The Mayor of Ottawa, Mark Sutcliffe, continues to urge the federal government to provide new funding to support transportation services in the city of Ottawa and calls on residents to sign a petition in an attempt to achieve this.

Sutcliffe has been active on social media in recent days since he told residents at a press conference last Thursday that the city could face "very painful" cuts to transportation services without financial assistance from federal and provincial governments to cover a funding gap of $140 million annually over the next three years.

He said, "I am struggling to get a fair share for Ottawa. Since I became mayor, I have built a collaborative relationship with the federal and provincial governments. I do not believe in political games or negotiating through the media - that is not my style," Sutcliffe said in a video message posted on social media platform X yesterday afternoon, Sunday.

He said, "I have a duty to tell the residents of Ottawa that we are still not getting the support we need from the other levels of government. It is my job to fight hard on behalf of the residents of Ottawa to ensure we get our fair share of federal and provincial funding."

He said, "Ottawa is facing a financial crisis. This is the biggest challenge we are facing right now, and I am ready to do everything I can to resolve it. But I cannot do this alone. I need your help. It is time for the federal and provincial governments to recognize the magnitude of the crisis in our city and acknowledge that we did not create this mess," as stated in the petition.

Sutcliffe declared a "transportation crisis" last Thursday, stating that OC Transpo has suffered heavy losses since the beginning of the pandemic, with ridership declining significantly, which has impacted revenues.

He says the system was built to accommodate public service workers; however, government employees have not fully returned to the office.