OC Transpo schedules are only 85 per cent reliable, according to the City of Ottawa's own figures.

City planners say the delays stem primarily from a bottleneck in the downtown core. In order to fix that problem, the City is proposing one of four multi-billion dollar plans to be completed by 2031.

The plan

Each of the options on the table includes a tunnel in the city's core which could be used for either trains or buses - or both.

The plans also include expanded bus transitways to the east, west and southern corners of the city.

Two of the options call for the city to convert the current Transitway from bus to rail service between Baseline station in the west and Blair station in the east. At the end of the line, transit users would have to board buses to travel further east or west.

Mayor Larry O'Brien told CTV News the timeline for the project largely depends on funding.

"What we'll be able to do is build it out over time in accordance with our financial abilities and the co-operation of the province and the federal government," O'Brien said.

He says two of the initial stages will focus on completing the east-west rapid transit line and starting the environmental assessment of the proposed tunnel.

New plans vs. past plan 

Councillors had previously planned to spend $2.1 billion in capital costs for transit between now and 2016.

Councillor Gord Hunter called the newest options "far superior" to the light rail plan city councillors cancelled in December 2006.

That decision prompted a lawsuit by a consortium of companies. City lawyers are awaiting the companies' revised statement of claim.

The options that would convert the central Transitway from bus traffic to light rail appear to have the cursory approval of several councillors, and have already been reviewed and approved by a panel of international experts.

Have your say

Councillors and city staffers will host a series of open houses city-wide in the coming weeks. They're inviting people to make their views known by March 31 by calling 311 or visiting the City of Ottawa's website.

Click here to view the open house schedule

Planners will take the feedback they receive and announce a preferred option on April 16. A timeline for how the selected plan will by phased-in will be determined in May.

With a report from CTV's Chris Day