OC Transpo is rolling out a major overhaul of its bus routes on April 27 with more than 100 route changes that will impact most customers and bus routes.
The “New Ways to Bus” campaign will introduce new routes while retiring others, adjust schedules with some routes shortened, extended, or divided; revise service for some middle schools and high schools and revise routes to “major destinations” like hospitals, universities and colleges.
The new routes will also feature revised service between Ottawa and Gatineau and new connections with O-Train Lines 2 and 4.
The sweeping changes are designed to improve connectivity to community hubs and provide “a sustainable network that meets the evolving needs of our customers,” OC Transpo staff said.
OC General manager Renée Amilcar told councillors at last week’s transit committee the bus network redesign “will give customers a more reliable and efficient system” as OC Transpo aims to improve service to its target of 99.5 per cent reliability.
The 12-month average service delivery for OC Transpo bus service was 97.6 per cent for the period from March 2024 to March 2025, or 1.9 per cent lower than its 99.5 per cent reliability target.
That ratio dipped to 96.9 per cent for bus trips delivered as planned in March 2025.
OC Transpo also fell short of its targets for on-time performance metrics during the last 12 months. The 12-month average for regularity of frequent routes (which measures whether trips are evenly spaced) was 82 per cent, or 3 per cent lower than the 85 per cent target.
The 12-month average for punctuality for less frequent routes (whether buses arrive more than one minute early or more than five minutes late) was 74 per cent, or 11 per cent lower than the 85 per cent target.
The transit authority is in the midst of an “extensive communications and marketing campaign” that will continue throughout April and May, Amilcar said.
The route changes represent the largest bus service change in Ottawa history, Amilcar told councillors, and “almost every customer will be impacted in some way.”
Notices have been installed at all bus stop locations that are set to be decommissioned, staff said, and there is signage posted at new bus stop locations.
“Once the new network is implemented on April 27, our staff will be monitoring the service very closely and we will be ready to make some adjustments or changes as necessary,” Amilcar said. “We welcome customers’ feedback as they begin to use (the new routes) to identify areas for future improvement.”
Here’s which OC Transpo bus routes are changing
There are 26 routes that will not change under the New Ways to Bus.
Those include routes: 6, 14, 19, 21, 23, 38, 42, 44, 45, 47, 49, 51, 57, 67, 84, 87, 90, 98, 125, 139, 158, 221, 222, 228, 262, 277.
The new bus network features 27 “frequent routes” that run seven days a week, including every 15 minutes or less during the weekdays.
Those include routes: 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 25, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45, 57, 61, 62, 63, 68, 74, 75, 80, 85, 87, 88, 90, 98, 111.
The former “rapid route” symbol (a blue circle) will be removed and replaced by a blue hexagon to indicate frequent routes.
OC Transpo said those routes will run seven days a week and, as a “core part” of the new network, will run every 15 minutes or less from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
There are 59 “local routes” to neighbourhood destinations and transit hubs for connections with frequent routes and the newly extended O-Train network.
The network includes 18 Connexion routes for “fast, peak-period” connections to the O-Train.
“You will see a shift from downtown-focused bus routes to routes that improve connections to community hubs and key destinations,” according to OC Transpo. “Some customers may have to go further to the bus stop, have additional transfers to buses or trains, and/or have faster travel times.
“In addition to fewer Connexion routes, some routes will be retired due to low ridership and to improve connections to new routes and the O-Train. Retired routes will be replaced with alternative service nearby.”
Special school trips have been updated in the OC Transpo travel planner on its website, and those changes were shared directly with local schools.
Specific details and all route changes are posted at
OCTranspo.com
.
Staff will also be at key stations during the first week of the rollout to assist customers with the changes.
Amilcar told councillors OC Transpo will offer a “free fare weekend” to celebrate the opening of the Trillium Lines 2 and 4 and, in part, to “explore the new routes.”
All service on buses, trains and Para Transpo will be free of charge. OC Transpo will announce when that weekend will be “very soon.”
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