In July and August, Ottawa youth ages 11-18 will be able to ride OC Transpo free of charge.
This new program was approved by City Council back in December during our annual budget process but I feel like it’s still under the radar for many families in the community. You’ll see more advertising and promotion over the next couple of weeks.
I’m hoping it will encourage young people to try out transit, gain some independence, and reduce the number of times they’re asking parents to drive them somewhere, or take an Uber.
The program runs from July 1 until August 31, and applies to all OC Transpo buses, trains and Para Transpo.
To qualify, youth will have to:
- Purchase a Presto card if they don’t already have one. Presto cards cost $4.00 and you can buy one at participating Shoppers, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstores. Find a location here
- Set a “Pre-Teen” or “Youth” pass on the card. (The pass you need depends on your age.) You can do this at participating Shoppers, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations. Find a location here
- Tap the card on the fare gate (trains) or fare reader (buses) to board for free.
After the summer: As of September 1, pre-teens and youth can ride free on weekday evenings (after 5 pm), plus weekends and holidays for the rest of the year with a Presto card. Outside of these times, regular fares apply.
Kids 10 and under ride for free all year round
If you’re taking a bus, Para Transpo, or Para Transpo Rural, kids 10 and under can board without paying a fare. If you’re taking the O-Train, they can either:
- Enter at the accessible (wide) fare gate with a fare-paying adult.
- If you’re riding alone, tap through the fare gate with a special Child card.
More information at OCTranspo.com…
OC Transpo local routes serving Stittsville
- Route 60: Travels between the Real Canadian Superstore on Eagleson Road, and Terry Fox Station (Kanata Centrum). It follows Terry Fox Drive on the eastern edge of Stittsville.
- Route 61: A cross-town route that travels between CARDELREC in Stittsville and Tunney’s Pasture Station. Includes service on Fernbank, Stittsville Main, Hazeldean, and Terry Fox Station.
- Route 62: A cross-town route that travels between CARDELREC in Stittsville and Tunney’s Pasture Station. Includes service to the Connections neighbourhood, Tanger Outlets, Kanata Centrum, and Terry Fox Station.
- Route 67: Serves the Blackstone, Fernbank Crossing, and Abbottsville Crossing communities, connecting to Terry Fox Station (Kanata Centrum).
- Route 68: Formerly known as Route 88, this route runs from Terry Fox Station through Kanata and Bells Corners to Baseline Station (Algonquin College).
- Route 162: Travels between Tanger Outlets on and Terry Fox Station (Kanata Centrum). Includes service to Canadian Tire Centre and Palladium Drive.
- Route 168: Travels between Kanata South and Terry Fox Station (Kanata Centrum), including part of the Fernbank Crossing neighbourhood and the Walmart on Fernbank.
- Circuit 60 : Entre le Real Canadian Superstore, sur le chemin Eagleson, et la station Terry-Fox (Kanata Centrum). Suit la promenade Terry-Fox à l’extrémité est de Stittsville.
- Circuit 61 : Traverse la ville et relie le Complexe récréatif CARDELREC de Stittsville à la station Tunney’s Pasture. Dessert le chemin Fernbank, la rue Stittsville Main, le chemin Hazeldean et la station Terry-Fox.
- Circuit 62 : Traverse la ville et relie le Complexe récréatif CARDELREC de Stittsville à la station Tunney’s Pasture. Dessert le quartier Connections, le centre commercial Tanger Outlets, le Kanata Centrum et la station Terry-Fox.
- Circuit 67 : Dessert les communautés de Blackstone, de Fernbank Crossing et d’Abbottsville Crossing et se rend à la station Terry-Fox (Kanata Centrum).
- Circuit 68 : Anciennement connu sous le nom de Circuit 88, va de la station Terry-Fox jusqu’à la station Baseline (Collège Algonquin) en passant par Kanata et Bells Corners.)
- Circuit 162 : Entre le centre commercial Tanger Outlets et la station Terry-Fox (Kanata Centrum). Dessert le Centre Canadian Tire et la promenade Palladium.
- Circuit 168 : Va de Kanata Sud jusqu’à la station Terry-Fox (Kanata Centrum) et dessert une partie du quartier Fernbank Crossing ainsi que le Walmart du chemin Fernbank.