In Ottawa, public transportation is available through OC Transpo, and unless you are traveling in the south end of the city, your only choice of public transportation will be the bus. Bus service in Ottawa is generally efficient and wide reaching in range.
Bus Service
The transitway, which runs east/west through the city, offers rapid travel on city buses via dedicated bus lanes. The three primary route numbers are the 95, 96 and 97 which operate 22 hours a day and all run through the downtown core of Ottawa. Note that the 95 stops at the Ottawa Train Station and the 97 stops at the Airport. The majority of trips on these routes also offer ’low floor buses’ which are of capable of lowering the steps closer to the curb and have two wheelchair spots onboard. OC Transpo offers bus service east, west, and south of the city (to the North runs the Ottawa River!) therefore you may want to refer to their website as it has a trip planner that clearly explains the routes available.
Types of Bus Service: Regular, Express (rush-hour only), Rural (outside of the city) and Rural Express (rush-hour only).
Fares: Using public transit in Ottawa will cost you more if you use cash when boarding the bus versus using a ticket or pass. The types of tickets and passes (as of December, 2005) are:
| Bus Ticket - $0.95 each or 10 for $9.50 |
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Day Pass - $6.00 This pass is good for one day and is valid on all regular and express routes. On your first trip of the day, show your red voucher to the driver then drop it into the fare box - you will then be issued a DayPass. On Sundays and Statutory (Stat) holidays, one DayPass allows 2 adults and 4 children (up to 11) to travel all day. If you have a DayPass and want to head out to the far ends of the city, using a Rural route will cost and additional $1.00 per trip. |
Bus Fare: Ensure you ask for a transfer as connections are included.
| Child - $1.50 or 1 ticket |
| Adult - $3.00 or 2 tickets |
| Express Routes - $4.00 or 3 tickets |
Where to Purchase Tickets: Bus Tickets are available at many locations across the city such as grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores. The DayPass along with regular tickets, can be purchased at OC Transpo Sales and Information Centres located at: The Rideau Centre (Downtown), Lincoln Fields Station (west-end), St. Laurent Station (east-end just outside of downtown core) and Place D’Orleans (east-end). If you can’t get to one of these locations, you can purchase a DayPass on the bus, but it will cost you $7.25.
O-Train
The O-Train is a light rail pilot project in Ottawa that runs for 8km from Greenboro Station (south) to Bayview Station (north). The O-Train will not cost you anything if transferring from a bus or if you are using your DayPass. If you don’t transfer from a bus, a ticket will cost you $2.25 (children under 11 are free) and can only be purchased at a vending machine located at O-Train platforms.
