Council passes transit plan that eases burden on seniors, delays student hikes

Ottawa city councillors have voted for a new plan to fill the transit deficit that avoids sky-high fare hikes for seniors while delaying proposed increases for students and youth.

But Mayor Mark Sutcliffe warned that there is still a gap in the OC Transpo budget as the city waits on federal and provincial funding as part of his so-called campaign for fairness.

"If we don't get the help we need in the next month or two, we'll have to find other solutions for the $36-million shortfall in the budget," Sutcliffe said. "So it's absolutely critical that the other levels of government deliver in the coming weeks."

He said he remains "cautiously optimistic" the money will come.

Under the new fare plan, the hike for seniors — initially proposed at 120 per cent — will drop to 19 per cent. The cost of a discounted monthly pass for seniors will rise from $49 to $58.25, the same cost as an EquiPass for low-income customers.

In the same vote, council also preserved free service for seniors on Wednesdays and Sundays. 

Councillors also delayed the proposed elimination of youth monthly passes until the start of the school year in September, given the expected impact on the Ontario Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) budget.

A proposed five per cent hike to the U-Pass for post-secondary students is also postponed until at least September to give city staff time to negotiate new agreements with universities and student unions.

7 councillors vote against budget

While the motion to make those changes passed unanimously, the transit budget itself didn't. Eighteen councillors voted in favour, seven against. 

Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine was one of the opponents. He wanted to add 56 cents to the average homeowner's property tax bill and use the money to save youth discounts for some teenagers. 

"I was told by colleagues that will not pass this council," he said. "That's going to resonate in my head for all the Christmas holidays, and I will not be so jolly."

Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said transit service isn't good enough to justify a fare increase. She recounted her experience waiting 45 minutes in freezing rain to board a packed bus with a group of seniors.

"If I asked the question out loud if these people on this bus think that this service deserves increased fares, what would they say?" Troster asked. "There would have been a revolt."

Adult fares are set to increase by five per cent under the budget, a figure council did not change on Wednesday. The transit levy will go up eight per cent, which equates to a one per cent increase to property taxes.

Just before the debate, Noah Vineberg, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union 279 representing OC Transpo operators, joined a protest outside city hall and said the budget is again shortchanging transit.

"We don't have the ability to offer the service that's promised," he said.

Sutcliffe noted that the budget actually boosts transit funding to record levels, though Vineberg said the money doesn't go where it really matters.

"They're not addressing the buses," he said. "They're not addressing the scheduling. They're not addressing their people. They've run their members into the ground."

Brockington demands improvements

River ward Coun. Riley Brockington expressed similar concerns during the meeting, saying buses are still chronically late and he doesn't see how the budget will fix that.

"Where are the specific direct investments that will reduce late buses?" he asked. "This was asked again at the transit commission, and I still don't have a clear answer about how budget resources are identified and included in the budget to address this top priority."

Brockington pressed the city manager on performance reviews for OC Transpo chief Renée Amilcar, and why members of transit commissioners don't provide input on that assessment.

The mayor interrupted to urge Brockington to keep his questions focused on the budget, while Orléans East-Cumberland Coun. Matt Luloff said any debate about a specific staff member should happen behind closed doors.

Brockington demanded timelines for improvement.

"Today, I cannot tell you what I will do, but what I can tell you is we know we have this problem, so we will address it and we will find a solution," said Amilcar

Aidan Kallioinen, associate vice-president of government affairs with the Carleton University Students' Association, spoke at the same protest as Vineberg. He said the U-Pass hike would require approval through a student referendum — and students are squarely against the idea.

"Under any other circumstances, we'd be happy to pay a little bit more but what we're seeing is we're being asked to pay more for what is frankly less service," he said.