April 16, 2026: Spring 2026 Transit Service Changes

To	Mayor and Members of Council
From	General Manager, Transit Services Department
Subject	Spring 2026 Transit Service Changes
Date	April 16, 2026

The purpose of this memo is to provide an overview of OC Transpo’s spring service changes, which will be in effect starting Sunday, April 19, 2026. Regular schedule adjustments take place four times a year – spring, summer, fall and winter – and memos are provided in advance of each new schedule period.

The spring service change includes the following:

• Service adjustments
• Seasonal service changes
• Service adjustments for construction

Service adjustments

• Bus schedule adjustments were made to prioritize critical trips and provide a more consistent schedule for customers. The number of buses available for service has increased slightly from the winter service period, building on incremental progress to strengthen service delivery. However, increases in run times on some routes and an increase in fleet requirements have resulted in a temporary decrease of 279 trips each weekday for the spring schedule. A list is available on the Open Ottawa website. Work to further increase bus availability continues, and OC Transpo will increase the number of trips being delivered as it improves.
• On Route 47, two new trips will run seven days per week to Amazon facilities on Sheffield Road and Ages Drive, to accommodate major shift times for staff. The new trips will start at approximately 12:50 am from St-Laurent Station and 11:55 am from Russell Road.
• As part of the regular review of schedules to improve on-time performance and service reliability for customers, weekday schedule adjustments will be made to Routes 12, 15, 30, 53, 81, 82, and 168 to better align with observed actual travel times.
• Adjustments to school service have been made based on observed ridership levels and in consultation with the four school boards and their student transportation authorities. Full details on specific changes to school service will be available on octranspo.com in advance of the spring service change.

Seasonal service changes

• Routes 7, 25, 75, and 88 will be less frequent during certain time periods on weekdays due to lower seasonal ridership levels as the winter term ends at post-secondary institutions.

Holidays

• Victoria Day – Monday, May 18, 2026 – Bus service and O-Train Lines 1, 2, and 4 will operate on a Sunday schedule. Shopper Route 301 will not operate.

Service adjustments for construction

As a result of road reconstruction and other infrastructure projects, the following routes may experience delays, detours, and additional travel time:

• Carleton University roadway closures
  Beginning in the spring, roadway closures for watermain replacement at Carleton University along Campus Avenue will result in detours for Routes 7, 10, 48, and 111. During the detours, all four bus routes will stop along University Drive near the Carleton Athletics Complex, maintaining close connections with O-Train Line 2 at Carleton Station throughout the closure. These detours are expected to continue through the spring and summer service periods.
• Richmond Road at Bayshore Drive – structure rehabilitation
  Routes 11, 57, 81, and 691 will be detoured when exiting Bayshore Station, via Holly Acres and Richmond roads, to accommodate work in the median of Richmond Road near Bayshore Drive that will restrict some turn movements. The work will start mid-April and is expected to occur over a two-month period.
• Woodroffe Avenue at Richmond Road revitalization work
  Beginning in late March, a segment of Woodroffe Avenue between Deschênes Street and Richmond Road will be fully closed to traffic until the fall. During the closure Route 87 will be detoured along Churchill Avenue and Richmond Road, between Scott Street and Woodroffe Avenue. The closure is required for work related to the Revitalizing Richmond Road Project, led by the O-Train Extension team.

Customer Information

Full details of these service changes will be communicated to customers throughout April. OC Transpo has several customer-friendly applications and tools to assist customers in accessing timely information about our service while on the go. These include texting 560560 for real-time bus schedule information, downloading the Transit app, signing up for text alerts to receive the latest information, checking transit information screens at many major stations, as well as visiting octranspo.com. Real-time information is also available by calling 613-560-1000 plus the bus stop number.

Once the spring service changes begin on April 19, customers can find up-to-date schedules and real-time information by using these applications and tools, visiting octranspo.com or by contacting the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre (613-560-5000).

Staff will continue to evaluate service changes and make adjustments based on changing travel needs, customer and staff feedback, as well as ridership data and key performance indicators.

Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Pat Scrimgeour, Director, Transit Customer Systems and Planning, at [Personal information redacted].

Original signed by
Rick Leary

cc:Senior Leadership Team
Transit Services Departmental Leadership Team
Chief Communications Officer, Public Information and Media Relations