‘OC Transpo has my hands tied’: Ottawa woman says new bus routes leave her with no connection to work

An Ottawa woman says the new bus routes have left her without a connection to get to her job in Manotick. CTV’s Peter Szperling reports.

An Ottawa transit user says new route changes at OC Transpo have left her without a connection to get to her job in Manotick, and she is now “seriously considering” her employment options.

Saira Lyons lives near Bank Street and Walkley Road and has worked as a music teacher in Manotick for six years.

“I love it here, I don’t want to leave,” Lyons tells CTV News Ottawa. “My students love me, but I can’t make it work anymore. OC Transpo has my hands tied.”

She used OC Transpo during that time to commute to her work near Manotick Main Street,

“The transit wasn’t great before, but at least it was an option,” Lyon said Thursday.

Since OC Transpo’s massive route overhaul in April, she says there is no longer a connection for her during the mid-day period.

• OC Transpo overhauls its bus routes: Here’s what you need to know about ‘New Ways to Bus’

“There is no way to get to Manotick in the mornings now.”

Lyons says she used to be able to take two buses, giving Route 99 and Route 176 as an example of her trip to work.

She says most of her work teaching students occurs between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. and no bus connections work for her.

CTV News Ottawa tried OC Transpo’s trip planner for a similar arrival time, and the website shows the message, “A travel plan could not be provided between the origin and destination for the date and time selected.”

There is an option to get her to work, but that would be later in the day after her classes start. According to the trip planner, she would arrive at 3:14 p.m. on a Friday, after taking two buses and walking for 23 minutes. The total trip time would be one hour and 40 minutes.

“A car isn’t in the cards for me right now,” Lyons said.

“I can’t spend $400 on Uber.”

Currently, Lyons has been taking the O-Train to Limebank Station, then relying on Uber, at a cost of $11, or counting on her mother to give her a ride.

“I can’t afford $400 in Uber a month now to get to and from work. It’s not viable when before there was at least a transit option.”

Coun. David Brown says his office has received “numerous complaints” about the recent transit changes.

“The cancellation of local Route 176, which previously connected Manotick with Barrhaven Centre throughout the day, was replaced by Route 279, which extends to Tunney’s Pasture—but only operates during peak hours, making it effectively unusable for those with non-traditional or mid-day work schedules,” Brown said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

“These changes, introduced under OC Transpo’s New Ways to Bus initiative, were promoted as system improvements. In practice, they’ve left many rural and suburban residents with fewer options, longer wait times, and in some cases—like the one you’ve described—no viable service at all.”

Brown is calling on OC Transpo to restore express routes from downtown to Manotick and Richmond and explore private transit partnerships to “help fill service gaps.”

“We understand that each customer’s journey is unique and with the New Ways to Bus route changes, some may experience longer travel times, additional transfers, or a longer walk to the bus stop. The new routes are designed to serve the majority of the population, providing access to popular destinations and key community hubs. Changes to service in any area is in no way a reflection of the importance of an individual’s travel needs,” Pat Scrimgeour, director of Transit Customer Systems and Planning, told CTV News Ottawa in a statement.

“The service we are providing is in line with the council approved transit guidelines and budget. Although our ridership is still below pre-COVID levels, it is steadily increasing, and we are continuing to adjust service in response to evolving travel patterns.

“After reviewing ridership data and community needs, route 176 was replaced by route 279. Most residents in the Manotick area who use public transit travel downtown in the morning and return in the afternoon. This service level has remained unchanged.”