(via City of Ottawa)
Starting Sunday, September 3, OC Transpo will introduce new route numbers for several routes as part of getting Ready for Rail and the opening of the O-Train Confederation Line in 2018. Other fall service changes include adjusted schedules to reflect the higher demand for service as customers return to work and school.
Customers should visit octranspo.com and use the travel planner to see if their regular trips are affected.
Simplified service to Tanger Outlets
In Kanata, Route 162 will replace the current Route 62 evening and weekend service between Terry Fox Station and Tanger Outlets.
New route numbers, same route
Seven bus routes will be renumbered as part of the transition to the 2018 transit network. These routes will have new numbers, but the routes will remain largely the same.
Bus routes being renumbered this fall are mainly in the south and east areas of the city:
- Route 8 will be renumbered as Frequent Route 44
- Route 116 will be renumbered as Local Route 96
- Route 132 will be renumbered as Local Route 32
- Route 137 will be renumbered as Local Route 37
- Route 186 will be renumbered as Local Route 176
Routes 114 and 298 will be combined and renumbered as all-day Frequent Route 40. Route 40 will follow the current Route 114 routing between St-Laurent and Greenboro Stations at all times of the week, with most trips extended to Hurdman Station in the morning peak period and most trips extended to start at Hurdman Station in the afternoon peak period.
Back to school service for students
Eligible university and college students can pick-up or reload their 2017-18 U‑Pass on campus at Carleton University, Saint Paul University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College. The Fall/Winter U-Pass is valid from September 1, 2017 until April 30, 2018. The 2017 Summer U-Pass expires August 31. This year, all students will use the blue smartcard U-Pass, which can be tapped on OC Transpo and STO buses, as well at future O-Train fare gates. Smartcard U-Passes can also be reused for future semesters of full-time study.
Eligible elementary and secondary students will receive their Youth transit pass on a Presto card at school. Other customers aged 13 to 19 can get a Youth discount set on their Presto card at an OC Transpo Customer Service Centre with proof of age.
Service to French language schools starts Tuesday, August 29, while service to English language schools starts Tuesday, September 5, to coincide with school schedules. Check octranspo.com for details about eligibility, schedules, and school route changes, including for students who are being relocated to Bell, Sir Robert Borden, and Gloucester high schools as a result of school closures.
Labour Day
On Monday, September 4, OC Transpo will operate a Sunday schedule, meaning only those routes that normally run on Sundays will be in service. The DayPass will be valid as a family pass on Labour Day. A family or group of up to six people, with a maximum of two individuals aged 13 years or older, can ride all day with one $10.25 DayPass. Holiday schedules are available at octranspo.com. OC Transpo Customer Service Centres and the Transit Information Line (613-741-4390) will be open. On Saturday, September 2, Customer Service Centres at Lincoln Fields, Place d’Orléans and St-Laurent will also be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for added convenience.
Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Labour Day. Regular scheduled trips are automatically cancelled, but customers may book trips for Labour Day by calling 613-244-7272 on or after August 28.
Recreational destination service wraps up for the summer
Special summer weekend and holiday-only service will end after Labour Day on Route 129 to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Route 185 to the Canada Agricultural Museum and Experimental Farm, and Route 198 to Petrie Island.
Paper passes are discontinued – switch to Presto
Monthly passes allowing unlimited rides are now only available on Presto. Customers can visit an OC Transpo Customer Service Centre or City of Ottawa Client Service Centre to purchase their Presto monthly pass. Customers can also go online at prestocard.ca or call 1-877-378-6123 to order their Presto card. Visit octranspo.com for more information. Para Transpo customers can purchase monthly passes on the new ParaPay system. Visit octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390 or 613-741-5280 (TTY) for more information.
New fare equipment on the O-Train Trillium Line
Fare gates and ticket machines are being installed for commissioning and testing at Greenboro, Confederation, Carleton, and Carling O-Train stations. More information will be provided before the fare equipment is turned on later this year. This new fare equipment is the same equipment that will be used in 2018 on the O-Train Confederation Line.
Real-time schedule information is available 24 hours a day by calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus the four‑digit bus stop number. Register for alerts at octranspo.com to receive news, route-specific changes, or detours by e-mail or text. Standard rates apply to SMS messages. New printed timetables are now available. For more details and travel planning assistance, customers should visit www.octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.