Build Trust In Ottawa’s Transit System: LEIPER

A city that works depends on a transit system that works, and right now, too many people are experiencing the opposite. Residents are leaving early just in case a bus does not show up, standing at stops wondering whether it is coming at all, or trying to piece together trips that should be simple but too often are not. That uncertainty has a cost. People lose trust in the system, and once trust is gone, they stop using it.

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This is a post from mayoral candidate Jeff Leiper’s X account provided courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours

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We need to be honest about how we got here. This is not the result of a single decision or a single tough year. It is what happens when a system is stretched too thin for too long, when investment does not keep pace with growth, and when decisions are made without a clear, long-term plan. There are real pressures on OC Transpo, including staffing shortages, burnout, an aging fleet, and ongoing reliability issues. Concerns about leadership are valid and worth addressing. But leadership alone is not the whole problem. The system itself needs to be fixed.