Written by: Delaney Smith
Every weekday morning, Bruno Luten checks the time, grabs his camera bag and heads for the stop. He leaves early, not because he wants to, but because he has learned he has to.
The photography student rides the 88 bus to Algonquin College twice a day, four days a week. Over time, the routine has come with a quiet rule: expect delays.
“I take the 88 twice a day, and it’s late at least two or three of those trips,” Luten said.
“I wouldn’t exactly say the bus is reliable. I have to make it reliable myself by showing up early.”
The 88 is one of the busiest routes run by OC Transpo, stretching across Ottawa and connecting major transit hubs, shopping areas and schools, including Algonquin College. For thousands of students, it’s the simplest way to get to class.
But simplicity doesn’t always mean certainty.
Some mornings, Luten watches the bus sit at Hurdman Station for five or 10 minutes before leaving. Other days, it simply runs late. Because he often goes straight from class to work, even a small delay can ripple through his day.
“Late buses definitely affect work and school,” he said.
In the afternoon, the problem shifts from timing to space.
“In the afternoon, it’s a war zone on wheels,” Luten said. “I’ve sat on the wheel platform just to get a spot.”
The bus fills quickly with students heading home, backpacks squished together, riders swaying with every stop. Luten thinks more double-decker buses during peak hours could ease the crush.
Algonquin mechanical engineering graduate Enrique Guzman remembers the same routine from his student days. He took the 88 almost daily to get to school and work, and he says the uncertainty became part of life.
“For the most part it was on time,” Guzman said.
“But it wasn’t rare for a bus to be very late or not show up at all, and then two buses would arrive together.”
He remembers waiting while the OC Transpo app countdown ticked toward arrival, only for the bus to be cancelled minutes before it was due.
“You’ll be waiting, it says five minutes, and then it gets cancelled,” he said. “Suddenly you’re waiting 30 minutes or more.”
The frustration isn’t limited to bus stops. Online, riders vent their experiences through posts, including the Instagram account @i_hate_the_88, where the account creator shares jokes, videos and memes about missed buses and how much they dislike the bus route.
Guzman says the bus becomes especially crowded during fall and winter semesters, when both Algonquin and nearby schools are in full swing.
“In the fall and winter, it’s always packed,” he said.
Both riders acknowledge that running a citywide transit system is complicated. Still, they say the route’s importance makes reliability essential. For many students, it’s the only realistic way to get to class.
“It passes government buildings, a college, major shopping areas,” Luten said. “A lot of people depend on it.”
So each morning, he keeps leaving early, hoping the bus comes on time, and that there’s space to stand.
For riders along the 88, reliability isn’t just a convenience. It’s the difference between being on time, and left waiting at the curb.