I share the concern with many residents who have written to me regarding the recently announced cutbacks to the LRT Line 1 service during off-peak hours. This OC Transpo memo was not shared with councillors in advance and many of us were caught off guard by the announcement last Friday afternoon. The timing of these cuts is hugely problematic but it is not surprising given the budget pressures on OC Transpo as ridership continues to drop from pre-pandemic levels. I agree that off-peak time service cutbacks will hurt students and others who only use transit as their alternative to a private vehicle.
The reality is that there is a shortage of funds for transit and the city cannot afford to fund transit under its existing budget structure without a significant tax increase through a transit tax levy or from assistance from the federal and provincial governments. We have already seen fare increases in the last city budget and many blame these fare hikes on a further reluctance for residents to use the transit system. We need to keep transit affordable and accessible.
On August 8th, 2024, Mayor Sutcliffe held a press conference on the need for federal and provincial funding to keep our transit system from going in debt and he outlined ways this can be done by having these levels of government distribute their fair share of funds to Ottawa. (Please see the Mayor’s Background Information on Payments in Lieu of Taxes )
I support the Mayor’s request for funds however this situation was very predictable in 2020 when OC Transpo continued to operate at pre-pandemic service levels while many federal and other workers were ordered to stay home. It was the right decision in 2020 to keep transit operating at full levels since many essential workers continued to need transit to get to their valuable work in keeping everyone else healthy. It is now four years later, and ridership has not bounced back. Many workers have either continued to work from home or have given up on OC Transpo due to service issues. The question is, will cutting off-peak hour train service make residents even less likely to use transit? Most residents agree that it will, and the loss of ridership will be a downward spiral.
Four years ago I wrote an Op-Ed on this very topic of the need for federal assistance to keep transit operational during the pandemic and beyond. I also wrote a motion that passed at the Transit Commission on this same topic. Here is a link to my newsletter article from November 2020 with both the motion and Op-Ed article. I would further add that provincial funding is also needed to operate our city’s transit system.
We, as a city, cannot expect to make gains in reducing greenhouse gas emissions without having a strong transit system. The federal and provincial governments need to do their part in tackling climate change by contributing to transit operation costs.
Transit is an essential service and should not be whittled down. It needs to be strong and reliable to be effective. Despite these cuts the future for transit can be bright. With the new Trillium Line on the verge of starting service and the major investment that has been made in Stage 2 LRT East and West lines we have the makings of a strong future for transit. Cutting the service right now sends the wrong message and discourages ridership.
I will continue to speak out against these transit service cuts and ask that they be reversed.
