McKenney would freeze transit fares if elected mayor

Catherine McKenney says they would freeze transit fares, increase OC Transpo funding by 20 per cent and initiate a “top to bottom review” of the service if elected mayor.

The city councillor says their plan would make transit more affordable and reliable without cutting other city spending and while maintaining "the current three per cent approach" to taxes.

“As a city councillor, I spent years pushing for better transit because I refuse to accept the system that we currently have,” McKenney said while unveiling their plan on Tuesday. "Now, I'm running to fix this system."

“With the right leadership, it can be reliable and affordable.”

Along with freezing fares, McKenney would also make the Equipass for low-income riders cheaper and expand free transit to youth and children aged 17 and under.

McKenney’s planned reforms can be achieved by reallocating existing city spending, they said, and without increasing property taxes.

"I am also anouncing that as mayor, I will remain within the current three per cent approach to taxes," they said.

"There will be no cuts to other services to fund transit. Budgets are about priorities and my priority is to make life more affordable for families and this will deliver on that."

Along with increasing transit funding by 20 per cent over four years, McKenney is proposing bringing the maintenance of the city’s LRT system in-house if Rideau Transit Group/Rideau Transit Maintenance is found to be in default of their contract.

The city and RTG/RTM are in litigation over that question, with the city arguing the LRT consortium is in default in relation to two derailments last year.

McKenney is also promising a top-to-bottom review of OC Transpo in their first 100 days of mayor, which they say would help make transit more reliable and efficient.

"A city is only as strong as its transit. If people can't get to where they need to be on time - if they can't afford to ride transit every day - than their city is failing them."

Transit has been one of the first major flashpoints of the mayoral campaign. Last week, McKenney’s rival Mark Sutcliffe accused them of flip-flopping on fare-free transit.

McKenney said they never promised an immediate end to transit fares.

In July, city staff estimated that eliminating OC Transpo fare increases would increase the transit levy by $11 annually for an average property valued at $415,000.

Ottawa transit fares are among the highest in the country.

OTHER MAYORAL CANDIDATES' PLEDGES

Transit has emerged as one of the main issues in this municipal election.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, candidate Mark Sutcliffe said transit has been a main plank in this platform since his first announced his candidacy.

"We need better public transit, not free public transit. And that includes building light rail to Kanata, Barrhaven, and Stittsville, which I don't see included in Catherine McKenney's plan," he wrote.

"Catherine's promises, including expanding free public transit, are adding hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for taxpayers. At a time when costs are already rising rapidly, the people of Ottawa can't afford significant tax increases to cover these promises."

Sutcliffe says his goal is to improve reliability and transparency in the transit system and build LRT to "every part of the city." 

Former Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli also said he is opposed to offering free transit and said a fare freeze would also put more of a financial strain on OC Transpo.

"A fare freeze would be another $6-7 million hit to the bottom line for OC Transpo that is already tens of millions of dollars in the hole according to its latest quarterly report to be tabled at the Sept. 14 Transit Commission meeting," he wrote in a statement. 

"There are discounted monthly passes already such as the Community Pass and Equi-Pass for those who qualify. There are other discounts, including free fares for seniors 65 and older all day on Wednesdays and Sundays. Children under 7 ride for free every day of the week. There is also the U-Pass where university and college students pay approx. $200 through their tuition for unlimited access to buses and trains each term.

"I am prepared to adjust these discounts further, but a wholesale dump on the taxpayer is unaffordable."

Here is what several other candidates are pledging, according to their websites:

Brandon Bay

"Replace commuter- with community-focused transit, including The Loop." 

Bernard Couchman

"Free public Transit for all that live in Ottawa." 

Graham MacDonald

"Debacle after debacle and derailment after derailment has resulted in what is a multi-billion dollar, mediocre, unreliable and sometimes unsafe Light Rail Transit system. Frustrations have reached a boiling point.

"Graham supports the current Light Rail Transit Public Inquiry and has attended the most recent Commission public meetings at the Shaw Centre. Listening to city commuters share horror stories about the LRT, it has become abundantly clear the trains struggle to cope with Ottawa’s wet, snowy winters.

"Graham believes that it is imperative that this inquiry be completed publicly and with transparency, the citizens of Ottawa deserve to know how the LRT started off on the wrong foot and accountability is important to maintain public trust and avoid further erosion of that trust.

"Graham also believes that a financial audit, ridership audit and maintenance audit are required to ensure the system is running effectively and efficiently to serve the citizens of Ottawa.

"As Mayor of Ottawa he will hold the necessary parties accountable at the conclusion of the inquiry and I will urge inquiries into Stage 2 and Stage 3 regardless of the outcome of the inquiry into Stage 1."

Ade Olumide

"Rural Home To LRT Shuttle, Fund Middle Class Eligibility For Free Transit Through Attrition, Increase Frequency, Increase Road Maintenance, Transit Bill of Rights."

Param Singh

"Since 2008, transit fares have increased by 40%, while reliability has deteriorated, and safety has declined. This situation must change now."

"One action I would pursue, would be the establishment of a Transit System Review Committee composed of experts to review the city’s existing transit issues with the aim of providing practical recommendations to make our transit system safe, and reliable and affordable.

"The current EquiPass, a monthly adult pass for people living on low income, is still unaffordable for many people. Let’s make it affordable again! In Ottawa, everyone should have access to a safe and affordable transit system. We need to reduce fares and rethink how we deliver transit."

Candidate Mike Maguire's website says more details on his transit plan are "coming soon." Three candidates, Celine Debassige, Zed Chebib, and Jacob Solomon, did not have campaign websites, according to the official candidates' list. Nour Kadri's and Greg Guevara's websites do not specifically mention transit.