Ottawa Rapid Transit Network developments

[Capital Shaun]

the use of any portion of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway corridor ... that would impact negatively the current experience of this iconic green corridor along the Ottawa River.

But a quasi 4 lane highway isn't a negative... I don't get the NCC.

[eternallyme]

What options are left? The only one I can see is a tunnel from Westboro to the Richmond Road corridor, i.e. go from the open cut straight into a tunnel.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by toaster

Cannot believe there will not be an underground station along Richmond in Westboro. Surely the City could tack on development fees for all the developments in the area to pay for it.

What developments? The nimbyhood won't allow developments.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

What options are left? The only one I can see is a tunnel from Westboro to the Richmond Road corridor, i.e. go from the open cut straight into a tunnel.

The City is supposed to buy Rochester Field from the NCC anyway, so that option is still available.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Dado

At any rate, I was responding to your claim that Westboro would be bypassed for development by the Woodroffe area. I'm afraid that that is unlikely for quite some time: people just love to move to Westboro where they can stroll between cafés and outdoor gear stores.

Yes, but now the NIMBYs want it in writing, in the official plan, that there will be no intensification around the LRT stations - if the g.d. things are ever built - in those west end neighbourhoods.

See:

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2013/04/2...w-density-housing-near-new-lrt-stations/

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

But a quasi 4 lane highway isn't a negative... I don't get the NCC.

The NCC? Try the moron neighbours, too.

Welcome to Ottawa where "green space" and the car are precious, and anything genuinely urban is treated with suspicion at best, outright hatred at worst.

What a hole.

What a fetid, small town, suburban, stinking hole.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Dado

Seems that the City's consultation efforts with the NCC are as bad as they are with the public at large.

I support this route in general (though I think it has excessive tunnelling) but blimey is the City ever doing a piss poor job of it.

The NCC needs to be abolished.

The NCC has a track record of obstructing transit in Ottawa that is now unbroken.

Down with the NCC.

Abolish it.

Dump it.

Relegate it to history.

[citizen j]

“We simply felt that the process is moving a little too quickly." (NCC chair Russell Mills).

Speaks volumes.

[S-Man]

Heard on the radio (following the approval of the Carling/Preston tower) someone bemoaning the impending loss of Ottawa's "small-town, rural feel".
I heard this as I sat in traffic at Woodroffe and Carling. Looking around at 6 lanes of traffic and 1960s high-rises and strip malls, I tried to imagine what delusional mind would describe a capital city of 1 million people as not just having a 'small-town' feel, but a "RURAL" one?!

Rural???

[citizen j]

^The metro might be pushing 1.3 million but there are lots of people who still think they live in a small city. The towers on Carling are going up (diagonally) across from a Farm. There's enough open green space in the capital to lull one into the feeling that the city's an elaborate and intrusive ruse. Tunney's Pasture, Pleasant Park, Arlington Woods, Meadowlands, Pineview, Longfields, Beaverbrook, Carson Grove; the language denies the city exists even if it's just language. Don't underestimate the power of naming. Or the power of what Uhuniau calls vibrating green space. Maybe Claridge should change the name of the tower to something with green, wood, park, or farm in it; that would throw those opposed to it off its trail and make it magically invisible. Greenwood Park Estates? Picketfence Farm Landing? It would also confuse buyers, scooping up those in search of a suburban home through strategic misnaming. Er, we seem to have strayed off topic.

See my Confederation Line/NCC snipe above.

[Kitchissippi]

Ironically, The NCC's comments pretty well brings it to one choice, via Rochester Field. My feeling is that to make it acceptable to the McKellar Park NIMBYs, the city will need to trench (or shallow cut and cover) across the field and tunnel more of Richmond Road.

[McC]

Originally Posted by S-Man

...

Welcome back, sir; its good to "see" you!

Originally Posted by citizen j

Picketfence Farm Landing.

Is a pretty good one

[eemy]

Originally Posted by citizen j

“We simply felt that the process is moving a little too quickly." (NCC chair Russell Mills).

Speaks volumes.

We know the pace the NCC likes to work at.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by citizen j

“We simply felt that the process is moving a little too quickly." (NCC chair Russell Mills).

Speaks volumes.

Indeed, considering that the process is two years behind schedule.

And yet if this really is the first time the NCC is hearing about the CPR route being the preferred route - and we don't have evidence one way or the other - then it's the City that's at fault. If not, then the NCC has got some explaining to do.

Either which way, something is very wrong with the way these planning studies are being carried out. Also let's not forget that just a few weeks ago the NCC's own much-delayed interprovincial study ran into a similar kind of reaction from the cities that were supposedly part of that study.

Can these jurisdictions not play nice with each other?

[Haussmanniste]

I can't believe some people are always calling for the NCC's abolishing... so shortsighted. If anything, the NCC's powers should be increased. We should get rid of the City of Ottawa, if anything. They think in one way only and that is money. The NCC thinks in the interest of all Canadians. They do their best to create a beautiful, functional city and the dimwits at City Hall do all in their power to unravel that.

The NCC declared at least last year (?), maybe earlier, that having the LRT along the Parkway will not fly. Period. But the City chooses this corridor. Do they not understand that no means no? We had posters all over the University campus reminding us of this. Maybe they should have them at City Hall.

In all seriousness, though, they should not be building it along the river. It's impractical. They should stick to Carling or Byron because there are people living on the north side and south side. That way, the stations can service people north of the line as well as south. People will only use it if it's close enough. If you build it along these corridors, you have a bigger radius where it is accessible to potential users. Along the river, you're missing out. Nobody wants to walk for 20 minutes to get to a station.

Finally, if you have to anger a bunch of NIMBYites, who cares? Our city needs more direction and that means removing Ottawans from the equation. We are too attached emotionally to certain streets, "heritage" homes and such that we never get this city looking better. Just the same old... well, you know.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Haussmanniste

In all seriousness, though, they should not be building it along the river. It's impractical. They should stick to Carling or Byron because there are people living on the north side and south side. That way, the stations can service people north of the line as well as south.

Concerning the segment between Dominion and Cleary there is no practical difference from a passenger access point of view between using the old CPR corridor along the Parkway or the Richmond-Byron corridor because the stations will be in the exact same places.

The differences are in terms impact, cost, straightness of route, etc.

[amanfromnowhere]

Originally Posted by Haussmanniste

If anything, the NCC's powers should be increased. We should get rid of the City of Ottawa, if anything. They think in one way only and that is money. The NCC thinks in the interest of all Canadians.

Correct me if I'm wrong... you suggest that the money to support and develop all Ottawa infrustructure should come from the NCC and all Canadians?

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by Dado

Indeed, considering that the process is two years behind schedule.

And yet if this really is the first time the NCC is hearing about the CPR route being the preferred route - and we don't have evidence one way or the other - then it's the City that's at fault. If not, then the NCC has got some explaining to do.

Either which way, something is very wrong with the way these planning studies are being carried out. Also let's not forget that just a few weeks ago the NCC's own much-delayed interprovincial study ran into a similar kind of reaction from the cities that were supposedly part of that study.

Can these jurisdictions not play nice with each other?

Perhaps they received positive feedback from NCC staff, but the Board was not in favour?

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by Haussmanniste

I can't believe some people are always calling for the NCC's abolishing... so shortsighted. If anything, the NCC's powers should be increased. We should get rid of the City of Ottawa, if anything. They think in one way only and that is money. The NCC thinks in the interest of all Canadians. They do their best to create a beautiful, functional city and the dimwits at City Hall do all in their power to unravel that.

You can't be serious. It's the NCC's constant focus on "all Canadians" that's the problem. Canadians could care less about preserving grass along the Ottawa River. They don't care (except for environmentalists). I'm sure Canadians wouldn't mind if they ran LRT through an underutilized green space along an underutilized Ottawa River. The NCC's vision for the Ottawa River and the surrounding lands isn't working. People are already disconnected from the river; providing access by LRT can only help. While other cities are improving light rail along their waterfront, the NCC wants light rail as far away from the waterfront as possible.

This region isn't growing because of the NCC; it's growing in spite of the NCC. While the City of Ottawa isn't perfect, the majority of major projects there is to be excited about is either directly because of the City or they've had a role in setting up a framework or approving it. The NCC is a disaster.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Perhaps they received positive feedback from NCC staff, but the Board was not in favour?

I was wondering about that possibility too. I've met their head transportation planner on a few occasions and he's not a die-hard "thou canst not touch the Parkway" type, so I could see this scenario happening.


There is a kind of understandable problem here too: it would be a tad inappropriate for the NCC Board to agree to an alignment before the City of Ottawa Council does, yet the City can't finally choose a route until the NCC Board agrees, so we get this bizarre dance taking place.


But a lot can still be laid at the City's feet: this is the first public consultation concerning routes and the City has "already" picked a preferred route? Sorry, that should not be happening at this stage of the study (don't get me wrong: we should be at this point by now ... but this stage of the study is two years behind schedule). At the very least there should have been a consultation session last year when the non-scheduled interim report came out. The City's own processes are clearly failing them hugely on this one.