AC students and other bus users uncertain about OC Transpo’s bus route changes

Algonquin College students and other bus users are voicing mixed feelings about the sweeping changes to OC Transpo’s bus system.

On April 27, OC Transpo rolled out its New Ways to Bus initiative, which saw changes to all the routes at Baseline Station, except routes 84, 87, and 277. These revamps were done to better reflect changes in how people travel post-pandemic, according to OC Transpo’s website.

Route 88, known for its erratic pickup times, was one of the longest routes in Ottawa, going between Terry Fox and Hurdman. Now the route stops at Bayshore, with the 68 going to Terry Fox. Since these changes were made, some transit riders have seen an improvement in arrival times.

“Before it was Terry Fox, but it sucks, never show up on time. But now, after the changing the routes, they are pretty on time,” said Kirandeep Kour, a student in the early childhood education program.

However, some transit riders still find the route unreliable.

“It’s the same, nothing changed. They just adjusted some bus routes, but it didn’t change anything. You can’t rely on them because you don’t know if they’re gonna show up or not,” said Amindu Udawatta, who takes the 88 from Algonquin College to Hurdman.

Another popular route is the 111, which has been reworked with some stops being moved to other routes. For Jay Reghe, this means taking the 189 or the 112.

“I do have two buses now, but they both come at the same time, and before the change, the 111 bus used to come every 15 minutes or so. The new buses come every 30 minutes, but sometimes they are late, so I have to wait for 30 minutes to 40 minutes sometimes,” said Reghe, who is taking energy management at the college.

For others, the route changes have made busing more convenient.

Algonquin College student Arther Lyu who’s taking heating, refrigerating and air conditioning, can still take the 111 and now has the 189 as an option, replacing the 86.

“I think the routes are better ‘cause it’s like, more a shortcut. It takes like, less time to get me home, and get to school,” said Lyu.

OC Transpo is collecting customer feedback on the new transit system until May 26.