Better, Faster, Cheaper: It’s Time to Fix Transit in Kitchissippi

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been having great conversations with residents across Kitchissippi. At the doors, in parks, at local businesses, and on sidewalks, one issue keeps coming up over and over again: transit.

People are frustrated. And honestly, they have every reason to be.

In the first quarter of 2026 alone, OC Transpo reported a $7.2 million deficit, largely driven by declining ridership and lower-than-expected fare revenue. At the same time, residents here in Kitchissippi experienced more than 1,000 cancelled bus trips in January.

Think about what that actually means.

That’s a thousand buses that didn’t show up to take people to work. To school. To medical appointments. To childcare pickups. To see family and friends.

Transit isn’t just about moving people around the city. For many residents, it’s how they live their lives.

Kitchissippi is a transit-oriented ward. We have two major LRT stations serving our communities, and many residents rely on public transit every single day. But if buses and trains are unreliable, people will stop using them. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing happen.

If we want better transit, we need more ridership. And if we want more ridership, we need to make transit easier, more reliable, and more affordable.

One of the biggest frustrations I hear about is the technology.

The current OC Transpo app simply isn’t good enough. Real-time tracking is inconsistent, the map feature is difficult to use, and too often people are left standing outside wondering whether their bus is actually coming.

That uncertainty matters.

It’s one thing for a bus to be delayed or cancelled. It’s another thing entirely to be standing outside in -40 degree weather with no idea where your bus is or when it might arrive.

We can do better.

When I lived in Sweden in 2008, transit apps already showed the real-time location of buses. You could actually see where your bus was and plan your trip properly. That removed the guessing game entirely.

If cities were doing this nearly two decades ago, Ottawa should be able to deliver that level of service today.

We also need to rethink how we charge for transit.

Right now, many short trips cost almost as much as long commutes. That discourages people from using transit for quick urban travel within communities like Kitchissippi.

Many cities across Canada and around the world use distance-based fares, where people pay based on how far they travel. I believe Ottawa should seriously explore a similar model.

My proposal would create transit zones where shorter trips cost less. The less distance you travel, the less you pay.

Importantly, this would not mean increasing fares for residents traveling longer distances. Instead, it would create lower-cost options for shorter urban trips and encourage more people to choose transit over driving.

Take a simple example.

On a weekday, a Kitchissippi family of four with two adults, one twelve-year-old and one five-year-old would pay $10.25 for a one-way trip to the Rideau Centre on OC Transpo using Presto fares. Add in a return trip a few hours later beyond the 90-minute transfer window, and suddenly that short trip costs $20.50.

At that point, many families understandably decide it’s easier and cheaper to drive.

That’s a problem.

We should be encouraging transit use, especially for short trips within the urban core. Lower fares for shorter distances would help increase ridership, reduce traffic congestion, and get more cars off the road. Any initial loss in fare revenue could be offset by bringing more riders back into the system.

Transit should work for residents.

It should be reliable. It should be affordable. And it should make life easier, not harder.

Kitchissippi deserves its fair share when it comes to transit investment and service reliability. As your councillor, I’ll continue pushing for practical solutions that improve the everyday lives of residents.

Let’s get transit moving again in Kitchissippi.