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Greenboro Busway

Greenboro Busway: The Transitway That Ottawa Abandoned
Matt Pinder leads the Greenboro Busway walk at Jane's Walk 2022.
Matt Pinder leads the Greenboro Busway walk at Jane's Walk 2022.

Did you know that the City of Ottawa removed a part of its transitway network after only eight years of operation? When it was first conceived in the 1970s, the Greenboro neighbourhood was envisioned as a dense, mixed-use, transit-oriented community. This walk tells the story of those plans by focusing on one of its key innovations: the Greenboro Busway. We'll discuss the original plans, how they played out in reality, and what this means for imagining future transit-oriented communities in Ottawa and elsewhere.

The walk will bring to life the story told in Matt's original blog post, "The Busway that Ottawa Abandoned"

Location
Route

We'll meet at the main entrance of the Diane Deans Greenboro Community Centre (363 Lorry Greenberg Dr). From there, we'll head west through Greenboro Park to Cahill Drive, then loop back following the alignment of the old busway. The route will be walked at a casual pace, with lots of stops for questions and discussion.

About the walk leader

Matt Pinder is a South Keys resident who is passionate about community development, city-building, and sustainable transportation. He runs the blog BeyondTheAutomobile.com and works as a transportation engineer focused on Complete Streets. Matt is also a fan of urban history and when he learned that his new neighbourhood was orignally planned around a busway that no longer exists, he was compelled to find out more.

Guide:

Matt Pinder

When:
Date:Sun May 4, 2025
Time:10:00 AM
Duration: 1 hour
Language: English
Where:
Start:Diane Deans Greenboro Community Centre, Main Entrance
End:same
Area:Greenboro
Distance:1.5 kms
Accessibility:

The route follows paved pathways and city sidewalks.

Walker Sign-up

Signing up is not required for this walk. If you plan to attend, by signing up you will help us estimate the group size. Please submit your email and the number of walkers that will be attending with you below.

13 walkers registered

Gallery
Matt Pinder leads the Greenboro Busway walk at Jane's Walk 2022. Greenboro Community Centre, on Lorry Greenberg Dr. Greenboro recreational path through the neighbourhood (ball diamond on right). The planned bus route across Greenboro. Some of the route follows normal streets (blue), while the rest was to be dedicated transitway (orange). The eastern segment of the transitway (dots) was never built. Greenboro Community Centre and playground Cute playhouse along the recreational path in Greenboro.
Volunteer to Marshal This Walk