Some OC Transpo riders feeling 'betrayed' by plans to cut bus routes
Multiple 200-series routes to be cancelled after city conducted review
Changes are coming to OC Transpo bus routes after a review was conducted earlier this year, according to a report that will be presented to the city's transit commission on Nov. 14.
As part of those changes, multiple 200-series routes are set to be cut, including routes 232, 236, 252, 257, 258, 265, 267, 268, 270-273, 278 282, 290 and 291.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe outlined some of the shifts in a YouTube video, noting many riders' travel patterns have "changed dramatically" since the pandemic.
- Read the full report here.
"So our public transit system needs to adapt, as it always has, to changing demands," Sutcliffe said.
Rohan Thukral takes the 257 bus to school every day. The 15-year-old said his commute will double if it's cut from the network.
"I'd like to take the bus because I want to do my part," he said, calling it "ridiculous" that using transit will now take him four times as long as driving.
'Get on the bus you see, not the one you want'
According to the new report, the changes will mean more frequent service on some routes, though it also says some people will have to walk farther to get to bus stops.
"It makes me feel betrayed by our city," said Thukral. "I expected [the city] to reduce frequency on some routes, not cut them altogether ... [that] makes me feel like the city doesn't care."
Meghan Lapointe, who lives in Stittsville, said the changes will turn her 45-minute commute into a one-hour trip — which she said "doesn't sound like a lot, but it is when it's, like, every day."
Lapointe said she often gets on buses that aren't the ones she should be taking because service is unreliable.
"I come to Tunney's Pasture, and I get literally anything that comes close to [my destination]," she said.
"My bus doesn't always come, so I'll just get on whatever bus will get me close — get on the bus you see, not the one you want."
Review completed by consultant
The review that's led to the changes looked at the agency's transit planning principles, specifically those related to service hours and frequency, area coverage and walking distances to transit.
It also took into account changes in OC Transpo ridership since the pandemic, plus network design changes needed due to the delayed opening of the Trillium Line in early 2024.
The city hired Dillon Consulting to review the city's transit plans, compare performance of the system to other similar-sized cities and recommend changes on things like network design, service levels and reliability.
There were several in-person consultations, as well as a virtual one. There was also a survey sent out in May, which received 8,200 responses.
In designing the new routes, the consultant highlighted several themes:
- Adapting capacity to and from downtown to reflect current ridership.
- Increasing trips on "important routes" in the city.
- Forging better connections with the Trillium Line and its airport extension.
- Improving connections between community hubs.
- Redirecting service off of some streets.
"Change is coming, and change is never easy," Sutcliffe said.
Sutcliffe also said the moves aren't about saving money, noting more money will be added to the transit budget.
OC Transpo says it will communicate the changes to riders over the next few months.
With files from Joseph Tunney