Here’s when most people use OC Transpo buses, O-Train

An OC Transpo bus travels south on Merivale Road in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)

More than half of passenger trips on OC Transpo buses and the O-Train occur during the morning and afternoon peak periods, with OC Transpo saying the afternoon peak period is now starting before 3 p.m.

Coun. Stephanie Plante asked OC Transpo for clarify on how “peak times” are defined and implemented in planning for service and routes.

OC Transpo says the transit service peak periods are 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

In response to Plante’s inquiry, OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary says the transit service uses passenger counts from onboard passenger counting devices on conventional buses and O-Train Lines 2 and 4, and fare gate data and bus passenger counts within fare-paid zones on O-Train Line 1 to obtain the data.

“This data shows that approximately 51 per cent of all trips by customers on weekdays are made during peak periods,” Leary said.

Data released by OC Transpo shows ridership on buses has increased during the midday period and decreased slightly in the morning and afternoon peak periods.

Breakdown of passenger bus boardings by time period in the winter of 2026:

• Midday: 34 per cent (29 per cent pre-pandemic)
• PM peak: 28 per cent (30 per cent pre-pandemic)
• AM peak: 23 per cent (26 per cent pre-pandemic
• Evenings: 9 per cent (9 per cent pre-pandemic)
• Night: 3 per cent (4 per cent pre-pandemic)
• Early AM: 4 per cent (3 per cent pre-pandemic)

Changes in afternoon peak periods

The report from OC Transpo says the peak demand period during weekday afternoons is starting earlier and ending later since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The afternoon peak period is defined as 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“One trend is that the time of peak demand in the afternoon now starts earlier (approximately 2 p.m.) and ends later (approximately 7 p.m.) than it did before the pandemic,” Leary said.

“As workers return to in-office more days of the week, their travel needs may influence changes to planned transit service levels.”

OC Transpo increases service frequency on O-Train Line 1 between 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The O-Train shuttle express bus to Blair runs between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

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