Alayne McGregor/The BUZZ
This is a slightly expanded version of the story that appeared in the November 2021 print edition of The BUZZ.
Alayne McGregor
Will 82 percent of riders actually return to OC Transpo in 2022? That’s one assumption the Ottawa Transit Riders (OTR) is questioning in the city’s proposed transit budget.
OTR board member Kari Glynes Elliott said the budget assumes 60 percent ridership by the end of December and 82 percent by the end of 2022. She calls that “wildly unrealistic,” given that “it’s highly unlikely there’s going to be a massive return to downtown work.”
“I’m a public servant and we’re being told in the public service that nobody should be forced back to work. And one of the reasons is that transit is such an issue, so it’s circular.”
Elliott argued that transit reliability was already “in a downward spiral” before the LRT opened in 2019, resulting in people not taking the bus because they couldn’t afford to be late. OC Transpo “cannibalized the bus system to pay for LRT with the expectation the LRT would solve the problems” – and it hasn’t.
Transit has been underfunded for a decade or more, she said – exactly the wrong direction in the current climate emergency. In order to solve its problems, it needs more revenue from taxes and less from the farebox. In addition, Transpo needs to add dedicated bus lanes, and communicate more clearly when trips are cancelled so people don’t wait for a bus that doesn’t arrive.
OTR also opposes the proposed 2.5 percent fare increase in January; Elliott said Ottawa fares are among the highest in Canada. The people who now on buses are primarily the transit-dependent who have no choice, she said; the city is transferring its risk to them rather than considering transit an essential service.
She described the planned fare holiday in December as a “ridiculous exercise,” that would not encourage long-term ridership. She also doubted it would be possible given the many steps needed to ensure the LRT is fully running by then.
The city Transit Commission will debate the budget on November 17, and City Council on December 8. Citizens can write to the commission or speak at its meeting.
Elliott said that OTR will make a presentation, but “I don’t believe that it will make any difference whatsoever.” The commission has not listened to any previous suggestions from the group, despite their trying to present solutions rather than complaints. She said OTR will focus on finding solutions at its AGM on November 16.