After struggling to access reliable OC Transpo service, Carleton University student Brooke Anderson had had enough.
This year, the second-year computer science student founded a Carleton branch of Ottawa Transit Riders to push for faster, more accessible and more reliable student transportation.
Anderson said a key focus is getting students to city council meetings.
“It is one thing to make demands and to hold forums on campus, but when students are in your face at your (city council) meetings, you can’t ignore us anymore.”
Anderson said the club currently has 25 members, and is still being established, pending certification from the Carleton University Students’ Association.
One of the club’s goals this year is to bring students to at least half of the city’s transit committee meetings held during the academic year.
Anderson said the club will advocate for more bus lanes to eliminate long wait times.
“We know that one of the biggest reasons that buses are late is getting stuck in traffic,” she said. “The more buses get stuck and slow down, the less people are going to use them.”
Hoping to reach more students throughout the year, Anderson said she hopes the club helps students realize they can advocate for issues that may seem daunting at first.
“I’m hoping that we can show people that if you find something that you care about, especially something that’s as local and specific as transit, you do have a voice, ” she said.
Anderson said Ottawa Transit Riders will support the branch on campus by advertising the club and by providing resources and rides to city council meetings. The organization will also work closely with the Carleton branch to gain insight on student experiences and perspectives.
Laura Shantz, an Ottawa Transit Riders board member, said she’s excited to learn about what students want from transit.
“I think what a branch at Carleton can do is to really find out… What are the real challenges people are facing while getting to and from campus? Are there things that OC Transpo could do to improve the transit experience for people?” she said.
Shantz added that Ottawa Transit Riders had been wanting student insight for a long time, and that the Carleton branch could fill that gap.
“It’s a really amazing opportunity to have an ear to the ground and to see what’s got students fired up,” Shantz said.
Jacob Williams, a graduate student and Carleton Transit Riders member, said transit is one of the top issues students struggle with.
He said he often hears people on campus speaking negatively about OC Transpo, and he hopes to work with the club to change these attitudes.
“It would be nice to feel like we were able to implement some kind of local proposals that had good impacts on transit and people’s ability to get around.”
Williams said he hopes the club’s advocacy can help students get a reliable transit system at long last.
“Students deserve to have cities that are accessible.”
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Featured image by Jessica Jagodics/the Charlatan.
