Does Rural Bus Transit Work For You?
By David Brown, Rideau-Jock Councillor
Ottawa’s LRT issues aside, Ward 21 has two primary bus routes that service Manotick, Richmond, Munster and Fallowfield Village.
Prior to the pandemic, many residents took advantage of these routes to commute to work. However, with many working from home, these last three years have seen extremely low ridership. Indeed, on some routes, ridership remains only at a third of its pre-pandemic levels. With federal employees returning to the office two to three days a week, OC Transpo anticipates an increase of ridership, but it is yet to be seen whether this increase will make our Ward’s transit system viable long term.
I’d like to hear from you about your plans to take transit.
- If you take the 283 or 176, does your current route meet your needs?
- Would changing the timings of the route make it easier for you to take transit?
- Would changing the route to add an alternate destination in Barrhaven with the option of a transfer downtown be of interest?
- If you were a user of transit before, do you plan on using transit again?
With the growth of our villages, I am receiving requests for increased bus service. One of the challenges is the cost and level of interest.
Residents in Munster, Richmond, Fallowfield and Manotick are charged the RT-A transit levy on their tax bills. This levy is assessed at $100 or every $100,000 of assessed property value, meaning if your home is assessed at $400,000, you are likely paying close to $400 a year on your property taxes.
I have received wide-ranging feedback from residents. Many are looking for better service so transit can become a viable option, whereas others do not use the service and would prefer to see a decrease in the transit levy on their taxes.
I’m looking for options, ideas, suggestions and comments about our transit service. Please visit my website at ward21.ca or call my office at 613-580-2491 to complete the short survey.
Based on the feedback, I will be looking to host an in-person consultation meeting with transit staff so residents have an opportunity to express their opinions directly to transit staff.
