West Gatineau Tramway & Downtown Loop | Proposed

[J.OT13]

I Google Gatineau LRT and it shows a link to CBC.

Gatineau reaveals $2.1 B LRT plan, eyes 2028 launch. 26-kilometers.

Click the link, and it's a CBC error page.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Gatineau+...j69i60.1692j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/gatineau-aylmer-ottawa-light-rail-1.4713843

Considering Québec City is spending $3 B for for 56 kilometers of mix BRT and LRT, including a downtown tunnel, this should be interesting.

Yes, Ottawa's stage 1 was $2.1 B for 13 kilometers, but those are much longer platforms, nicer stations and fully grade separated.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I Google Gatineau LRT and it shows a link to CBC.

Gatineau reaveals 2.1 B LRT plan, eyes 2028 launch. 26-kilometers.

Click the link, and it's a CBC error page.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Gatineau+...j69i60.1692j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/gatineau-aylmer-ottawa-light-rail-1.4713843

Interesting. Someone pushed the article ahead of time?

Here's the cache. Need to hit ESC at the right time to avoid it being refreshed for some reason.

[zzptichka]

Not copying the text because it's probably not final...

[rocketphish]

So they want to use the Alexandra bridge? That seems unlikely to me.

[Acajack]

I see lots and lots and lots of "phases" in our future. And even a few more "phases" after that.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Interesting. Someone pushed the article ahead of time?

Here's the cache. Need to hit ESC at the right time to avoid it being refreshed for some reason.

The official article seems to be up now using the previously posted link. Might have been published too soon or they may have had a technical issue.

[lrt's friend]

It does not address Ottawa reverse traffic properly and depends on too many Gatineau passengers using the Confederation Line to address the last mile issue. We need the feds to intervene to provide a proper interprovincial solution.

We are making a big mistake if this ends up having 90% of passenger traffic using the Confederation Line through downtown. Ottawa and Ontario taxpayers will have to fund extra trains to move Gatineau passengers and we will moving towards a capacity wall much sooner. If we have any problems downtown with the Confederation Line (this is inevitable), our transit systems will not be able to cope. We will not have enough buses or operators to provide bridge service if a failure happens in peak hours.

I will add that this is not typical design of LRT systems that require transfers on the periphery of downtown. Most cities design multiple LRT lines to cross through the downtown core as the primary destination, especially cities of the size of Ottawa.

[OCCheetos]

Announcement is ongoing:
https://www.facebook.com/villegatineau/videos/10156010822539843/
(In French)

[originalmuffins]

[deleted]

[originalmuffins]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/gatineau-aylmer-ottawa-light-rail-1.4713843

Looks like Gatineau is all in with a $2.1billion plan. This actually makes Ottawa-Gatineau seem like one single metro versus two different cities. Connecting LRTs is good news for everyone.

[OCCheetos]

https://twitter.com/AshleyBurkeCBC/status/1009494713198493696

Apparently Gatineau will be asking the federal and provincial government(s?) to foot the bill for PoW bridge repairs. None from Ottawa.
Edit: The mayor of Gatineau wouldn't comment directly on whether they'd ask the City of Ottawa for money since this announcement is just a "vision for the future". So, who knows what will happen.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

So they want to use the Alexandra bridge? That seems unlikely to me.

And the Prince of Wales Bridge.

I think the Alexandra bridge works well. Didn't someone on here say that it needs to be rebuilt soon? If so, that would be a great opportunity to add extra lanes for LRT (possibly on a second deck).

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

It does not address Ottawa reverse traffic properly

That isn't the STO's problem to solve; however Rideau is a great connection point for those in eastern and central Ottawa to go to Gatineau. The POW Bridge is good for those in western and southern Ottawa.

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

and depends on too many Gatineau passengers using the Confederation Line to address the last mile issue.

I don't see that as being a problem for transfers at Rideau as a large percentage of passengers (in both directions) will alight at or before Rideau, freeing up space for STO riders.

Transfers at Bayview are another story however . That is what I liked about the Fergus map is it didn't have any stops between Bayview and Chaudière (or Montcalm as they are now calling it). That would push riders from Gatineau towards Rideau instead.

[lrt's friend]

If you look at the map, it looks like we end up with a downtown to downtown loop, but it does not perform in that way at all. We are still operating two completely separate rapid transit systems with a major flaw at the bridge crossings. We are depending on too many transfers to make the most common trips especially during peak hours. The plan is especially weak in getting south and west Ottawa passengers to downtown Hull. We will still likely need a bus shuttle for that purpose, which seems silly after buying all these trains that simply don't circulate the downtown areas properly.

As I said, we are building a network that is too dependant on making people transfer at the periphery of downtown. We are building a network that makes people transfer too often on the most popular trips. Note that a lot of Aylmer residents will already have to transfer to get onto LRT in the first place.

I shake my head as we continue to spend billions on transit that will make transit less competitive than today. On one point, Aylmer will have more coverage than all of Ottawa considering the size difference.

[OCCheetos]

The current target frequency into Ottawa is every 2 minutes, and elsewhere on their LRT system it will be 5 minutes during weekdays.

15 minutes on weekends.

[zzptichka]

Presentation: https://www.gatineau.ca/docs/la_ville/pr...ouest_gatineau/20180620_projet.en-CA.pdf



So they want 2 lines: Bayview-Plateau and Rideau-Aylmer. Interlining between POW and St-Raymond.
Makes sense. But if you work at Portage and live in Ottawa West or South you'll need to hop through 3 trains (and your local bus probably)

[OTSkyline]

I'm happy that Gatineau is doing something for their west side residents and hopefully this all integrates later in a good Ottawa-Gatineau transit system.

Am I the only one who thinks they have way too many stations proposed though? Even if the stations aren't as grandiose as the Confederation Line, too many stations just adds to the cost and adds to the travel time. I used to HATE being on an OC Transpo bus that would pick people up at one stop, drive down literally 2 blocks (you could see the other stop from the previous one) and have to stop again to pick up 1 person)...

Not everyone can have a station at their door, people should realistically be expected to have to walk to the nearest station (to me in the Plateau, spacing should be about 1km between stations. That way, the farthest walk one would really have is 500m in either direction.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Presentation: https://www.gatineau.ca/docs/la_ville/pr...ouest_gatineau/20180620_projet.en-CA.pdf

Highers resolution version of the map from PDF.



I like how this map shows residents within walking distance (700m) of the LRT stations. Not just circles, but actual walking distance.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

I'm happy that Gatineau is doing something for their west side residents and hopefully this all integrates later in a good Ottawa-Gatineau transit system.

Am I the only one who thinks they have way too many stations proposed though? Even if the stations aren't as grandiose as the Confederation Line, too many stations just adds to the cost and adds to the travel time. I used to HATE being on an OC Transpo bus that would pick people up at one stop, drive down literally 2 blocks (you could see the other stop from the previous one) and have to stop again to pick up 1 person)...

Not everyone can have a station at their door, people should realistically be expected to have to walk to the nearest station (to me in the Plateau, spacing should be about 1km between stations. That way, the farthest walk one would really have is 500m in either direction.

Unlike Ottawa, they are proposing a true LRT system. In most cases the stations will be more like fancy bus stops than an actual station. As for the distance between stops, the objective is to put residents within walking distance of a station, so the stops will typically be no more than about 1500m apart (except when travelling through patches of green space).

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Am I the only one who thinks they have way too many stations proposed though? Even if the stations aren't as grandiose as the Confederation Line, too many stations just adds to the cost and adds to the travel time. I used to HATE being on an OC Transpo bus that would pick people up at one stop, drive down literally 2 blocks (you could see the other stop from the previous one) and have to stop again to pick up 1 person)...

Not everyone can have a station at their door, people should realistically be expected to have to walk to the nearest station (to me in the Plateau, spacing should be about 1km between stations. That way, the farthest walk one would really have is 500m in either direction.

The main line out to Aylmer is 15.4 km with 18 stations, for an average of about 900m between stations.

The plateau branch, which is dumb for other reasons, is 7km with 12 stations, for an average of 600m between stations.

For a surface-running LRT, I don't think that's an unreasonable frequency of stations.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by roger1818

I like how this map shows residents within walking distance (700m) of the LRT stations. Not just circles, but actual walking distance.

+eleventy billion.

City of Ottawa cartographers, please, for the love of dog, take note.