On April 27, 2025, OC Transpo launched New Ways to Bus (NWTB), the largest bus network overhaul in Ottawa’s history. The redesign included changes to route paths, eliminated routes and the introduction of new routes across the city. Between May and July 2025, the CAWI surveyed residents to understand how these changes have affected daily travel. One of the findings that emerged was this: getting to healthcare destinations such as CHEO and Queensway Carleton Hospital has become harder and more time-consuming.

The survey respondents raised that they now have to make more transfers and any missed connection means their travel time will increase. Some respondents reported spending over three hours on a one-way trip within Ottawa. As one respondent put it:

“I’m needing to take a full day off work just to get to one medical appointment.”

Maps and analysis by Tracy Mutugi

Maps and analysis by Tracy Mutugi

Before New Ways to Bus (NWTB), bus users could reach CHEO using Route 45 and Route 55. Together, these routes provided coverage across the central part of Ottawa.

Since the launch of NWTB:

Route 45 was retained and still connects CHEO with Hurdman Station and the Rideau Centre.
Route 55 was eliminated.
A new Route 5 now serves part of the former Route 55 corridor, mainly improving access for residents north of the city.

However, Routes 5 and 45 together cover far less area than the previous Route 45 and 55 combination. Route 55 previously ran between Westgate Mall and Elmvale Mall and stopped directly at CHEO, making the children’s hospital accessible from both the east and the west without transfers.

With Route 55 gone, residents travelling from the west now face a more complicated journey. They must travel downtown first and then transfer, either to Route 45 or to Route 5, to reach CHEO. The impact goes beyond CHEO. Route 55 also served The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus and The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. Its elimination has significantly disrupted access to multiple healthcare facilities, particularly for west-end residents.

For residents, caregivers and healthcare workers, these added steps are not minor inconveniences. Even small changes to service increase trip-planning stress and can also lead to missed shifts, late arrivals, or cancelled appointments.

Maps and analysis by Tracy Mutugi

Maps and analysis by Tracy Mutugi

Before New Ways to Bus (NWTB), bus users could reach the Queensway Carleton Hospital using Route 57 or Route 58. Since the redesign, riders can now access the hospital using Routes 57, 68, and 88. As shown in the map on the right, under NWTB:

Route 57 has been extended further east to the Rideau Centre, improving access for riders coming from central and eastern parts of the city.
Route 58 has been rerouted and no longer stops at the hospital, requiring former users to transfer to another route.
A new Route 68 now provides a direct connection from Kanata and other western neighbourhoods to the Queensway Carleton Hospital.
Route 88 has been updated to stop at the Queensway Carleton Hospital whilecontinuing to serve The Ottawa Hospital Riverside Campus as well.

Taken together, these changes suggest that overall access to the Queensway Carleton Hospitalhas improved under NWTB. However, what we heard from survey respondents is that this improvement has not been evenly felt. The removal of Route 58’s hospital stop has been disruptive for regular riders, highlighting how system-wide gains can still create challenges for individuals with established travel patterns.

Transit plays a critical role in care work. Care rarely happens in one place. It requires moving between homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals, pharmacies, daycares and social service centers. When transit is slow, unreliable, or poorly connected, care becomes more challenging, time-consuming, and expensive. This problem is made worse when housing, workplaces, and care services are spread far apart.

Many care workers rely on public transit to reach their jobs and the people who depend on them, such as nannies, nurses, early childhood educators, personal support workers and assisted living aides. When public transit fails to support care work, the ripple effect can be seen in health outcomes, workforce participation, and community wellbeing. Designing transit with care in mind is not a niche issue. It is fundamental to building a city that works for everyone.