Ottawa Rapid Transit Network developments

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

I dunno. I think that the fact that it's a tram in a metro's clothing makes it more easily expandable. You could do corridors such as Carling without having to go grade-separated, Byron or the Ottawa River Parkway without freaking out the neighbours and even have a surface relief line if and when necessary.

The neighbours around Byron seem pretty freaked out by the prospect of light rail at grade... but the powers-that-be appear to have already determined it will be grade separated anyway.

Those would all be very prohibitive if it was a light metro or even if it was a high-floor tram.

At this point, a high-floor vehicle ought to be cheaper. They're easier to design since you're not as constrained for equipment space. On a line like this that is all grade-separated rebuild or new build, the cost differential between low and high floor stations should not be much.

And since it's less prohibitive cost-wise, you can expand it more easily to lower-ridership or density areas and still have the option to increase capacity if it's a success.

We'll have to see what comes of the Western LRT, especially south of Lincoln Fields. If the crossing of Iris is grade-separated, then the argument for light rail rather than light metro is pretty much hogwash.

As it stands on the books today, the system will ultimately be fully grade separated in the west as far as ScotiaBank Place, as far southwest as at least Hunt Club and as far east as Millennium P&R.

I'll admit it's not quite as big-city as a full (or light-) metro, but I think it makes a lot of sense in order to have a full and extensive network as soon as possible.