‘It’s hit and miss’: OC Transpo Route 30 commuters face daily delays amid congestion, reliability concerns

Transit users are raising concerns over OC Transpo’s Route 30 bus route servicing key areas in the east-end of the city. CTV’s Leah Larocque reports.

Ottawa’s Worst Commute: CTV News Ottawa travels with viewers on OC Transpo buses, the O-Train and Para Transpo to see what’s happening on the transit system. Visit our special Worst Commute page for more coverage.

Ottawa commuters in the city’s east end say unreliable service on one of OC Transpo’s key routes in Orléans is turning daily travel into a frustrating and unpredictable ride.

As part of an ongoing series examining challenging commutes across the city, CTV News took a closer look at Route 30 — a critical link connecting Millennium Park and Ride to Blair Station through Orléans.

Orléans South-Navan Councillor Catherine Kitts uses this route to get to City Hall, along with a member of her staff Sarah Crema.

The trip began on Brian Coburn Boulevard shortly after 7:15 a.m. with plans of catching the scheduled 7:28 a.m. bus, which was already running behind.

“I left my house at 6:45. I need to be somewhere for 9 a.m., and I’m nervous,” said Kitts. “And I think that’s the experience of commuters in Ottawa.”

The bus arrived just after 7:34 a.m.

“It’s hit and miss,” says Crema. “Sometimes I’m on time for work, sometimes I’m not.”

While the delay was about six minutes — not unusual for the route — it quickly compounded as traffic built along the corridor.

Route 30 travels along major east-end arteries including Brian Coburn Boulevard, Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard and Highway 174 — all known congestion points during peak hours.

Regular rider Dominique Marchand says the service is among the least reliable she has experienced.

“Route 30 is the most unreliable bus I’ve ever seen… It just never comes,” she said.

Students and workers rely on the route, but traffic delays often leave buses running well behind schedule. On this trip, passengers waiting for a 7:44 a.m. bus were still waiting at 7:52 a.m.

Congestion remains one of the biggest obstacles.

According to riders, a trip that should take about 30 minutes can stretch far longer. By 7:56 a.m., the bus was still making its way along Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard — nowhere near Blair Station.

“We’ve been on our journey now for 45 minutes and we’re still in Orléans,” Kitts said.

Just after 8:10 a.m., the bus finally arrives at Blair Station, a key transfer point.

At Blair Station, commuters heading downtown can decide to transfer to the O-Train Line 1 or try to catch an express shuttle bus downtown.

Many opt for the E1 express route, which can be faster — if you make it in time.

Commuter Arlene Morrision says she avoids the train altogether.

“We had to run to catch the E1,” she said. “I’m at least earlier than if I was on the train, but still late for work.”

Even with the express option, commuters remain at the mercy of highway traffic along Highway 174.

The trip concluded at Mackenzie King Bridge at 8:27 a.m., followed by a short walk to City Hall — just under an hour after boarding in Orléans.

While that timeline may seem manageable, riders say the unpredictability is the real issue.

“Our commute was pretty typical today,” Crema says. “You are typical to be a little bit behind. But thankfully we didn’t have any accidents and there wasn’t any bad weather that would slow down a bus or a train. Nothing was delayed or completely off of the plan for the day. So that was good.”

Crema says she has noticed service reliability changes since returning to Ottawa.

“I grew up in Ottawa. So, I was a transit rider as a high school student, and as a young adult. And I left for about 5 or 10 years. And the difference that I noticed is huge. We had some residents on the bus talking about the lack of express busses, things like that,” Crema says.

“A lot of these routes are really focused on, getting commuters into the downtown core. And that’s not where we’re all going.”

Kitts says meaningful improvements will require major infrastructure upgrades, including widening Brian Coburn Boulevard and advancing the proposed Cumberland Transitway.

But those solutions are years away.

In the meantime, OC Transpo says it is working to improve reliability by putting more buses on the road. However, the transit agency continues to face challenges, including an aging fleet, a maintenance backlog, and a shortage of mechanics.

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