Farah Gulzar
"OC Transpo needs to become a service that residents can actually depend on. Reliability and frequency should be the first priorities. I would support reviewing routes and service levels based on actual community needs, ridership, population growth, and gaps in service, particularly in areas where residents have limited transportation options.
The City should prioritize frequent and reliable service on key routes, better connections between neighbourhoods and major destinations, and clear communication when service is disrupted. We also need to make transit accessible and affordable for families, seniors, youth, people with disabilities, and residents who rely on transit every day.
I also believe OC Transpo needs greater accountability. Residents should be able to see clear performance measures for on-time service, cancellations, frequency and customer experience. Major transit investments should be evaluated not only by their construction cost, but also by their long-term operating and maintenance costs.
The goal should be simple: if people can trust transit to get them where they need to go, they will have a real alternative to driving."
Shawn Menard
"Reliable, accessible, affordable public transit should be a cornerstone of any credible climate action plan and is key to building a vibrant and sustainable city. I have been a lifelong advocate for public transit, dating back to my days in student politics.
This past term, I moved a motion which secured free transit for youth 18-and-under on evenings, weekends, holidays, and all summer. As a result, affordability improved and OC Transpo reported that 28,000 youth transit riders made ~456,000 trips this summer (on existing routes)—whereas in summer 2025, 8,000 youth made ~130,000 trips. City council must build on this success by continuing to reduce fares.
If we want to keep these new riders and retain existing ridership, it is imperative that we commit to improving reliability and accessibility of service. We have and will continue to advocate for expanding bus lanes and purchasing new buses so we have a fleet that can meet the growing demands of our City. We must also improve scheduling across the system and ensure that OC Transpo has the funding it needs to operate a transit system befitting of a G7 capital."