Ottawa: 67% Say Ottawa Traffic Has Gotten Worse
May 21, 2026 (Toronto, ON) - The latest Capital Traffic survey from the Ottawa Compass and Liaison Strategies shows widespread frustration with congestion in Ottawa, with two-thirds of residents saying traffic has gotten worse over the past year.
Sixty-seven per cent of Ottawa residents say traffic congestion has gotten worse, while 27% say it has stayed about the same, 2% say it has gotten better, and 4% are not sure.
Residents also see congestion as a serious local problem. Thirty-eight per cent describe traffic in their part of Ottawa as a very serious problem, while 52% call it somewhat serious. Just 6% say it is not much of a problem.
The survey finds only 17% approve of how the City of Ottawa is handling traffic congestion, compared with 77% who disapprove. On construction coordination, 20% say the city is doing a good job reducing traffic disruption, while 67% say it is doing a poor job.
The Ottawa Compass engaged Liaison Strategies to survey a random sample of 1,000 Ottawa residents from May 8 to May 10, 2026, using IVR technology. Respondents were reached through random digit dialling across landline and cellular phone networks. The data was weighted to 2021 Census targets. The margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 3.09 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Liaison was ranked first for accuracy in Ontario in 2025 and second nationally in the 2025 federal election.
David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies, said the following:
"Traffic is not a niche complaint in Ottawa, it is nearly universal. Ninety per cent say congestion is at least a somewhat serious problem, and two-thirds say it has gotten worse over the last year."
"The frustration is aimed squarely at City Hall. Approval of the city's handling of congestion is just 17%, and only 20% think the city is doing a good job coordinating road work to limit disruption."
"What is interesting is that residents are not lining up behind one single fix. Better timing of traffic lights is first at 22%, better transit is close behind at 21%, faster construction and fewer lane closures is at 18%, road widening is at 16%, and more enforcement is at 14%. People want the system to work, but they do not agree on one magic solution."
"There is also a values split underneath the congestion numbers. When asked what comes closer to their view, 48% choose safer and more balanced streets, while 31% choose moving car traffic more quickly. In Central Ottawa, the balanced-streets number rises to 61%. Ottawa voters are angry about traffic, but that does not automatically mean they want a cars-only agenda."
"The political risk for council is that traffic touches everyone, every week. If the city cannot show visible improvement on signals, construction coordination, transit, and pinch points, this issue will keep feeding a broader sense that Ottawa is not working as well as it should."
Detailed Poll Report:
About Liaison Strategies
Liaison Strategies is a national public opinion research firm. With 12 years of experience in Canadian polling, David Valentin, principal, has fielded hundreds of projects at the municipal, provincial and federal levels and appeared across Canadian media to discuss insights. Liaison is a member of the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC), Canada’s voice of the research, analytics, and insights profession both domestically and globally.