Why one councillor is pushing to end Ottawa's $1.3M express bus

Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo is calling for OC Transpo to eliminate the E1 express bus route in the east end, arguing its resources could be better used to improve service elsewhere in Ottawa. Photo by Jean Levac /POSTMEDIA

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An Ottawa city councillor says it’s time for OC Transpo to end its E1 express bus, arguing that the route has become redundant and that its resources could be better spent improving transit elsewhere.

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Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo said the route served an important purpose when it was introduced during repeated O-Train disruptions in 2023, but believes that purpose has passed.

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“I don’t think it’s something that should still exist because it runs parallel to Line 1,” Lo said. “The original intention of the route is legitimate … but now it’s become redundant.”

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OC Transpo E1 Express route between downtown and Blair Station. Photo by Dennis Leung/Openstreetmap

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The E1 is a weekday peak-period express bus connecting Blair Station with downtown, offering commuters an alternative to Line 1.

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The debate comes after Ottawa’s auditor general found the city had not demonstrated whether the route represented the best use of limited transit resources.

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A city audit report released in June found that the E1 cost approximately $1.3 million annually to operate and remained in service to help rebuild public confidence in the LRT after years of reliability issues.

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Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon found the route was inconsistent with the city’s goal of encouraging riders to use rail as the backbone of the transit system and said officials had not demonstrated whether it represented the best value compared with other possible transit service improvements.

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In a statement, Pat Scrimgeour, OC Transpo’s director of transit customer systems and planning, said the E1 “continues to be well used during the morning commute, with approximately 760 customer trips for weekday service.”

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But Scrimgeour said ridership had declined since 2025, a trend he said coincided with a reduction in the number of scheduled E1 trips. OC Transpo did not say by how much ridership had declined.

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Scrimgeour says the route will continue operating until the O-Train East Extension opens, which remains without an opening date, after which OC Transpo “will assess the need for its ongoing operation.”

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He said the route continued to provide additional capacity and redundancy when Line 1 had service problems.

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East-end councillor says riders still need the E1

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Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney sees the route very differently.

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He said residents in his ward continue to rely on the E1 and have embraced it after years of dealing with unreliable rail service and delays to the east LRT extension.

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“The people love it,” Tierney said. “It really satisfies that need right now.”

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Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney says residents of his ward ‘love’ the E1 express route. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

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Tierney argued the E1 has become more than just a backup route. He says it gives commuters confidence that they have another reliable option if the LRT experiences service disruptions, particularly as the east extension prepares to open.