FAQs
Planning your commute this fall
OC Travel Planner to find the best route and schedule for your trip.
Transit app for real-time transit information.
Roadwork and street closures for information about road impacts, lane closures and detours.
Interactive Traffic Map to view construction impacts on your route.
Follow the City’s traffic accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and on Bluesky.
Why are travel conditions expected to change this fall?
This fall, more people are expected to be travelling across Ottawa as schools, workplaces, post-secondary institutions and other activities return to their regular schedules. Up to 65,000 additional weekly trips downtown are anticipated by fall 2026, leading to busier roads, higher transit demand and longer travel times for some trips. The Transportation and Mobility Action Plan was developed to help people move around the city as smoothly as possible.
What is the City doing to prepare for the increase in travel?
The City is building on its existing coordinated approach across transit, roads, traffic operations, construction management and traveller information. This includes improving and increasing transit service, adjusting traffic signals where needed, strengthening incident response, coordinating construction activities and providing regular travel updates so residents can make informed decisions about how and when they travel.
How can I stay informed?
Visit the Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan page for the latest updates, tools, and resources to get to know your route and help plan your commute. On this page you can sign up to stay informed, and regular updates will be delivered directly to your inbox throughout the fall to help plan your trips. Information will also be available through:
Checking for updates before you travel can help you choose the best route, travel time or travel option for your trip.
Taking transit
More frequent O-Train service
New Express bus routes
Additional trips on busy routes
Improved Park & Ride connections
Enhancements to Para Transpo service
More frequent O-Train service means shorter waits and more space on board
Trains will run every 4 minutes at peak times – down from every 5 minutes
Trains will run every 6 minutes during mid-day periods and every 7 minutes in early evenings – down from every 10 minutes
The system will run double-car trains on weekdays
OC Travel Planner to find the best route and schedule
Transit app for real-time bus information
How is the City making my transit commute better?
The City is prioritizing transit to help residents travel reliably this fall. OC Transpo is increasing service across the network, including:
Together, these improvements are designed to provide more travel options and help keep Ottawa moving. Use the OC Travel Planner to plan your trip.
What changes are being made to O-Train service?
Service on O-Train Line 1 will be enhanced, with more frequent service and increased capacity with double-car trains on weekdays.
Service on O-Train Line 2 will start earlier, with morning service from the south end beginning at 6 am.
What new Express routes are being introduced?
New Express buses will provide fast, direct connections between Park & Ride lots, O-Train stations and major employment areas, including downtown, Tunney's Pasture, DND Carling Campus and Kanata North. The Express service will offer faster travel times for customers with limited stops, at the same fare as regular service.
Which routes are receiving additional service?
More frequent service will be added for key routes, including the E1 Shuttle Express and routes 5, 13, 63, 74, 75, 98, 226 and 256. These improvements will provide additional capacity, better connections and more travel options for customers across the city.
What improvements are being made for Para Transpo customers?
Para Transpo is introducing service enhancements to help strengthen reliability and support customers as travel demand increases this fall. Visit octranspo.com to learn more about services and plan your trips.
How can I plan my trip?
Use these tools to help you plan your transit trip:
Driving and traffic
Optimizing traffic signals on busy routes
Enhancing real-time traffic monitoring
Installing additional traffic monitoring cameras
Increasing enforcement in key areas, including bus lanes and no-stopping zones
Strengthening incident response to clear disruptions more quickly
What is the City doing to reduce congestion and delays?
The City is taking a number of steps to help keep people moving, including:
Together, these measures are intended to reduce delays and improve travel reliability across the city's road network.
How can I carpool?
Carpooling is a simple way to save on travel costs, reduce traffic and make your commute easier. If you work, study or live near other people travelling to the same destination, you may be able to share a ride for all or part of your trip.
Ottawa Ride Match is a free ride-matching service available to anyone who lives or works in the National Capital Region. It helps connect people with similar travel routes and schedules so they can find carpooling partners.
What should I expect during peak travel times?
Roads may be busier during morning and afternoon rush hours, especially during the first few weeks of September as people return to school and work and adjust to new routines. Travel times may vary from day to day as traffic patterns settle. The City will continue to monitor conditions and make operational adjustments as needed. Checking traffic, transit and construction updates before you leave can help you plan your trip and avoid delays.
Visit the Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan page for the latest updates, tools, and resources to get to know your route and help plan your commute. On this page you can subscribe to stay informed, with regular updates delivered directly to your inbox throughout the fall to help plan your trips.
Construction and road impacts
Roadwork and street closures for information about road impacts, lane closures and detours.
Interactive Traffic Map to view construction impacts on your route.
What is being done to reduce construction-related delays?
The City is enhancing the coordination of construction activities to help minimize travel impacts while continuing important infrastructure projects. This includes limiting road and lane closures during the busiest travel periods, accelerating or rescheduling some work where possible, completing more work during evenings and off-peak periods, and coordinating work on key travel routes.
How can I find out about construction impacts along my route?
Residents can check:
Checking before you leave can help you choose the best route and avoid delays.
Why are construction projects continuing during this period?
Ottawa's roads, bridges, water infrastructure and transit network require ongoing maintenance and renewal. While the City is taking steps to reduce impacts on travellers, important construction projects must continue to ensure infrastructure remains safe, reliable and ready to support a growing city.
Parking
What Park & Ride options are available?
OC Transpo offers more than 9,000 free parking spaces at Park & Ride lots across Ottawa and nearby rural communities. Park & Ride can be a convenient option if you want to avoid traffic and connect to transit for part of your trip. The City is improving links between parking areas and transit services, making it easier to leave your car and continue your trip by bus or O-Train.
Visit octranspo.com Park & Ride webpage to find a Park & Ride location near you.
What new parking options are being introduced?
The City is introducing more flexible parking options to support changing travel patterns. Measures include more opportunities for shared or temporary parking, and additional parking in strategic locations near transit and major employment areas.
More information about parking options will be shared through the Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan page and newsletter as it becomes available.
Are there any new Park & Ride connections or services?
Yes. OC Transpo is improving transit connections to and from Park & Ride facilities across Ottawa. New express services and additional transit connections will make it easier for residents to travel between Park & Ride lots, O-Train stations and major employment areas.
For details on specific routes and connections, use the OC Travel Planner to explore your options.
Walking, cycling and other ways to travel
GeoOttawa: Explore cycling routes and pathways across the city.
Official Cycling Map (Ottawa-Gatineau): Find major cycling routes, pathways and cycling facilities.
Cycling Guide Mobile App: Plan cycling trips that use the best available low-stress, cycling-friendly routes.
OC Transpo Travel Planner: Plan trips that combine transit, walking and cycling.
Transit app: Access real-time transit information and service updates, and plan trips using transit, walking, and cycling.
Ottawa Ride Match: The free ride-matching service isn’t just for carpooling, it also functions as a trip planner and can be used to find commute partners for other travel options such as walking, bicycling, or taking transit.
What options are available if I don't want to drive?
There are many ways to get around Ottawa without driving. Depending on your trip, you may be able to take transit, walk, cycle, use a Park & Ride lot, carpool or combine different travel options with OC Transpo’s Rack and Roll program. Choosing alternatives to driving can help reduce congestion and make travel easier for everyone.
What improvements are being made for people who walk and cycle?
The City is making walking and cycling easier by improving maps and trip-planning tools, maintaining pathways and bike lanes, and promoting active transportation options across Ottawa. These improvements are intended to help residents feel confident choosing walking or cycling for some of their daily trips.
How can I combine cycling and transit?
OC Transpo's Rack and Roll program makes it easy to combine cycling and transit. All OC Transpo buses are equipped with bike racks, and many O-Train stations connect directly to cycling pathways. You can cycle for part of your trip and use transit for the rest, giving you more flexibility when travelling across the city.
Both the OC Travel Planner and the Transit app provide options to plan trips that combine cycling and transit:
Quick and convenient cycling routes connect you to Park & Ride lots across Ottawa
Where can I find maps and trip-planning tools?
The City and OC Transpo offer several tools to help you plan your trip:
These tools can help you find the option that works best for your trip.
Travel information and updates
Transportation and Mobility Action Plan page for the latest updates, resources and travel information.
Transit App for real-time transit information and service updates.
OC Travel Planner to find the best route and travel option for your trip.
Roadwork and street closures for information about road impacts, lane closures and detours.
Interactive Traffic Map to view construction impacts on your route.
Follow the City’s traffic accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and on Bluesky.
What's the best way to check for travel updates before I leave?
Residents can visit the Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan page and subscribe to stay informed. Regular updates will be delivered directly to your inbox throughout the fall to help plan your trips.
Before you travel, check the City's travel information tools to get the latest information on transit service, traffic conditions, road closures, construction impacts and travel options. Depending on your trip, you may find the following tools helpful:
Checking before you leave can help you choose the best route, departure time or travel option for your trip.
How can I subscribe to get updates?
Visit the Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan and enter your email address under Stay Informed. You will receive regular updates on transit, traffic, construction impacts and other mobility-related information.