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Timothy Tao

Transit Committee - 14 May, 2026

Transit Committee met for the fourth this year on 14 May. The frequency of meetings has increased since last year, likely in response to criticism that the Committee was not working hard enough to solve Ottawa's transit problems. This meeting brings mostly good news. An end to the

Bus After Midnight, Pt. I: the last bus of the day

Every day at midnight, transit service stops for the night, only to resume the next morning. Shutting down a transit service is more complex than it seems though, and an examination of late night service on OC Transpo reveals some patterns that are difficult to spot during the more complex

Transit Committee - 9 April, 2026

On 9 April, Transit Committee met for its third meeting of 2026. This is the first Transit Committee since Rick Leary joined OC Transpo. Bus reliability is improving thanks to the better weather, e-bus deliveries, and lower service requirements during summer. However, the spalling problem with Line 1'

Stage 2 Update (Transit Committee) - 12 March, 2026

This is the second part of my update on Transit Committee on 12 March. The first part can be found here. Staff presented an update on Stage 2 LRT at that meeting. Stage 2 East achieved substantial completion right before the meeting, which is a big step forwards for that

Transit Committee - 12 March, 2026

Another month, another Transit Committee. The spalling trouble remained unresolved and the surface network remained unreliable throughout February. Adding to these problems, an ice storm whipped through town the day before the meeting, causing Line 1's catenary wires to snap and forcing three days of R1 service on

Our new GM: a brief history of Rick Leary

Ten months after the departure of former general manager Renée Amilcar, OC Transpo has a new head: Rick Leary. You can watch the city's press conference introducing him here. Mr. Leary has held executive positions in Boston, York Region, and Toronto. According to the memo City Manager Wendy

Transit Committee - 12 February, 2026

On the 12th of February, Transit Committee met for the first time in 2026. The video of this meeting can be found here. Since the last Transit Committee in November, bus service has continued to deteriorate, and adding to OC Transpo's troubles, most of the Line 1 fleet

OC Transpo pass sales data

This is a short one - I received historical monthly pass sales data through an email exchange with OC Transpo staff a few months ago following a failed MFIPPA request. I forgot about it and it languished in my inbox, but I am posting the data now, a few months late.

Route 41 service snapshot - 3 to 30 November

Route 41 is a frequent route that runs from Billings Bridge to St. Laurent. The route is the primary service on Heron Road, Walkley Road, and St. Laurent Boulevard, and services Herongate and Elmvale, both low-income communities with relatively high transit use. The westbound service towards Billings Bridge is

Priorities at City Hall: OC Transpo in 2026

As we roll out of 2025 and into 2026, transit in Ottawa drifts forwards without a coherent vision. OC Transpo is changing from the Transitway days, and it is not clear what it will become. The first part of Stage 2 opened last year, with another set to open this