OC Transpo In Death Spiral: Lo
Starting September 1, 2025, OC Transpo will discontinue the youth fare category. Transit fares for 11-to-19-year-olds will be charged the same fares as adults, an increase of $31 per month.
The elimination of the youth fare category was approved by Council as part of the 2025 transit budget, which I voted against?.
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This newsletter excerpt from Barrhaven East Councillor Wilson Lo is courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours
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I voted against the transit budget, because it presented more of the same – increases to tax levies and fares, and leaning on the hope there would be support from other levels of government – instead of properly addressing the systemic funding issues plaguing public transit in Ottawa.
Additionally, the way the initial fare increases were determined during the budget process was opaque and problematic?. It gave the impression the research was insufficient to ensure the proposals were achievable.
Some residents may recall, several proposals had to be walked back, including delaying the discontinuation of youth fares from January to September. An attempt at creating a U-pass-type arrangement with the school boards to soften the impact on high school students also went nowhere.
The discontinuation of youth fares is yet another symptom of the wider systemic issue which we continue to fail to address. Without fundamental changes to the governance, revenue, and corporate models at OC Transpo, public transit in Ottawa will continue its death spiral towards an untimely demise.
For You:
Ottawa Transit: If Words Were Buses
Transpo Starts East-End Bus-Airport Service
Parliament LRT Station Under Repair
King Estimates LRT Cost At $7 Billion
Taking On The Big Transit Commute: BENN
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The school bus transportation agency now has to pay $5M more for student OC Transpo bus passes and this will be passed down to taxpayers through incredible school levies. This was the obvious intention, to back door property tax increases. My monthly combined payments to the city of Ottawa has increased 12% as of this month. They stated that the tax increase was 3.9%, but the amount I’m paying more is closer to $70 a month, sorry $75 a month as they are now charging an extra $5 a month for the “convenience” of automatic bill payments as of this month. And by harvesting a quarter billion of dividends from Hydro Ottawa, the utility is now asking to double distribution rates as they have insufficient money for essential upgrades. Another back door property tax increase and how much of these doubled rates will go into increased dividends to the city? The city has a spending problem
C. The city has a problem resolution problem, many problems, one solution, charge the users, taxpayers, etc more money. City council and senior management are paid a lot of money to be creative and they’re not. We will likely be plagued by the ghost of Rene Amilcar for some time to come.
The whole LRT system is a waste of time and money
Public servants work from home…..businesses downtown are closing……it’s too expensive to live downtown……….it is not safe……and the few times I’ve been down in the last 50 years, it has gradually become a dump
Money should have been used to improve our once excellent bus service…….but no, no, the elites at city hall had to have thhs waste of an LRT………….COSTS A FORTUNE …..BUT IN A PART OF TOWN NO ONE GOES TO ANY MORE BUT TOURISTS.. …..MEANWHILE THERE IS MORE DEBT FOR THINGS NEEDED ON THE OUTSKIRTS.
When will practical people get elected and get the dreamers out of office
ADD TO THAT THE STATIONS……DID WE NEED THESE ELABORATE DESIGNER STATIONS ALL GLASS AND STEEL……….WE ARE OUT OF MONEY.