Clarence-Rockland city council is hoping to begin discussions with City of Ottawa representatives in hopes of creating a possible transit link with OC Transpo.

On March 12, during Clarence-Rockland’s council meeting, Mayor Mario Zanth presented a motion, with was seconded Stéphane Fournier, hoping “to initiate exploratory discussions on Public Transit Services to Clarence-Rockland with the City of Ottawa.”

The City of Clarence-Rockland suspended transit service, which was being operated by Leduc Bus Lines, in 2019, due to declining ridership and high costs.

Zanth said the goal is to explore options ranging from inner city to links to Ottawa’s light rail transit system.

“We want to consult with Ottawa and OC Transpo, to see how this would work,” he said.

Clarence-Rockland Councillor Trevor Stewart said it’s important to have discussions now, as Clarence-Rockland continues to grow, with more people calling the municipality home.

“It has been clear for quite some time, we need to look at all options when it comes to public transportation for residents,” he said. “We need to be able to look at what is available and what we can do in a more fiscally responsible way.”

Zanth noted that council could decide on his motion as early as next month.

Residents want something done

Several residents are advocating for the return of public transit across Clarence-Rockland, citing population growth as a major factor. Local resident Jen Keyes created a Facebook group entitled “We Need Public Transit in Clarence Rockland” with the goal of seeing if there was any interest on the topic of public transit in the city and if it was worth pursuing.

More than 500 people have joined the group, providing comments, opinions and discussions on the need and possibility of public transit in Clarence-Rockland. A survey was also created, asking residents questions related to public transit usage, needs and overall interest in public transit in the city. More than 340 people responded to the survey.