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

Do you use ParaTranspo services in Ottawa? In preparation for ParaAwareness week (April 26^th to 30^th, 2021), we are asking people who use ParaTranspo to take this short (four-question) survey about COVID precautions, what accessible transit means for you, and what OC Transpo’s priorities for Para should be.

Para Survey

Your feedback will inform the ParaParity campaign in our efforts to improve accessible transit in Ottawa.

Utilisez-vous les services de ParaTranspo à Ottawa ? En préparation de la semaine de sensibilisation à ParaAwareness (du 26 au 30 avril 2021), nous demandons aux personnes qui utilisent ParaTranspo de répondre à ce court sondage (quatre questions) sur les précautions prises par COVID, ce que signifie pour vous le transport accessible et quelles devraient être les priorités d'OC Transpo pour Para.

Para Survey

Vos commentaires éclaireront la campagne ParaParité dans nos efforts pour améliorer l'accessibilité du transport en commun à Ottawa.

 OTTAWA - Ottawa Transit Riders expressed their disappointment that the 2021 Federal Budget announced no new emergency operational funding for public transit. With the previous round of federal funding having expired at the end of March, public transit agencies like OC Transpo may be forced to make drastic service cuts.

Public transit agencies across Canada are all facing significant financial pressures due to the drop in ridership and lack of fare revenue. Recently, OC Transpo has suspended routes and reduced services in an effort to reduce costs. Without further emergency operational funding from the federal government, OC Transpo will be forced to make further reductions.

“Throughout this pandemic, public transit has been a lifeline for essential workers, seniors, people with disabilities, and newcomers who need access to reliable and accessible transit to get to work or medical appointments,” said Stuart MacKay, a Board Member of Ottawa Transit Riders. “Without further emergency operational funding, transit agencies like OC Transpo will be forced to cut back on services. This will hurt riders and our most marginalized citizens.”  

Ottawa Transit Riders is a proud member of the Keep Transit Moving Coalition, a nationwide alliance of public transit advocacy groups. Last week, the Keep Transit Moving Coalition sent a letter to the Finance Minister asking her to extend emergency transit funding that they had committed earlier last year. Sixty organizations including large unions like CUPE, UNIFOR and PSAC and environmental organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation signed the letter, displaying large support across sectors. Further, a poll done with EKOS Research showed that over 70% of Canadians supported extending emergency transit operational funding.

For more information, please contact [email protected] 

There are consultations underway right now to discuss upcoming expansion of our LRT. Please click on the link to see how you can weigh in.

Light Rail Transit Stage 2 Trillium Line Connectivity Consultation

The Ottawa Transit Riders see good quality public transit as a social good - something that benefits all residents whether they ride the buses or not. Here are some articles advancing the idea that good quality public transit is a social justice issue.

Transit Justice Struggles in Toronto: Statement on the TTC Fare Review

An article from Free Transit Toronto arguing that transit is a social justice issue and that we should be fighting for FREE transit.

Transit should be funded by taxes. It is a key tool in the battle against climate change and is essential in our transition to a greener future.

On the road to a strong post-pandemic recovery

An article from Hamilton noting that the Federal government’s support for capital spending is nice, but that transit agencies really need operational funding to continue offering public service.

The article notes that 79% of Canadians support public funding of transit.

The Promise of Transit Equity

In an article about urban planning, the authors note that divergence between the US and most major European cities where the US focused on car dependence while many European cities supported public transportation systems. Canada falls in the middle.

The article lists 8 key benefits to robust public transit systems.

COVID has reduced revenue leading to cities cutting service. This leaves many people stranded and unable to get to work, see the doctor, get food or meet other basic needs.

Green New Deal up for debate at Liberal, NDP conventions

The ParaParity campaign, a group dedicated to improving ParaTranspo services in Ottawa is launching a Para Awareness Week from April 26th to April 30th this year.

Many members of the Ottawa Transit Riders use mobility aids - some ride “regular” OC Transpo buses and some rely on ParaTranspo. It is absolutely essential that we fight for accessibility in our public transit system.

In November 2020, AMI, a non-profit media company produced a video talking to members of the #ParaParity campaign about their challenges getting around Ottawa. Several members of Ottawa Transit Riders, including Sally Thomas, a board member, were involved.

Whether you saw it in November or not, we are re-posting it here:

Please take a moment to watch: AMI on #ParaParity

People may not be riding the bus or walking around Vanier as much as usual so they may be surprised by massive detours that are coming in April.

For information on the bus detours, please visit the OC Transpo page: Montréal Road closing on April 18

Note that anyone from Vanier who wants to go East (for example to the two high schools on Ogilvie), you will have to change buses.

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Les gens ne prennent peut-être pas l'autobus ou ne se promènent pas autant qu'à l'habitude à Vanier. Ils pourraient donc être surpris par les importants détours qui seront mis en place en avril.

Pour obtenir des renseignements sur les détours d'autobus, veuillez consulter la page d'OC Transpo : Fermeture du chemin de Montréal le 18 avril

Notez que toute personne de Vanier qui veut aller vers l'Est (par exemple vers les deux lycées sur Ogilvie), devra prendre deux bus.

A board member (Kari) of the Ottawa Transit Riders was interviewed about transit cuts on CBC’s All in a Day. Click on the link to listen: OC Transpo Cuts Reactions

The Transit Commission held a special meeting to discuss upcoming cuts to various routes around the city. At least 19 people signed up at short notice to speak out against the cuts. Organizations like Acorn and Horizon were instrumental in encouraging people to participate.

Some people spoke about their own personal experience of dealing with inadequate service. Others expressed frustration at the sense of going backwards in our battle against climate change. We need better service to encourage people to use public transit rather than private cars. Cuts and fare increases are the opposite of what we need.

Several people called on the city to conduct robust, meaningful consultations to determine what transit riders need.

Kudos to Miranda Gray who noted that the city is putting up barriers to consultations by releasing reports or making announcements at short notice. The city is meeting its minimum requirements, but a more honest approach would be to give community groups and activists more time to engage.

Here is a sample of media reports on the special meeting / Voici des rapports des médias sur la réunion spéciale:

Residents express opposition to proposed route cuts on OC Transpo

“The reductions being proposed run right through the urban heart of the City, transit-dependent Ottawans will have to wait even longer for their buses throughout the pandemic,” said Stuart MacKay of Ottawa Transit Riders in a press release Wednesday. “These cuts are significant.”

COVID-19: Here are OC Transpo’s planned service reductions amid low transit demand

Transpo customers decry bus 'cuts' as agency adjusts service to handle reduced ridership

Nick Grover said Transpo should be talking about how to bring back riders rather than trimming service. “It’s a public service so in that regard we have to make sure it’s serving them whether it’s five or 500 using it.”

OC Transpo: des citoyens dénoncent les réductions de service

«Je demande des consultations publiques. Je ne comprends pas comment vous pouvez faire ces changements à ces services sans avoir demandé l’avis des gens qui les utilisent», a lancé Kari Glynes Elliott, porte-parole du Groupe des usagers du transport en commun d’Ottawa.

La Commission des transports en commun a tenu une réunion spéciale pour discuter des coupes à venir dans les différentes lignes de la ville. Au moins 19 personnes se sont inscrites au pied levé pour s'exprimer contre les coupes. Des organisations comme Acorn et Horizon ont contribué à encourager les gens à participer.

Certaines personnes ont parlé de leur expérience personnelle en matière de services inadéquats. D'autres ont exprimé leur frustration face au sentiment de régression dans notre lutte contre le changement climatique. Nous avons besoin d'un meilleur service pour encourager les gens à utiliser les transports en commun plutôt que les voitures privées. Les coupes et les augmentations de tarifs sont à l'opposé de ce dont nous avons besoin.

Plusieurs personnes ont demandé à la ville de mener des consultations solides et significatives pour déterminer les besoins des usagers du transport en commun.

Bravo à Miranda Gray qui a fait remarquer que la ville fait obstacle aux consultations en publiant des rapports ou en faisant des annonces à court terme. La ville respecte ses exigences minimales, mais une approche plus honnête consisterait à donner aux groupes communautaires et aux militants plus de temps pour s'engager.

The Ottawa Transit Riders are working with advocates across Canada to advocate for secure permanent operational funding for transit systems.

Public transit is an essential service and a key component in combatting climate change. But cities, facing unexpected budget shortfalls, are already planning cuts to service.

The #KeepTransitMoving campaign has posted the following press release calling on the Federal government to step up: With Funding Set to Expire March 31st, Coalition Warns Consequences Dire if Feds Don’t Renew “Safe Restart” Transit Money

How do we fight potential cuts?

The Council of Canadians encourages people to call Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, and your MP to demand Federal support for public transit. Click on the link for details and instructions: Call your politicians to demand operational funding.

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Le groupe des usagers du transport en commun d'Ottawa collaborent avec des militants de tout le Canada pour réclamer un financement opérationnel permanent et sûr des systèmes de transport en commun.

Le transport en commun est un service essentiel et un élément clé de la lutte contre le changement climatique. Mais les villes, confrontées à des coupes budgétaires inattendues, prévoient déjà des réductions de service.

La campagne #KeepTransitMoving (#Priorité TC) a publié le communiqué de presse suivant, qui demande au gouvernement fédéral d'agir : With Funding Set to Expire March 31st, Coalition Warns Consequences Dire if Feds Don’t Renew “Safe Restart” Transit Money

Comment pouvons-nous lutter contre cela ?

Le Conseil des Canadiens encourage les gens à appeler la ministre des Finances, Chrystia Freeland, et votre député pour exiger un soutien fédéral au transport public. Cliquez sur le lien pour les détails et les instructions : Appelez vos politiciens pour exiger un financement opérationnel.

The Ottawa Transit Riders has written the following open letter to the Transit Commission regarding their “special” meeting on Wednesday, March 31 to discuss upcoming cuts to service.

Open Letter to Transit Commission regarding the proposed transit changes

The City of Ottawa and OC Transpo surprised residents and community partners by announcing that they intend to cut a number of routes starting in June 2021. The Ottawa Transit Riders would like to express our frustration at this decision to cut transit, just as the pandemic restrictions will (hopefully) start to lift.

Public transit is an essential service, not a business. The people currently riding transit are transit dependent. Many are low income residents, many are essential workers, many have no other choice. Making low income transit riders pay for a budget shortfall is cruel and shortsighted.

Public transit is an essential tool to combat climate change. If these cutbacks discourage people from using transit and encourage more driving, we face increased traffic, increased competition for parking, and increased pollution. It will be more difficult to entice riders to return to using transit if the quality of service declines.

We are concerned with news that some early morning and late night routes will be cut - they are often essential for riders getting to and from work. We worry that with reduced frequency, riders will spend more time waiting for buses and may end up paying more if their transfers expire.

We have three specific demands:

1. Conduct meaningful consultations between now and June with communities to determine how to provide the best possible transit service for transit dependent residents;
2. Extend the transfer window to a minimum of two hours. (If you are cutting service so that everything takes longer, you should not penalize customers); and
3. Commit to maintaining essential early morning and late night trips even if only a few people use those buses.

The Ottawa Transit Riders seeks to be a voice of transit riders in the city of Ottawa. We work closely with allies who advocate for environmental issues, equity concerns, poverty alleviation, and accessibility for persons with disabilities.

In future we hope to be invited to the table to discuss transit challenges as robust democratic consultation with the public tends to produce better policy results than top-down decision-making.

We hope that the Transit Commission considers our requests.

Ottawa Transit Riders

What can you do to express your opinion? You can submit your own letter to the Transit Commission and/or ask to speak at the meeting by emailing Eric Pelot at [email protected]. You can register to speak up until the start of the meeting.

[Une version en français sera bientôt disponible]