Weekly newsletter: September 17, 2025
Hi everyone!
It’s Wednesday! Sorry we had to delay the newsletter by a day this week.
The leaves are starting to change colours, so it’s hard to believe we’re still in drought conditions. It is cooling down nicely, though.
Electric buses
Notice of motion and inquiry for discussion at November Transit Committee (budget).
OC Transpo’s ongoing fleet age and availability issues are compounded, not only by delays at the bus manufacturers for new electric buses on order for two years now, but also by the service cuts in April, which has increased the capacity demand on each vehicle.
It’s led to service reliability issues (especially during peak hours), vehicle overcrowding, and passengers unable to board full buses, among other issues.
Also, with the untested abilities of high-capacity e-buses, transit staff in 2024 shifted to procuring 40-foot buses exclusively for the foreseeable future. In fact, Winnipeg Transit became the first Canadian agency to test an articulated e-bus starting just last month, meaning they likely won’t be an option for at least a few more years.
Staff’s assertion is using more 40-foot buses means better frequency and, therefore, better service. While true, the reality of operator recruitment and retention across the transportation sector makes that an aspirational goal.
With that in mind, at last week’s Transit Committee meeting, I moved a notice of motion↗ to suspend e-bus procurement in favour of high-capacity diesel or diesel-electric hybrid buses for the 2026 budget cycle (with language for purchasing options in future years and exploring joint procurement opportunities with other transit agencies).
Although diesel and hybrid buses generate more emissions than e-buses, a good transit system with diesel or hybrid buses will reduce more emissions than a bad transit system waiting on e-buses. That is still progress and is a practical solution for OC Transpo’s desperate fleet and service situation.
(There’s also the question of how emissions from producing and disposing of e-bus batteries compare to diesel and hybrid buses, but that’s a discussion for another time.)
Then there is the cost. In January 2023, the City approved a $974 million programme, comprising $335 million in municipal funds, a $289 million Canada Infrastructure Bank low-interest loan, and $350 million in federal funding, to purchase 350 e-buses.
The City’s $335 million is based on the cost of 350 diesel buses, while the low-interest loan pays for charging infrastructure at the St-Laurent bus garage, and the federal funding covers the cost differential between electric buses and diesel buses.
I was the only Councillor on Transit Committee to have voted against approving the programme, though five Councillors did join me in voting against it at Council.
I highlighted the fact Council was making a near-billion-dollar decision based on a one-year pilot of four e-buses that included just one winter, which I don’t believe to be responsible stewardship of public funds.
In contrast, the Toronto Transit Commission had been piloting 60 e-buses for three and a half years by that point and still continued purchasing hybrid buses as a transition technology (they would make the first large-scale e-bus purchase in 2023).
Additionally, though “only” $335 million of the $974 million was municipal money, the City would have to repay the $289 million plus interest, while the $350 million federal funding comes from the same source—you and me.
Speaking of the TTC, their board received a report in July 2025 which notes several considerations and risks of the e-bus programme, including vehicle production lead times, an immediate need to replace aging buses, run incompatibility, charging capacity limitations, workforce requirements, and operational agility in unplanned scenarios.
The report also notes limitations in e-bus performance (eg. range) will likely require an increase in operational costs, including a recommendation to increase the replacement ratio, from one e-bus replacing one diesel/hybrid bus to 1.05 e-buses replacing one diesel/hybrid bus, to provide the same level of service.
Left unaddressed, those considerations and risks could negatively impact service delivery and reliability. Most notably, the TTC report recommended the procurement of additional hybrid buses as insurance due to those considerations, risks, and uncertainties.
Both the TTC and OC Transpo’s pilot e-buses are the same New Flyer XE40 model of vehicle, with Toronto’s about two to three years older than ours. The TTC offers a good two-to-three-year technical and practical preview of our e-bus programme.
Alongside my notice of motion, I submitted a formal inquiry↗ on the e-buses, the e-bus programme, and also to apply Ottawa data to the considerations noted in the TTC report, as, despite some differences in service design, the principles of the report are relevant across all transit agencies with e-buses.
The notice of motion will be discussed at the next Transit Committee meeting in November, while staff should have a response to my formal inquiry in about the same timeframe.
As background on the fleet situation, the City procured 631 buses in two large orders back in the 2000s. It was great for a time—two-thirds of the OC Transpo bus fleet was brand new, low(er) maintenance, and the City didn’t have to buy new buses for several years, but it was short-sighted.
Unsurprisingly, the buses all aged together, meaning their maintenance demands, including the need for a mid-life refurbishment, all came at the same time. Now, those buses are all reaching retirement age at the same time.
OC Transpo took a more staggered approach with bus procurement starting in 2018, placing smaller orders of new buses annually to avoid repeating the fleet situation that was only starting then.
The previous city council approved an e-bus pilot in 2019 but decided that all new bus purchases going forward would be electric before the first e-bus arrived. The four pilot e-buses would arrive mid-2021 and enter service in February 2022.
Due to a variety of factors, including pandemic delays and higher capital investment required of the bus manufacturer (because they get paid upon vehicle delivery), e-bus production lead times have stretched to two years from when an order is placed to when the vehicle is delivered. Previously, orders of diesel buses would arrive about a year after they were ordered.
Unlike cars, buses are always made to order, so there are no showrooms with new buses for sale. Used buses are difficult to come by, as transit agencies typically use their buses to the end of their service lives.
Switching to diesel or hybrid buses will not solve the fleet situation overnight. The buses will still need time to be delivered, but it will put us on a better path in the short term while the bus manufacturers sort out the e-bus delays.
We must be practical in the face of a desperate bus situation.
Bite-sized updates
Sorted alphabetically!
Air traffic – The Ottawa International Airport will be closing Runway 14/32 (north-south runway) September 9 to 12 and 15 to 19 from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm each day for pavement rehabilitation and signage works. During the closures, all commercial flights will be using Runway 07/25 (east-west runway), resulting in an increase in air traffic over Barrhaven.
Amazon public information night – An in-person public information session is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday October 29, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Amazon, City staff, and I will be there to share information about the project and listen to feedback for future consideration before and after the facility is operational. Location and other details will be available in the coming weeks.
Army Run traffic impact – Several roads downtown and the Alexandra Bridge will be closed for the Canada Army Run↗ on Sunday September 21 from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. See Ottawa.ca↗ for more information. Service on O-Train Line 1 will begin two hours earlier at 6:00 am (Line 2 will begin at its usual Sunday time).
Barrhaven East Town Hall – I’m trying something new! It’ll be an opportunity for Barrhaven East residents to gather with City staff and me to talk about our community and City in an open session format. The in-person↗ town hall is on Tuesday September 23, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at St. Mother Teresa High School, while a virtual version↗ will be the week after on Thursday October 2, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Cleaning the Capital – Registration for the Cleaning the Capital autumn 2025 campaign closes September 30. Join the 18 cleanup projects already registered so far in Barrhaven East to help keep our parks and public spaces clean and looking good and earn some volunteer hours! Participants are provided with clean-up kits with garbage bags and gloves. Learn more or register at Ottawa.ca/clean↗.
Deerfox-Fieldcrest pathway – New lighting for the pathway↗ connecting Deerfox and Fieldcrest west of Woodroffe has been approved and funded. The ambitious installation timeline is November, while a more realistic timeline will likely be next spring. Thank you to residents in the area for the requests over the last few years.
Foot Guards Park barbecue – Join the Governor General’s Foot Guards and me at Foot Guards Park on Saturday September 27 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Equipment will be on display, a band will be playing, and face off in a tug-of-war, all alongside a free barbecue!
Greenbank Park – The slide at Greenbank Park is out of service due to a crack at the bottom. The manufacturer will be replacing it under warranty. Expected timeline for replacement is early/mid-October.
Limebank Station pick-up/drop-off – The pick-up/drop-off location has been moved to a temporary location↗ until November due to construction. From Earl Armstrong, turn right on Limebank, then LEFT at the signals, proceed to the end of the roadway to make a u-turn (yes, really) back to the pick-up/drop-off location. Signage is in place for guidance.
Low water conditions – The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s major low-water advisory↗ continues across the entire Rideau River watershed. Households on well water are strongly encouraged to suspend non-essential uses.
Shower facilities and water filling stations are available at the Minto Recreation Complex↗ and Walter Baker Sports Centre↗ for residents in Hearts Desire and Rideau Glen. Please call ahead to confirm availability (contact and hours of operation in the links).
O-Train Line 1 – Rail service will be suspended and replaced with R1 buses on the entire Line 1 from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am on Friday September 26 for ongoing integration works for the extension to Orléans and for maintenance.
Pop-up office hours – My pop-up office hours at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market (Barrhaven) have ended for the year. Thanks to all the residents who stopped by to chat throughout the summer! The farmers market continues every Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm until October 26. The pop-up office wasn’t the only opportunity to meet or chat with me—just send me an email and we can arrange something!
Strandherd/Deerfox-Stoneway – Lane closures and shifts may be required to accommodate the ongoing private infrastructure connection project. Expected completion is September 25.
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Additionally, yesterday, the Environment and Climate Change Committee approved the updated parks waste collection strategy, which includes formalising the three-stream collection programme and expands it to about 400 new parks over the next few years. More details in next week’s newsletter!
Have a great week ahead.
-Wilson