Transit Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

23

Date:

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Time:

9:30 A.m. - 5:00 P.m.

Location:

Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and by electronic participation

Present:

• Chair Glen Gower, 
• Vice-Chair Steve Desroches, 
• Councillor Riley Brockington, 
• Councillor Marty Carr, 
• Councillor David Hill, 
• Councillor Jeff Leiper, 
• Councillor Wilson Lo, 
• Councillor Shawn Menard, 
• and Councillor Tim Tierney 

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1.

Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and hybrid participation details.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on February 25, 2026 in Transit Committee Report 23.

The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

2.

Declarations of Interest

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.

Confirmation of Minutes

3.1

TC Minutes 22 – November 24, 2025

• Carried

4.

Responses to Inquiries

4.1

TC-2025-07 - Zero-emission bus (ZEB) programme

5.

Presentations

5.1

OC Transpo Update – Rail, Bus, and Para Transpo

The following Transit Services Department staff provided a presentation on the item and answered questions from the Committee. A copy of the slide presentation is filed with the Office of the City Clerk.

• Troy Charter, General Manager
• Joel Lemieux, Director, Transit Services Delivery & Rail Operations
• Richard Holder, Director, Rail Construction Program
• Rami El Feghali, Director, Transit Bus Operations & Maintenance
• Sabrina Pasian, Chief Safety Officer
• François Quirouette, Program Manager, Service Strategy

The following staff also responded to questions from Committee:

• Pat Scrimgeour, Director, Transit Customer Systems & Planning
• Marko Kroenke, Director, Engineering Services
• Oliver Monahan, AGM, Transit Services Department

The following residents spoke before the Committee and provided comments on the item:

1. Ajay Ramachandran
2. Hayden Hultink
3. Sam Hersh
4. Saad Khan
5. Kyle Humphrey
6. Noah Vineberg
7. John Redins
8. Shalini Kathirgmanathan
9. Xavier Auger

The following written submissions were received by, and are filed with, the Office of the City Clerk, and distributed to Committee Members:

• Email dated January 30, 2026 from Charissa Teal
• Email dated February 1, 2026 from Yanile Dolor

After the discussion, Councillor R. Brockington presented a Direction to Staff:

As part of the standard agenda item at Transit Committee meetings noted as OC Transpo Update – Rail, Bus, and Para Transpo, the (Acting) General Manager be directed to add a slide to future presentations that informs the Committee of the current number of mechanics on staff, the number needed to reach the optimal staffing level, the established timeline to reach the optimal level and a summary of outreach being undertaken to recruit new mechanics. 

• Motion No. TC 2026-23-01
  Moved by D. Hill

  WHEREAS the Auditor General has an Agile Audit of Light-Rail Transit on her 2026-2027 workplan; and

  WHEREAS OC Transpo’s Chief Safety Officer has a Quality Assurance team that are responsible for internal and external audits to ensure regulatory, safety and technical requirements and standards are being met;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT OC Transpo's Chief Safety Officer be directed to conduct an audit, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Municipal Act, into the safety concerns that resulted in Line 1 Trains being removed from operation due to the Cartridge Bearing Assembly spalling issue; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the audit be presented to the Transit Committee in Q2 2026, in camera if deemed necessary; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a draft of the audit be provided to the Auditor General of Ottawa, prior to the audit being submitted to Committee; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Council request that the Auditor General consider increasing the priority of the agile audit of the LRT on her 2026-2027 workplan so that work can begin as soon as the audit by OC Transpo has been submitted to the Auditor General’s Office, should she believe further value could be added by her Office in this area.

  Carried

6.

Office of the City Clerk

6.1

Status Update – Transit Committee Inquiries and Motions for the period ending February 3, 2026

File No. ACS2026-OCC-CCS-0002 - City-wide

• Report Recommendation(s)

  That the Transit Committee receive this report for information.

  Received

7.

In Camera Items

There were no in camera items.

8.

Notices of Motions (For Consideration at Subsequent Meeting)

8.1

Implement of a communication protocol

• Motion No. TC 2026-23-02

  Moved by Councillor R. Brockington (on behalf of R. King)

  WHEREAS OC Transpo regularly provides reports, briefings, and memoranda to Transit Commission and Members of Council on system performance, service delivery targets, and planned service changes; and

  WHEREAS recurring reliability issues have intensified in recent months, including as a result of winter service cuts, and are being reported across multiple OC Transpo routes city-wide; and

  WHEREAS these issues include peak-period cancellations, extended gaps in service, and bus bunching, which undermine rider confidence and the City’s transit mode-shift objectives; and

  WHEREAS riders across the city are experiencing persistent issues with real-time service information, including last-minute trip cancellations that are not accurately or timely reflected in real-time tracking tools, commonly referred to by riders as “ghost buses”; and

  WHEREAS while system-level performance data is routinely shared, Councillor offices are frequently not informed in advance of temporary or recurring trip cancellations, or ongoing reliability patterns at the route or trip level, limiting their ability to respond accurately to resident inquiries or proactively support affected riders; and

  WHEREAS these conditions prevent riders from making informed travel decisions, result in missed work start times, prolonged waits at unsheltered stops, increased reliance on taxis or ride-hailing, and raise broader concerns related to trust, transparency, and system credibility; and

  WHEREAS staff have advised that certain temporary service adjustments are intended to stabilize operations and support service delivery targets, but these changes can create critical peak-hour service gaps for riders with fixed schedules; 

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that OC Transpo staff be directed to implement a consistent, standardized communication protocol -using existing tools and resources -to complement existing reporting and notify all Councillor offices of:

  1. temporary or planned trip cancellations that form part of service adjustments, winter service changes, or recurring reliability patterns;
  2. recurring route reliability issues; and
  3. significant schedule adjustments with anticipated customer impact,
     for awareness and constituent support; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OC Transpo staff report back to the Transit Committee on how real-time service information is managed, including:

  1. how last-minute cancellations are communicated within real-time information systems, including what triggers updates and where delays occur;
  2. what improvements are being made to ensure real-time tools reflect service changes as early and accurately as possible; and
  3. how riders who rely on specific trips are proactively informed when temporary cancellations are introduced, extended, or reassessed; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OC Transpo staff be directed to ensure that network stabilization efforts do not unintentionally eliminate essential peak-period access for riders with fixed work start times, and that any such trade-offs are transparently identified and reviewed.

9.

Inquiries

9.1

Impacts of service disruptions on equity-seeking groups

Submitted by Councillor W. Lo (on behalf of S. Plante):

• In January 2026, OC Transpo reported the highest number of bus cancellations in some time. Heavy snow exacerbated service disruptions, however, there were other elements as well. Residents who rely on OC Transpo were left waiting in freezing temperatures and had to find other ways of getting home.

  According to OC Transpo, downtown urban routes were among the most affected, including routes 6, 7, 12, and 19, all of which go through Ward 12.

  I have received countless complaints from residents about OC Transpo since I was elected, but there was a marked influx in January.

  Many residents of Ward 12 do not own a car and rely on public transit daily. There are between 1500 – 2000 Ottawa Community Housing units in my ward. Rideau-Vanier has a high number of students, shift workers, minimum wage earners, racialized individuals, and people with special needs.

  This is opposed to the suburban residents of Ottawa, who, while still impacted by transit disruptions and traffic, are more often homeowners and car owners with other means of getting around the city.

  Within this context, I have these questions and would appreciate a response by the end of Q2, 2026.

  1. Does OC Transpo collect or analyze demographic information about their clients, and if so, what are the demographics they serve in the downtown core?
  2. What equity-seeking groups have they identified within their clientele?
  3. How were equity-seeking groups impacted by the spike in traffic disruptions in January?
  4. What data is available on cancellation and delay rates by route and by geographic area over the past three months?
  5. What analysis has been conducted on the disproportionate impacts of cancellations on high-density urban routes?
  6. What operational measures are being implemented to stabilize service reliability on routes 6, 7, 12 and 19 specifically?
  7. What progress has been made toward expanding bus-only lanes and transit priority measures, and how quickly can these be accelerated to mitigate the domino effect of delays on core routes?

  Reliable transit is a matter of equity and economic participation. I look forward to a detailed response and to working collaboratively on concrete steps to improve reliability for those who depend on it most.

9.2

Community Feedback for Limebank, Bowesville, and Leitrim Stations

Submitted by Councillor S. Desroches:

• O-Train Line 2 began passenger service on January 6, 2025, with stations serving the Riverside South and Findlay Creek communities. Line 2 has seen solid reliability and strong ridership with 4.7 million trips in 2025. With a full year of operations now realized, OC Transpo and City staff now have access to meaningful operational data, including passenger behaviour and feedback. 

  For example, residents have shared helpful feedback on the three stations regarding the station layout, access, and service. 

  Also, ridership trends show that the Bowesville Park and Ride is frequently nearing capacity on weekdays, reflecting increased use of Line 2 by commuters travelling to work and school. 

  1. What improvements can be made at Limebank Station to enhance passenger needs and usability, including:
     1. The passenger pick-up and drop-off operations and the possibility of making this street 2-way
     2. The pedestrian access to the station from the pick-up and drop-off area such as a mid-point crossing
     3. A paved sidewalk on the west side of Limebank Road towards Earl Armstrong Road
     4. The City assuming responsibility for the sidewalk and road on Town Square Place to ensure better winter maintenance
     5. Avoiding delays for buses leaving the station by shortening traffic light intervals at the Town Square Place and Earl Armstrong Road intersection.
  2. Is there an opportunity to provide a temporary Park and Ride at Limebank Station to address the high demand for Park and Ride space?
  3. When can the Bowesville Park and Ride be expanded to accommodate additional vehicles?
  4. Given that major service-level improvements require significant capital investment, what is the feasibility of improving frequency on O-Train Line 2 to 10 minutes or 11 minutes in the interim?
  5. How can train and bus schedules at Leitrim, Bowesville and Limebank Stations be better aligned to reduce passenger wait times and improve connectivity between services?
  6. How can OC Transpo improve communications to better promote the free Park and Ride at Leitrim Station?

9.3

Elevators

Submitted by Councillor M. Carr:

• Since September 2024, how many time have the elevators in Line 1, 2 and 4 stations been out of order? How many of these stations have only one elevator and how often are elevators at those stations out of order? How many stations cannot be accessed by elevator or accessibility ramp? What were the causes of the broken elevators? Once elevators are out of order, how are the public informed that the elevators don't work before arriving at the station and after arrival? What does OC Transpo do to support customers when elevators are out of order, particularly at stations with only one elevator?

9.4

Number of free bus passes

Submitted by Councillor M. Carr:

• Since the motion in the previous term for free bus tickets for those in shelters, and councillor Carr's direction in 2023 to extend it to the physical distance centre and temporary housing, could staff provide an update on the number of passes provided and facilities benefitting from the program. Furthermore, could you provide any feedback from actual pass users?

9.5

Number of conventional buses that have caught fire

Submitted by Councillor M. Carr:

• Given the current bus shortage, the wait for modern technology like e-buses, and the O-Train not running at its full capacity, and in light of the recent OC Transpo bus whose engine caught fire in January, how many conventional buses have caught fire in the past 20 years? Additionally, could you indicate how common replacements are required for major engine repairs on diesel buses?

10.

Other Business

There was no other business.

11.

Adjournment

Next Meeting: March 12, 2026.

The meeting adjourned at 2:38 pm.