School bus authority decision criticized with 10-15 cm of snow expected
Posted Jan 26, 2026 09:53:04 AM.
Last Updated Jan 26, 2026 03:59:13 PM.
Snowfall is causing messy roads in the nation’s capital, but it was not enough to cancel school buses, according to the bus authority.
The Ottawa School Transportation Authority (OSTA) conducted a weather assessment just before 5:00 a.m. and said that buses would be running for the Ottawa Catholic School Board, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est and Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario.
It prompted many questions from people since buses across eastern Ontario and in the Ottawa Valley were cancelled on Monday. Several major roadways in the nation’s capital were snow-covered as of 9:30 a.m.
Kris Persad, on X, replied to OSTA’s assessment post and said that at 6:30 a.m., he just got in from the airport.
“Conditions have gotten much worse. It’s snowing pretty continuously. That assessment may need another go around,” he wrote.
In response to questions from CityNews, OSTA said that “Student safety is OSTA’s highest priority, and we take the responsibility of these operational decisions very seriously.”
The authority conducts a “thorough assessment” that begins at 4:00 a.m. and a final decision is made by 5:30 a.m., the statement reads.
The decision to have buses run on Jan. 26 was based on five data points. The authority said that meteorological data and real-time conditions are factored in. Monday’s assessment met the “safety standards required for bus operations to proceed,” it said.
OSTA’s 5 factors to why buses can run
- Forecasted Accumulation Rates: Weather data prior to 5:00 a.m. indicated that average hourly snow accumulation would remain at 0.5 cm or less during the primary morning commute window.
- Weather Directionality: We tracked the system as it moved from west to east. While the onset occurred earlier in western areas, our assessment confirmed that accumulation rates remained within manageable limits for bus operations.
- Visibility Thresholds: While a snowfall warning was in effect, our real-time monitoring confirmed that visibility remained above 1 km across our primary transit corridors, allowing for safe navigation.
- City Maintenance: City of Ottawa crews were out in full force overnight and continue their work today to ensure road safety throughout the city.
- Sustained Conditions: Following the morning commute, forecasts indicated a tapering to light snow. Sustained wind speeds were projected to remain below 20 km/h for the majority of the day, significantly reducing the risk of sustained whiteout conditions.
Environment Canada notes that travel “will likely be challenging” since 10 to 15 centimetres of snow is expected to accumulate by early Monday afternoon. Wind will gust up to 40 to 50 km/h, resulting in blowing snow, especially for exposed roadways on the outskirts of the city.
In a Facebook group called OSTA Bus Cancellations, several posts were made on Monday morning, heavily criticizing the decision.
People said they “were shocked” buses were running, with many saying plows had not been down their streets.
“The roads are terrible, and the snow is sticking to the back of cars covering the lights,” Karla L. MacNeil wrote in a post. “There were several times I couldn’t see the brake lights of the cars in front of me. Also noticed this was the same for some school buses.”
“In a district as large as ours, we recognize that weather and road conditions can vary,” OSTA said. “We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to all our contracted professional drivers.”
The snow is prompting a special daytime winter weather parking ban from the City of Ottawa.
From 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., people are asked to find alternative parking on municipal streets. The ban could be extended if additional time is needed to clear the roads.
Vehicles may be ticketed and towed from roads if blocking the plows.
Record-breaking snow in Toronto
The low-pressure system moved across the province on Sunday, shattering records in the Greater Toronto Area.
On Monday, Toronto awoke to the aftermath of a once‑in‑a‑generation winter storm, a system that delivered record‑breaking snowfall, paralyzed transportation across the region, and forced widespread school closures
Preliminary weather summary shows that Toronto City Centre recorded 56 cm of snow, while Toronto Pearson Airport measured 46 cm, setting a new all‑time daily snowfall record for the site. The previous record dated back to 1937.
With 88.2 cm of snow now recorded this month, it is officially the snowiest January — and the snowiest month overall — since records began nearly 90 years ago.
Sunday’s now-record-setting storm intensified rapidly through the morning and afternoon, producing long stretches of near‑zero visibility as heavy snow combined with blowing snow, creating treacherous conditions on highways and residential streets.
