Transit Commission approves OC Transpo draft budget despite concerns from community

The Transit Commission approved OC Transpo’s 2025 draft budget, including the largest operating budget in the city’s history, but community groups are raising their voices in opposition with main concerns including fare increases during hard financial times.

The draft budget, the city says, will back several initiatives in OC Transpo’s five-year roadmap and will support the goal of reaching 99.5 per cent for bus service delivery. New investments for 2025 include the delivery of new zero-emission buses, increasing Para Transpo service, O-Tran Lines 2 and 4, extension of O-Train Line 1, launching the New Ways to Bus network, and revising east-end bus routes to connect to O-Train stations.

To close a growing funding gap for transit services, the draft budget includes an eight per cent increase to the transit levy as well as changes to transit fares. These increases have sparked outrage amongst community members.

“This budget risks driving Ottawa’s transit system into a ‘transit death spiral’, where rising costs and declining service reliability will lead to lower ridership, creating a vicious cycle that is hard to break,” Derrick Simpson, transportation chair at the Centretown Community Association (CCA) wrote in a letter to the mayor and councillors prior to the approval of the budget.

One of the biggest concerns for the CCA and numerous delegates who spoke to the commission Monday, was the proposal to halt free transit for seniors on certain days and a proposed 120 per cent increase in the cost of senior transit passes.

Ana Maria Cruz-Valderrama, an Ottawa resident, said the increase was “too high and discriminatory” as it could lead to further isolation of seniors who cannot afford the fare.

Councillor Shawn Menard responded that 120 per cent is ridiculous, so is 60 per cent, but that an 18 per cent transit pass increase might be the only option available.

In the end, this is the option the commission opted for. Beginning Jan. 1, senior monthly passes will cost $78.50, a 42 per cent discount of the adult monthly pass price. Seniors will be able to continue to ride for free on Wednesdays but will have to resume to pay on Sundays.

Other community members felt cast aside by the cuts to youth fare programs.

The youth (13-19) monthly pass will be discontinued and replaced by the adult monthly pass at a cost of $135 per month. Children ages 11 and 12 will now be required to pay for transit and will be eligible for a pre-teen single-ride discounted fare of $2. Children aged 10 and under will continue to ride free.  

“We should be encouraging young people to adopt transit as a way of life, not pushing them toward car dependence,” Simpson said.

The Transit Commission directed staff to explore and work in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and local school boards to develop the equivalent of a U-Pass for students under 18 years of age. Staff have also been directed to enter into negotiations with the four affected post-secondary institutions.

“Ottawa’s transit system is at a crossroads,” Simpson wrote in his letter. “If we do not act now to reverse these cuts and increasing funding, we risk undermining a system that so many depend on.”

The draft budget will rise to council on Dec. 11. Fare changes will come into effect Jan. 1.