Ottawa Rapid Transit Network developments

[waterloowarrior]

Two councillors want tunnel decision deferred


BY JAKE RUPERT , THE OTTAWA CITIZENMAY 6, 2009 5:06 PM


OTTAWA — Two city councillors on the municipality’s transit committee have tabled motions to defer approval of a potential downtown subway route to look at accommodating the wishes of businesses who are lobbying against the path city planning staff are recommending.

Business leaders want the route to be changed to more of a straight route down Albert Street across downtown and for more study to be done to look at the economic impacts of the recommended route on the Rideau Centre and other hubs.

The committee is scheduled to endorse a route today.

But Kitchissippi Councillor Christine Leadman, one of only two councillors to vote against the city’s light-rail rapid-transit plan last year, wants a decision on a tunnel route deferred until a detailed costing is completed, and a second route more to the liking of the business leaders is developed and costed.

Rideau-Vanier Councillor Georges Bedard has also tabled a motion that would defer the decision until a host of issues relating to economic development are addressed.

This is the first serious internal city hall political challenge to the municipality’s proposed downtown subway/light-rail project.

City council is slated to debate final approval of the route next week.

Planning staff recommend twin tunnels starting on the downtown edge of LeBreton Flats, roughly at Albert Street, running under the road to roughly Kent Street, then angling northward and cross downtown under streets and buildings and under Confederation Square.

They will then go under the canal to roughly Rideau Street and Sussex Drive, loop south under more streets and buildings before lining up under Nicholas Street, passing the University of Ottawa campus before popping back to the surface on the existing transitway near Lees Station.

Five large, 180-metre-ling stations are recommended. One, above ground on LeBreton Flats. The four others, underground between Bay and Lyon streets, O'Connor and Metcalfe streets, near Rideau Street and Sussex Drive, and at the university.

The tunnel is to anchor the city's planned multi-billion-dollar rapid-transit, light-rail network, which was approved by a 22-to-two council vote last year.

Construction of the network is to start with the tunnel, which would be 3.2-kilometres long, and an east-west, 12.5-kilometre transit line from Blair Road to Tunney's Pasture along the current transitway and through the tunnel at an estimated cost of $1.4 billion.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen