[Fading Isle]

The biggest problem with the transit system in this city is frequency and always has been. For those with the option to drive, no one is ever going to take transit over driving if they have to potentially wait 30 minutes for a bus.

I lived in Toronto for 10-years and the biggest difference I noticed, and the reason why so many more people ride transit there, is that transit is often more convenient than driving because of its frequency. I lived in 6 different areas of the city during that time and never once had to check a transit schedule, even in the suburbs. You could just go to a bus stop and within 5-10 minutes a bus would be there.

I've taken the exact route you took today multiple times and the biggest problem is always bus frequency. The time it takes can fluctuate widely depending on the bus. The 30 is a fine experience once you're on the bus (and faster than driving during rush hour because of the bus lane on the 174), but it's often late or doesn't show up and the lack of frequency even when it arrives on time already adds so much to commute times. I think just having buses coming frequently and reliably alone would drastically improve service in Ottawa and increase ridership. Every route should be at least 15-minute frequency, but many more should be better than that.

The train has been operating at reduced speeds since July because it keeps breaking. No word on when it will return to normal speeds. Even the normal speed is quite a bit slower than trains are in Toronto whether it be TTC or Go Transit though.