Quote:
Originally Posted by scryer
When it comes to revitalizing streets: there is nothing stopping the city of Ottawa from widening sidewalks, installing protected bike lanes, or adding more greenery to Wellington street to breathe new life into it that is more pedestrian friendly. Beautification does not need to be driven by a transit expansion.
Urban beautification should be only be a valued by-product of transit development; not the focus.
Transit development should be convenient and reliable before all else. An LRT system sharing the road with vehicular traffic on an extremely busy arterial in Ottawa diminishes the point of transit since you can still have traffic jams that interfere with the LRT system (if it's integrated with traffic). By tunneling the Gatineau LRT in Ottawa, you not only avoid a busy arterial but you can also connect it directly with the O-Train's underground stations, making the system even more valuable and versatile.
My opinion on this is completely contingent upon how each option would be able to get extended further east though as I can definitely see how it could be easier to extend a surface line east. Although with both options, it would get messy around the Murray/St.Patricks/Alexandra bridge. And I am still adamant that an extended tunnel heading east of Parliament station shouldn't be written off so easily.
For the record: I am all about designing cities for people, not cars. However I just can't deny the existence of predominant vehicle traffic and its place within a city.
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I fully agree on all the above points. I think a few Ottawa-Gatineau forumers prefer the surface option partly because it will add a cool new urban look to downtown, but that shouldn't be a deciding factor in what option gets selected. As you mentioned, I don't think an eastern extension of the tunnel towards Alexandra bridge can be precluded until a proper study is conducted. It'll be interesting to see how this process moves forward to get an idea of what the STO and City of Gatineau prefer as an option, and whether the feds might be willing to fund the tunnel.
On a side note, the thought of having Gatineau trams passing in front of Parliament instead of Ottawa trams seems odd to me. Of course, if it were Ottawa trains they would sport the red and white maple leaf theme which would fit nicely into national capital vibe. STO trains, however, would never adopt such a look.