In the early days of the developing neighbourhood, 2 new bus routes were created. Route 17 – a rush hour route running between Wateridge and downtown Ottawa and Gatineau – and route 27 – also a rush hour route running between Wateridge and St Laurent Transit station.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, transit ridership across Ottawa plummeted. Consequently OC Transpo made the decision to suspend route 17. Wateridge, however continued to grow, adding several affordable housing developments as well as some higher density developments with less space for vehicle parking – resulting in on-street parking problems, particular in the winter.
It quickly became apparent that more transit was needed as residents without cars needed access to essentials like groceries.
In collaboration with councilor King, 3 daytime bus runs were added to route 27. This provided an initial step in improving transit, but was still insufficient.
The community association led an initiative collecting stories, statistics, and letters of support from organizations like Veterans House Canada, developers, and neighboring community associations. This effort led to a city council motion (from councilor King) to improve transit in this neighbourhood.
As part of OC Transpo 2024 route re-organization, it has been announced that route 17 will be restored (with a slightly different routing) and frequent route 25, connecting to Blair Station, will replace route 27 and provide Wateridge residents with 7 day a week bus service for the first time.
