We, the undersigned, call on OC Transpo, the City of Ottawa Transit Committee, and elected officials, including Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, and Kanata Councillors Cathy Curry and Allan Hubley, to take IMMEDIATE and TANGIBLE ACTION to address the ongoing issues impacting Kanata’s bus service as a result of OC Transpo’ s ‘New Ways to Bus’.

Since the implementation of ‘New Ways to Bus’, transit users in Kanata have experienced ongoing bus issues, some so severe that their livelihoods and mental health are being jeopardized.

We must now travel farther than ever before to access public transit in our neighbourhoods, only to arrive at bus stops where service has been slashed, and buses arrive much less frequently. Some buses never arrive at their scheduled times, others are frequently late or followed immediately by other buses following the exact same route. When buses do arrive, they are often overcrowded to the point of endangering passengers’ safety.  Travel times have increased for everyone, with many Kanata riders now finding their commutes taking twice as long, or more, than previously.

Individually, our concerns have gone unanswered over the last several weeks by OC Transpo and our elected officials. This is simply unacceptable.

We call for IMMEDIATE and TANGIBLE ACTION to address these issues because everyone deserves access to safe and reliable public transit!