Jenna Jessop
"If we want people to choose public transit instead of driving, we have to give them a system they can actually rely on. Right now, too many people are dealing with cancelled buses, long waits, missed connections and trips that take far longer than they should. It is difficult to convince someone to leave their car at home when they cannot be confident they will get to work, school or an appointment on time.
My first priority would be reliability. That means making sure we have enough buses on the road, investing in the maintenance and replacement of our bus fleet, and having enough operators and mechanics to deliver the service we promise. I also want better public reporting on cancelled and late buses so we can see where the problems are happening and hold the system accountable for improving them.
Frequency matters too. We need reliable local routes that allow people to get around their own communities, along with better connections across the city and more direct and express service where it makes sense. The LRT is an important part of our transit system, but it cannot solve every transportation need. A strong bus network has to work alongside it.
Affordability is also important. I would not support further fare increases right now, and I would look for ways to make transit more affordable for youth, seniors and low-income residents. If we want to encourage more people to use transit, continuing to make it more expensive while service remains unreliable moves us in the wrong direction. Ultimately, people will choose transit when it is reliable, frequent, affordable and convenient. We need to focus on making OC Transpo a service people want to use, not simply one they use because they have no other option."
David Purchase
"People aren’t going to leave their cars at home for a transit system they can’t count on. We need to make OC Transpo reliable again. Buses need to show up when they’re supposed to, and people shouldn’t need two or three transfers to make a trip that used to be simple. I don’t think every trip should be forced onto the train. The LRT is an important part of our system, but we also need good local routes, reliable connections, and direct express buses where they make sense and where the ridership supports them. That’s especially important in Orléans. We need better north-south service within our own community, and before the east LRT opens, people should know how they’re getting to the stations, how often their bus will run, and how they’re getting home. If we want people to choose transit, we have to give them a reason to. Make it reliable, make it convenient and keep it affordable. Give people a service they can actually depend on."
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Response in French Provided by the Candidate
"Si on veut que les gens laissent leur auto à la maison plus souvent, il faut d’abord leur offrir un transport en commun fiable. Les autobus doivent arriver à l’heure. Les gens ne devraient pas avoir à faire deux ou trois correspondances pour un trajet qui était beaucoup plus simple avant. Le train léger est important, mais on ne peut pas bâtir tout notre réseau autour du train. Il faut aussi de bonnes lignes locales, des correspondances qui fonctionnent et des autobus express directs là où la demande le justifie. C’est particulièrement important à Orléans. Il faut améliorer le service nord-sud dans notre communauté. Avant l’ouverture de la ligne 1, les résidents doivent savoir comment ils vont se rendre aux stations, à quelle fréquence les autobus vont passer et comment ils vont revenir dans leur quartier. Si on veut que les gens choisissent le transport en commun, il faut que ce soit un vrai choix. Un service fiable, pratique et abordable sur lequel les gens peuvent compter."