Transit That Works
Ottawa should be a city where getting around is simple and predictable. Right now it isn't.
A city that works depends on a transit system that works, and right now, too many people are experiencing the opposite. Residents are leaving early just in case a bus does not show up, standing at stops wondering whether it is coming at all, or trying to piece together trips that should be simple but too often are not. That uncertainty has a cost. People lose trust in the system, and once trust is gone, they stop using it.
We need to be honest about how we got here. This is not the result of a single decision or a single tough year. It is what happens when a system is stretched too thin for too long, when investment does not keep pace with growth, and when decisions are made without a clear, long-term plan. There are real pressures on OC Transpo, including staffing shortages, burnout, an aging fleet, and ongoing reliability issues. Concerns about leadership are valid and worth addressing. But leadership alone is not the whole problem. The system itself needs to be fixed.
A transit system that works is not just about moving people. It shapes how a city functions, whether people can access jobs and education, and whether we are reducing congestion or making it worse. It determines whether a parent gets home in time for dinner or whether a student can afford to get to class. When transit works, the city works. When it doesn’t, people feel it every single day.
This election is a choice: do we become a city that works again, or do we keep managing a system that keeps falling short? My approach as mayor will focus on restoring reliability, setting clear expectations, and making targeted investments that deliver visible improvements. A city that works starts with a transit system that works.
Reliability first
The most important thing I can do as mayor is make transit something people can count on. That means introducing a public transit service guarantee: clear, public standards for on-time performance and service frequency, with transparent reporting so riders can see whether we’re meeting them. By the end of my first term, buses should arrive on time and run often enough that you don’t need to check the schedule. That requires aligning service levels, staffing, and maintenance so those standards are actually achievable, not just promised.
Campaign Commitment: Introduce a public transit service guarantee with clear standards for on-time performance and frequency by the end of the first term.
Restore what was cut
Recent changes have left many riders with fewer options and longer waits. That has to be reversed. Rebuilding the system means restoring frequency on core routes and stabilizing operations so cancellations become rare rather than routine. If we want people to choose transit, we have to give them a system worth choosing.
Campaign Commitment: Reverse recent service cuts and restore frequent, reliable service on core transit routes.
Faster buses now
There are practical steps we can take quickly. Expanding dedicated bus lanes is one of the most effective ways to improve speed and reliability, allowing buses to bypass congestion and maintain consistent travel times. Cities across North America have done this. Ottawa can too.
With strong ridership on routes like the 88, the case for Baseline BRT is clear: dedicated lanes and proper stations would deliver faster, more reliable service for thousands of riders in the south end. It is time to stop studying it and start building it.
Campaign Commitment: Implement dedicated bus lanes and advance the Baseline BRT as a priority project to improve speed and reliability.
Riders at the table
In December 2022, the council voted to remove citizen representatives from the transit commission and replace them with an advisory committee with no decision-making authority. That was the wrong call, made at the worst possible time, when public trust in OC Transpo was already at rock bottom. Riders deserve a direct voice in decision-making, not just occasional consultation after the fact. Restoring a citizen seat will bring lived experience back into the room and help rebuild the relationship between the system and the people who depend on it.
Campaign Commitment: Restore a citizen seat on the transit commission to strengthen accountability and ensure riders have a direct voice.
Rebuilding trust takes time. It starts with being honest about what’s broken and focused on results people can actually see. Ottawa can be a city that works again, with transit that gets you where you’re going, on time, without the anxiety. That is the standard we should be held to, and it is the one I will work to deliver.
You are right. We didn’t get herein one year based on one decision but it brings me back to what I have been saying since Judge Hourigan’s report came out. There were crimes committed by Watson and Kanellakos and there has been no accountability. My councillor indicated there was something going on behind the scenes but she couldn’t say more.
So we need public accountability first, we need the city to admit they screwed up and chose the wrong train for LRT. I’ve lived all my life in Ottawa and going back to when it was OTC, bus service has been a mess here. Councillors are too petty and parochial to get things right.
Ottawa is a mess of government with the Feds, NCC sticking their noses in it not to mention Gatineau. We can’t even agree on a truck bridge to get said traffic out of the downtown.
Words are easy, action difficult and, as a taxpayer, I want the decisions based on facts. This whole LRT has been a disaster from the start and that falls on city government, those who were in charge at the time.
Rather than declaring who I will or will not vote for this election I'd like to challenge you (and others) to express what you will do to bring Para Transpo service to the level of conventional transit. I will be making my mark beside anyone with a clear commitment to transit equity.