O-Train Line 2 [Stage 1 | Bayview to Greenboro] | In Service

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Isn't it the same technology as the SkyTrain in Vancouver?

No, but they're related. The Scarborough RT was the first order of the ICTS technology which was developed by the Ontario government.

The original ICTS technology was intended to be a cheap (both in capital and operations) form of rapid transit that was affordable enough for massive networks of it to be built across Toronto's suburbs. Plans were for the entire GO Train network to be essentially converted to this technology plus a bunch of brand new suburban lines as well. Interestingly enough, I once read in passing that the MTO planned to build an ICTS network in Ottawa as well--although I have no clue what such plans were (I'd love to find out!)

The idea died when it was discovered that it really wasn't much cheaper than building a full-fledged subway.

So the government sold it off (I think to Bombardier) where it was retooled into the SkyTrain technology. That retooling was enough to destroy compatibility--the Scarborough RT vehicles are not compatible with any other rapid transit line anywhere in the world.

[lrt's friend]

Just saw an O-Train pulling into Walkley Yards around 9:18 am. Service interruption?

[lrt's friend]

I don't get any of these plans. The people mover at JFK takes you to Jamaica Station where you can take the train to Midtown Manhattan. The BART at SFO takes you to Union Square. In either case you're going to the center of the city and likely close to your hotel if you are visiting either city for business or pleasure. Where exactly will the Crenshaw Line take you? Essentially to nowhere. And who wants to transfer trains to get to where they need to go with suitcases? There needs to be a more direct way from LAX to Downtown where the majority of hotel development is happening right now, otherwise it really makes no sense.

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/05/all_the_details_on_laxs_potential_people_mover_system.php

This was posted in a discussion about proposed rail plans at LAX. This is exactly the same concerns I have been expressing about a lack of a proposed direct rail connection between Ottawa airport and downtown hotels. The debate has a lot of criticism of a very expensive rail plan in Los Angeles.

[rocketphish]

Extra cash for O-Train project

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 05:14 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 05:18 PM EDT

Another $2.3 million has been tacked on to the cost of the O-Train expansion project, according to a report for the transit commission.

OC Transpo was expecting to save up to $1.3 million in relief from duty fees on the six new trains manufactured by Alstom in Europe. According to the report, Transpo was counting on the fee break based on the Canada-European Union free trade agreement. However, the Ministry of Finance denied the city's application.

Transpo identified another $1 million needed to satisfy Transport Canada regulatory requirements for the new trains, the report says.

The good news is there are surpluses in other capital accounts.

For example, Transpo saved $2.3 million on the double-decker bus project because the fleet was "re-engineered reducing the amount of infrastructure upgrades originally anticipated."

Transpo saved a total of $4.8 million on projects in 2013. Of the savings, $3 million will be transferred to the reserves and the rest will pay down debt.

The O-Train expansion budget is $59 million. When the improved service begins later this year, trains will arrive at stations every eight minutes instead of the current frequency of every 15 minutes.

The commission will vote on the capital budget adjustments next Wednesday.

[email protected]

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/05/14/extra-cash-for-o-train-project

[waterloowarrior]

O-Train Extension Planning and Environmental Assessment (EA) Study
http://ottawa.ca/en/o-train-extension-planning-and-environmental-assessment-ea-study

Project overview

What is the purpose of this study?
This study was initiated by the City of Ottawa to develop an approved plan to extend and expand the City's existing diesel-powered O-Train service from Greenboro Station to Riverside South (Bowesville Road) and to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.

The plan will include options to service the growing communities of Riverside South and Leitrim, the Airport and adjacent lands, as well as new stations at Gladstone and Walkley roads on the existing O-Train line. The plan also allows for a future conversion to electric light rail transit (LRT) technology.

What is the study area?

The primary study area includes the existing O-Train corridor between Bayview and Greenboro Stations, the current Walkley Yard maintenance and storage facility, the proposed southern extension from Greenboro Station to Riverside South (Bowesville Road), and a branch to the Airport, as shown below.



The primary study area includes the existing O-Train corridor between Bayview and Greenboro Stations, the current Walkley Yard maintenance and storage facility, the proposed southern extension from Greenboro Station to Riverside South (Bowesville Road), and a branch to the Airport

Why extend the O-Train to Bowesville?

The need to extend rail transit service to Riverside South and further to Barrhaven was first identified in the City's 2003 Transportation Master Plan (TMP). This need was driven by planned population growth in the south urban community: a projected 54,600 residents and 27,900 jobs in Riverside South and 22,500 residents and 12,600 jobs in the South Nepean Town Centre when these communities are fully built out. To meet this demand, in 2006 the City's North-South Corridor LRT EA Study (N-S LRT EA) identified an approved recommended plan to extend electrically powered rail transit from the Rideau Centre to Barrhaven Town Centre.

The City's updated 2013 TMP identifies construction of the electric LRT line south of Bayview Station as something which will likely take place beyond 2031. In order to provide an immediate benefit to transit riders from the growing communities south of the Airport, the City plans to extend the O-Train line to a Park and Ride and transfer station near Bowesville Road, and to construct a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Transitway facility linking Bowesville with Barrhaven Town Centre through Riverside South. Bowesville Station was identified as the preferred end point for an O-Train extension in the O-Train South Rail Expansion Project Feasibility Study, which was presented to City Council in 2012. EA approval for the Transitway portion was obtained through the Barrhaven – Riverside South Rapid Transit (Barrhaven Town Centre to Leitrim Park and Ride) Environmental Assessment Study (BRRT) in 2013.

Why is an extension to the Airport important?

Extending rail transit service to the Airport has been envisioned in both Airport plans and municipal transit plans for some time, as a means of providing a fast, comfortable connection between the Airport and the downtown core for visitors and residents alike. A separate branch line to the Airport was identified in the 2006 N-S LRT EA. Additionally, transportation studies prepared by the Airport Authority have identified significant delays for vehicle trips to and from the Airport at peak periods, due to a limited number of road access points and high levels of congestion on arterial roads in the area.

Following the City's Economic Development Strategy Implementation Plan (2011), the City and the Airport developed a Shared Vision for Economic Development that was adopted by Council in 2012. This vision identifies several objectives that can be furthered by implementing high-quality rapid transit service to the Airport, including stimulating domestic and international business in Ottawa, attracting major events and conventions, and strategically developing employment lands to complement the City's existing employment land base.

What is the current study process?

This study is following Ontario's Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) (O. Reg. 231/08), which is approved under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. Under the TPAP, the City must consider alternative designs for the transit project, undertake public and agency consultation, assess the potential environmental impacts of the recommended plan, and identify measures to mitigate these impacts.

The study will also address potential implications of federal and National Capital Commission properties and the potential requirements for federal permits and funding.

As part of the study process, an Environmental Project Report (EPR) will be prepared for public review. Following the public review period and the issuance of a Notice to Proceed from the Minister of the Environment, the project will be considered to have EA approval and may proceed towards financing and construction.

How long will the study take?

The EA process requires a comprehensive consultation program involving many stakeholders, including the City of Ottawa, the Airport, the NCC, approval and regulatory agencies, local community associations and businesses, special advisory and interest groups and members of the public. The study is expected to take approximately 15 months to complete.

How can I get involved?

You are encouraged to participate in the study by attending consultation events or contacting the study team directly with information, comments or questions. Updated project information will be posted periodically on the study website.

An Open House will be scheduled as an opportunity for interested persons to learn about the study and provide input on the recommended plan or any other aspect of the study. Notification for the open house will be provided through local newspaper notices, emails to the study mailing list, and postings on this website.

[1overcosc]

^ So they're actually moving forward with service to the airport, or just throwing in the airport branch to allow for it to be in future phases (like how they the Orleans LRT study goes out to Trim even though service is only going as far as Place D'Orleans). If the former, how will that work with frequency? Each branch would have to be at 16 minutes frequency... Or funding? I thought the city concluded that with the $100M budget they can pick one branch but not both....

[Aylmer]

Exciting! I'm very glad to see that the airport spur is back on the table.

On a different note, I wonder if the City will ever consider adding lines to places like Barrhaven and Nepean/Kanata North. I'd imagine that it could only really happen once the trunk (either Confederation-Bayview or Hunt Club-Tremblay) is double-tracked.
But still, I think it might be interesting if we integrated a longer-distance, diesel-electric mode of transportation into our transit mix. It would allow the city to extend higher-capacity to more distant areas like Barrhaven (via the existing rail), Kanata (via existing rail and perhaps a new alignment along the 417 to Terry Fox) and Riverside South more quickly and cheaper than it could be done with double-tracked, completely electric and totally grade-separated MLRT.

If done well, it could be the carrot which will drive developers to opt for TOD instead of sprawl (the city could provide the stick). With value capture schemes, it might even pay for itself!

But I digress. I'm happy about the airport

[acottawa]

Is Bowesville road just a field in the middle of nowhere or does it have some future significance (a planned commercial hub or town centre)?

[JM1]

I am an urbanist, and this makes no sense to me. I would rather see a train run to riverside/bar haven along the existing rights of way. This kind of plan is just asking for sprawl south of the airport along with all the costs of sprawl -- pollution, traffic, more sewers, roads, etc....

We need densification and better transit in the core.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by JM1

I am an urbanist, and this makes no sense to me. I would rather see a train run to riverside/bar haven along the existing rights of way. This kind of plan is just asking for sprawl south of the airport along with all the costs of sprawl -- pollution, traffic, more sewers, roads, etc....

We need densification and better transit in the core.

There is an existing and/or planned right-of-way already on this route. The general route has been planned since the 80s so that Riverside South would have access to rapid transit. After cancelling the original North-South LRT plan in 2006, the City redid its transit plan and is now planning to extend the existing O-Train, add a couple more urban stations, and convert to electric LRT at a later date.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Is Bowesville road just a field in the middle of nowhere or does it have some future significance (a planned commercial hub or town centre)?

Big Park and Ride
see p. 118 http://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents.ottawa.ca/files/documents/brrt_erp_en.pdf

in the future the LRT would be extended to the town centre (assuming when it's converted to electric)... for now it would be BRT from Barrhaven to Bowesville

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Is Bowesville road just a field in the middle of nowhere or does it have some future significance (a planned commercial hub or town centre)?

Bowesville Road is the minimum needed to get the O-Train beyond the Greenbelt and airport lands. It will be the eventual eastern edge of Riverside South. It is not planned to be the town centre. Roads will need to be built to connect this station to the current Riverside South. Existing roads are not adequate.

[OTSkyline]

If it was be I would cancel Leitrim station and Bowesville station, have the 1 line stop at the Airport, then shallow tunnel under the runway, out of other side of the airport and then the line can continue to Riverside South and cross Standherd-Armstrong to connect to Barrhaven in the future...

[eternallyme]

Why no extension across the Prince of Wales Bridge in that proposal? Yes, it becomes a project under Transport Canada's view there, but IMO that would be extremely beneficial.

[acottawa]

It's hard to see how this really benefits anyone.

Outside of rush hour, Riverside South residents will take the bus to a cornfield to transfer to a train instead of taking a bus to an intermodal station where there are bus, train and shopping options. New way seems worse.

During rush hour, Riverside South residents will take a bus to a cornfield to transfer to a train instead of taking a bus all the way downtown (or presumably to Hurdman after 2018). New way seems worse.

There will be a high capacity BRT between Barrhaven and Riverside South. It seems rather unclear who the target audience is as neither has significant employment lands and both are bedroom communities of Ottawa or Kanata (I would think Barrhaven residents would prefer a link to Kanata where many of them work). Are people in car-centric communities expected to take the bus to go shopping?

I suppose some airport users might consider the o-train more prestigious than the 97, but it wouldn't be an improvement in either speed or frequency, and I suspect those seeking prestige would still take a taxi/limo anyway (which would still beat the o-train/lrt downtown almost all of the time).

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Big Park and Ride
see p. 118 http://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents.ottawa.ca/files/documents/brrt_erp_en.pdf

That's disgusting. At least build the 1,660 Park-and-Ride as a parking garage and not just a massive parking lot. No one will want to use it if they have to park in the rain or snow and walk 10 minutes to the bus stop. Build something like the GO Train station park and rides that have covered, multi-storey garages.

[Aylmer]

Moreover, parking-based transit precludes any development other than automobile sprawl. They could make an effort to make it the centre of a community with dwellings, businesses and density that will add to the city's coffers, but instead it'll be an enormous and expensive expanse of asphalt serving only to perpetuate expensive sprawl. If you need to have parking, at least do it in such a way that the nearest development will be a 10-minute walk away through a landscape vaguely reminiscent of either Tatooine or Hoth, depending on the month. Let it be noted that I'm proud of that latest reference.

I think it would be a good idea to attend an open house and bring up the issue.

[waterloowarrior]

Think of Bowesville as the Riverside South equivalent of Fallowfield and Eagleson (and Jeanne D'Arc with a big park and ride)

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

Exciting! I'm very glad to see that the airport spur is back on the table.

On a different note, I wonder if the City will ever consider adding lines to places like Barrhaven and Nepean/Kanata North. I'd imagine that it could only really happen once the trunk (either Confederation-Bayview or Hunt Club-Tremblay) is double-tracked.
But still, I think it might be interesting if we integrated a longer-distance, diesel-electric mode of transportation into our transit mix. It would allow the city to extend higher-capacity to more distant areas like Barrhaven (via the existing rail), Kanata (via existing rail and perhaps a new alignment along the 417 to Terry Fox) and Riverside South more quickly and cheaper than it could be done with double-tracked, completely electric and totally grade-separated MLRT.

If done well, it could be the carrot which will drive developers to opt for TOD instead of sprawl (the city could provide the stick). With value capture schemes, it might even pay for itself!

But I digress. I'm happy about the airport

I remember years ago Dalton McGuinty was open to the idea of having GO Train start a system for eastern Ontario using existing tracks as a start for such a project.

I think it would be great if Ottawa worked with other levels of government to get such a project rolling. From my own VIA Rail experiences, there are precious few people who commute from Barrhaven to Tremblay using the line, but if it was promoted and made regular in the form of a GO Train, that could provide some relief for roads and congestion in the south end of the city, and people would only need one transfer to get downtown, and the system could also be used to bypass downtown, alleviating crowding on buses and trains since "all roads lead downtown" more or less.

It's an idea worth exploring, especially with Wynne's transit-friendly Liberals in office, and could potentially lead to train service direct to downtown, meaning Ottawa could truly focus on public transit and try to shift away from cars.

[Aylmer]

One huge step forward would be if the federal government were to change the rules on railway safety which prohibit the kind of light EMU/DMUs (like the O-Train Talents) so ubiquitous in Europe.



If, all of a sudden, it were possible to operate these lighter vehicles with minimal staff requirements (again, like the O-Train), it would have the potential to be a major turning point in Canada's transportation landscape; regional and local rail could become affordable and, in many cases, profitable to build and operate. Municipalities could set up pilot projects on unused or underused railways for pennies on the dollar of what rail transportation currently costs to set up.

We could restore service to cities like Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Peterborough as well as remote communities without needing to justify it with high initial ridership projections. Cities like Ottawa or Calgary could justify regional rail to the greater region and smaller communities hoping to gain access to nearby cities (like Arnprior, Smith Falls and Wakefield) for services, tourism or a boost to the local economy would be able to afford the link.

Governments are slowly coming around to the idea that funding transit is an essential investment. Now it's time for us to remove the legal barriers to building it.