Here’s how Ottawa and Gatineau transit systems are preparing for extra commuters this fall

An STO bus is seen in Gatineau, Que. in this undated image. (CTV News Ottawa)

Gatineau’s transit service won’t be able to add more buses to the roads this fall as federal public servants spend more time in the office and students return to universities and colleges.

Officials in Ottawa and Gatineau are expecting thousands of additional commuters on the roads and onboard public transit this fall after the federal government introduced new in-office mandates requiring public servants in the office four or five days a week.

While the City of Ottawa has unveiled a 48-point plan to keep traffic moving, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) says it “won’t be able to add more services as all our resources are already on the road.”

The STO is expecting around 3,400 trips on its buses a day this fall.

A spokesperson for the STO tells CTV News Ottawa the transit service invested over $5 million into public transit in 2025, which equals more than 19,000 hours of service and brought back the 100 and 200 series routes.

“This level of service is maintained this fall, but we won’t be able to add more service as all our resources are already on the road,” the STO said.

“Our teams will be following closely the road network and its impact on our service. We will also have a few extra buses parked at strategic locations on our network to add more trips where they are most needed.”

The STO has launched a public advertising campaign to invite customers to “get acquainted with the transit system” this summer to prepare for back to school and office this fall.

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Ottawa’s 48-point plan

With the City of Ottawa expecting an additional 65,000 additional weekly trips into the downtown core this fall due to the return to office mandate, the city has unveiled a 48-point plan to keep traffic moving.

The plan $29 million in spending, including $20.1 million for a Bowesville LRT Park-and-Ride facility, $240,000 for overtime for OC Transpo workers to work on buses, $300,000 to extend E1 Service – Express bus route between Blair Station to downtown and $1.1 million on additional Express routes and additional service on existing routes from existing park-and-rides.

OC Transpo has also unveiled several measures to boost transit this fall. The plan includes:

O-Train Line 1

• O-Train Line 1 service every four minutes during peak periods
• Six-minute service in the midday, improved from current 10 minutes
• Seven-minute service in the early evening, improved from current 10 minutes
• Two-car trains will continue to operate Monday to Friday

Buses

OC Transpo is planning new connections from Park and Rides, including express bus trips:

• West - new, regular and express trips to Tunney’s Pasture Station and DND Carling Campus from Eagleson, Innovation and Terry Fox
• East - new express trips to Blair Station from Millennium, Place d’Orléans and Trim and additional trips from Chapel Hill to Blair Station
• South - Additional trips to Tunney’s Pasture Station from Baseline, Fallowfield, Nepean Woods and Strandherd, and additional trips from Greenboro to Hurdman Station

Express route to DND

• New express connection from Tunney’s Pasture to DND Carling Campus during peak periods, with some trips extending to the Kanata North business park

East end bus improvements

• New express trips from Millennium, Place d’Orléans and Trim Park & Ride lots to Blair Station
• New trip on Route 24 from Chapel Hill Park & Ride to Blair Station
• New morning trip on the E1 Shuttle Express

Central and south bus improvements

• Better connections from Baseline and Greenboro Park & Ride lots to O-Train Line 1
• More service on Route 5 between Elmvale and Waller
• More service on Route 13 between Tunney’s Pasture Station and Gatineau
• More service on Route 98 between Hunt Club and Hurdman Station