OC Transpo's reliability problems are still weighing on Algonquin College students this fall, even as the transit agency rolls out a new schedule and a customer-focused improvement plan ahead of the busy season.
First-year environmental management and assessment student Sarah Moritsugu commutes from Blair Station in the city's east end to the college in the west end, a trip she told the Algonquin Times takes about 50 minutes using the train to Hurdman and then Route 88.
"The one thing is sometimes the 88 is late, and if the 88 is late then you're waiting for the next one," Moritsugu told the Algonquin Times. "It can be anywhere up to 20 minutes late."
OC Transpo has been trying to rebuild rider confidence after years of light-rail problems and bus scheduling issues — a matter that has emerged as a central issue in this year's municipal election, according to the Algonquin Times.
In June 2026, Ottawa Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon released the Audit of Bus Service Planning and Scheduling, a sharply critical review of OC Transpo's bus network. The audit found management had prioritized cost-saving measures over actual service outcomes, despite promises of improved reliability and frequent connections, and had relied on outdated data when planning routes and schedules.
In response, OC Transpo general manager Rick O'Leary held a series of town hall meetings over the summer to gather public feedback and present the agency's new Customer-First Action plan. The agency also increased bus frequency and worked on scheduling ahead of an anticipated fall ridership bump driven by municipal and federal return-to-office mandates and the annual return of students.
For some students, the changes are producing a manageable commute. Third-year business student Ketsia Illunga takes Route 88 from Alta Vista, with a transfer on Route 45, for a trip she said should average 50 minutes.
Illunga told the Algonquin Times she hasn't run into any major problems so far this fall, and that after travelling to and from Gatineau last year — a commute of roughly an hour and a half — any improvement is welcome.
"It's been a pretty positive experience, but I just started this month," Illunga told the Algonquin Times.
Algonquin Students' Association president Jacob Stewart said he has heard from a number of students concerned about OC Transpo's reliability, and that the association's leadership has committed to working with the agency to advocate for student needs.
"Transit is actively a priority for us. (Our) goal is to continue building relationships with Rick O'Leary and all the people over there at OC Transpo," Stewart told the Algonquin Times. "Hopefully, by building those relationships and having those conversations, we can get something done for the students."
Stewart said he also knows the sting of delays firsthand, having arrived 15 minutes late on the second day of his internship.
Still, some students say they recognize the difficulty of running transit across a city as geographically large as Ottawa.
"Ottawa's a big city. There's a lot of ground to cover and there are some places where OC Transpo doesn't hit," Moritsugu told the Algonquin Times, noting a friend in Vanier who finds it faster to drive to Parliament Hill than take the bus despite the short distance.
"I know they're always working understaffed and respect they're doing their best, but obviously we can wish for things to be better," she said.
