Local Transit Usage Down By Two Thirds

Councillor David Brown conducted survey on transit in the Rideau-Jock Ward, and the results are in.

Ward 21 has two primary bus routes that service Manotick, Richmond, Munster and Fallowfield Village.

“Prior to the pandemic, many residents took advantage of these routes to commute to work,” Brown said when he issued the survey. “However, with many working from home, these last three years have seen extremely low ridership. With federal employees returning to the office two to three days a week, OC Transpo anticipates an increase of ridership, but it is yet to be seen whether this increase will make our Ward’s transit system viable long term.”

According to the survey, only 10 per cent of residents find that the 283 or 176 bus serves their needs. Thirty-seven per cent said the routes don’t serve their needs, and 53 per cent do not use either route.

The second question of the survey asked if changing the timing of the route would make it easier to take transit. Forty per cent said yes it would, 22 per cent said no it wouldn’t, and 37 per cent said they do not plan on using transit.

Forty-two per cent of those responding would be interested in adding a route to Barrhaven, which is where many transit users commute to and use the park and ride at Fallowfield Station. Fifty-seven per cent said they would still not use transit or have no interest in a Barrhaven route.

Only forty-eight per cent of residents who used transit previously plan on using it again.