Ottawa Rapid Transit Network developments

[lrt's friend]

Send rail south, east

The Ottawa Citizen


Monday, September 15, 2008


One of the longest-running soap operas in Ottawa history continues to unfold with the unveiling of the list of options for starting the light-rail project.

Since 1998, Ottawans have been hearing promises of light-rail and, so far, all we have for a decade of talking is the north-south heavy-rail O-Train from Bayview to Greenboro. That was planned to be a demonstration project to show that an extensive system was workable. So far, despite the fact that light-rail is vitally important to the future of our community, the so-called demonstration project is looking more and more permanent.

Councillors are now deciding in which direction the first segment of rail will be built. Mayor Larry O'Brien is supporting the laying of track east and south. He is right.

Why? The southern route already has much of the preparation work completed due to the now-scrapped north-south route. Also, the southern route is doable -- a very good argument for the original project. Using an old railway right-of-way and travelling through empty fields in the south end of town requires a lot less expensive expropriation than going west. And after construction, the economic uplift along the route will be extensive. With good planning, Ottawa could see intensive development along this valuable line.

The eastern route is also very important. Eastenders use public transit more than any other Ottawans. Maybe that's because they face the most difficult traffic problems in the city at the Split where highways 417 and 174 meet. Perhaps it's because a high percentage of public-service employees live in the east end and commute downtown. Maybe it's even because there isn't the business there that we see located in Kanata where residents can both work and live in a compact commuting range.

One way or the other, there is a market for transit in the east end. And there is one more very important reason for going east: residents there feel they are treated as second-class citizens in the new Ottawa. That's not the case, development just tends to go west for good economic reasons. But if rail is built in the east before the west, it is a profound reiteration by the community to the east end that it is a valued part of the national capital.

What the rail plan needs is an example of it actually running. Rail is a good product so riding it will convince Ottawans that we need more of it fast. That makes building in the west difficult. The National Capital Commission has grave reservations about building a line along the Ottawa River Parkway. That effectively eliminates the west as the first segment of the plan to be constructed. The city can't wait to build rail in an environment of high-priced gas and a clogged downtown.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

Its time to get moving on this. 10 years is already too long for the first operating train. We can't extend this further waiting for the west route to be identified. We cannot afford to develop a plan for the west end quickly and risk the possibility that there will not be broad community support and another spectacular project termination at the last minute. We need to learn from past experiences and make sure we have community consensus. This requires community involvement and study of all options. Maybe, it will end up being the Ottawa River Parkway, maybe not, or maybe some creative variation. Time is needed to do this properly and make sure that the public is on side. I believe that development of a project in the east and south will increase momentum in finding solutions in the west at the very least. It is my hope that this will lead to more than just laying track on the Western Transitway. Just like in the east end, I hope that a proper study for the west end gives us at least 2 routes. If we accomplish this, we will end up with far more ridership growth. Given the fact that the west end has a larger employment base than the east end, it is critical that transit accessibility to those employment areas be improved. This requires the development of at least one new rapid transit corridor.