Ottawa Transit Riders

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.

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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.