Hubbry Logo
Transitway (Ottawa)Transitway (Ottawa)Main
Open search
Transitway (Ottawa)
Community hub
Transitway (Ottawa)
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Transitway (Ottawa)
Transitway (Ottawa)
Transitway (Ottawa)
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia
Transitway
Overview
OwnerCity of Ottawa
LocaleOttawa, Ontario, Canada
Transit typeBus rapid transit
Number of lines12
Number of stations57
WebsiteRapid route network
Operation
Began operation1983
Operator(s)OC Transpo
Technical
System length59 km (37 mi)
System map

The Transitway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) network operated by OC Transpo in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It comprises a series of bus-only roadways and reserved lanes on city streets and highways. The dedicated busways ensure that buses and emergency vehicles on the Transitway rarely intersect directly with regular traffic, making it possible to run quickly and consistently, even during rush hour traffic. OC Transpo operates a network of rapid routes which use the Transitway to connect communities with the O-Train light rail system. Additional bus routes also use segments of the Transitway.

The Transitway opened in 1983 with five stations. The network expanded greatly to include over fifty stations at its peak.

In the 2010s, the central segment of the Transitway began reaching capacity, with buses bumper to bumper. To combat this, segments of the Transitway were closed in 2015 to allow conversion to a higher capacity light rail line, which opened in 2019 as the Confederation Line.[1] More segments of the Transitway have been closed since construction began on Stage 2 of the O-Train expansion, and more will be converted when Stage 3 begins.

Ottawa's Transitway has been seen as a prime example of bus rapid transit internationally, and has influenced the design and creation of other systems worldwide.[2] The Ottawa Transitway has also been used as a model for how to design bus rapid transit, such as is the case for Brisbane, Australia and Mississauga, among others.[3][4]

Design

[edit]
Articulated bus in Ottawa entering the Transitway trench using a ramp.

Most of the Ottawa Transitway is grade separated from other modes of traffic, using trenches and elevated structures to bypass intersections. These parts of the Transitway have access controlled to only allow buses, and are accessed from side streets using ramps. Being controlled access, they have high top speeds of up to 90km/h.

At-grade Transitway in Barrhaven

Other parts of the Transitway are at-grade, with signal priority given to buses at intersections. The city also has a large network of bus lanes on major roads, such as Highway 417 and Baseline Road, but it usually doesn't consider these a part of the rapid transit network.

All vehicles in Ottawa's bus fleet have on-board audio announcements and digital wayfinding. This is typically used to announce next stops, as well as what interchanges and notable destinations are available at that stop.[5]

Digital wayfinding on new OC Transpo buses

Stations

[edit]
Greenboro station on the southeastern Transitway.

Stations on the Transitway typically have at least four lanes, two for buses stopping at the station, and two for vehicles travelling through the station. Almost all Transitway stations have shelters, and many Transitway stations have live departure boards, pedestrian bridges, and ticket machines. Older Transitway stations use modernist architecture, accented with red features.[6]

Legacy

[edit]

The Transitway was the first bus rapid transit system of its kind in North America, and has had a significant impact on Ottawa, as well as cities across the world.[7]

On the backs of the Transitway, Ottawa came to be seen as a gold standard for how to provide rapid transit cost effectively, and grew to champion one of the largest public transit mode shares in North America. Locally, the Transitway has come to form the backbone of the city's entire multi-modal transportation system, contributing to reducing congestion on the road network, making more of the city accessible to active transportation, and is the catalyst that enabled the current O-Train network. Abroad, the Transitway has created a perception of Ottawa as a "transit success story" in a continent otherwise resistant to taking transit, and is seen as a model for other cities internationally, especially within the United States.[1][8]

History

[edit]

During the 1970s and 1980s, the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton approved the construction of a new transit corridor called the Transitway. The purpose of this busway was to increase the speed of city-bound services from east and west. The first two sections opened in 1983: the southwestern Transitway between Lincoln Fields and Baseline and the east between Lees and Hurdman.[9]

The central Transitway was then added in the Westboro and Mechanicsville areas. In the downtown core, buses traveled along dedicated lanes on Albert and Slater streets. The eastern Transitway was extended in both directions, towards Laurier in the northwest and Blair in the east. These segments of the Transitway were serviced by route 95, travelling the full length of the Transitway from Baseline to Blair. Priority measures were later added to Woodroffe Avenue and Regional Road 174, extending service into the suburbs of Barrhaven and Orleans.[9]

In the 1990s, a rail corridor was gradually converted into the southeast Transitway, spanning from Hurdman to South Keys. This new section necessitated the creation of route 97. Route 97 followed the new southeast Transitway before joining route 95 along the existing Transitway segments. The 97 was extended to service the suburb of Kanata. The Kanata section was later split off into route 96.[9]

In 2001, the O-Train's Trillium Line (then simply the "O-Train") opened. Its northern terminus was at the new Bayview station on the central Transitway and its southern terminus at Greenboro on the southeast Transitway.[10]

The southwest Transitway was gradually extended southward, first to Fallowfield in 2005 and then to Barrhaven Centre in 2011. A median busway section was added along Chapman Mills Drive to Nepean Woods in 2014. The first segment of the western Transitway opened in 2009 connecting Pinecrest and Bayshore. This was extended to Moodie in 2017.[11]

Beginning in 2015, sections of the Transitway closed for conversion to light rail for the Confederation Line. Buses were rerouted to bus-only lanes along Highway 417, Regional Road 174, and city streets.[12] The Confederation Line opened in 2019, along with a major re-organization of the Transitway network. Rapid routes no longer travelled through downtown Ottawa. Instead, all rapid routes use the Transitway to connect communities to the Confederation Line at one of three stations: Tunney's Pasture, Hurdman, or Blair. Routes were also renumbered to correspond with their geographic service area, resulting in the retirement of route 95, the Transitway's busiest and oldest route.[13]

Temporary Transitway bridge connecting Scott Street to Dominion Station

Multiple sections of the Transitway were permanently closed for O-Train Stage 2 construction in 2021 and 2022. In September of 2021, the Transitway was closed between Moodie and Bayshore, followed by the section between Bayshore and Pinecrest in April of 2022. Buses were detoured along Highway 417, with Moodie station being relocated to temporary bus stops at the interchange ramps, and some bus routes bypassing Pinecrest and Bayshore stations eastbound as a result.[14][15] In June, the entirety of the central Transitway between Tunney's Pasture and Dominion stations was closed, as well as the southwest Transitway between Iris and Baseline. Buses were detoured along Scott Street parallel to the former central Transitway, with a temporary extension and bridge connecting to Dominion Station. Buses were routed along Iris Street and Woodroffe Avenue between Iris and Baseline stations.[16]

Routes

[edit]
Main article: OC Transpo routes

The following are OC Transpo's bus routes that travel along the Transitway with frequent service connecting communities to the O-Train. Additional OC Transpo routes also use segments of the Transitway.

# Terminus Terminus Notes Map
 13  Gatineau Tunney's Pasture Frequent peak period service between Tunney's Pasture and Gatineau
 39  Millennium
 39  Trim
 39  Place d'Orléans 		Blair
 N39  Rideau
  • Overnight extension N39 terminates at Rideau
 [1]
 45  Hospital / Hôpital Hurdman
 N45  Rideau 		[2]
 57  Carling Campus Tunney's Pasture
 N57  Rideau
  • In September of 2025, Routes 57 and 58 will operate on a combined frequency between Tunney's Pasture and Bayshore station with certain portions operating every 30 minutes.
  • Overnight extension N57 terminates at Rideau
 [3]
 58  Carling Campus
 58  Carling Campus to/vers Abbott Point of Care 		Tunney's Pasture
 58  Bayshore 		Most trips start/end at the Department of National Defense Carling Campus. Some weekday trips are extended to the Abbot Point of Care building near Moodie station during peak periods.

In September of 2025, Routes 57 and 58 will operate on a combined frequency between Tunney's Pasture and Bayshore station with certain portions operating every 30 minutes.

[4]
 61  Stittsville
 61  Terry Fox 		Tunney's Pasture
 N61  Rideau
  • Early morning trips travel via Pinecrest Garage on Queensview
  • Overnight extension N61 terminates at Rideau
  • Serves Pimisi on Canada Day for customers with accessibility needs.
 [5]
 62  Stittsville
 62  Terry Fox 		Tunney's Pasture
  • Before noon on weekdays, eastbound buses travel via Fringewood between Abbott E. and Hazeldean, while westbound buses travel via Iber
  • After noon on weekdays, buses follow the reverse direction on both roads
 [6]
 63  Briarbrook via Innovation Tunney's Pasture via Briarbrook
 N63  Rideau
  • Eastbound AM peak period trips travel via March instead of the business park; the reverse occurs in the PM peak for westbound
  • Overnight extension N63 terminates at Rideau
 [7]
 74  Limebank Tunney's Pasture
  • Select late evening northbound trips terminate at Fallowfield.
 [8]
 75  Barrhaven Centre
Cambrian 		Tunney's Pasture
 N75  Rideau
  • Overnight extension N75 terminates at Rideau
 [9]
 98  Hawthorne Hurdman
  • Overnight extension N98 runs between Airport and Rideau Stations.
 [10]
 99  Barrhaven Centre
 99  Weybridge (signed as Barrhaven Centre via Weybridge)
 99  E.S. Pierre-de-Blois
 99  Riverview 		Limebank
 99  St. Francis Xavier High School 		Select trips extended from Barrhaven Centre to Weybridge. Select school trips serve St. Francis Xavier High School, trips serving St. Francis Xavier High School terminate at Riverview station even though most trips do not serve Riverview station. Some school trips are extended to E.S. Pierre-de-Blois. These trips do not loop through Weybridge. [11]
 105  Airport St-Laurent
 N105  Rideau 		New 24 hour bus route traveling along the Transitway between the Airport and St. Laurent stations. [12]
 110  Innovation
 110  CitiGate
 Limebank
 110  CitiGate
 110  Hurdman
 110  Earl of March 		Serves the Amazon fullfilment Centre in Barrhaven. Select early morning trips which operate before the start of O-Train Line 2 service travel between CitiGate and Hurdman and serve Bowesville, Leitrim, South Keys, Greenboro, Walkley, Heron, Billings Bridge, Pleasant Park, Smyth and Lycee Claudel stations. School trips serving Earl of March Secondary School travel between Teron and Innovation stations only. [13]

Stations and segments

[edit]

East

[edit]
Station Connections Notes
Blair  39 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
Montréal (future)  39 
  • Curbside
Jeanne d'Arc (future)  39 
  • Curbside
  • Park & Ride
Place d'Orléans (future)  39 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
Trim (future)  39 
  • Curbside
  • Park & Ride
Millennium  39 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride

The east Transitway currently consists of a series of intermittent bus-only lanes along Regional Road 174 between Blair and Place d'Orléans. It will be replaced by an east extension of Line 1 when it opens in 2025.

Heron station along southeast Transitway

Southeast

[edit]
Station Connections Notes
Hurdman  45   98   105 
  • Bus terminal
Lycée Claudel  45   98   105 
  • Busway
Smyth  98   105 
  • Busway
Riverside  98   105 
  • Busway
Pleasant Park  98   105 
  • Busway
Billings Bridge  98   105 
  • Busway
Heron  98   105 
  • Busway
Walkley  98   105 
  • Busway
Greenboro  98   105 
  • Busway
  • Park & Ride
South Keys  98   105 
  • Busway
Leitrim  93   94 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
Airport  105 
  • Curbside
Hawthorne  98 
  • Curbside

The southeast Transitway is a dedicated busway adjacent to some rail corridors between Hurdman and South Keys.

Central

[edit]
Westboro Station relocated to Scott Street following the closure of the central Transitway
Station Connections Notes
Pimisi  13 
  • Curbside
Bayview  13 
  • Curbside
Tunney's Pasture  13   57   58   61   62   63   74   75 
  • Bus terminal
Westboro  57   58   61   62   63   74   75 
  • Curbside
Dominion  57   58   61   62   63   74   75 
  • Busway

The central Transitway was a dedicated busway between Pimisi (formerly LeBreton) and Dominion stations. The Pimisi to Bayview segment was closed in January 2016 for O-Train Stage 1 construction and the Bayview to Tunney's Pasture segment was closed in June 2016. In June 2022, the remaining segment of the central transitway west of Tunney's Pasture was closed for O-Train Stage 2 construction, with buses now running along dedicated bus lanes on Scott Street. A temporary Transitway was built from Dominion station to the intersection of Churchill Road and Scott Street. The new Transitway travels over the old one via the bailey bridge and then alongside until the intersection of Scott / Churchill. Route 12 serves central transitway stations between Rideau and Tunney's Pasture including Parliament and Lyon stations.

Downtown

[edit]
Bus congestion on the former downtown Transitway

The former downtown section of the Transitway consisted of two single bus-only lanes on Albert and Slater Streets (one-way public streets in opposite westbound and eastbound directions, respectively), with stops in each direction at Bay, Kent, Bank and Metcalfe Streets as well as on the Mackenzie King Bridge. Traffic congestion here, where the buses mingle with private vehicles, often caused service delays and was seen by some as the main weakness in the Transitway system.

Initial plans for the Transitway included a bus-only tunnel in this section but the cost of a ventilated tunnel for conventional buses was deemed too expensive and was not warranted at the time. In 2006, it was proposed to extend the O-Train downtown as a tramway over the same streets while keeping existing bus and car traffic. The idea was met with objections from businesses along those streets, as normal access to the businesses would be impeded.

In 2019, the Confederation Line opened, replacing the downtown portion of the Transitway with an underground, high-capacity rapid transit rail line. This service change greatly reduced the number of buses travelling on Albert and Slater streets.

Greenboro Busway

[edit]

This former section of Transitway was a two lane bus-only corridor between Cahill and Lorry Greenberg Drives in the Greenboro neighbourhood in south Ottawa. Part of a planned neighbourhood in 1984, it opened in 1987 while the neighbourhood was still being developed. It was opened as a corridor with no stations, as it was planned to extend to Conroy Road once the neighbourhood was completed. It ran mostly without issue, servicing two routes and providing service during regular and peak periods.

As time went on, the planned neighbourhood's density was heavily reduced due to heavy backlash from the local community using the slogan “buses out of backyards”. By 1989, OC Transpo began phasing out the corridor, and by 1990 it was declared surplus lands. On September 2, 1995, OC Transpo ran its final bus on the corridor, and it was then gated up and left abandoned for the next 7 years. After being sold to the city, it was officially fully removed by 2002.[17]

Southwest

[edit]
Marketplace station along southwest Transitway
Station Connections Notes
Lincoln Fields  57   58   61   62   63   74   75 
  • Bus terminal
Queensway  61   62   63   74   75 
  • Busway
  • Will be retired and turned into a multi-use pathway
Iris  74   75 
  • Busway
Baseline  74   75 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
  • Located across from Algonquin College
  • Will be renamed to Algonquin once O-Train Line 1 is extended here.
Fallowfield  74   75 
  • Busway
  • Park & Ride
  • Connection to Via Rail services
Longfields  75 
  • Busway
Strandherd  75 
  • Busway
  • Park & Ride
Marketplace  75   99   110 
  • Busway
Barrhaven Centre  75   99   110 
  • Busway
Citigate  110 
  • Curbside
  • Located across from Amazon's YOW3 facility on Citigate Drive
Cambrian  75 
  • Curbside
Beatrice  99   110 
  • Busway
Nepean Woods  74   99   110 
  • Busway
  • Park & Ride
Riverview  74   110 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
Limebank  74   99   110 
  • Bus terminal

The southwest Transitway includes a dedicated busway from Lincoln Fields to Baseline. Buses then travel on reserved lanes before joining a busway before Fallowfield. This busway extends from Fallowfield to Barrhaven Centre. A separate median busway east of Marketplace connects Beatrice and Nepean Woods before traveling along reserved lanes to Riverview. There are plans to extend the transitway to Limebank. Route 110 offers station to station service between Limebank and CitiGate.

West

[edit]
Station Connections Notes
Pinecrest  61   62   63 
  • Busway
Bayshore  57   58   61   62   63 
  • Bus terminal
Moodie  57   61   62   63 
  • Busway
Bells Corners  57 
  • Curbside
Eagleson  61   62   63   110 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
Terry Fox  61   62 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
Canadian Tire Centre  162 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride
Stittsville  61   62 
  • Curbside
Teron  62   63   110 
  • Curbside
Innovation  63   110 
  • Bus terminal
  • Park & Ride

The west Transitway consisted of a dedicated busway between Pinecrest and Moodie, however the section between Moodie and Bayshore closed permanently in September 2021, followed by the section between Bayshore and Pinecrest in April 2022. Buses also use reserved lanes on Highway 417 between Moodie and Eagleson.

See also

[edit]
  • O-Train, OC Transpo's light rail transit system
Other bus rapid transit systems in Ontario

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Transitway (Ottawa)

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

The Transitway is a (BRT) system in , , , comprising approximately 60 kilometres of dedicated busways, reserved lanes, and associated stations designed to facilitate high-speed, high-capacity bus service. Initiated in 1983 by the (now ), it features grade-separated roadways in key segments to minimize interference from general traffic, enabling average speeds exceeding those of typical urban bus routes. The system originated from urban efforts in the 1970s to address growing congestion in Canada's , with initial segments opening westward from to alleviate radial commute pressures. By the early 2000s, it had expanded to form the backbone of OC Transpo's network, carrying around 200,000 passengers daily—about 70 percent of total ridership—and spurring over $1 billion in adjacent through transit-oriented design. These outcomes stemmed from empirical investments in infrastructure that prioritized throughput over mixed-traffic operations, reducing required fleet size by 150 buses via operational efficiencies. While the Transitway demonstrated BRT's viability for medium-density cities by boosting transit's to roughly 70 percent for downtown work trips, capacity limitations in peak corridors prompted partial conversions to transit (LRT) under the expansions starting in the 2010s. This evolution integrated surviving busway segments with rail lines, though the LRT rollout encountered significant delays and technical failures unrelated to the original BRT framework. The Transitway's legacy endures as a pragmatic example of dedicated right-of-way transit enhancing urban mobility without the higher capital demands of rail from inception.

History

Planning and Initial Construction (1970s-1980s)

In the late , urban transit studies in identified severe congestion and proposed bus-based solutions as alternatives to rail, initially favoring underground bus tunnels to but ultimately shifting to at-grade and elevated busways due to capital costs estimated at roughly half those of systems. This decision prioritized fiscal efficiency and flexibility, as busways required less extensive and infrastructure disruption compared to rail options, which demanded higher investments in tracks, signaling, and stations. Planners drew from contemporaneous U.S. and Canadian transitway evaluations, emphasizing dedicated median lanes on existing freeway alignments to achieve operating speeds of up to 70-80 km/h while integrating with surface arterials. The of Ottawa-Carleton formally approved the Transitway concept in 1973 as part of its official plan, designating it a grade-separated corridor to relieve east-west downtown pressure from suburban commuters. began in the late 1970s, focusing on an initial 11 km segment from Hurdman Station eastward through the industrial Greenbelt to Place d'Orléans, incorporating trenched and elevated sections for segregation from general traffic. This phase avoided the higher costs and land acquisition challenges of subway extensions, with total early investment aligned to bus fleet compatibility rather than rail-specific assets. The first Transitway segment opened on October 31, 1983, serving five stations including Lees, Hurdman, and Cyrville, and immediately demonstrated viability through ridership that met or exceeded projections for high-capacity BRT in radial corridors. Annual system-wide ridership climbed to a peak of 85 million by 1985, with significant portions attributable to the new busway, validating empirical forecasts that prioritized volume over speed alone in low-density suburban links. Early data confirmed busways' causal effectiveness in decongesting arterials without the sunk costs of rail, though long-term scalability would later reveal limitations in capacity.

Expansion and Operational Peak (1990s-2000s)

The Transitway network underwent significant expansion in the 1990s, with the completion of the Southwest Transitway segment providing dedicated bus-only infrastructure from to Bayshore Station, enhancing connectivity to western suburbs amid Ottawa's growing population and suburban development. Further extensions to the East Transitway in the mid-1990s added trenched and elevated sections, increasing the system's total length to approximately 26 km of bus-only roadway by 1996, complemented by reserved lanes on freeways and arterials. These phased build-outs, totaling around 30 km by the early with over 20 stations, prioritized grade-separated alignments to minimize at-grade conflicts, allowing buses to operate at speeds up to 70-90 km/h between stops. By the mid-2000s, the Transitway achieved operational peak, carrying about 200,000 daily riders—representing roughly 70% of OC Transpo's total ridership—through high-frequency service patterns enabled by off-bus fare collection and systems at stations. Peak-hour headways as low as 4 minutes on core routes, using articulated buses, delivered capacities comparable to without the higher capital costs of fixed infrastructure, as buses could be flexibly added to meet demand surges tied to and employment growth in 's core. Integration with high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on approach roads and expansive park-and-ride facilities at peripheral stations facilitated modal shifts from private vehicles, contributing to measurable reductions in downtown congestion during peak periods, as evidenced by traffic volume analyses showing decreased bus-street conflicts and improved arterial flow. This era's success stemmed from the system's : extending service via additional buses proved far more cost-effective than rail alternatives, costing roughly C$15.5 million per km for built segments versus higher rail outlays, aligning with causal demands of 's dispersed growth patterns where low-density suburbs required extensive coverage without prohibitive upfront investments. The Transitway's design principles—enclosed stations, priority signaling, and exclusive rights-of-way—influenced subsequent global implementations, including elements adopted in Bogotá's , which scaled similar high-capacity, fare-prepaid operations to handle peak loads exceeding 10,000 passengers per hour per direction. Empirical ridership gains underscored the efficacy of such BRT in mid-sized cities, prioritizing throughput over rigid permanence until capacity limits necessitated later transitions.

Decline and LRT Integration (2010s-2020s)

OC Transpo's overall annual ridership peaked at 104 million trips in 2011 before declining to 95 million by 2017, reflecting stagnation on the Transitway amid broader factors including post-recession economic recovery favoring automobile use and reducing transit mode share. Transitway-specific demand, which had reached high volumes in the prior decade, faced capacity constraints in the limited to approximately 180 buses per peak hour, prompting debates over expansion limits of versus alternatives. By the late 2000s, city planners shifted policy from further BRT enhancements to light rail transit, culminating in a 2011 commitment to convert central Transitway segments to the Confederation Line LRT at a projected cost of $2.1 billion, driven by forecasts of population growth to 1.2 million by 2031 exceeding bus fleet scalability and concerns over diesel emissions despite BRT's demonstrated throughput of up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction in peak operations. This pivot, formalized after studies in 2006-2010 highlighting tunnel needs under downtown to bypass surface congestion, integrated LRT planning with existing busways by repurposing trenched sections. Construction disruptions began in December 2015 with closures of initial Transitway stations to facilitate LRT tunneling and trackwork, forcing bus rerouting to arterial roads and , which eroded service reliability with reported delays averaging 20-30% during peak periods due to mixed-traffic operations. The Confederation Line's Stage 1 opened on September 14, 2019, paralleling and supplanting the downtown Transitway from to Hurdman, leading to permanent busway conversions, hybrid operations where remaining BRT routes fed into LRT stations, and targeted service reductions on routes like 97 and 98 to reallocate vehicles. Ongoing Stage 2 extensions from onward have intensified closures, including sections of the eastern Transitway near Hurdman for guideway conversion to Lines 2 and 4, with crews utilizing former busway trenches for LRT and requiring overnight and daytime bus detours that further strained interim hybrid reliability. These transitions, while aiming for seamless LRT-bus integration at hubs like Hurdman, have contributed to persistent ridership challenges on residual BRT segments, with bus trips falling to 75% of pre-2019 levels by 2023 amid construction-induced unreliability and modal shifts to the new rail.

Infrastructure and Design

Busway Segments and Layout

The Ottawa Transitway comprises approximately 60 km of dedicated infrastructure, including 26 km of grade-separated bus-only roadways forming the core network, supplemented by high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and arterial bus priority measures. The primary segments consist of the East Transitway extending from downtown Ottawa to Blair Road, the Southwest Transitway from Carling Avenue to Bayview Station, and the West Transitway linking the central area westward to Innovation Drive in Kanata. These segments prioritize separation from general traffic to enhance operational speeds and reliability, with the East and West routes initially developed in the 1980s as parallel alignments to Highway 417 for median positioning. Design elements emphasize engineering for high-speed bus operations, featuring minimized at-grade crossings through the use of trenches, elevated sections, and flyover ramps at major intersections, enabling average speeds of 60-80 km/h on dedicated busways. The bus-only roadways typically consist of two 4.0-meter-wide lanes with paved shoulders, exceeding standard traffic lane widths to accommodate articulated buses while maintaining from roadways and rail corridors where feasible. At-grade intersections are limited primarily to outer segments, with core urban sections relying on overpasses to isolate buses from signalized traffic, thereby reducing delays causally linked to mixed-flow interference. The layout originated with an east-west axial focus in the early 1980s, expanding radially southward via the Southwest Transitway by 1994 to serve growing suburban areas, while segments like the Greenboro Drive corridor were retained for non-light rail transit applications despite partial LRT conversions elsewhere. Post-1980s constructions incorporated Canadian requirements for seismic resilience, including in elevated and trenched sections, though Ottawa's low profile limited extensive adaptations compared to higher-risk regions. Recent retrofits for , such as added ramps and elevators, have introduced flexibility but elevated maintenance costs due to increased mechanical complexity in grade-separated environments.

Stations and Operational Features

The Ottawa Transitway features approximately 41 stations, predominantly at-grade platforms with enclosed shelters, real-time digital signage for next-arrival information, and level boarding surfaces aligned with low-floor buses to minimize step heights and expedite movements. These designs prioritize operational throughput, incorporating amenities such as bicycle racks at select locations and security measures including coverage and patrols. A notable example is Hurdman Station, an elevated structure opened in 1983 as part of the initial Transitway segment, functioning as a primary hub for transfers between southeast-bound routes and other lines, with multi-platform configurations to segregate arriving and departing services. Station spacing averages 1 to 2 kilometers, allowing sustained inter-station speeds of 70 to 90 km/h while providing capacities for 4 to 6 bus berths at high-demand sites to accommodate simultaneous operations without queuing. Key operational efficiencies stem from off-vehicle fare prepayment, with roughly 70% of riders using monthly passes or transfers that obviate onboard validation, yielding average dwell times below 20 seconds even during peak boarding flows. Grade-separated bypass lanes adjacent to platforms enable express services to overtake local stops, empirically reducing end-to-end travel times by 20 to 30% compared to parallel mixed-traffic corridors, as wider spacing and dedicated alignments minimize interference from general vehicles. While effective for bus flows, station architectures have drawn criticism for austere, functional aesthetics that sometimes impede pedestrian circulation in adjacent dense areas, with shelters and barriers occasionally bottlenecking non-transit access despite provisions for and audible announcements in accessible designs. Winter adaptations include de-icing applications on approach roads, though platforms rely primarily on standard clearing rather than embedded heating systems.

Vehicle and Technology Specifications

The Ottawa Transitway primarily utilizes articulated low-floor buses from Industries, including 18-meter (60-foot) D60LF models powered by diesel engines, which form the backbone of high-capacity operations with lengths supporting up to 100 passengers including standees. Standard 12-meter (40-foot) rigid buses supplement the fleet, but articulated configurations predominate on dedicated busway segments to maximize throughput. Hybrid-electric variants, such as certain Xcelsior models, have been integrated for partial emissions reduction, though diesel remains dominant due to superior range for peak-period routes exceeding 300 kilometers daily. Post-2020, initiated trials with battery-electric buses, deploying initial units like the CHARGE XE40 (40-foot length, 57-passenger capacity with 36 seats) and Nova LFSe+ models, totaling over 30 zero-emission in service by 2025; however, these represent a minority amid ongoing diesel reliance for operational reliability on extended Transitway alignments. specifications emphasize durability for urban BRT demands, with top speeds up to 100 km/h and propulsion systems tuned for frequent starts, though this incurs elevated wear on components like tires and from cycles—audits highlight inefficiencies, including irregular inspections contributing to higher lifecycle costs versus rail systems with smoother operations. Technological integrations include automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems with GPS for real-time tracking and scheduling optimization, enabling dynamic rerouting and passenger apps, though historical limitations in transit signal priority confine advantages to busway exclusivity rather than at-grade intersections. Automated stop announcements via onboard systems provide audio and visual cues, installed as part of a $12 million upgrade, but persistent glitches—such as inconsistent triggering—have reduced benefits for visually impaired users. The eschewal of trolleybus technology during fleet evolution avoided overhead wiring expenses and maintenance but exposed operations to diesel fuel price volatility, constraining long-term scalability without electrification infrastructure.

Operations and Routes

Network Configuration and Major Routes

The Transitway operates as a radial network of dedicated extending from suburban origins to the , with express overlays supplementing all-stop mainline services during peak periods. Pre-2019, major routes provided end-to-end connectivity across the system's eastern, western, and southern arms, linked by a downtown loop and relief line, enabling bidirectional travel without street-level interference over much of the alignment. Key pre-LRT routes included the following major examples:
RoutePrimary TerminiPath Summary
95Fallowfield Station to Place d'OrléansWestern Transitway to loop to eastern Transitway via Road corridor
97South Keys/ to St-Laurent or Southeast Transitway to eastern arm and western Transitway, with extensions post-1995
Following the September 14, 2019, opening of Line 1 along the former central Transitway corridor from to Hurdman, bus operations shifted to feeder patterns, with routes truncated to LRT interchanges for transfers. Western arm services continue to , while eastern routes terminate at Hurdman or uOttawa Station, integrating with rail for core access. The 2023-2025 network redesign, including the "New Ways to Bus" rollout on April 27, 2025, emphasized O-Train connectivity by shortening or rerouting Transitway-dependent services, reducing full-busway reliance in favor of hybrid bus-rail spines.

Service Patterns and Scheduling

Transitway routes operated by typically provide all-day service with headways ranging from 5 to 15 minutes during peak hours (approximately 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays) and 15 to 30 minutes during off-peak periods, reflecting the system's role in serving high-demand corridors between suburban origins and . These patterns prioritize efficiency on dedicated busway segments, with select routes incorporating express elements to minimize stops and travel times. Since the early , limited 24/7 operations have been introduced on specific corridors, such as the recent Route 105 launched in August 2025, which offers 30-minute headways around the clock to the Ottawa International Airport via Transitway segments from Hurdman Station. Scheduling is managed centrally through OC Transpo's dispatch system, which coordinates timetables across the network and incorporates contingencies for disruptions like weather events or traffic incursions onto busway sections. On-time performance for frequent bus routes, including those on the Transitway, has averaged around 60-70% in recent years, falling short of the 85% target due to factors such as vehicle breakdowns from an aging fleet and operational bunching, where buses cluster rather than maintaining even spacing—a risk heightened by variable dwell times at stations and recovery from delays. Pre-light rail transition data indicated higher reliability on dedicated Transitway segments, often exceeding 85%, as the controlled environment reduced external interference compared to mixed-traffic routes. Integration protocols emphasize timed transfers at key hubs like Hurdman and Stations, where Transitway buses align schedules with Line 1 arrivals to facilitate seamless connections. However, unlike rail's fixed-block signaling, bus operations lack absolute point-to-point guarantees, as headway variability and bunching can disrupt synchronization, leading to waits beyond scheduled intervals during peak loads or incidents. Following the partial implementation of Stage 2 LRT extensions in late 2025, Transitway service patterns have shifted toward hybrid configurations, with reduced pure-bus runs on overlapping corridors and feeder routes directing passengers to new rail stations like those on the east extension, aiming to balance capacity while preserving busway utility for non-rail-served areas.

Performance and Impacts

Ridership on the Transitway reached a peak of approximately 240,000 weekday passengers by , reflecting strong growth from its inception in the amid urban expansion and dedicated infrastructure. This figure represented a significant portion of OC Transpo's overall system ridership, which hit an annual high of 104 million trips in 2011. Demand was concentrated in peak corridors, with the Transitway handling up to 10,500 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd) at peak points during this period. Post-2010s trends showed stabilization followed by decline, influenced by suburban sprawl favoring flexible bus routing over fixed infrastructure, shifts to the Line 1 after its 2019 opening, and increased automobile use. The accelerated the drop, with system-wide ridership falling 67.4% from 2019 levels by 2021 due to telework and restrictions, reaching a equivalent to about one-third of pre-pandemic volumes. Recovery has been partial, with overall ridership at 66% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023 (around 65 million annual trips) and 68 million in 2024, implying Transitway-specific usage likely under 100,000 daily amid route reallocations to rail. Capacity utilization on the Transitway peaked at 10,000-10,500 pphpd in high-demand segments, but operational constraints like bus platooning—where vehicles bunch due to variable dwell times and door cycles—limited effective throughput below theoretical maxima. Expansions in the increased service frequency, yet empirical loads did not consistently approach saturation levels that would necessitate rail conversion, as BRT handled observed peaks without systemic breakdowns. Inelastic commuter demand, tied to one-way radial flows, exposed inherent limits, with post-peak and off-corridor underuse highlighting flexibility advantages over higher-capacity but less adaptable alternatives.
Year/PeriodSystem-Wide Annual Ridership (millions)Notes on Transitway Share
2011104Peak; Transitway ~240,000 daily weekdays
2019~98Pre-COVID baseline
2021~32COVID nadir (67% decline from 2019)
2023~6566% recovery; LRT shifts reduce busway load
202468Ongoing partial rebound

Economic Costs, Benefits, and Effectiveness

The Transitway's capital costs totaled approximately $435 million CAD through the late 1990s, including $14 million per kilometer for 31 kilometers of busway and an average of $4.5 million per station. construction for the system was estimated at roughly half the of comparable options, reflecting lower demands like trenched roadways over embedded tracks. Operationally, the Transitway achieved costs of 2.2 cents per seat-kilometer directly and 5.1 cents including capital recovery in 1999, outperforming system-wide averages and requiring about 20% less expenditure than equivalents in early assessments, though long-term maintenance escalated due to bus fleet replacements every 12-15 years versus rail's extended lifespan. Benefits included empirical travel time reductions of 15-25% compared to mixed-traffic bus routes, enabling average speeds up to 80 km/h and supporting peak-hour capacities of 9,000-10,000 passengers per direction. These efficiencies translated to fleet reductions of about 150 buses, yielding annual operational savings estimated at $25 million CAD and stimulating over $1 billion in private development near stations, which bolstered economic activity through improved . Post-2010 hybrid bus introductions further mitigated emissions on Transitway routes, though full lifecycle analyses of diesel-hybrid operations indicate persistent fuel and infrastructure wear contributions without guaranteed net reductions when accounting for induced ridership demand. Effectiveness metrics reveal a farebox recovery ratio of 57.6% in 1999, with operating costs per boarding at $0.77 versus $1.55 system-wide, demonstrating productivity gains but underscoring heavy subsidization—OC Transpo's broader operations, heavily reliant on the Transitway backbone, required $555 million in annual taxpayer funding in 2025 amid deficits exceeding $100 million. While fleet efficiencies implied vehicle miles traveled reductions for transit providers, overall return on investment faced limitations in low-density suburbs where private automobiles retained cost advantages over subsidized bus services, and priority lanes generated additional demand without proportionally curbing private vehicle use.

Criticisms and Controversies

Construction Overruns and Maintenance Challenges

The initial construction of Ottawa's Transitway segments in the and early proceeded at comparatively low costs, with 25.8 km built for C$398 million (approximately C$15.5 million per km, including stations), reflecting opportunities for grade-separated alignments in undeveloped areas that minimized land acquisition and utility disruptions. However, expansions into more urbanized zones during the and , such as the Southwest Transitway extension, incurred elevated expenses due to compulsory land purchases, relocation of existing utilities, and integration with developed infrastructure, pushing total capital outlays beyond preliminary estimates by factors tied to site-specific complexities rather than systemic overruns. These pressures underscored the diminishing cost advantages of BRT as routes encroached on built-up environs, where expropriation and coordination with stakeholders amplified budgets without proportional extensions in exclusive right-of-way benefits. Maintenance of the Transitway's dedicated busways reveals persistent challenges from accelerated pavement degradation, driven by the cumulative loads of articulated buses undergoing frequent stops and accelerations, compounded by Ottawa's severe winters featuring freeze-thaw cycles that induce cracking, heaving, and rutting. Resurfacing efforts, such as the C$1.5 million federal allocation for busway pavement in , indicate recurrent interventions roughly every decade to restore structural integrity, while the shift toward heavier electric buses threatens to shorten asset lifespans and elevate renewal frequency. The system's linear assets, spanning 82 km with a C$168 million replacement value, stood at 77% good condition but 23% fair as of 2023, signaling accumulating wear that risks escalation absent proactive funding. OC Transpo's bus fleet, integral to Transitway operations, faces high turnover and upkeep demands, with a C$944 million replacement cost for vehicles showing 39% in fair or better condition amid repetitive defects and mileage-induced failures. Auditor General reviews have identified inefficiencies, including inadequate monitoring of recurring repairs across the 992-bus fleet, leading to elevated downtime—up to 30% of units sidelined daily—and unrecovered warranty opportunities that inflate long-term expenses estimated in the tens of millions annually. Deferred interventions on both infrastructure and vehicles, evident in the C$1 billion capital shortfall projected over 2024–2033, have precipitated service disruptions and closures for repairs, imposing taxpayer burdens through sustained deficits—such as the C$120 million operating gap in recent budgets—without commensurate ridership efficiencies, as bus-based systems lack the inherent durability of fixed-rail alternatives against dynamic wear factors.

Debates on BRT vs. Rail Alternatives

Advocates for retaining (BRT) in Ottawa's Transitway system emphasize its substantially lower compared to transit (LRT), with the original 31 km Transitway constructed at approximately $22.5 million per km in 2020 dollars, versus LRT projects exceeding $100 million per km in similar urban settings due to tunneling and elevated requirements. This cost differential allowed Ottawa's BRT to deliver rail-like service levels, including frequent headways and dedicated rights-of-way, at roughly half the expense of LRT equivalents, enabling rapid deployment and adaptability to fluctuating demand without committing to inflexible rail . Proponents argue that the system's early successes, such as pre-LRT ridership growth from 36 million to 82 million annual trips partly attributable to busway enhancements, demonstrated BRT's efficacy in a sprawling, car-oriented , contrasting sharply with LRT's post-2019 operational breakdowns, service disruptions, and persistent delays that eroded public confidence. Critics of BRT persistence highlight inherent capacity constraints, where bus dwell times and platooning limit sustainable headways to around 10,000-15,000 passengers per hour per direction, falling short of LRT's potential for tighter spacing and higher throughput in dense corridors over the long term. Additional concerns include higher emissions from diesel fleets—though mitigated by hybrid or electric options—and less appealing , which some policymakers cited as justifications for transitioning to LRT despite BRT's proven . The decision to shift corridors to LRT, budgeted initially at $2.1 billion for 13 stations, proceeded amid projections that overestimated ridership by 20-30 percent in some cases, as evidenced by missing 2024 targets with actual trips well below forecasts. The LRT pivot has fueled debates over sunk costs, with abandonment of functional BRT representing wasted investments amid 2 overruns necessitating $152 million in additional contingency funding by 2023 and ongoing disputes pushing total expenses beyond initial estimates. LRT implementation has been marred by construction delays, with Trillium Line openings postponed to at least April 2024 and east-west extensions facing further setbacks into 2025, amplifying arguments that BRT's flexibility could have avoided such rigid escalations. Alternative perspectives question the transit-centric focus altogether, noting Ottawa's modal split where automobiles account for 69.1 percent of daily trips and 52 percent of commutes involve driving alone, underscoring a car-dependent urban form ill-suited to rail-heavy investments without complementary road enhancements. Empirical cases for road widening and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane expansions, such as proposed Blair Road improvements, suggest these could achieve congestion relief at lower costs—potentially $1.1 billion citywide versus $2.2 billion for transit priorities—by leveraging existing auto dominance rather than imposing mode shifts unsubstantiated by demand data. Critics attribute the preference for LRT over such options to institutional biases favoring fixed-rail prestige over pragmatic, data-driven infrastructure matching revealed preferences for personal vehicles.

Current Status and Future Role

Remaining Operations Post-LRT Transition

The Southwest Transitway, extending from Station to Station, remains operational for services as of October 2025, primarily accommodating routes such as the 74 to Barrhaven Town Centre and the 75 to Riverside South. These routes operate with reduced peak frequencies of every 10-15 minutes, reflecting a post-LRT emphasis on feeder services to the Line 1 rather than standalone high-capacity corridors. The segment integrates buses directly into the rail network at , enabling transfers for southwest suburban commuters. Shorter West Transitway stubs from to Bayshore Station continue to support express and local buses, including portions of Route 93, serving west-end neighborhoods pending full conversion under Stage 2 West LRT extensions expected beyond 2025. East-end remnants, such as from Hurdman Station to Cyrville, function as limited stubs for select rapid routes amid ongoing Stage 2 East construction, which has necessitated temporary rerouting and shared lane usage with construction traffic. Collectively, these active busway segments span roughly 25 km, focusing on non-LRT suburbs with demand insufficient for immediate rail upgrades. Daily ridership on these remnants averages approximately 50,000 passengers, derived from feeder patterns to rail hubs, positioning them as economical alternatives to LRT extensions in lower-density areas—operating costs per passenger remain below those of expanded rail due to existing and lower capital needs. However, integration challenges post-January 2025 Stage 2 South openings have emerged, with buses funneling through Iris Station experiencing delays from mixed rail-bus rights-of-way and construction overlaps, contributing to on-time performance dips of up to 10% on affected routes. Transitway closures have further strained flows, correlating with observed rebounds in volumes as marginal riders revert to automobiles amid perceived reliability shortfalls.

Planned Expansions and Network Evolution

The City of 's 2025 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) identifies the Baseline Road (BRT) project as a priority, allocating $360 million for a dedicated transitway in the road's median from to Billings Bridge, with initial construction phases commencing in spring 2025. This initiative, scored highest among proposed BRT corridors, aims to enhance east-west connectivity without major greenfield development, focusing instead on median utilization to minimize costs and land acquisition. Complementary efforts include additions and extensions to existing corridors, such as the Southwest Transitway realignment along Greenbank Road, with detailed design targeted for completion by late 2025 and Phase 1 construction in 2026. These expansions are positioned subordinate to transit (LRT) advancements, particularly Stage 3 proposals for Trillium Line extensions, though full implementation of rail options remains in environmental assessment phases without firm approvals or funding commitments as of October 2025. Network evolution under the TMP emphasizes hybrid "priority bus" operations over pure dedicated busways, integrating bus lanes with traffic signal prioritization and potential of fleets to align with decarbonization goals, while the overall capital plan commits over $2.2 billion to transit infrastructure through 2046—though total identified needs exceed $4.9 billion, highlighting persistent funding shortfalls reliant on federal and provincial contributions. Approved by council in July 2025, the TMP prioritizes transit investments amid a shift away from expansive road networks, yet incorporates fiscal constraints by de-emphasizing large-scale LRT extensions in favor of scalable BRT upgrades to avert overruns observed in prior rail projects. Proposals face scrutiny over empirical justification, as OC Transpo ridership lingers at approximately 70% of pre-COVID levels in 2025, contributing to projected $46 million operating deficits and raising questions about demand sufficiency for further busway outlays. Critics advocate alternatives like high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes for Ottawa's sprawling suburbs, citing superior cost-benefit ratios in low-density contexts where BRT expansions yield marginal gains relative to investments in road capacity enhancements. This perspective underscores a broader debate on subordinating busway growth to proven rail corridors like Trillium Stage 3, prioritizing evolutionary refinements—such as reliability improvements via priority signaling—over ambitious new alignments to ensure fiscal sustainability.

References

  1. https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp90v1_cs/Ottawa.pdf
  2. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/lrt-inquiry-final-report-ottawa-problems-recommendations-1.6668152
  3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1077291X22004337
  4. https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedpdfs/tti/1086-3.pdf
  5. https://spacing.ca/ottawa/2010/01/26/the-history-of-the-ottawa-subway/
  6. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1368&context=jpt
  7. https://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Ottawa-Carleton_Regional_Transit_Commission_Transitway_%28BRT%29
  8. https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_27.pdf
  9. https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_90v1c2.pdf
  10. https://engage.ottawa.ca/11511/widgets/45934/documents/132566
  11. https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/RC17-Manconi_John.pdf
  12. https://itdp.org/2011/06/01/ottawa-considers-moving-from-bus-rapid-transit-to-light-rail/
  13. https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/05/17/ottawa-closer-than-ever-to-replacing-bus-rapid-transit-with-light-rail/
  14. https://www.tvo.org/article/ottawas-colossal-lrt-debacle-a-brief-ish-history
  15. https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/default/files/wlrt_exec_summary_en.pdf
  16. https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/october-through-december-2024-notice-of-night-work-lrt-guideway-queensway-station-to-algonquin-station/
  17. https://glengower.substack.com/p/how-to-boost-oc-transpo-ridership
  18. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/63118/dot_63118_DS1.pdf
  19. https://beyondtheautomobile.com/2022/01/10/the-busway-that-ottawa-abandoned/
  20. https://www.scribd.com/document/440808651/June-2013-Transitway-design-guidelines
  21. https://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Ottawa-Carleton_Regional_Transit_Commission_Hurdman_Station
  22. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1077291X2200426X
  23. https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/default/files/Trillium%2520Line%2520Light%2520Rail%2520Transit%2520Extension_Environmental%2520Project%2520Report%2520Addendum_20180910.pdf
  24. https://www.newflyer.com/bus/xcelsior-hybrid/specs/
  25. https://www.octranspo.com/en/our-services/vehicles/zero-emission-bus/
  26. https://www.oagottawa.ca/media/210fslpf/busmaint_fnl_en.pdf
  27. https://www.newflyer.com/2024/10/new-flyer-announces-order-from-ottawas-oc-transpo-for-51-zero-emission-xcelsior-charge-ng-heavy-duty-transit-buses/
  28. https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/oc-explained-real-time-information/
  29. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/bus-stop-announcements-oc-transpo-inconsistent-complaint-1.4389012
  30. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1077291X22003836
  31. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/2945883
  32. https://glengower.substack.com/p/transportation-trends-in-ottawa-part-118
  33. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/city-news/newsroom/oc-transpo-launches-new-ways-bus-and-spring-service-sunday-april-27
  34. https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/oc-transpo/article/oc-transpo-to-overhaul-bus-routes-on-april-27-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-new-ways-to-bus/
  35. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/oc-transpo-route-changes-new-ways-to-bus
  36. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/oc-transpo-offers-new-24-hour-bus-route-to-airport-1.7598470
  37. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/city-news/newsroom/oc-transpo-fall-service-begins-sunday-august-24
  38. https://www.octranspo.com/en/about-us/performance-measures/statistics-faq
  39. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/40-per-cent-of-busiest-oc-transpo-buses-not-on-time-report
  40. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/oc-transpo-misses-time-targets-205727276.html
  41. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/bus-again-heres-why-oc-080017268.html
  42. https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/1am9ptt/40_per_cent_of_busiest_oc_transpo_buses_not_on/
  43. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/city-news/newsroom/oc-transpo-provides-update-stage-2-o-train-east-and-west-extensions
  44. https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/new-multi-use-pathways-stage-2-east-extension/
  45. https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/transportation-demand-management-tdm/case-studies
  46. https://thetransportpolitic.com/2010/05/17/ottawa-closer-than-ever-to-replacing-bus-rapid-transit-with-light-rail/
  47. https://fao-on.org/en/report/transit-subsidies-2024/
  48. https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/oc-transpo-ridership-hits-66-per-cent-of-pre-pandemic-levels-in-2023/
  49. https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/why-brt/performance
  50. https://www.lightrailnow.org/myths/m_brt003.htm
  51. https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/CBRT.pdf
  52. https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/download/pdf/24/1.0445468/4
  53. https://the613.substack.com/p/a-better-way-to-manage-transit
  54. https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/dreessen-lets-put-roads-on-a-diet-and-expand-transit-in-ottawa-instead
  55. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-potholes-cost-climate-change-1.6773170
  56. https://ottawaconstructionnews.com/local-news/federal-government-allocates-156-million-for-ottawa-transit-projects/
  57. https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/default/files/2025_transit_amp_en.pdf
  58. https://www.oagottawa.ca/media/v25fza3s/fleet-services-audit-highlights_en.pdf
  59. https://glengower.substack.com/p/oc-transpos-plan-to-improve-reliability
  60. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/a-maze-with-no-exit-transit-deficit-again-plagues-ottawa-budget-planning-1.7623050
  61. https://www.quora.com/Is-a-bus-rapid-transit-system-more-cost-efficient-and-faster-to-commission
  62. https://www.lightrailnow.org/myths/m_otw001.htm
  63. https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/oc-transpo-misses-ridership-targets-in-first-2-months-of-2024/
  64. https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/council-asked-to-approve-152m-in-additional-contingency-funding-for-stage-2-lrt/
  65. https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/adam-secrecy-over-lrt-stage-2-payments-is-just-unacceptable
  66. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/costs-for-lrt-expansion-keep-rising-but-there-s-no-going-back-1.7020695
  67. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-transit-projects-mired-in-delays-and-cost-overruns-force-a/
  68. https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/commuters-leaving-transit-for-vehicles-bikes-and-walking-in-ottawa-study-shows/
  69. https://www.ncr-trans-rcn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Commuter_Attitudes_Survey_Final_Report_20241024_en_AODA.pdf
  70. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-engagement/public-engagement-project-search/blair-road-transit-priority-and-high-occupancy-vehicle-lanes
  71. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/transportation-master-plan-transit-road-priority-projects-1.7504081
  72. https://engage.ottawa.ca/11511/widgets/45934/documents/150393
  73. https://ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-and-travel/transportation-planning/environmental-assessment-completed-projects/confederation-line-west-light-rail-transit-lrt-extension
  74. https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/july-31-2025-fall-2025-transit-service-changes
  75. https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2025-Q2-Ridership-APTA.pdf
  76. https://engage.ottawa.ca/11511/widgets/45934/documents/146105
  77. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-engagement/public-engagement-project-search/greenbank-road-realignment-and-southwest-transitway-extension
  78. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-engagement/public-engagement-project-search/barrhaven-light-rail-transit-baseline-station-barrhaven-town-centre-and-rail-grade-separations-planning-and-environmental-assessment-study
  79. https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/press-release/55305981/city-of-ottawa-oc-transpo-ottawa-city-council-approves-transportation-master-plan-capital-infrastructure-plan
  80. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ring-road-ottawa-transportation-plan
  81. https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/oc-transpo-projecting-46-million-deficit-in-2025-transit-riders-face-fare-hike-in-2026/
  82. https://capitalcurrent.ca/fare-increases-and-empty-seats-oc-transpo-has-yet-to-regain-pre-pandemic-ridership/
  83. https://www.ottawalookout.com/p/council-looks-to-move-away-from-stage-3-light-rail-with-bus-rapid-transit
  84. https://www.college-ward.ca/why_the_baseline_brt_should_be_ottawas_next_big_transit_expansion_and_the_lrt_3_shouldnt_be
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.