Summer in Ottawa always winds down the same way: patios start to empty out, students start trickling back into the city, and federal public servants start eyeing their office badges again. This year, OC Transpo is getting ahead of it, rolling out new transit maps and a fresh fall schedule designed to handle the seasonal surge before it hits.
What’s Changing on Aug. 30 The new fall schedule kicks in on August 30, and it comes with a $29 million, 48-point plan aimed at keeping commuters moving as demand climbs. Transit maps are being updated across the network over the next few weeks to reflect the changes, part of what OC Transpo describes as an effort to get the word out early about meeting the city’s growing need for better, faster, and safer transit. On O-Train Line 1, trains will run more frequently across the board, every four minutes during peak periods, every six minutes midday, and every seven minutes in the early evening. Line 2 will also see its first train of the day start at 6 a.m.
New Express Routes Are Joining the Network A big piece of the plan is the introduction of new express routes designed to move commuters quickly into the downtown core and Tunney’s Pasture during peak periods. Here’s what’s new:
- 526 Express – Blair-Chapel Hill runs between Chapel Hill and Blair LRT Station, Monday to Friday during peak periods.
- 539 Express – Blair-Millennium runs between Blair Station and Millennium Park and Ride, passing Trim and Place d’Orléans during peak periods.
- 561 Express – Tunney’s Pasture-Terry Fox runs between Kanata Centrum and Tunney’s Pasture via Eagleson and Moodie during peak periods.
- 562 Express – Tunney’s Pasture-Terry Fox also runs between Kanata Centrum and Tunney’s Pasture via Eagleson and Moodie during peak periods.
- 563 Express – Tunney’s Pasture-Innovation runs between Innovation/Richcraft Rec Complex and Tunney’s Pasture, with stops along Moodie Drive and the Eagleson and Moodie park and rides during peak periods.
- 565 Express – Innovation-Carling Campus runs between the DND Carling Campus and Innovation/Richcraft Rec Complex, with stops at Kanata Centrum/Terry Fox and the Eagleson and Moodie park and rides during peak periods.
- 566 Express – Tunney’s Pasture-Carling Campus runs between the DND Carling Campus and Tunney’s Pasture via Moodie during peak periods.
All express routes run Monday to Friday during peak periods.
Adjustments Across 30 Existing Routes Beyond the new express lineup, OC Transpo is also fine-tuning run times on 30 existing routes that together carry roughly half of all bus riders across the network. Those routes are: 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30, 41, 42, 48, 51, 53, 61, 63, 73, 75, 81, 82, 85, 88, 117, 163, 173, and 178.
Why the Timing Matters The push comes as the city braces for a noticeable jump in downtown traffic this fall. With federal public servants now required to spend four days a week in the office and students returning for the fall semester, the City of Ottawa and OC Transpo are anticipating around 65,000 additional trips into the downtown area each week. For anyone whose commute is about to look a little different, it’s worth taking a few minutes to check the updated maps once they’re posted, well before the new schedule takes effect on August 30.