You would think leaving nearly two hours ahead of time in a city of a million people would be good enough to get there.
Not in Ottawa. Not after the botched launch of LRT.
Katannah Holden’s story reads like a nightmare for city planners trying to entice people to try LRT.
Holden had a mid-term exam on Tuesday morning, and she was trying to get to Algonquin College from Orleans.
“I was late and I was stressed obviously,” she said.
She says every step of the commute was chaotic.
At the park and ride in Orleans, buses passed by Holden, too full to make room for her.
When she finally got to Blair Station, the platforms and shiny new LRT trains were packed. She managed to get on, but then the delays started.
She was delayed at UOttawa, and then told to leave the train at Lyon. She took an Uber from Lyon Station to Algonquin, costing her $33.56.
“I’m not taking the train anymore, it’s just not for me, I can’t miss classes,” Holden said.
She drove on Wednesday, and has given up on public transit long term, renting a parking space near the college.
“At this point I’m paying for gas to get to school and I’m paying for my parking pass because I just can’t rely on OC Transpo,”
