A group of community organizations are calling on candidates for mayor and councillor in Ottawa’s municipal election to support lowering OC Transpo fares and creating bus-only lanes on major transit corridors. The groups launched the Transit Action Network on Tuesday, saying it’s a new city-wide network “aimed at making better, more affordable and more reliable public transit” a central issue in the municipal election campaign. “Ottawa needs to elect a city council that is ready to fund transit like it matters,” said Laura Shantz of Ottawa Transit Riders. “An affordable, reliable and accessible transit system reduces traffic congestion, makes our city greener, and is an essential service for those who don’t drive. Ottawa residents want solutions, not more transit headaches.” The Transit Action Network wants candidates to support four key priorities: “The coalition warns that Ottawa risks becoming trapped in a transit death spiral: when service is cut or becomes less reliable, riders who have other options leave the system. Falling ridership then reduces fare revenue, which is used to justify further cuts or fare increases, making transit even less attractive,” the groups said in a media release. “The Transit Action Network says the solution is to reverse that cycle by investing in and improving service, making transit more affordable and giving people a reliable alternative to driving.” The groups involved are Ottawa Transit Riders, Better Transit Ottawa, Horizon Ottawa, Free Transit Ottawa and Carleton Transit Riders. Campaign promises The four leading candidates for mayor have released their transit plans ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election. Incumbent Mark Sutcliffe is pledging to cut the cost of an adult monthly transit pass to $95 a month by using money from the proposed upload of the O-Train to the Ontario government. Sutcliffe also promised to invest in major bus rapid transit projects, purchase new buses and reintroduce Express routes from the east, west and south. Jeff Leiper has unveiled a plan called “Transit that Works,” which included restoring previous OC Transpo bus route cuts, introducing a “Transit Service Guarantee” to set clear standards for on-time performance and frequency, and rolling out dedicated bus lanes. Alex Lawson’s transit platform includes bringing back rush-hour bus rapid transit, resetting the run times and rebuilding the schedule, boosting transit fare enforcement, introducing a rider code of conduct, installing cameras on every bus and a 90-day management accountability review. Lawson also proposes a bus-specific heavy mechanic stream at Algonquin College to boost mechanics at OC Transpo. Candidate Neil Saravanamuttoo has pledged “Buck a Ride” transit city-wide if elected mayor as part of a four-point transit plan, with a cap at $40 a month. Saravanamuttoo said he would use savings from Ontario’s upload of the LRT to fund the $1 a ride plan.
