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

The next Transit Commission meeting is coming up on February 19, conveniently in the middle of #TransitChallenge2020! If you can come, please do. A few of our board members will be there...and we’ll have a few buttons to share, too!

• Wednesday, February 19, 2020; 9:30am (end time is variable).
• City Hall’s Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West).
• Agenda.
• Livestreaming broadcast  (audio only).

To be put on the speakers’ list, contact Christopher Zwierzchowski and indicate that you wish to speak (include the agenda item you wish to address). You can also sign up right at the meeting, when you arrive.

• • [email protected] or 613-580-2424 x21359
  • You’ll be called up to speak during your chosen agenda item and you’ll have five minutes.
  • You do not have to bring a presentation or any material to share but, if you do, bring it on a memory stick/key and hand it over to the organizers, who will put it up on the council room monitors for you.

There are a number of interesting items on the agenda this month but we’re highlighting a few priorities (including some speaking points/demands) below...feel free to speak to these points or anything else that’s important to you! Want to make sure something is on our radar? Email us: [email protected].

AGENDA ITEM #1:  PARA TRANSPO SERVICE UPDATE

• • We are still asking for #ParaParity; Para customers are forgotten the second there’s an issue on the LRT and this is unacceptable.
  • We want the ParaParity group to be included in testing the online booking web form/suite.
  • We want a firm deadline for the start and finish of testing the interim online booking web form; originally scheduled to launch by the end of 2019 and now very much delayed.
  • We want a firm deadline and date for the roll-out of the interim web form.
  • We want more transparency of the whole ParaTranspo online booking process, including delays and timelines. Please communicate!
  • We want increased capacity on ParaTranspo (i.e. more buses/drivers; not just taxis).
  • We want ParaTranspo service to be available at the same times as conventional service; as such, we want it extended to 2am every day, 12am on Sunday, and 4am on New Year’s Day. 
  • We want accountability for trips, with bookings given a reference number. Too many are cancelled or rescheduled without the knowledge of the passenger; better tracking is needed.

AGENDA ITEM #4:  CONFEDERATION LINE AND BUS SERVICE UPDATE

• • Thank the councillors who are taking part in #TransitChallenge2020 and express disappointment that so few OC Transpo decision-makers even responded.
  • We want Transit Commission to retain power over approving any further fare freezes; this should be a democratic process.
  • We want clarity on how service improvements will be measured ahead of any future fare increases.
  • We want the City to share the air quality test results done in the LRT tunnels.
  • We want the City and OC Transpo to commit to working with local advocacy groups (e.g. Ottawa Transit Riders, Healthy Transportation Coalition, Para Parity, and Ecology Ottawa) to develop a plan to grow transit ridership, including:
    • Community consultations on any upcoming changes to transit;
    • Making the EquiPass more affordable, accessible, and easily attainable; and 
    • Early consultation on phase 2 of the LRT across ALL wards (only some are currently being briefed).

AGENDA ITEM #8:  GPS AND USER-FRIENDLY APP SYSTEM FOR BUSES TO PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON BUS LOCATION AND CANCELLATIONS 

• • We again want the City and OC Transpo to commit to working with local advocacy groups (e.g. Ottawa Transit Riders, Healthy Transportation Coalition, Para Parity, and Ecology Ottawa) on improving communications related to the day-to-day operation of bus routes and the LRT system (e.g. delays, cancellations, disruptions, etc).
  • We want OC Transpo to commit to improving the number of cancellations reported; these should be as close to 100% as possible (instead they are as low as 10%).

Please share all of this information with your friends, family, co-workers, and fellow bus/train passengers and encourage them to attend and speak, too...as we’ve said before, our power is in numbers, here and at City Hall. We hope to see you there on Wednesday...and if you haven’t signed up as a member yet, please consider doing it here! 

(French copy to come!)