Sutcliffe's transit election promises offer hope for a better OC Transpo | Opinion

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe promised to cut adult monthly passes on OC Transpo to $95 if re-elected. Photo by Jean Levac /POSTMEDIA

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At last, an Ottawa mayoral candidate has come up with a comprehensive transit plan that makes sense, has ambition, and offers at least the hope of a public transit renaissance.

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Mark Sutcliffe’s transit plan is a major upgrade compared to the collection of tweaks and gimmicks offered by his opponents. “Buck a ride” promises and service guarantees won’t fix OC Transpo’s problems.

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Lower-priced passes, more express buses, more dedicated bus lanes, and extending LRT to Kanata, Barrhaven and Stittsville are the key elements of Sutcliffe’s plan. It’s a long-term approach that will ultimately leave the city with an expanded transit service more tailored to people’s needs.

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Sutcliffe’s promise to reduce the cost of monthly passes has drawn the most attention. It’s a significant drop of 30 per cent, from $138.50 a month down to $95. The reduction is aimed at the right target. Monthly passholders are like season’s ticket holders in sports. They are the ones OC Transpo must attract to build a stable system.

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Public servants who now work four days a week in the office will have to reassess the cost of owning a car and parking it downtown vs. taking transit. The 30 per cent reduction should tip that calculation in transit’s favour.

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Sutcliffe says the cost of the passes will be reduced for four years, with the caveat that council can change that each year at budget time. It’s not a change he’s going to advocate.

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Fare reduction is a new direction for Sutcliffe, who raised them in his first term to help offset OC Transpo’s deficits. That was necessary, but it makes sense for a new four-year plan to rely on the $85 million a year the city expects to get because of Premier Doug Ford’s promise to upload capital and maintenance costs of the LRT to the province.

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Sutcliffe estimates that the fare reductions will take up to $10 million a year of that provincial money if the lower fares boost ridership as hoped. If they don’t, the cost could rise to $17 million.

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The provincial money is not yet in hand, but Ford promised it last year and his government reaffirmed the promise this year. Failure to deliver is highly unlikely. Getting the commitment from Ford was probably Sutcliffe’s major achievement in his first term. Now it’s time to tell voters how that provincial money will be spent.

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In promising to push for LRT extensions to major southern and western suburbs, Sutcliffe is relying on the type of federal and provincial support other cities are getting. Without that, those expansions are unaffordable.

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While still touting the value of the LRT, Sutcliffe wants to add to existing express service and move up construction of bus transitway lanes to get people straight to their destinations with minimal stops. That’s the service people liked when ridership was higher.

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It’s a welcome change from the council attitude before Sutcliffe’s election four years ago. That might be summarized as, “We’ve spent a fortune on this train service. You’re going to ride it like it or not.”