Ottawa's transit system has had a rough few years — LRT breakdowns, budget overruns, a scathing independent review — but the city's new OC Transpo chief is choosing to see opportunity where others see chaos.
Rick Leary, the recently appointed general manager of transit services, sat down with CBC Ottawa for a wide-ranging interview this week, and his message was clear: he's not walking into a dumpster fire — he's walking into a turning point.
"I came in at the right time," Leary said, explaining that many of the hardest reforms are already underway and that the foundation for a better system has been laid by the work that came before him.
A Fresh Set of Eyes on Familiar Problems
Leary, who brings experience running major transit systems elsewhere in North America, said he spent his first weeks on the job listening — to staff, to riders, and to city councillors who've been fielding complaints for years. What he found wasn't a system in freefall, but one that needed targeted improvements rather than a full overhaul.
He described his planned changes as "tweaks" — a word that will either reassure long-suffering commuters or raise eyebrows, depending on how many times your bus was late this winter.
Still, the framing matters. Rather than promising a revolution, Leary is signalling a steady, methodical approach: fix what's broken, build on what works, and above all, rebuild rider trust.
The LRT Shadow
No conversation about OC Transpo can avoid the elephant in the room: Ottawa's Stage 1 light rail system, which has been plagued by axle bearing failures, derailments, and service disruptions since its 2019 launch. The Trillium Line extension and Stage 2 expansion have added new routes, but reliability concerns haven't fully disappeared.
Leary acknowledged the challenges without dwelling on blame. His focus, he said, is forward-looking — ensuring maintenance protocols are tight, that Alstom (the train manufacturer) is held accountable to service agreements, and that riders see consistent, dependable service.
For Ottawa commuters who've been burned before, that's a promise they've heard before. But Leary's outside perspective — unburdened by the politics and frustrations that wore down previous leadership — may give him the credibility to actually deliver.
What Riders Actually Want
Beyond the LRT drama, OC Transpo faces the same existential pressure as transit systems across North America: declining ridership post-pandemic, a workforce stretched thin, and growing competition from ride-hailing apps.
Leary said restoring rider confidence is his top priority. That means buses that show up on time, trains that don't stall mid-trip, and a system that Ottawa residents actually want to use rather than grudgingly tolerate.
Simple stuff, in theory. Harder in practice for a city that's had to issue formal apologies to commuters more than once.
Cautious Optimism
It's early days for Leary, and Ottawa has learned to temper its transit enthusiasm. But there's something refreshing about a leader who enters a tough job with energy rather than exhaustion.
If his "tweaks" translate into a more reliable system — even marginally — Ottawa commuters will notice. And in a city where the bus route home can feel like a leap of faith, that would be something worth celebrating.
Source: CBC Ottawa. Full interview available at cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa.
