O-Train Line 1/3 [ Stage 2 | East Extension | Blair to Trim] | U/C

[waterloowarrior]

Stage 2 alignment improvements staff report
http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/item.aspx?itemid=345825

[waterloowarrior]

Premier and Minister of Transportation in Orleans tomorrow, mayor has invited all of Council

[orleans_man]

The announcement involves additional funding for Phase 2:

"The funds will help expand the line to the Ottawa airport in the south end, as well as to Trim Road in Orléans to the east."

CBC Article

[rocketphish]

Wynne promises to pay $158M extra for east and south LRT extensions

David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 3, 2016 | Last Updated: June 3, 2016 11:49 AM EDT

The provincial government will kick in half the cost of adding light-rail extensions all the way east to Trim Road and to the Ottawa airport, Premier Kathleen Wynne said Friday morning.

The city government already has a $3-billion plan to build rail east to Place d’Orléans, west to Bayshore mall, and south to both Baseline station and Riverside South. It wants to run the Place d’Orléans line farther east to Trim Road and to include a spur to the airport off the Riverside South line, but doesn’t want to pay for them. The promise of $158 million from the province gets those additions halfway to being funded, with the federal government now being asked to cover the rest.

The money, in addition to the $1 billion Wynne has already promised for a second phase of rail construction between 2018 and 2023, put Mayor Jim Watson in an ebullient mood.

“Ottawa,” he said alongside Wynne at a news conference at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans, “has its act together…. We’re sticking to the plan, we’re building LRT, and today we’re going to be building even more LRT.”

Orléans Liberal MP Andrew Leslie, who was also at the announcement, said he’s working on getting the federal government to pay for the other half. Both Wynne and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned on promises to spent massively on new public construction projects. Watson said the city is meeting federal ministers and expects them to agree to pony up within a few months.

[email protected]
twitter.com/davidreevely

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...to-help-fund-airport-and-trim-road-links

[acottawa]

$316M seems like a pretty lowball number for both extensions.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by acottawa

$316M seems like a pretty lowball number for both extensions.

Trim is about 1 km further down the line, one station and the airport link is a single track diesel train. And the airport will pay for its own station. I think it's fairly realistic.

[Hybrid247]

Extending the O-train to the airport and riverside south under the current plan would be a huge mistake. I can't believe they seriously think it's going to work. The current O-train setup barely functions as it is. I can't imagine how poorly the service will operate once these changes are implemented. All this will do is waste money and probably even worsen the quality of service the airport and south end currently have. I just can't comprehend why they are going about this in a backwards fashion. They know they'll have to double track the line eventually. Can they not see the problem with extending the line before double tracking and electrification is done?? This is basic common sense... They must have a bunch of monkeys working in the transit planning office.

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by Hybrid247

Extending the O-train to the airport and riverside south under the current plan would be a huge mistake. I can't believe they seriously think it's going to work. The current O-train setup barely functions as it is. I can't imagine how poorly the service will operate once these changes are implemented. All this will do is waste money and probably even worsen the quality of service the airport and south end currently have. I just can't comprehend why they are going about this in a backwards fashion. They know they'll have to double track the line eventually. Can they not see the problem with extending the line before double tracking and electrification is done?? This is basic common sense... They must have a bunch of monkeys working in the transit planning office.

My sentiments exactly!! Double track it and then electrify it!! It is nonsense to build the new section single track after they have seen what happens with short sidings and long sections of single track.

[eltodesukane]

"include a spur to the airport.."
-- Dead end spurs are not efficient in a public transit network.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

My sentiments exactly!! Double track it and then electrify it!! It is nonsense to build the new section single track after they have seen what happens with short sidings and long sections of single track.

I strongly believe that the trillium line extension is a bad idea. Not only do they first need to fix the line , but they are also creating a multiple transfer situation. Even if neither of those become obstacles preventing people from using it, the route will dump a large number of passengers at Bayview, one of the last stations before downtown.

A better solution is to either extend the southern transitway instead of the trillium line to riverside south. That way residents can take a bus from their door to Hurdman (one transfer is inevitable). It won't help the airport connection at all, but won't really hurt it either.

[JM1]

As much as I would like to see a train to the airport, I think there are many better uses of such money. There's already a bus to the airport for those who don't want to take a cab. That service works well enough. Because Ottawa's businesses are spread out, business travellers will continue to use taxis. Time will also be a consideration for business travelers. And families will continue to drive or take taxis. Airport workers and single travelers may like to have a train to the airport, but is it worth the money?

In my view there are many better things we can spend transit money on. For example, a Rideau-Montreal LRT, or better inter interprovincial transit crossings (LRT, urban gondolas, etc...)

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by JM1

As much as I would like to see a train to the airport, I think there are many better uses of such money. There's already a bus to the airport for those who don't want to take a cab. That service works well enough. Because Ottawa's businesses are spread out, business travellers will continue to use taxis. Time will also be a consideration for business travelers. And families will continue to drive or take taxis. Airport workers and single travelers may like to have a train to the airport, but is it worth the money?

In my view there are many better things we can spend transit money on. For example, a Rideau-Montreal LRT, or better inter interprovincial transit crossings (LRT, urban gondolas, etc...)

I'm not opposed to an airport rail link, but a large percentage of its users would be tourists. Most tourists who aren't familiar with the city won't take the bus for fear of getting on the wrong bus (or not recognize their stop) and getting lost. Similarly, they will want a simple, direct route downtown (transferring with luggage is a pain).

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by roger1818

I'm not opposed to an airport rail link, but a large percentage of its users would be tourists. Most tourists who aren't familiar with the city won't take the bus for fear of getting on the wrong bus (or not recognize their stop) and getting lost. Similarly, they will want a simple, direct route downtown (transferring with luggage is a pain).

That could be mitigated with a branded bus that made it clear it was a link between the airport and downtown. It would certainly be better for tourists than the 3-train to downtown model currently being envisioned.

[YOWflier]

I have to believe that most travelers know that Google maps (or Bing maps, etc.) is capable of giving directions from A to B using transit. The risk of people getting on the wrong service, or getting lost, is probably not very high.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

I have to believe that most travelers know that Google maps (or Bing maps, etc.) is capable of giving directions from A to B using transit. The risk of people getting on the wrong service, or getting lost, is probably not very high.

Not necessarily a good assumption. I am always shocked at how many people don't know how to use a Maps app on their phone for any type of navigation (let alone bus) and international travelers may not want to use roaming data (heck even domestic travelers are often frugal with data).

[YOWflier]

They don't need to use a phone or have a data connection. They can print the maps at home, save offline maps/directions to their device and use with GPS (no cost), etc.

But I suppose I shouldn't be shocked at how uncommon common sense is.

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

They don't need to use a phone or have a data connection. They can print the maps at home, save offline maps/directions to their device and use with GPS (no cost), etc.

But I suppose I shouldn't be shocked at how uncommon common sense is.

I travel a lot for work but rarely use public transit in the cities I visit. For me the biggest issue is understanding how to pay to ride. In some cities, it's cash, in others it's tickets, in others it's passes. Then there are those that have different pay levels based on distance to be traveled. Add into that the factor of not having exact change in the right currency. As far as I know, OC doesn't accept Visa or MC for purchase of one or two tickets, does it? Are those offered right now at the airport?

Very few cities I've traveled to have good signage about local transit options from the airport. Or signage in English, or French for french speakers, or Spanish etc. Usually local transit signage at airports is the host country language and maybe English.

[Buggys]

If I were a tourist, I would much rather take trains than buses. On a bus, I would be worried that I got on the wrong bus, wrong direction, or simply miss the stop. On the other hand, trains stop at every stop.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by NOWINYOW

I travel a lot for work but rarely use public transit in the cities I visit. For me the biggest issue is understanding how to pay to ride. In some cities, it's cash, in others it's tickets, in others it's passes. Then there are those that have different pay levels based on distance to be traveled. Add into that the factor of not having exact change in the right currency. As far as I know, OC doesn't accept Visa or MC for purchase of one or two tickets, does it? Are those offered right now at the airport?

Very few cities I've traveled to have good signage about local transit options from the airport. Or signage in English, or French for french speakers, or Spanish etc. Usually local transit signage at airports is the host country language and maybe English.

OC takes Visa/MC for single or multiple ticket purchases at the existing O-Train machines, which are repurposed parking meters. It would be easy to install one of these machines at the airport, to simplify the sales of day passes and tickets to those without local currency or correct change. The TTC uses the exact same machines at Pearson for this purpose.

[1overcosc]

^ The airport station will have those machines. They'll dispense single ride tickets, day passes, multi-day passes, plus they'll be able to issue new Presto cards and refill existing ones. There will be 2 at every Confederation Line & Trillium Line station. By nature, that will include the airport.