 5 am and 5:28 am. • On Saturdays and Sundays, early morning service on Route 110 from Citigate Drive to Greenboro Station will be modified to serve Bowesville and Leitrim stations. Additionally, on Saturdays, these early morning trips will be extended to Hurdman Station to provide a direct connection to O-Train Line 1 before O-Train Line 2 service begins. Weekday early morning service between Citigate and Hurdman Station via Limebank, Bowesville, and Leitrim stations was implemented prior to the winter service change, on October 20, 2025. • All trips on Route 163 will be adjusted to start on Hazeldean Road at Carp Road. Service will continue to end on Kittiwake Drive at Sundew Court. • Saturday and Sunday service will be added on Route 189 to operate every hour between approximately 7 am and 7 pm. • Route 261 will be extended to begin on Hazeldean Road at Carp Road in the morning, and end on Kittiwake Drive at Dew Gate in the afternoon. • Departure times of some weekday trips will be adjusted slightly on Routes 60, 61, 62, 63, 67, 74, 75, 265, 275, and 279 to improve the spacing of departures from Eagleson Station in the morning peak period and from Tunney’s Pasture Station in the afternoon peak period. • As part of the regular review of schedules to improve on-time performance and service reliability for customers, schedule adjustments will be made to Routes 41 and 265 on weekdays; the number of trips will not change. • Minor changes to trip times will be made on some school trips to better align with bell times and operational requirements. Changes to school service have been made based on observed ridership levels and in consultation with school boards and their student transportation authorities. Full details will be available on octranspo.com. Seasonal Service Changes Severe Storm Schedule for Buses • OC Transpo will implement a Severe Storm Schedule for buses on weekdays when 31 cm of snow or more is forecast, or under other severe weather conditions. • When a Severe Storm Sche… to customers through octranspo.com, text alerts, a public service announcement, social media posts, and transit information screens at stations. • For more information on OC Transpo’s Severe Storm Schedule, customers can visit octranspo.com. Holidays • Christmas Week – Monday, December 22 to Wednesday, December 24, 2025 – Bus service will operate on a reduced weekday schedule. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule with peak period service every six minutes. O-Train Lines 2 and 4 will operate on a normal weekday schedule. School service including 600-series routes will not operate as schools will be closed on these days. • Christmas Day – Thursday, December 25, 2025 – Bus service and O-Train Lines 1, 2, and 4 will operate on a Sunday schedule. Shopper Route 304 will not operate. • Boxing Day – Friday, December 26, 2025 – Bus service and O-Train Lines 1, 2, and 4 will operate on a Saturday schedule, with additional resources available to supplement busy bus routes as required. • New Year’s Week – Monday, December 29, Tuesday, December 30 and Friday, January 2 – Bus service will operate on a reduced weekday schedule. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule with peak period service every six minutes. O-Train Lines 2 and 4 will operate on a normal weekday schedule. School service including 600-series routes will not operate as schools will be closed on these days. • New Year’s Eve – Wednesday, December 31, 2025 – Bus service will operate on a reduced weekday schedule with additional resources available to supplement busy routes as required. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced Friday schedule from 5 am to 2 am, with peak period service every six minutes. O-Train Line 2 will operate on an extended schedule from 6 am to 1 am. Line 4 will operate on a normal weekday schedule. Para Transpo will operate until 3 am. Free transit service will be provided after 6 pm on trains, buses, and Para Transpo, courtesy of Safer Roads Ottawa and M… Easter Monday – Monday, April 6, 2026 – Bus service will operate on a reduced weekday schedule. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule with peak period service every six minutes. O-Train Lines 2 and 4 will operate on a normal weekday schedule. School service including 600-series routes will not operate as schools will be closed on this day. Service Adjustments for Construction As a result of road reconstruction and other infrastructure projects, the following routes may experience delays, detours, and additional travel time: • Richmond Road at Bayshore Drive - Structure Rehabilitation Routes 11, 57, 81, and 691 will be detoured when exiting Bayshore Station, via Holly Acres and Richmond roads, to accommodate work in the median of Richmond Road. The start date has not been confirmed, but work is expected to occur over a two-month period during the winter service period. • New Orchard – Richmond Road to Ambleside Drive On December 22, New Orchard Avenue is expected to re-open between Ambleside Drive and Richmond Road. At this that time, Routes 11 and 153 will return to their regular route via Ambleside Drive, and the temporary turnaround loop at Ambleside Drive and New Orchard Avenue will be removed. Customer Information Details on the winter service changes will be communicated to customers throughout December. OC Transpo has several customer-friendly applications and tools to assist customers in accessing timely information about our service while on the go. These include texting 560560 for real-time bus schedule information, downloading the Transit app, signing up for text alerts to receive the latest information, checking transit information screens at many major stations, as well as visiting octranspo.com. Real-time information is also available by calling 613-560-1000 plus the bus stop number. Once the winter service changes begin on December 21, customers can find up-to-date schedules and real-time information by using these applications and …
November 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Route 7 is a downtown route whose problems - inadequate schedules heading eastbound, bunching, interlining - are repeated everywhere. Identifying and finding solutions to them are the key to a successful bus network.

#OCTranspo #OttCity

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/11/rout...
Route 7 service snapshot - 29 September to 26 October
Route 7 is a frequent line that runs from St. Laurent to Carleton University on the northern segment of St. Laurent, the Hemlock-Beechwood c...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Reposted by Transit Ottawa
swanboatsteve.bsky.social
A view from Boston of problems of service management and analysis: homesignalblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/29/h... A long read, but it covers some of the same issues we see here in Toronto.
How a Bus Route Falls Apart
All opinions in this post are solely my own, and do not represent the positions of my employer or any organizations of which I am part. About two months ago, I found myself waiting for a 77 bus in …
homesignalblog.wordpress.com
June 29, 2025 at 6:34 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Despite the mayor's claims of fiscal responsibility and transparency, Transit Services' 2026 budget continues to hide deficits behind uncertain revenue streams, preventing an honest discussion about the future of transit in Ottawa.

#Ottawa #OCTranspo

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/11/budg...
Budget Holes and Money Pits
The draft 2026 budget has finally been released, after Mayor Mark Sutcliffe bragged about it being the most transparent budget in the histor...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:16 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Route 70 is a suburban milk run, but it shares features of (un)reliable service with the urban trunks that receive the most attention, especially with schedules that fall short of actual travel times.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/11/rout...
Route 70 "snapshot" - 8 September to 5 October
This article analyzes the service quality on Route 70 throughout the month of September. Unlike many other routes, this is a local milk run ...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Cities across Canada run frequent transit networks. Ottawa scores well on coverage of its frequent network - but OC Transpo's standards offer the least service of them all.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/10/coun...
Counting Buses: A Frequent Network
Frequent transit service offers many benefits for both transit riders and the city, and these are increasingly recognized by both transit au...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:55 AM
transitottawa.bsky.social
For Transit Committee, staff published a report on reliable bus service. However, City Council still fails to grasp the tradeoffs required to provide reliable transit service.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/10/impr...
Improving Bus Service Reliability Report (Transit Committee) - 11 September, 2025
As part of Transit Committee's motion requesting a plan to achieve reliable service by the end of 2027, staff presented a report on improvin...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
On 11 September, staff presented a Stage 2 update to Transit Committee.

#Ottawa #OCTranspo #Stage2

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/09/stag...
Stage 2 Update (Transit Committee) - 11 September, 2025
At Transit Committee, staff presented a Stage 2 update to council. This was a truncated version, due to time constraints, so this article wi...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
September 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
On 11 September, Transit Committee met with a packed agenda. Councillors express support for reliable service, but continue to fail in providing oversight and understanding the tradeoffs involved in reaching reliable service.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/09/tran...
Transit Committee - 11 September, 2025
Introduction On 11 September, 2025, Transit Committee met for its fifth meeting this year. The meeting video can be found at this link .  Re...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
September 22, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Transit Ottawa
octranspo.com
👀🚏A new pilot project is brewing! Stay tuned for an announcement.
Coming soon signage covering an electric device at OC Transpo bus stop.
September 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Route 5 generally operates with good service reliability outside the PM Peak. Its example demonstrates how OC Transpo can run reliable service on its frequent routes.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/08/rout...
Route 5 Snapshot: 28 July-24 August
Introduction This article discusses service quality on Route 5 between 28 July and 24 August. Route 5 was created as part of New Ways to Bus...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
August 28, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Transit Ottawa
en.ottawa.ca
Stay informed with Ottawa City Council and Committee Meetings!
Listen Live: https: https://bit.ly/3Do6mpy
Upcoming Meetings: https://bit.ly/4i0iKv1
Stay updated on the latest discussions shaping #OttCity.
#OttPoli #Ottawa
In the background, an empty City of Ottawa Council room. Overlayed is a blue text circle with Listen Live on the top right corner. In white text: "Ottawa City Council and Committee Meetings"
August 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
OC Transpo's scheduling system is an outlier. There are efficiencies and service improvements to be found - but that requires a change in how OC Transpo approaches bus scheduling and network design.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/08/bus-...
Bus Scheduling, Part III: Efficiencies, Improvements, and Flexibility
Introduction This is the third and final part of the series on bus scheduling. The first two parts can be found  here .  Remember that OC Tr...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
August 12, 2025 at 2:17 AM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Travel in Ottawa is increasingly trending towards suburb-to-suburb trips, and public transit is falling behind.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/07/trav...
Travel Markets and Public Transit
Introduction  As part of the Transportation Master Plan  process, the City commissioned a study into travel called the "Transport Trends Rep...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
July 22, 2025 at 10:11 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
At Transit Committee on 12 June, staff presented an update on Stage 2 works.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/07/stag...
Stage 2 Update (Transit Committee) - 12 June, 2025
Introduction This is the second part to my update on the Transit Committee meeting on 12 June, focusing on Stage 2 updates. The first part, ...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
July 11, 2025 at 5:31 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Transit Committee met on 12 June for its fourth meeting this year. In the face of far-reaching problems, councilors chose to debate petty matters instead, missing the mark on providing overall guidance and direction to OC Transpo.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/07/tran...
Transit Committee - 12 June, 2025
Introduction On 12 June, 2025, Transit Committee met for the fourth time this year. You can find the meeting video here .  This meeting was ...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
July 9, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Reposted by Transit Ottawa
bettertransitottawa.ca
BTO is fighting for a transit system that is useful and reliable by focusing on smaller scale projects and changes to internal operations. We support bus lanes on corridors such as Bank St and Carling Ave, and we are working on solving the bus shortage.

Want to know more? Have ideas? Contact us!
July 8, 2025 at 9:09 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
City staff have put up a revised Transportation Master Plan. Give the revisions a read.

#TMP #Ottawa
engage.ottawa.ca/transportati...
Transportation Master Plan Update
Moving in the right direction Ottawa has grown into a city of one million residents. Over the next 25 years, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.4 million. With that kind of growth, we need...
engage.ottawa.ca
June 11, 2025 at 2:43 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Renée Amilcar will step down as GM of Transit Services on 18 July. This presents an opportunity for bold vision at OC Transpo:
otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/06/rene...

#OCTranspo #Ottawa
Renee Amilcar leaves OC Transpo, path forward is unclear
Introduction  Renée Amilcar announced early this month that she would resign from her position as General Manager at OC Transpo, and move t...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
June 10, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Reposted by Transit Ottawa
riverwardriley.bsky.social
The City Manager has informed City Council that OC Transpo General Manager Renée Amilcar will leave her post on July 18, 2025.
Amilcar began her tenure at OC on October 18, 2021.

Troy Charter will serve an Interim GM of Transit Services.
June 3, 2025 at 7:39 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Route 11 is a complex service which requires good coordination and management to run reliably. With this in mind, service quality on this route is a good indicator of OC Transpo's abilities overall.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/05/rout...
Route 11 snapshot: 28 April-25 May
Introduction This article will discuss service quality on Route 11 between 28 April and 25 May, which is a period of four weeks. As always, ...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
May 26, 2025 at 11:05 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
OC Transpo claims that interlining "increase[s] efficiency" and "permits more flexibility," but there's a good reason why their practices are out of line with industry standards.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/05/bus-...
Bus Scheduling, Part II: Interlining
Introduction This is the second part of a three-part series. To read the first part on runtimes and layovers, click here .  In this article,...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
May 21, 2025 at 3:43 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
Reliable service is an essential part of any transit system, and that includes a schedule that reflects real-world conditions. However, OC Transpo's schedules are often quite fragile.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/05/bus-...
Bus Scheduling, Part I: Run Times, Layovers, and Propagating Delays
Introduction Reliability is a major concern for both OC Transpo and its passengers. According to OC Transpo's own surveys, reliability of se...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
May 18, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Transit Ottawa
swanboatsteve.bsky.social
TTC management will be asked to look at schedule design, service management and the possible use of AI to improve service quality. Are they asking the right questions? stevemunro.ca/2025/05/10/s...
May 10, 2025 at 2:38 PM
transitottawa.bsky.social
In Ottawa's transit advocacy scene, it is orthodoxy that more funding will fix our problems, but this is not necessarily the case.

#OCTranspo #Ottawa

otransitottawa.blogspot.com/2025/05/fund...
Funding OC Transpo: comparisons and thoughts
Introduction It is orthodoxy in Ottawa's transit advocacy circles that OC Transpo is underfunded. Advocacy groups from Ottawa Transit Riders...
otransitottawa.blogspot.com
May 8, 2025 at 4:42 PM