Major changes to OC Transpo bus routes coming April 27

OC Transpo is shaking up the way bus service is delivered in the city with a ‘New Way to Bus’ model. CTV’s Josh Marano explains.

On April 27, transit riders in Ottawa will see a complete overhaul of the public transit system.

OC Transpo has released its full plan for “A New Way to Bus” network, which it says will focus on frequency, local service and connections to key neighbourhoods.

There will be changes to 123 bus routes in the city. A total of twenty-six routes are not changing.

OC Transpo says riders will see 27 “frequent” routes that will run seven days a week, every 15 minutes or less on weekdays, 59 local routes that connect to neighbourhood destinations and transit hubs, and 18 “Connexion” routes that connect to the O-Train during peak periods.

Twenty-seven existing routes will be removed, 15 existing routes will be replaced by other routes and 17 new routes will be introduced.

Several of the 200-series Connexion routes that connect suburban communities to downtown Ottawa are being eliminated and others will be changed. Six current of those routes will remain unchanged.

Transit Committee Chair Glen Gover was in Stittsville Saturday hosting a public information session at CARDELRC Recreation Complex to discuss the New Ways to Bus service change.

Gower says the feedback from the session was positive and notes people are looking forward to the upcoming changes.

“I think most people are interested and optimistic about what they see, but we want people to know your routes will be changing,” Gower said.

“Some people might have a bit of a longer walk or you might have an extra transfer, some people might find that they have a more direct route or something that brings them closer to work or to their home. Really, we’re just encouraging people to check that out.”

The changes will include 74,000 fewer service hours on OC Transpo. The transit service remains in deep financial trouble as lower ridership continues to persist years after the tumultuous launch of Stage 1 LRT and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ridership has been increasing, with 67.9 million passenger trips on OC Transpo in 2024, up from 64.2 million in 2023.

Overall ridership in 2023 was 66 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and transit staff believe it could be 10 years before ridership fully recovers to 2019 levels.

“There’s new people moving, new neighborhoods, new businesses, new workplaces, and OC Transpo wants to make sure that the bus network serves all of those locations,” Gower said.“It’s a pretty major change and it’s to address the fact that Ottawa continues to grow, and we want to make sure that we get people where they need to go.”

You can see specific details about all affected routes on OC Transpo’s website.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond