Ottawa Rapid Transit Network developments

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

We tend to forget that the wealthy already have tax advantages. For example, the fact that only half of capital gains are taxable.

If it is true that we are already the lowest provincial tax jurisdiction in the country, how can further tax cuts be justified? And we know that tax cuts will be trumping investment in public infrastructure. Furthermore, usually these tax cuts benefit that top income earners the most.

It seems to me that a deficit problem is best addressed with a sensible combination of spending reductions and revenue increases. It is American Tea party rhetoric that demands that these problems be entirely addressed by spending reductions. Regardless, at some point revenue will have to increase whether through taxes or other measures. As we saw before, it was previously dealt with through a provincial health fee which is a more regressive way of obtaining revenue compared to the tax system. We can complain about that all we want but at some point, we need to pay for our schools, hospitals, roads, police, fire and transit services. The easy way out is to say that we eliminate middle management and perhaps some of that is necessary, but we have to be careful that too much management cutting may result in inadequate project oversight.

THIS, THIS, THIS.

The rich pay way less tax than everyone else thanks to the policy of taxing capital gains at only half the rate.

What I want to see all governments do immediately is this:
-The first $10,000 of capital gains income continues to be taxed at half rate
-All over that is taxed as regular income, no discounts
That would eliminate this massive inequity while still protecting lower & middle income people's investment revenues.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by McC

"had"?
http://www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/2014/06/dramatic-shift-in-poll-results-from-new-data/

Also, depends which polls, hasn't IPSOS showed a Tory lead the whole time? Forum had them changing places?

I realize that a lot of this general election discussion should really be in it's own thread, but here's a very neat interactive summary of all the recent polls:

http://www.cbc.ca/elections/ontariovotes...-tracker-ontario-election-survey-roundup

[rocketphish]

Flip-flopper. Who's to say he won't just flip back to his old position if the PCs win?

Ottawa gets more LRT after books balanced, Hudak says

David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 9, 2014, Last Updated: June 9, 2014 10:37 AM EDT

Once Ontario’s books are balanced, a Progressive Conservative government will be eager to fund whatever projects Ottawa believes will “break gridlock,” Tory leader Tim Hudak said Monday morning.

It’s Hudak’s second trip to Ottawa in a week, necessitated by his having said last time that there’s simply no money for a second phase of light-rail construction, the centrepiece of Ottawa’s transportation plans for the next 15 years. The city needs $1 billion from the province to make it work, and Hudak said plainly last week that if he leads the government after Thursday’s election, he won’t supply it.

Monday’s message wasn’t quite the total support of “Phase 2? that the Liberals and the New Democrats have offered, but it was very different from what Hudak said last week.

The fact four currently Liberal ridings the Tories would like to take away — Ottawa West-Nepean, Ottawa South, Ottawa-Orléans and Glengarry-Prescott Russell — would benefit from the next phase of rail is doubtless a factor.

“Ottawa will get its fair share,” Hudak said. “Ottawa is a major city.”

The Tory leader pledged to continue provincial funding for the first phase of light rail, which is now under construction — the province’s $600-million share of that $2.1-billion project has been firmly pledged for years but the money actually moves in stages, so in theory a new government could halt it. He also promised to fix the often-clogged split where Highway 417 and Highway 174 to Orléans meet (also work that’s underway right now).

And he repeated a promise to upload Highway 174, which was built as a provincial highway but forcibly given to the City of Ottawa in the late 1990s as a provincial budget-saving move under Tory premier Mike Harris. The Liberal government in power since 2003 has refused to take it back, despite requests from the city.

More to come.

[email protected]
twitter.com/davidreevely

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/ottawa-gets-more-lrt-after-books-balanced-hudak-says

[J.OT13]

“Ottawa will get its fair share,” Hudak said. “Ottawa is a major city.”

He just said it; only the major cities will get their "fair share".

Sorry Kingston, London, KW, Hamilton... no transit funding for you!

[rocketphish]

Need more than talk from Hudak

By Megan Gillis, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Sunday, June 08, 2014 07:37 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, June 09, 2014 07:26 AM EDT

Show me the money.

Mayor Jim Watson says Tory Leader Tim Hudak's letter signaling a switch to supporting the second phase of the LRT project is good news for Ottawa but there's no commitment to ante up a third of the cost and it's not clear where the cash would come from.

"He made a commitment with specific dollars to Toronto for $2 billion a year," Watson said Sunday.

"In that letter, there was no financial commitment to the City of Ottawa but there was to the City of Toronto. I'd like to ensure that he is in sync with us and our need to get shovels in the ground in 2018 with their $975 million contribution.

"What we're looking for is fairness."

The first phase of the LRT project, running from Tunney's Pasture to Blair Rd. and slated to open in 2018, is currently under construction with 25% of the downtown tunnel now complete, Watson said.

The city will be making a formal funding application from the province and feds for the $3 billion next step -- extensions east to Orleans, west to Bayshore and Algonquin College and south to Riverside South -- in 2015 or early 2016.

Premier Kathleen Wynne reiterated during a stop in Orleans last week that her government, if re-elected June 12, would make funding Phase 2 a priority, paid for from a $14 billion fund for transportation outside the GTA.

Hudak had said that there would be no funding available for the second phase of the LRT but appeared to backtrack in a letter to Watson and council Saturday, saying that when more people are working and the books are balanced by 2016, "we will have the capacity to further invest in key transportation priorities like Phase 2 of the LRT.

"That's how we'll ensure Ottawa receives its fair share," he wrote.

Under the Liberals, the Hwy. 417/174 split "remains a traffic backlog despite 11 years of Liberal promises" while there are "safety concerns" on Hwy. 174, Hudak wrote.

The Tories would fix the split by finishing the road-widening project through to completion and in his first 100 days in office would start negotiations to "upload" Hwy. 174.

"On the one hand he's saying all of these projects are conditional on balancing the books, but he's willing to do this upload within 100 days - I really don't understand how this is going to work," Watson said.

Twitter: @ottawasun_megan

http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/06/08/need-more-than-talk-from-hudak

[lrt's friend]

And if the budget is worse when Hudak takes office? Isn't this the norm when there is a change of government?

And where does Phase 2 fit in with other priorities such as the promised tax cuts?

I am not convinced of the change of heart.

[waterloowarrior]

Baseline rapid transit EA study area proposed to be extended to include the section from Prince of Wales to the SE Transitway
http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=6272&doctype=agenda&itemid=318330

[1overcosc]

Tender is out for the Bayshore-Moodie transitway:

http://www.canadasbiz.net/bid-opportunit...re-Station-to-Moodie-Drive--Phase-1.html

[waterloowarrior]

some 2014 designs of the Cumberland Transitway - Innes to 10th Line
http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/planning-a...berland-transitway-innes-road-tenth-line

Cumberland Transitway – Innes Road to Tenth Line Road
Project overview
Updated May 2014

The City of Ottawa has initiated the preliminary design of the Cumberland Transitway from Innes Road to Tenth Line Road.

With the ongoing development of the East Urban Community, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route is being planned to address growing transit needs. This preliminary design incorporates four transit stations at the following locations:

Chapel Hill (Orleans Boulevard Extension), complete with a grade separation of OrleansBoulevard Extension crossing over the Transitway
An at-grade station at future Belcourt Boulevard where it will cross the Cumberland Transitwayat grade
A grade-separated overpass of the Transitway by Mer Bleue Road, incorporating a stationadjacent to the bridge structure
A grade separation at Tenth Line Road with the Transitway crossing over Tenth Line Road. Atransit station will also be placed at this location for both local buses as well as Transitway buses

[rocketphish]

Ottawa middle of road in rapid transit study

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Friday, September 05, 2014 05:38 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, September 05, 2014 05:43 PM EDT

A study on rapid transit networks in five Canadian cities puts Ottawa in the middle of the road.

The analysis released Friday by the environment-focused Pembina Institute compares rapid transit in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

Researchers looked at the length of rapid transit networks, station stops and ridership levels in relation to the cities' populations.

Ottawa could have adopted LRT earlier based on the over-capacity of the bus rapid transit system, especially through the core, according to the analysis.

"It may have been more appropriate to invest in LRT or other higher-capacity modes earlier, rather than exceeding the system's capacity and having to wait for LRT construction to relieve crowding," the study says.

The study defines rapid transit as being separated from traffic (like the Transitway) and rail lines. The criteria covers subways, LRTs, bus rapid transit and street cars.

The study found Calgary has the highest rapid transit infrastructure per capita and is considered a leader in light rail.

Calgary and Vancouver have built the most rapid transit in the past decade, followed by Ottawa.

Ottawa had the second-most rapid transit trips per capita at 104, behind Calgary's 133.

Ottawa ranked third in the rate of residents who live within 1 km of a transit stop at 28%.

By 2018 another 12.5 km of rapid transit will be added to Ottawa's network. That's when the $2.1-billion Confederation Line LRT is scheduled to open.

A second phase, which is currently in planning, would extend LRT farther west, east and south, adding 35 km of rail in Ottawa.

[email protected]
Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/09/05/ottawa-middle-of-road-in-rapid-transit-study

[waterloowarrior]

New transit station and bus-only lanes opening in Barrhaven
10 November 2014
Media Advisory
Ottawa – Mayor Jim Watson and Councillor Steve Desroches will announce the completion of a new transit station and bus-only lanes in Barrhaven.

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Chapman Mills Drive, Barrhaven (between Woodroffe Avenue and west of Beatrice Drive)

Event to take place on westbound station platform

Parking: On-street parking available

-30-

[silvergate]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Parking: On-street parking available

Oh the irony

[MountainView]

I get the idea of having bus only lanes here but with the opening of Beatrice Station it eliminates 3 other stops. Now I believe there is no stop between Nepean Woods Station and Beatrice Station.

[1overcosc]

Is this the first on-street BRT to be built in the city? (Curbside bus lanes don't count because they're not isolated enough).

[MoreTrains]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Is this the first on-street BRT to be built in the city? (Curbside bus lanes don't count because they're not isolated enough).

I do believe this is a first... if they did infact follow the picture.

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by MoreTrains

I do believe this is a first... if they did infact follow the picture.

Can confirm they followed the picture.

[Dado]

This is along the alignment reserved for the N-S LRT.

Looks like this is the EA statement of work for it:

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycou...en%20Riverside%20South%20Rapid%20Transit

Still looking for the EA itself...

Which I have now found, sort of, but not on the City's website (yet). It's on the website of the CCC, of all places:

http://www.ccc-ottawa.ca/transit-issues#TOC-Barrhaven-to-Riverside-South-BRT

[ortelius]

Jon Willing posted on Twitter

[Beedok]

Now if only the neighbourhood were more urban.

[1overcosc]

Woohoot now that's what we're talking about! Real on-street bus rapid transit, just like on Highway 7 in Toronto.

And we've got more of it coming too--on March Road and on Baseline.