OC Transpo fare increase coming in May
One of the most expensive transit systems in North America is about to get even pricier to use.
OC Transpo fares will increase by 2.5 per cent in May, Ottawa’s transit commission heard Wednesday. The increase will bump the price of an adult monthly bus pass by $3, to $125.50 a month. Single-trip fares will rise to $3.70.
The fare increase was originally planned for Jan. 1, but council voted to delay it until the LRT system can operate with its full complement of 15 trains for a month.
Transit head Renee Amilcar told the city’s transit commission Wednesday that Rideau Transit Maintenance has been able to provide 15 trains for 20 of the first 28 days in March.
She said staff are confident that 15 trains will be available daily for four weeks in April. That means the fare increase will kick in on May 1.
Many transit advocates have been pushing for fares to be frozen due to the pandemic and the city having declared a climate emergency.
However, OC Transpo is facing a large operating deficit in 2022: about a $41.3 million shortfall in fares.
OC Transpo’s monthly pass is among the most expensive in Canada, trailing only Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and Vancouver.
Ridership continues to lag
New numbers released Wednesday show OC Transpo ridership this year is up, but continues to lag well below pre-pandemic levels.
Bus and train ridership in January and February reached 35 and 41 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, respectively. That’s up from 19 and 26 per cent in 2021.
However, it’s below OC Transpo’s forecasted levels for those months. The service had anticipated 60 per cent in January.
It has not been a typical January and February in Ottawa, though. The Omicron wave continued to affect ridership, officials said. The ‘Freedom Convoy’ trucker protest also led to many downtown routes being redirected. And there were significant snowstorms that affected service.
In December, which was free for riders due to the nearly two-month LRT shutdown in the fall, ridership reached 45 per cent of pre-pandemic ridership. Transit commission heard that the fare-free month cost the city $9 million, which it plans to recoup from Rideau Transit Group.
The year has been without typical: The trucker convoy led to many routes downtown being re-routed, there were snowstorms and the Omicron wave of COVID-19 continued to keep people at home.
Para Transpo ridership in 2021 was 42 per cent of total 2019 ridership. In December, it was 61 per cent of December 2019 ridership.
Impact of public servants working from home
The commission approved a motion by Coun. Riley Brockington requesting the federal government provide funding to cover the revenue gap caused by federal public servants working from home.
The motion was changed to reflect $750 million in federal funding for public transit systems across Canada in 2022. Ottawa’s share is currently unknown, but with funding expected this year, the motion was amended to include possible funding beyond 2022.
“This motion is not speaking to which model is best. That’s a federal government decision,” Brockington said. “The fact is, our public transit system will be impacted. The same amount of workers who were using our transit system before COVID hit will not be the same. It will be fewer; it has been fewer and will be fewer once folks start to go back in a hybrid model.”
Brockington said the goal is to communicate the city’s concerns to local MPs and to the federal government that, as one of the city’s largest employers, the government’s decision on how to organize its workforce will affect the public transit system well into the future.
The motion also now asks for the federal government to expedite a commitment to provide public transit agencies with funding for operating budgets by 2026 to an earlier year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.