At the Transit Committee meeting on November 24th, CAFES shared our input on the draft transit budget released on November 12th 2025.

We argued that raising the bus fare when New Ways to Bus has reduced service and coverage is unacceptable. Many people who rely on transit are low-income, and they should not be asked to shoulder higher costs while service is declining.

Moreover, we emphasized that investing in a well-functioning transit system is the only way to accommodate increased population growth in Ottawa. Our population is projected to grow by 400,000 people, and we don't have space on the road for all those cars. As we told the committee, transit must be treated as a city-wide development and growth strategy, not an isolated silo.

Finally, we reminded the committee that fleet electrification is one of the most impactful options to reduce our municipal greenhouse gas emissions. It's important that procurement of electric buses is timely to improve reliability and expand the fleet. Replacing stinky diesel buses that are at end of life, needing big-time maintenance is good for air quality AND good for the budget -- each electric bus saves tens of thousands of dollars in fuel costs over its life-time.

Our full delegation is attached below.