Public transit tells you a lot about the health of a city.
When the system's working well, everything moves a bit smoother. The roads are less congested. The city generates more revenue. And commutes don't eat up so much of your day.
That is not the Ottawa transit experience in 2026. Our system is struggling. Riders are screaming about what's wrong. And it feels like city council, who we trust to manage the system, is disconnected from on the ground realities.
Bob believes that good policy decisions and effective representation, start with understanding how decisions at City Hall actually affect people’s lives.
That’s why Bob has been getting on OC Transpo (and bicycles) and experiencing the daily commute, as well as local trips, alongside residents across the ward. Taking the same routes, navigating the same connections, and seeing firsthand what works, what doesn’t, and where the system is falling short.
This series is about more than transit. It’s about the kind of councillor Bob wants to be. A councillor who makes the effort to understand your lived experience. A councillor willing to get some skin in the game. And a councillor who centres community perspectives in decision making at City Hall. Representation means more than speaking for people. It means understanding what their lives actually look like.
Bob's totals so far
12 trips
14.7 hours in transit (882 minutes)
Bus legs: 17
Train legs: 7
Bicycle legs: 1
Average trip length: 1 hour 13.5 minutes
The Series
1) Commute with Bob Bell: Queenswood Heights to Ottawa City Hall
Trip time: 93 minutes
On July 6th, Bob did his first commute with me video from Queenswood Heights to Ottawa's City Hall as part of the morning rush.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/LHrMYpaueMg
2) Commute with Bob Bell: Lyon LRT to Fallingbrook South Community Centre
Trip time: 68 minutes
On July 7th, Bob did an immediate follow up commute with me video from the Lyon LRT to Fallingbrook South Community Centre at the end of the work day.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/xi_F47kSSrE
3) Commute with Bob Bell: Place du Portage to Cardinal Creek
Trip time: 88 minutes
On July 13th, in response to a resident's suggestion, Bob Bell did the trip home from Place du Portage to Cardinal Creek Park at the end of the work day.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/IbpxfRO7uk8
4) Commute with Bob Bell: Queenswood Heights to the Civic Hospital (Health Care Worker - Part One, the trip to the hospital)
Trip time: 85 minutes
On July 16th, in response to a resident's suggestion, Bob Bell did the trip to work as experienced by a health care worker that works a 12-hour 7am - 7pm day shift.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/acFfKLwdyP0
5) Commute with Bob Bell: Civic Hospital to Queenswood Heights (Health Care Worker - Part Two, the trip home)
Trip time: 78 minutes
On July 16th, following part 1, Bob Bell did the trip home from work as experienced by a health care worker after a 12-hour 7am - 7pm day shift.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/kBI68xc7voo
6) Transit with Bob Bell: Going to See a Movie
Trip time: 39 minutes
On July 24th, Bob Bell and his son took the bus from Queenswood Heights to see a movie at Landmark Cinemas on Innes. Interestingly, while the transit time wasn't long, the vast majority of the time was spent walking in underdeveloped infrastructure like parking lots. This transit experience lacked accessibility.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/xLBfvxou2WY
7) Commute with Bob Bell: DND Carling Campus (Moodie Drive) to Cardinal Creek
Trip time: 122 minutes
On July 28th, in response to significant resident demand, Bob Bell did the commute home from DND's Carling Campus to Cardinal Creek. Notably, residents explained that DND was advocating for employees to take transit to work each day as there isn't enough parking on campus for all of the employees.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/B0yt1FTE3Mw
8) Commute with Bob Bell: On a Bicycle from Ray Friel Recreation Complex to City Hall
Trip time: 78 minutes
On July 30th, with a significant amount of support from local cyclists, Bob Bell cycled from Ray Friel Recreation Complex to Ottawa City Hall. Notably, Bob made an informed decision to take the less direct route and travel on the Ottawa River Pathway in place of the more direction options as key arteries like St Joseph and Innes were substantially more dangerous options, especially for a recreational cyclist. Notably, this commute still had a rather dangerous leg cycling down Tenth Line Road.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/cRXXCpNweL8
9) Transit with Bob Bell: To Compare the E1 versus the LRT to get downtown
Trip time (LRT): 63 minutes
Trip time (E1): 58 minutes
On August 6th and August 7th, in response to a newspaper article suggesting the removal of the E1, Bob Bell commuted from Queenswood Heights to City Hall. Both commutes Bob attempted to replicate as much as possible - leaving at the same time, taking the same local bus routes, etc - to preserve the ability to compare and better understand why, with the LRT up and running, people were still taking the E1.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/FDrVIe_HO2Y
10) Transit with Bob Bell: To The OC Transpo Customer Service Information Session at Bob Macquarrie Complex
Trip time: 25 minutes
On August 19th Bob Bell took transit to the OC Transpo Customer Service Information at Bob Macquarrie Complex at 7pm with Rick Leary.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/3LunJhgmNrw
11) Transit with Bob Bell: Home After A Flat Tire (with his kids)
Trip time: 85 minutes
On August 22nd, Bob Bell was driving his youngest to day care when he got a flat tire. While the drive home would have taken 4 minutes, and the walk home for an adult may have taken 35-45 minutes, with two young children, Bob had no choice but to take transit.
Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/OAiWX6Kpmg4