February 13 Transit Committee Update

On Thursday, February 13, members of the newly renamed Transit Committee met for the first time in 2025. The committee received its first update on the progress of O-Train Lines 2 and 4 since they were launched in January. It also received updates on increased ridership in 2024, and the ongoing efforts to expand OC Transpo’s zero-emission bus (ZEB) fleet, including facility upgrades.

If you didn’t get a chance to tune in, The Next Stop Blog is here to bring you up to speed on what you missed.

O-Train Lines 2 and 4: 300,000 customer trips in first four weeks

As we all just arrived back from the holidays, OC Transpo was preparing for the launch of the new O-Train Lines 2 and 4. Launching its weekday service on January 6, 2025, it  expanded to six-day service on January 25.

We are pleased to say that in the first four weeks of service more than 300,000 customer trips were taken on the new train lines.

Our south end Park & Ride lots have also been popular, but there is still lots of room for your vehicle at all three lots at Greenboro, Leitrim and Bowesville stations.

In 2024,  Transit, the recommended app for OC Transpo customers to plan their trips, was very popular with more than 71,000 downloads, over 113,000 average users per month, and more than 21 million trips planned.

My Para Transpo usage has doubled year over year. This self-serve tool allows Para Transpo customers to quickly book, cancel, and track their trips. O-Payment readers were activated on Para Transpo minibuses on January 27, providing a great option for customers to tap their card themselves. Transit Committee also learned that the first new six-metre minibus is now in service, with five additional minibuses set to pick up customers later this year.

Ridership Increase in 2024

The Transit Committee also learned that year-over-year, ridership increased by seven per cent in 2024 with 67.9 million customer trips. There have also been some improvements made to ensure the reliability of Line 1 rail service, which reached 98.8 per cent service delivery in 2024. 

Para Transpo customer trips increased last year, with a 12-month average bus service delivery of 98 per cent, and more than 856,000 customer trips on Para Transpo  which is 14 per cent higher than 2023.

ZEBs

OC Transpo’s electric bus fleet continues to expand. We recently welcomed four new ZEBs into service, totaling eight ZEBs in the current fleet. By the end of this March, we will be adding another 22 ZEBs to the fleet, which will be followed by an additional 80 ZEBs in early 2026, a further 124 in late 2026, and another 120 by late 2027.

To help get ready for these additional ZEBs, we have been retrofitting our garages along with electrical infrastructure upgrades to support the move to zero-emission buses.

Black History Month

Earlier this month, OC Transpo launched a rolling tribute for Black History Month by proudly showing-off a vibrant new mural that celebrates Ottawa’s black heritage on three of our double-decker buses. The design was created in collaboration with Black History Ottawa, and the City’s African, Caribbean, Black Employees Network.

The mural is rooted in African heritage and pays tribute to resilience, achievement, and unity. The design reflects the City of Ottawa’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

The next meeting of Transit Committee will take place on March 17. See you next month!

For more information on OC Transpo, visit octranspo.com, or follow us on Facebook,  X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.