David Muddiman

Does anyone know if the new arena plans include refurbishing Pimisi Station with a design to better manage large crowds?

Yes yes, the operating costs would add to the transit deficit, but this could be part of a multi-pronged campaign to win back some ridership.

Invite residents to try to transit for their 2025 New Year’s resolution.

(if only more could be done about reliability, like more bus lanes, nudge nudge)

Exactly - instead of providing “free” (voucher required) transit to a subgroup, why not take the holiday season opportunity to just make transit free for all users. Easier to administer too.

Hosting the World Juniors, a once-every-15-years event, is something the whole city could celebrate.

It’s likely too late, but seeing the free transit initiative for ticketholders for the World Juniors, from Dec 19 to Jan 5.

Why not just make transit free entirely for this period?

Encourages a safer and more responsible transportation option in a time of year when impaired driving rates go up.

It would also be a positive safety measure that encourages use of a safer and more responsible transportation option during a time of year when increased rates of impaired driving are, unfortunately, a thing.

Why not free transit service across the board from Dec 19 to Jan 5?

Not just for ticketholders for the World Juniors (who have to use a video call feature at ticket machines to bypass fare gates at Line 1 stations?)

This summarizes the results of the public comments on Bill 212. Read the last line and weep. Full text here: ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-9...

That and the prevailing narratives among detractors seem to be either it won’t be effective (in diverting enough truck traffic), or it will only ‘’move the problem to another neighborhood” (so, it will be effective?)

A sixth bridge crossing consistently slips off the local priority list because I think supporting it sucks up even more political capital than Stage 3 LRT or dedicated bus lanes on Baseline/Bank/Carling/Montreal, in terms of congestion-reducing initiatives.

When the Kichi Zibi Mikan lane reductions end west of Dominion (bringing it back to two lanes per direction), make one lane per direction a bus lane to give some congestion relief to the 31 bus routes that use this stretch of the parkway.

The single lanes have been brutal for these routes!

What tactics will OC Transpo deploy to not only keep existing ridership, but also entice 10-16K people to commit to transit?

How many Riverside South residents will adopt Line 2 for their regular commute?

5,000,000 new trips / 150 work days per year (3 days per week RTO) / 2 trips per work day = 16,666 new riders.

Adjust the assumption to 250 work days per year (5 days per week RTO) gets you to 10,000 new riders.

To help reach fare revenue targets, Ottawa’s transit budget for 2025 is counting on an increase in ridership from 73 million trips in 2024 to ~78 million trips in 2025.

That means OC Transpo needs 10,000 to 16,666 new people to choose transit for their regular commute in 2025.

Napkin math below

Thanks!

Thanks for this post, lots of interesting numbers to digest.

“In 2019, Ottawa’s projected transit ridership for 2025 was 125.8-million trips.”

!!!

Where can I find this stat?

And do you have any idea what the new ridership projection is for, say 2030, and what the plan is to get there?

“the monthly cost of social housing is $613. This is starkly lower than $2,100 for a shelter bed, $4,300 for a correctional facility bed, $13,500 for a hospital bed. Housing people is not only a moral imperative but also an economically sound decision.” Kathy Moreland RN #onpoli

Like that the article highlighted that risk aversion can lead to political concessions that increase costs.

Creates a vicious cycle that in turn undermines the “transit consensus” (that transit is worth the investment, period) which leads to more risk aversion, more concessions, then higher costs.

“Understanding the Drivers of Transit Construction Costs in Canada: A Comparative Study”

Lots of good stuff in this article.

Thanks to @taras-grescoe.com for sharing and authors @jedwin.bsky.social @chittimarco.bsky.social Balthazar Crane & Amer Shalaby

Protester arrested after disrupting City of Ottawa information session about Sprung structure A man wearing a t-shirt that said "No tent in Ottawa" was arrested after he briefly disrupted a City of Ottawa info session about the proposed Sprung structure that is set to be built along Woodroffe ...

Specifically what elements did the community want to be consulted on here that’s causing so much uproar?

And what are the opponents proposing as an alternative?

Screenshot of text from the 2024 Annual Report of the Auditor General of Ontario, which lists several bulleted paragraphs that summarize the report’s findings with respect to the Ontario government’s decision to change supervised consumption services without proper planning, impact analysis, or public consultation.

More from today’s Ontario AG report:

“Unlike CTS sites, these Hubs will not provide some key harm-reduction services, such as supervised consumption or needle exchange, despite the fact that these services have been proven to prevent overdose deaths.”

www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/a...

Ontario Place redevelopment now estimated at $2.2-billion as Auditor-General notes ‘irregular’ bid process The audit concludes that the process used to select Therme for the Ontario Place site was not ‘fair, transparent or accountable to all participants’ as required by the province’s own rules for real estate transactions

Ontario Place redevelopment now estimated at $2.2-billion as Auditor-General notes ‘irregular’ bid process: The audit concludes that the process used to select Therme for the Ontario Place site was not ‘fair, transparent or accountable to all participants’ as required by the province’s own rules…

Ridiculous take: Metcalfe St should be widened/realigned so that it lines up symmetrically with the Peace Tower, Centennial Flame, and Museum of Nature, creating a clear sight line between the museum and Centre block. Ottawa’s own little Champs-Élysées.

People riding in a safe bike-lane in downtown Vancouver

You don’t have to be a “cyclist” to support safe bike infrastructure in your city. You don’t have to ride bikes at all. You just have to understand the FACT that bike infrastructure makes getting around easier & safer for EVERYONE, saves us all public money, & makes cities generally more successful.

For 2023-24 the announced amount for Ottawa was $33,061,834.

For 2022-23 it was $37,804,511.

Ottawa transit funding question:

Where does the Ontario Dedicated Public Transit Fund fit into the Budget 2025 conversation?

This legislated funding (passed in 2013) brought Ottawa $30m+ in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Has the city already accounted for this funding and asking for $18m in addition?

YouTube video by GioTV1 DUDE, WHERE'S MY BUS? - A look at Ottawa's Messy Transit System (Full Documentary)

This is an excellent documentary on transit woes in Ottawa, and I don't just say that because I'm in it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPaO...

"What we see here is a contest over what informs transportation and infrastructure policy: either that irritated feeling you get when you’re stuck in traffic, or actual data-driven evidence."

My first op-ed, with the wonderful @sarahelton.bsky.social!

It appears the city is also working on brick-and-mortar solutions, including a converted retirement home, a converted office tower downtown, a closed convent in Orleans, and the Taggart Family YMCA.

My guess is these retrofis won’t be ready fast enough, but are part of a multi-pronged approach.

Hi Nancy, the answers to your questions can be found in these places:

www.seandevine.ca/newcomer_rec...

ottawa.ca/en/city-hall...

engage.ottawa.ca/newcomer-rec...

If Ontario were to bring Ottawa’s per resident transit subsidy up to the provincial average of $112.16 per resident (still well below Toronto’s subsidy), then we should actually expect $80m from the province.

Instead, the City is asking for $18m from the province.