Equity Doesn’t End at the Greenbelt - Bring Public Transit to Cumberland

July 2025

The Issue and Why the CCA Petition

Cumberland remains disconnected from Ottawa’s transit network, with the only service being Route 221 (rush hour only) and Route 302, a weekly “shopper bus” that operates Tuesdays only.

Residents of Cumberland would use regular, reliable public transit that would connect them to other parts of the city.

Currently, this lack of transit:

• Creates barriers for seniors, youth, workers, and families

• Increases dependence on personal vehicles

• Reduces access to the downtown core, where many cultural activities take place

• Limits access of residents in other parts of Ottawa to locations of interest, including the Cumberland Museum, our Farmer's Market and local businesses

• Adds pressure to already congested arteries like Hwy 174

• Undermines climate goals and equitable growth plans

• Reduces access to home health care workers for seniors aging in place

Current Transit Snapshot

302 (Shopper Route)Operates Tuesdays only, one round trip1/week

221 (Rural Route)Navan → Sarsfield → Chapel Hill → Trim Station (rush hour only)4/day 

Why This Matters

🏥 Aging in Place: Seniors in Cumberland need reliable transport to access home care, clinics, pharmacies, and community supports.

🎓 Youth and Working Families: Students and workers need dependable, affordable access to school, part-time jobs, and essential services. Local businesses also need reliable ways to have employees reach their places of work.

🚗 Traffic Relief: Every car taken off the road helps ease congestion on Highway 174, which is already overburdened during peak periods.

🌍 Climate and Equity Goals: Rural areas must be part of Ottawa’s sustainable transit planning — equity doesn’t end at the Greenbelt.

Proposed Transit Solution

We propose three rural feeder routes serving Cumberland, all connecting to Trim LRT Station with daily, evening, and weekend service. These routes would operate with smaller vehicles, frequent loops, and timed LRT transfers.

 🚌 Route C1 – Cumberland Village → Trim Station

Stops:

Dunning & Old Montreal Rd (village core)Cumberland Arena / Kinsella ParkTrim & Old Montreal RdTrim LRT StationLoop Length: ~11 km (~16–18 minutes)

Schedule:

Weekdays: Every 30–60 min from 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMWeekends: Every 60 min from 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM 

🚌 Route C2 – French Hill → Trim Station

Stops:

Ted Kelly Lane & Old Montreal RdFrench Hill RdTrim & Old Montreal RdTrim LRT StationLoop Length: ~15 km (~20 minutes)

Schedule:

Weekdays: Every 60 minutes from 6:30 AM – 9:00 PMWeekends: Every 60–90 minutes from 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM 

🚌 Route C3 – Cumberland Estates → Trim Station

Stops:

Dunning & WilhavenQuillivan & KinsellaOld Montreal RdTrim LRT StationLoop Length: ~16 km (~22 minutes)

Schedule:

Weekdays: Hourly from 6:30 AM – 10:00 PMWeekends: Every 60–90 minutes from 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM Broader Vision for East Ottawa

We believe this model should be replicated across all rural areas in Ottawa’s east end, including: NavanSarsfieldVarsNotre-Dame-des-ChampsCarlsbad Springs

The success of Route 221 demonstrates the potential for rural feeder routes connecting to the Trim LRT station. We propose adapting this model to serve Cumberland as a whole with similar or expanded levels of service, extending into evening and weekend hours.

To ensure cost-effectiveness and flexibility, on-demand transit models (like OC Transpo’s "Rural On-Demand Pilot") should also be explored, particularly for low-density sectors and evening hours.

We, the Undersigned, Support:

• Creation of 3 rural feeder routes to Trim Station

• Daily, evening, and weekend service

• Better access to LRT, healthcare, and jobs for rural residents

• Use of smaller buses or on-demand models as appropriate

• Traffic reduction on Hwy 174 and surrounding corridors

• A scalable model that can be extended across East Ottawa

Please sign the Petition here: https://bit.ly/451rqhh