About OC Transpo

Transit Mission and Vision Statements ...

Public Transit in Ottawa

Public transit services in the City of Ottawa are provided by OC Transpo. Its mandate is to deliver safe, reliable and courteous service at a reasonable cost to all residents. Increased transit use contributes to the quality of life in the city by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion and the requirement for more roads.

City Council sets transit policies and guides the implementation of service. The Director of Transit Services is responsible for operating the transit system within the set policies and budgets, and reports to the Deputy City Manager of Planning, Transit and the Environment, who in turn reports to the Transit Committee and Council. Nine members of the Council are appointed to the Transit Committee which meets semi-monthly.

As a public enterprise operating on behalf of the citizens of Ottawa, all decisions receive public scrutiny. Council and Transit Committee meetings at City Hall are open to the public.

Every effort is made to incorporate public opinion when policies are developed. Customers are frequently asked for their ideas about transit service; the annual service plan is prepared in consultation with the public, employers, school boards, community groups, associations and transit employees.

OC Transpo is committed to responding to the diverse and changing mobility needs of customers and new trends and developments in transit, in partnership with the community.

OC Transpo provides transit service to the communities of  Ottawa, Nepean, Vanier, Rockcliffe, Gloucester, Kanata, and Orleans.

Rural transit service started September 3, 2002 in these communities: Cumberland Village, Carlsbad Springs, Gloucester South, Kars, Leitrim, Manotick, Munster Hamlet, Navan, North Gower, Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Richmond, Stittville and Vars.

Some OC Transpo routes also operate to downtown Gatineau, Quebec.

We serve a population of 760,200, and on a typical weekday provide over 346,800 rides. 

A new fleet of diesel-powered buses replaced the streetcar system, and today OC Transpo operates a fleet of 924 buses. Currently, 50% of our bus fleet is fully-accessible (low-floor buses)

Transitway

The Transitway is the largest project in the City's transportation history and has been honoured with a Canadian Public Works Project of the Century Award. A dedicated system of bus-only roadways, the Transitway provides an exclusive rapid transit link across much of the City's urban area, with service operating 22 hours a day. 

Transitway Stations are convenient transfer points located next to major shopping centres, employment areas, schools and high density housing. The Transitway provides a rapid transit connection to the O-Train, Ottawa International Airport, the train station and inter-city bus service. 

Seven Park & Ride lots, catering to downtown commuters, are served by high frequency Transitway routes.

Train

In 2001, a light-rail service began operating as a pilot project along a north-south corridor from South Keys, via Confederation Heights and Carleton University to the Ottawa River.

The O-Train operates along an eight kilometre track with five stations served by Bombardier Talent trains. The O-Train is fully integrated with bus service for seamless travel between systems and increased commuting options. 

Streetcar Restoration

A group of dedicated volunteers is determined to see that Streetcar 696  is restored to its original glory ...

Merivale High School Transit Art

Merivale High School grade 11 design students were asked to create an OC Transpo graphic suitable for a poster or T-Shirt. We would like to thank all the students for their hard work and creativity.