[Kitchissippi]

I see the NCC's point on this one, too, but not for aesthetic or waterfront access reasons. I just think that transit belongs on Richmond. Heck if it weren't for Tunneys Pasture, a subway on the West Wellington-Richmond corridor would be far more desirable than the Scott Street trench. This is a chance to actually steer it back towards that axis, closer to a walkable main street.

Using Rochester Field and the Byron strip was part of the long range RMOC plan for the Transitway, they would not have sold the bits of railway ROW in the 1980s otherwise (or maybe they did it deliberately to eliminate other options). The amalgamated city of Ottawa just does not have enough long-term memory to remember this, and although extending the trench would never fly today, the NCC is just making the municipality stick to this corridor and modify it to be acceptable in the contemporary context by burying the line.

Dominion Station was an afterthought, it and an ill-fated New Orchard station were proposed in the 1990s to fill the long gap between Westboro and Lincoln Fields. Even in the city's latest presentations, they seem to side step and ignore its future. Curious how it's never part of the renders for the western extension. I really do hope it gets moved towards Richmond and Denbury, and that the linear park between it and Golden gets landscaped better to host events like the farmer's market and activities around the cenotaph. Great potential for a western anchor and focal point for Westboro Village here.

It's too bad the NCC botched up its PR once again, which is surprising as they are well aware of how sensitive this issue is. They should have come out with a more detailed rationale behind their decision. Maybe the City and the NCC should just hire a mutually agreed upon and impartial engineering consultant to lay out the issues and cost differences properly.