---
title: "Transit tops Ottawa voter priorities in new Nanos poll"
description: "A Nanos Research survey of 762 Ottawa residents, conducted Oct. 4-8, found 55 per cent ranked transit as the city service most in need of improvement ahead of the Oct. 26 election."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/ottawa-transit-poll-2026-10-10"
last_updated: "2026-10-10T19:25:04.982Z"
---

Transit is the top city service that Ottawa voters say needs the most improvement ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election, according to a Nanos Research poll conducted for CTV News Ottawa.

Nanos Research surveyed 762 randomly selected Ottawa residents between Oct. 4 and Oct. 8. When asked to rank the top two city services most in need of improvement, 55 per cent chose transit. Roads and sidewalks ranked second at 27 per cent, followed by snow clearing at 5 per cent and waste collection at 3 per cent.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

"Majority of Ottawa residents cite transit as the top priority for improvement. Top solutions include better LRT service and more reliable buses," Nanos Research Chief Data Scientist Nik Nanos told CTV News Ottawa.

## Transit concern is highest downtown

The poll breaks down responses by area of Ottawa. Transit was ranked as the top service needing improvement by 63 per cent of downtown respondents, 60 per cent of west Ottawa respondents, 52 per cent of east Ottawa respondents, and 47 per cent of rural Ottawa respondents.

## What voters want done

The poll also asked residents to name the top two things the City and OC Transpo should focus on to improve transportation. Thirty-four per cent said better light-rail service. Thirty-three per cent said more reliable buses. Twenty-one per cent ranked better roads as the main transportation focus, while 8 per cent said safer walking and cycling routes.

CTV News Ottawa reports that OC Transpo was forced to reduce O-Train Line 1 service earlier in 2026 after a problem was found with the wheel-bearing parts on the light-rail vehicles, and that hundreds of bus trips were cancelled in winter and spring due to a bus shortage and an aging fleet. The City expected 65,000 additional trips per week into downtown Ottawa this fall as federal workers returned to the office and students came back to school.

## What this means for Oct. 26

Voters choosing between the 14 candidates for mayor of Ottawa can compare their positions on transit before casting a ballot. Candidate profiles, including each candidate's stated platform and source links, are at [/on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor). Advance voting day is Friday, Oct. 16, with voting places open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The main election day is Monday, Oct. 26.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/on/ottawa-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.