---
title: "Mark Sutcliffe's four-year platform: transit fares, taxes and housing"
description: "Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe laid out his second-term promises in a 70-page platform released before the vote. The Ottawa Citizen reported the key commitments across transit, property taxes, public safety and housing."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/sutcliffe-second-term-platform-2026-10-28"
last_updated: "2026-10-29T14:05:35.226Z"
---

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe released a 70-page platform during his second winning campaign, and the Ottawa Citizen reported the key commitments on October 28. The promises cover transit fares, property taxes, public safety and housing across his four-year term starting in November.

## Transit: a $95 monthly pass and Phase 3 LRT

The Ottawa Citizen reported that Sutcliffe's most widely noted promise was to cut the adult monthly transit pass from $138.50 to $95. He also said he would cap daily fares at $10 for occasional riders and extend the transfer window. The reduction in fare revenue, he said, would be paid for by finalizing the LRT's $4-billion provincial upload and redirecting that money back into the transit system.

Sutcliffe said he would launch Phase 3 LRT extensions to Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven, and advance new Bus Rapid Transit and bus lane projects in major corridors across the city. His platform also promised to negotiate a bulk transit pass program for federal employees and to make permanent the current free transit for youth on evenings and weekends.

These commitments track with his [transit promises at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe).

## Property taxes: a 2 to 2.5 per cent cap

The Ottawa Citizen reported that Sutcliffe renewed his promise to keep property taxes "as low as possible" with increases capped at two to 2.5 per cent for the first two years of his second term. He said he would introduce a multi-year budget to give residents and businesses more predictability.

He pledged to find another $250 million in savings and efficiencies at city hall, following what his platform described as $250 million found during his first term. The plan calls for a hiring freeze on non-frontline positions, a freeze on general operating spending and an expanded review of City programs.

## Public safety: 350 new first responders

According to the Ottawa Citizen, Sutcliffe promised to hire 200 more police officers and equip them with body cameras, along with 100 more paramedics and 50 more firefighters. He said police budget increases would be tied to "specific frontline service outcomes" including guns and gangs, drugs, intimate partner violence and hate crimes. He repeated a pledge to improve safety in the ByWard Market, including more police patrols and alternative response teams.

## Housing: 10,000 units by 2030

The Ottawa Citizen reported that Sutcliffe pledged to help build 10,000 affordable, supportive and transitional housing units in Ottawa by 2030, compared to 2020 levels. He said he would freeze all City-imposed costs on new housing, including permitting fees, rezoning fees and development charges, and freeze recreation fees for seniors and families.

Sutcliffe's [housing and affordability promises are tracked at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe).

Residents can follow how Sutcliffe acts on each of these promises at [/on/ottawa-2026/tracker](/on/ottawa-2026/tracker).

## Sitemap

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