Ottawa Transit Riders / Le groupe des usagers de transport en commun d'Ottawa

Upcoming Events – Ottawa Urbanism Book Club

The Urbanism Book club will meet on Monday, October 27^th at 6:15 at the Sunnyside library to discuss You’ll Pay For This: How we can afford a great city for everyone, forever by Michel Durand-Wood.

It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded people advocating for a more people-centered city.

There is no cost to attend, you can just show up! And it’s not mandatory to read the book.

The city and OC Transpo have launched new information screens at four transit stops: OC Transpo piloting real-time info screen.

• Eagleson Park and Ride,
• Bank Street at Somerset Street,
• Civic Hospital on Carling Avenue, and
• Bayshore Mall on Woodridge Crescent.

Have you seen them? What do you think? The city is looking for feedback.

Bus Stop Transit Information Screen Pilot | Engage Ottawa

The Ottawa Transit Riders were delighted to host Oh the Urbanity! on September 16^th for an interesting discussion on how to advocate for better urban design.

For anyone who was unable to attend, or who gave up when we had some troublesome technology issues in the beginning, here is the link to view the video.

After the presentation, we divided into groups to discuss strategies for the upcoming year. There’s an election next year and we intend to make TRANSIT a main topic of conversation.

Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study

The city of Ottawa is hosting consultations on how to improve Bank street.

Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study | Engage Ottawa

If you're interested in getting better transit along Bank Street, we invite you to attend the city’s open house on Wednesday, September 24th, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Blessed Sacrament Parish, 194 Fourth Avenue.

Removing the parking on Bank street and creating bus-only lanes would go a long way towards making traffic move, but there is some local opposition to such a proposal. Let’s get some smart people interested in urban improvement out to events like this!

Here are a few more articles that provide data on the benefits of public transit. Feel free to share them with politicians who need facts.

Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE). November 11, 2021. “Public Transit – Good for Health, Social Equity and the Planet!” Public Transit – Good for Health, Social Equity and the Planet! – Canadian Health Association for Sustainability & Equity (CHASE)

Public transit improves air quality in a few ways. Residents who live in communities with high-quality, well integrated public transit own half as many vehicles, drive half as many kilometres, walk and cycle four times more frequently, and use public transit ten times more often than residents of more car-dependent communities.

Public transit makes our roads safer for all users. Nearly 2,000 people died in Canada from motor-vehicle collisions; nearly 60% were vehicle drivers, 18% were passengers, 17% were pedestrians and 2.3% were cyclists. Transit travel has a passenger fatality rate 20 times less than that of automobile travel. In addition, traffic fatalities for pedestrians, cyclists and automobile occupants, as well as transit users, decline significantly as transit ridership increases in a community. This is because people who live or work in communities that are designed to support transit tend to drive fewer kilometres, drive at lower speeds, and have travel options that allow them to avoid high-risk driving, such as driving after drinking.

The transportation sector is the second leading source of climate emissions, responsible for 26% of all of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Heaven, Pamela. January 6, 2025. Financial Post. “Posthaste: Never mind New York, Canada's congestion 'crisis' is costing billions: Study estimates gridlocks cost Ontario's economy almost $13 billion in 2024.” Canada's congestion 'crisis' is costing billions | Financial Post

• From 2001 to 2024, the number of cars on the road has increased by 37 percent in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and by 17 percent in the rest of province, says a study commissioned by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) and the Ontario Road Builders’ Association.
• Truck traffic is up by 32 percent throughout Ontario.
• The study estimates that the impact of traffic congestion on Ontario’s economy at $12.8 billion in 2024, with the GTHA taking $10 billion of that hit.
• Transportation is now the second-largest household expense in Ontario, 23 per cent higher than food, says the study.
• The study estimates the impact of congestion on commuters’ quality of life due to stress, health and time lost at $43.6 billion in 2024.

And remember, when cities underinvest in public transit, the costs of transportation get downloaded to households. And cars are expensive!

Lavin, Jordan. February 3, 2025. “What is the total cost of ownership for a car?” What is the total cost of ownership for a car? | Ratehub.ca

• Cars are expensive. They are the 3^rd highest expense for most household after shelter and food. This positions transportation as the third-largest household expense at 15% of spending, behind shelter at 31.4%, and the cost of food at 15.4%, according to Statistics Canada.
• Average monthly cost to purchase a new car is $905
• Used cars are cheaper, but still from $542 to $745 / month because interest rates on used cars are higher
• Statistics Canada says the average Canadian household spends $79 per month to maintain and repair vehicles, but that figure can vary drastically depending on your car. 
• The latest statistics from 2023 put the price of insurance somewhere between $1,300 and $1,800. Depending on your situation, your price could be higher or lower than the national average.
• The total cost of car ownership in Canada is based on our 2024 data and shows an actual cash expense of $1,370 per month including all car payments, gas, maintenance, and auto insurance costs.

Big news! It’s time for renewal. Some board members who have been with the Ottawa Transit Riders since it was founded in 2019 are stepping down.

We are actively recruiting for new board members so if you’re interested, click on this link for details.

1. You must be a resident of Ottawa and interested in improving public transit (LRT, buses, and Para Transpo).
2. You must be a fully paid up member of the Ottawa Transit Riders (paid your dues within the last 12 months).
3. You must be willing to sign and abide by our Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct / Le Code de conduite)

We will be hosting an online Annual General Meeting on Monday, October 6, 2025 where we will vote for the new board. Click on this Eventbrite link to register: (register here) You don’t need to attend the meeting to apply for a seat on the board, but you do need to attend the meeting to vote for new board members.

We reserve one seat on the Board for people who have experience using Para Transpo.

Click here to apply to sit on the board of directors (google form).

The easiest way to pay your $25 membership is to eTransfer to [email protected] 

I know that if you’re visiting this website you already support better public transit, but sometimes it’s good to have solid academic research that supports our advocacy. Here’s a list of some recent reports that provide evidence of the value of public transit.

Click the links to read the full reports – maybe even send them to politicians who continue to make decisions based on feelings, rather than facts.

Litman, Todd. July 10, 2025. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. “The Mobility-Productivity Paradox: Understanding the Negative Relationship Between Mobility and Economic Productivity.” Mobility-Productivity Paradox

This article argues that more driving makes cities less prosperous.

• relying on cars to get around imposes large costs to users (to own and operate vehicles), governments and businesses (for roads and parking facilities)
• too many cars on the road causes congestion, crash risks and increased pollution.
• Motor vehicles tend to displace other modes of transportation, thus reducing non-drivers’ productivity.

A critical fact that is often ignored in the debate over “saving” taxes is that owning, operating and parking an average car typically costs $8,000 CDN per year.

An American study found that after households obtained a car they typically earned $2,300 USD more but spent $4,100 USD more on transport annually, making them financially worse off overall.

**

Litman, Todd. August 15, 2025. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. “Evaluating Public Transit Benefits and Costs. Best Practices Guidebook.” Evaluating Public Transit Benefits and Costs

This article argues that good transit attracts “discretionary” riders – people who could drive, but choose to ride public transit when it meets their needs.

• High quality (relatively fast, convenient, comfortable and integrated) transit can attract people who would otherwise drive, which reduces traffic problems including congestion, parking costs, accidents, and pollution emissions.
• The author estimates that a typical household could reduce its total greenhouse emissions by 25-30% by shifting from two vehicles to one.

Good public transit often has “hidden” benefits that our local politicians may not consider:

• For example, transit services may benefit a restaurant by increasing the pool of available employees and reducing absenteeism from vehicle failures, reducing employee parking costs, and by providing mobility for some tourists. Similarly, a delivery company may be more productive if the availability of good transit reduces traffic congestion.

Basically, the benefits of good public transit can be divided into two major categories: equity-oriented, which result from the availability and use of transit by disadvantaged people, and efficiency-oriented, which result when transit reduces the number of private cars on the road.

The "Week Without Driving" is coming to Ottawa September 29 - October 5. For those who usually drive, it is a chance to experience the other mobility modes available to you. For those who take OC Transpo or who bike or walk, it is a chance to advocate for a city where it is easier, more reliable and more enjoyable to get around outside a car.

Learn more here from our pals at @bike_ottawa : https://bikeottawa.ca/2025/09/04/join-the-week-without-driving/

The Federal government has declared a commitment to prevent and mitigate climate change. In 2022, Canada was the 12th largest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emitter globally in both absolute and per capita terms despite being only 37th in population size.

Canada has set a target of reducing GHG to 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030.

The Net-Zero Advisory Body whose mandate is to provide independent advice to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change with respect to achieving net-zero emissions recommends that the government should

• promote policies that encourage shifts to less-emitting transportation modes, for example, rail and public transit

Synthesis Report: Second Annual Report to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

With this in mind, it is all the more frustrating that the city of Ottawa is moving in the opposite direction and actively undermining the Federal government’s goal of a more sustainable future.

De-funding public transit while forcing civil servants to commute to an office unnecessarily, will increase traffic, increase pollution, increase the risk of crashes, and increase household costs.

The transportation sector is the second leading source of climate emissions, responsible for 26% of all of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

There’s an election in 2026 – ask your city councillor if they support the city advancing policies to mitigate climate change. It’s not a choice between the “economy” and the “environment” – it’s a choice between sensible policies that help residents make choices that align with our needs, … or not.

Ottawa Transit Riders: “Let’s Talk Transit!” with guests “Oh The Urbanity!”

Date: Tuesday, September 16

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location: Sandy Hill Community Centre (250 Somerset Street E), accessible by the 10 bus route on Somerset Street. 10-minute walk east from the uOttawa LRT station. The facility has elevators and accessible washrooms.

Join Ottawa Transit Riders on Tuesday, September 16 at 7:00 PM for a presentation and discussion on transit advocacy from Jasmine and Patrick, the people behind the Canadian urbanist YouTube channel Oh The Urbanity! They will be joining us online for this hybrid event, which will include a Q&A. Afterwards, we will have a members' discussion on how we can effectively advocate for transit issues and strategize for the coming year leading up to the 2026 municipal election.

You can get a sneak peek at Oh the Urbanity from their YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@OhTheUrbanity

This event is open to everyone interested in transit in Ottawa. Register HERE.

If you are not yet a member of the Ottawa Transit Riders, you can learn more about us at the event and can sign up on our website or in-person at the event. 

https://www.ottawatransitriders.ca/otr_membership 

Please indicate if you intend to attend remotely so we can send you a zoom link.