Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0 - Page 115

Uhuniau · #**2281** Posted **Jul 14, 2015, 1:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JM1

Building a gondola or an LRT to serve a stadium to meet game night demand would be a waste of money.

I wish Lansdowne were a better draw... But it always seems lifeless and deserted to me. Too bad.

The only way to serve Lansdowned is by serving Bank Street with an LRT (I would be fine with a surface route).

Or by supplemental buses along the precious, precious canal parkway.

Uhuniau · #**2282** Posted **Jul 14, 2015, 1:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Most, if not possibly all, of a Rideau-Montreal route could fit on the surface if the bus/parking lanes were removed and the road narrowed to 1 car lane per direction with mid-block left turns banned. It would get tight in certain spots in Vanier, but could probably still be squeezed in.

Vanier is not where it's tight. Montreal Road is generally as wide or wider than Rideau.

Uhuniau · #**2283** Posted **Jul 14, 2015, 1:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikegypsy

This to me would be the obvious Phase 3 of the LRT project

Rideau-Montreal is obviouser, but, this being Ottawa, they'll start planning LRT within Kanata and Barrhaven and Orleans before there is any true mass transit within the urban core, except where it is entirely incidental to getting suburbanites to and from downtown during peak periods.

People who actually live in the old city of Ottawa simply do no matter any more to this council, and, given the propensity to unchecked sprawl and the continuing rise in the demographic weight of the outer suburbs, people who actually live in central areas never, ever, will matter again to any future council.

Ottawa has become a suburb of itself.

1overcosc · #**2284** Posted **Jul 14, 2015, 2:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Vanier is not where it's tight. Montreal Road is generally as wide or wider than Rideau.

Huh. Guess my memories of inner Montreal were wrong. I don't go out that way often (I only ever go to Vanier to visit my sister and she's up by the library).

In that case, it could totally fit on the surface. Uptown Rideau is totally wide enough for a St. Clair-style surface LRT to fit in if the bus lanes are removed, although west of King Edward, not so much. The portal could be between Nelson and Friel, with King Edward being an underground station and there being an underground interchange with Rideau station on the Confederation Line.

bikegypsy · #**2285** Posted **Jul 14, 2015, 3:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Rideau-Montreal is obviouser, but, this being Ottawa, they'll start planning LRT within Kanata and Barrhaven and Orleans before there is any true mass transit within the urban core, except where it is entirely incidental to getting suburbanites to and from downtown during peak periods.

People who actually live in the old city of Ottawa simply do no matter any more to this council, and, given the propensity to unchecked sprawl and the continuing rise in the demographic weight of the outer suburbs, people who actually live in central areas never, ever, will matter again to any future council.

Ottawa has become a suburb of itself.

True, but it has to happen at one point simply due to traffic. It will probably be in a "too" late fashion rather than in a properly planned addition. The pressure is already there on the Rideau to Montreal section and the same line could turn down Bank to Billings Bridge. I remain positive about this; I think that once Confed line goes live it will switch people on.

Uhuniau · #**2286** Posted **Jul 14, 2015, 10:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikegypsy

True, but it has to happen at one point simply due to traffic. It will probably be in a "too" late fashion rather than in a properly planned addition. The pressure is already there on the Rideau to Montreal section and the same line could turn down Bank to Billings Bridge. I remain positive about this; I think that once Confed line goes live it will switch people on.

No matter how switched on they are, unless there is a massive infusion of free money from a senior level of government, or unless there's a change in the way cities budget, there is neither the cash nor the borrowing room for Ottawa to build any more underground transit in this century.

The near east end, like other old-stock downtown neighbourhoods, is stuck with buses. Crappy buses. Permanently. And by design.

Enjoy the LRT, Orleans.

gmarshall · #**2287** Posted **Jul 15, 2015, 6:41 AM**

These were all taken on the 2nd of July.

Maintenance and storage facility:

New bridges just east of the train station:

Hurdman construction:

MoreTrains · #**2288** Posted **Jul 15, 2015, 1:01 PM**

Awesome photos gmarshall! One photo that would be awesome is of Booth street, but I cant complain with these.

rocketphish · #**2289** Posted **Jul 17, 2015, 4:46 PM**

Construction Update
Week of July 13

Scott Street looking west

Scott Street Widening

Preparatory work for the Scott Street widening continues. This work includes concrete removal and installation of concrete barriers and catch basins.

Lyon Station works

Lyon Station Cavern

Installation of lattice girders and tension ties is ongoing in the station cavern and mining of the upper drifts of the station cavern continues. Arch formwork occurs in the running tunnel in addition to waterproofing and rebar installations.

Decorative hoarding at Lyon Station East entrance

Lyon Station East Entrance

Place de Ville concourse level and parking garage structural demolition occurs in addition to concrete pours for the elevator footing.

Shotcrete at Parliament Station

Parliament Station Cavern

Crews continue installing umbrellas and pouring slabs. Mining the cavern central pillar advances.

Running tunnel excavation at Rideau Station

Rideau Station Cavern

Crocodile Rouge begins mining the east entrance adit this week and crews continue reinforcing the tunnel, including installing bolts.

Preparations at Rideau Station East entrance

Rideau Station East Entrance

Excavation and preparations for shoring begin this week.

Preparations for temporary bus loop construction at Hurdman Station

Hurdman Station

Crews continue site preparations for construction of the temporary bus loop which will be used during station construction later this fall. Intermittent closures and flagging of the pathway will be ongoing during station works.

Mobilization and temporary fencing at St-Laurent Station

Tremblay, St-Laurent, Cyrville and Blair Stations

Mobilization, including fencing, delivery of equipment and trailer installations, occurs for the next weeks in preparation for station construction. Pathway realignments around the stations continue and will be in place until construction is complete.

Abutment work at Booth Street Bridge

Guideway Construction – Booth Street Bridge

Crews continue backfilling, working on the north abutment, in addition to pouring pier columns and the south abutment footing.

Column pours at Hurdman Station

Guideway Construction – Hurdman Station

Elevated guideway work continues and includes formwork and pours for the columns and caps. Intermittent closures and flagging of the pathway will be ongoing during guideway works.

East ring structure work at Tremblay Station removals

Guideway Construction – Tremblay Station

Excavation and preparations for shoring, part of guideway works at the future Tremblay Station, have commenced. Intermittent closures and flagging of the pathway will be ongoing during guideway works.

Asphalt removals at Blair Station

Guideway Construction – Cyrville to Blair Stations

Mobilization for guideway construction begins on the Transitway around these stations, including asphalt grinding, material removals and electrical works.

Rail installation at Belfast Yard building

Belfast Yard Administration and Maintenance Building

Demolition of the building at 805 Belfast Road continues for the next weeks. Crews install tracks inside the building and finish works in the administration area. Door installation and pouring for the wheel lathe, which will be used for the maintenance of the LRVs, begin.

Trackwork at Belfast Yard

Belfast Yard Vehicle Storage Shed, Yard and Connector Works

Crews finalize panels on the shed and start installing panels for the noise wall. Track installation continues in the shed and in the yard. Duct bank installations are ongoing and curb work begins onsite.

Works are ongoing on the Belfast Yard connector.

Upcoming Construction Activities

In the coming weeks, the following construction activities are scheduled to occur:

Lyon Station west entrance preparatory works, including watermain and sewer work on Lyon and Queen streets.
Lyon Station east entrance excavation.
Guideway construction at Tremblay, St-Laurent, Cyrville and Blair stations.
Final works for Highway 417 widening project.

http://www.ligneconfederationline.ca/construction/construction-update-31/

1overcosc · #**2290** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 10:20 PM**

Federal government now on board with Phase 2.

Pretty easy getting funding this time around... the province committed before the EA was even done, the feds just 2 weeks after it was completed.

Although, neither level of government has an exact amount in writing yet, so technically, the project remains unfunded by both.

Quote:

The federal government is ready to give Ottawa $1 billion for its light-rail plans, Orléans MP Royal Galipeau told Mayor Jim Watson in a letter Wednesday.

With an election due this fall and Tory poll numbers sagging along with federal finances, Conservative members of Parliament have been busily promising support for local projects from coast to coast.

But a billion-dollar transit pledge for Ottawa’s “Stage 2″ rail plan stands out from the libraries and marinas, highway interchanges and sewage systems. The city estimates it’ll cost $3 billion. The plan counts on each level of government covering a third and the federal government is promising to pony up.

“Our intent to contribute to Stage 2 reflects our understanding that Canada’s largest cities depend on public transit infrastructure to fight gridlock, reduce congestion for people and businesses, and support economic development,” Galipeau’s letter says.

The money will depend on agreements on specific projects, based on detailed applications the city hasn’t filed yet. Typically, funding from the provincial and federal government flows as a project hits particular milestones, so the Tories aren’t really committing to anything until several years from now.

But the promise of money means the city can push ahead with finer planning for the stage of rail construction to begin once the first phase of light rail, between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair Road, is done in 2018. The federal and provincial governments promised $600 million each for the first phase early on, then made their way toward written agreements through years of technical work. In this case, city council approved the plan’s environmental assessments — a major step — two weeks ago, and asked for the other governments’ support in principle so it could continue.

Galipeau’s letter means the federal government has made much the same promise to the city the provincial government did with the pledge Premier Kathleen Wynne made to back Ottawa’s rail plans when she was running for re-election in 2014: the money is waiting for you, but we’ll need to see more specifics before we write you any cheques.

In that election, the Liberals were desperate to hold off a Progressive Conservative campaign that surged before faltering badly, and they saw swing seats in Ottawa’s suburbs in danger. The city’s Stage 2 plan, with its extensions to Bayshore and Baseline, south Gloucester and Place d’Orléans, was a big thing they could promise to help pay for if they were re-elected, and then-Tory leader Tim Hudak stumbled when he said (possibly by mistake) that a Progressive Conservative government wouldn’t do it.

This time, it’s federal Tories trying to hold onto their seats, especially ones like Galipeau’s in Orléans and two that will be open in Nepean.

Ottawa’s rail plans are backed by a unanimous city council, which makes the city look as though it has its act together. Especially compared to, say, Toronto, whose council is constantly undoing decisions it’s already made about subways and rail lines. Or Vancouver, where voters just decided against a sales-tax increase for a major transit expansion. Brampton has put off a decision on a new light-rail line that the provincial government is willing to fund completely.

Ottawa’s city administration is also familiar with public-private partnerships, which both the upper levels of government like (the first phase of rail is being built by one, funded by governments but run by a private consortium). Galipeau’s letter specifically urges Ottawa to work with the federal government’s “PPP Canada” agency as the city develops its plans.

Watson is on vacation, but in a written statement released by spokesman Brook Simpson he said he’s delighted by the promise.

“I am very proud of the work of all members of council that led to the unanimous approval of the Stage 2 LRT project by council, which strengthened our position to quickly secure this historic funding commitment from the government of Canada,” the statement said. “Today’s federal commitment is in addition to previous indications from Premier Kathleen Wynne and the government of Ontario that they also intend to support the project. I look forward to formalizing these funding commitments so we can move forward with construction in 2018.”

The city’s $3-billion cost estimate does not include further extensions it would like to build to extend rail all the way to Trim Road in the east and to create a spur to the Ottawa airport in the south. Stephen Blais, the chair of the city’s transit commission, said those are being talked about separately. Actual construction is several years away, so those could conceivably be added.

“The (environmental assessments) are done but we still need to do the detailed design and engineering,” Blais said. “We’re a long way from being able to go to the market for a procurement.”

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/federal-tories-pledge-1-billion-for-ottawas-rail-plans

Cre47 · #**2291** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 11:18 PM**

Or more likely because of the strong probability of been ousted in about 90 days or so. Like I've said. I guess it is that tight that our ridings will make the difference on how the next government will be.

swimmer_spe · #**2292** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 11:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cre47

Or more likely because of the strong probability of been ousted in about 90 days or so. Like I've said. I guess it is that tight that our ridings will make the difference on how the next government will be.

With the polls showing them in second place, if it keeps going this way, the will be fighting just to stay alive.

Less talk, more action.

eternallyme · #**2293** Posted **Jul 23, 2015, 12:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

With the polls showing them in second place, if it keeps going this way, the will be fighting just to stay alive.

Less talk, more action.

In all but one of the ridings, the main opponent is in third place though. If the Liberals tank, the Conservatives should hold all their Ottawa area seats (the NDP would have an outside chance at Ottawa-Vanier, while I have a hard time seeing Ottawa South move from the Liberals even if they lose official party status).

1overcosc · #**2294** Posted **Jul 23, 2015, 1:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eternallyme

In all but one of the ridings, the main opponent is in third place though. If the Liberals tank, the Conservatives should hold all their Ottawa area seats (the NDP would have an outside chance at Ottawa-Vanier, while I have a hard time seeing Ottawa South move from the Liberals even if they lose official party status).

I'm not sure if Ottawa South is so Liberal-safe that it would remain Liberal even if the party was reduced to 11 seats or less nationwide.

Ottawa-Vanier has been Liberal for eons (if you redistribute results from before the riding was created, it's been Liberal literally since Confederation), but that doesn't mean that can't change. Hull-Aylmer was also a very long-time Liberal riding as well IIRC and it went orange in 2011.

The NDP are almost certain to retain Ottawa Centre especially now that they're leading nationwide. I would agree that O-V is the best chance the NDP have for a pickup in Ottawa. Ottawa West-Nepean is probably second best. I have a hard time seeing them gain any other seat in the area unless they go into major crush mode (like what they did in Quebec in 2011), in which case all bets are off and they can win pretty much anything.

YOWetal · #**2295** Posted **Jul 23, 2015, 1:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eternallyme

In all but one of the ridings, the main opponent is in third place though. If the Liberals tank, the Conservatives should hold all their Ottawa area seats (the NDP would have an outside chance at Ottawa-Vanier, while I have a hard time seeing Ottawa South move from the Liberals even if they lose official party status).

Exactly. Very good analysis. Nationally, the Cons are actually looking better than they have in at least 2 years. Once the campaign starts their experience and extra $ should add a few points and even majority is probably within reach once the NDP government threat comes into focus which should allow them to to peel another 3-4 points off of the Liberals to push them over the hump.

1overcosc · #**2296** Posted **Jul 23, 2015, 1:50 AM**

I have a very hard time seeing another CPC majority (they're just down way too far at this point, both in the polls and in leader approval), but a CPC minority is still the most likely result IMO (although a NDP minority is looking more possible nowadays).

Forum's polls track an interesting question: "Who do you expect to win the election?". Until a week ago, the CPC led this despite the NDP surge. Recently the NDP have pulled ahead in this measure. Now that an NDP government is seen as "likely/probable" by most Canadians, we'll see if this leads to a freak out.

The complete and total failure of the CPC to attack the NDP is puzzling, and I'm not too sure why. I think they were trying to induce Liberals to move over to the NDP and split the vote, but that seems to have backfired completely as the NDP are now the main competitors to government.