Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[rocketphish]

Mayor Watson tours LRT system, feels 'optimistic' about March handover

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: January 24, 2019

Mayor Jim Watson says he feels confident about the construction progress of the Confederation Line LRT after riding a train through the downtown tunnel this week.

Perhaps most importantly, Watson and city officials took time during the tour Tuesday to examine Rideau Station, which still looked like a full-on construction zone when city staff showed pictures to council members late last summer.

“We saw the pictures from six months ago and it’s (now) a world of difference. It looks like there’s very little left to do in Rideau Station,” Watson said Thursday.

He also had a glimpse of what he jokingly called the “world’s longest escalator” in the station, a 35.3-metre-long single-piece escalator which will be the longest transit escalator in Canada.

The Rideau Transit Group, the consortium building the $2.1-billion LRT system, told the city it would hand over the keys by the end of March after missing two handover dates in May 2018 and November 2018.

The city has been keeping close watch on the completion of Rideau Station and the testing of train operations. The rail line needs to have all trains running in fully automated mode for the city to accept a finished product.

Council’s finance and economic development committee receives project updates. The next committee meeting is scheduled for Feb. 12.

If RTG delivers the LRT system by the end of March, the city could open it to the public by the end of April. The city needs that buffer time to do its own testing and integrate OC Transpo operations.

Watson said a comment by city manager Steve Kanellakos during the tunnel tour resonated with him.

“It doesn’t seem like we’re in Ottawa because it seems we’re in a big city with this beautiful cavernous station with lots of room and the fare gates and the machines,” Watson said. “It seems like we’re in a larger city than Ottawa. We’re coming into our own in many ways.”

During the tour, city officials met at Lyon Station and boarded an eastbound train to check out a portion of the 12.5-kilometre rail line. They got off at Tremblay Station because they only had an hour for the tour, the mayor said.

“The train was running very well. It was a very cold day and lots of snow, but it was a very smooth ride, a very quiet ride and I’m more optimistic seeing it in person that these stations are going to be ready for the handover by the end of March,” Watson said.

Watson said he’s been told that even though there looks to be a lot of work still needed at Pimisi and Bayview stations, it’s more of a “cleanup” chore.

The mayor said he told city management he’s eager to get news reporters in the tunnel so people can understand the complexity of the construction.

The ventilation system, which would activate if a fire happens, and the abundance of tubes and wiring is just one example of how intricate the underground work is, he said.

“When we’ve had some challenges with meeting the exact deadline, I see why this is not a system you buy off the shelf with an Allen key at Ikea. It’s a very, very technically superior and challenging system,” Watson said.

Watson said there will be times when the LRT won’t work perfectly, as sometimes happens with major public transit systems. (The Trillium Line, he noted, was down for a brief period on Wednesday.)

He’s already trying to manage expectations if there’s a glitch after the handover.

“I hope you use this clip when I say that when that first day the train is not fully functional because of some extenuating circumstance, this is going to happen, and we have plans to adjust and buses to bring in,” Watson said.

“It’s not going to be perfect, but by and large I feel very confident that the system is going to be very well-received by the public.”

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...em-feels-optimistic-about-march-handover

[passwordisnt123]

Anybody else notice that Watson just subtly moved the goalposts on us again.

It was supposed to be May 2018, then November 2018, then March 2018. Now he's saying April 2018.

[RomanR27]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

Anybody else notice that Watson just subtly moved the goalposts on us again.

It was supposed to be May 2018, then November 2018, then March 2018. Now he's saying April 2018.

No. Watson didn't say that. The article was just saying what we already know. If RTG hands it over at the end of March, once the city does their testing it opens near the end of April. Handover =/= opening

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by RomanR27

No. Watson didn't say that. The article was just saying what we already know. If RTG hands it over at the end of March, once the city does their testing it opens near the end of April. Handover =/= opening

I had to go back through his comments on Twitter because I thought I saw him commit to it being open by the end of march but you were right. He only committed to it being handed over before the end of March. My mistake.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

I had to go back through his comments on Twitter because I thought I saw him commit to it being open by the end of march but you were right. He only committed to it being handed over before the end of March. My mistake.

https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa/status/1065688249815965697

No, he definitely said open by the end of March.

[RomanR27]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa/status/1065688249815965697

No, he definitely said open by the end of March.

I hadn't seen this, thanks for correcting me. My apologies.

[J.OT13]

The Mayor is just so used to repeating March 31 that he didn't notice the reporter's miss-use of the word "running".

What he said at the NCC Board Meeting yesterday was that the handover is set for March 31, with the Line opening to the public by end of April. Stage 2 contracts will go through Committee and Council in about a month and a half.

For the doubters out there, please listen to Watson's spiel starting at the 29 minute mark of yesterday's meeting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHoL1ATwTs

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The Mayor is just so used to repeating March 31 that he didn't read the reporter's miss-use of the word "running".

What he said at the NCC Board Meeting yesterday was that the handover is set for March 31, with the Line opening to the public by end of April. Stage 2 contracts will go through Committee and Council in about a month and a half.

For the doubters out there, please listen to Watson's spiel starting at the 29 minute mark of yesterday's meeting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHoL1ATwTs

https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa/status/1062747229872566273

This was back in November though before the new RSA date was announced. I think it was originally thought the RSA would be well before March 31 and could open by then, but then the new RSA date was March 31 and they're getting away without anyone thinking that it's yet another delay when in fact it is.

[J.OT13]

My mistake. I assumed that tweet was from yesterday. Yet an additional delay the City is trying to sweep under the rug. On par for the course.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Mayor Watson tours LRT system, feels 'optimistic' about March handover

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: January 24, 2019

...

“The train was running very well. It was a very cold day and lots of snow, but it was a very smooth ride, a very quiet ride and I’m more optimistic seeing it in person that these stations are going to be ready for the handover by the end of March,” Watson said.

That is an often understated advantage of rail transit. Trains are largely self plowing and mostly uninfected by inclement weather. With a sealed corridor, they can proceed at full speed even in whiteout conditions.

“I hope you use this clip when I say that when that first day the train is not fully functional because of some extenuating circumstance, this is going to happen, and we have plans to adjust and buses to bring in,” Watson said.

“It’s not going to be perfect, but by and large I feel very confident that the system is going to be very well-received by the public.”

So true!

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by roger1818

That is an often understated advantage of rail transit. Trains are largely self plowing and mostly uninfected by inclement weather. With a sealed corridor, they can proceed at full speed even in whiteout conditions.

But then the Trillium Line shut down at the exact moment of peak usage (at around 8:30am) on Wednesday morning...

I'm not disagreeing with you though, rail obviously has huge advantages in inclement weather it was just... unfortunate that the Trillium Line encountered issues right when it was needed the most.

[lrt's friend]

I hope the reliability of the Confederation Line is much better than the Trillium Line. A shutdown of the Trillium Line affects 15,000 riders in a day. The Confederation Line will affect 250,000 riders. Being the busiest LRT line in North America may be something to be proud about but a shutdown will have a major impact on transport, commerce and confidence in the transit system. I have long worried as we move to a single transit line through downtown (other than local routes) with the prospects of adding Gatineau passengers to the same single line at a later date. How do we deal with shutdowns when so many buses and bus operators will be eliminated and there are really no other alternatives?

[OtrainUser]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I hope the reliability of the Confederation Line is much better than the Trillium Line. A shutdown of the Trillium Line affects 15,000 riders in a day. The Confederation Line will affect 250,000 riders. Being the busiest LRT line in North America may be something to be proud about but a shutdown will have a major impact on transport, commerce and confidence in the transit system. I have long worried as we move to a single transit line through downtown (other than local routes) with the prospects of adding Gatineau passengers to the same single line at a later date. How do we deal with shutdowns when so many buses and bus operators will be eliminated and there are really no other alternatives?

Watson already said they have a backup plan for that just in case

[J.OT13]

Buses won't be much of a back-up plan when all the Transitways are ripped out and downtown bus lanes are removed.

I agree with lrt's freind that our reliance on one line through downtown will be a major issue should it be shutdown for whatever reason. If Gatineau could somehow find a way to fund and built a tunnel to connect the planned Bayview and Rideau termini, that would be a huge help.

In most other cities, there is an alternative. Montreal had two lines through downtown day 1.

Toronto built the "U" within a few years.

Calgary surface route can be used by buses, should the need arise.

Vancouver took a few decades before a second line though downtown was built (and this new line has capacity limitations).

Edmonton has had one rail route through downtown for the last 40 years however, it caries half the passengers as Confederation. They are now building a second line through downtown.

Does anyone have stats on how often rail lines breakdown in other cities?

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

But then the Trillium Line shut down at the exact moment of peak usage (at around 8:30am) on Wednesday morning...

I'm not disagreeing with you though, rail obviously has huge advantages in inclement weather it was just... unfortunate that the Trillium Line encountered issues right when it was needed the most.

What was the reason for the shutdown? Was it weather related or just bad timing?

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Buses won't be much of a back-up plan when all the Transitways are ripped out and downtown bus lanes are removed.

I agree with lrt's freind that our reliance on one line through downtown will be a major issue should it be shutdown for whatever reason. If Gatineau could somehow find a way to fund and built a tunnel to connect the planned Bayview and Rideau termini, that would be a huge help.

In most other cities, there is an alternative.

I agree that it is good to have redundancy, but it takes years for most cities to achieve that.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Montreal had two lines through downtown day 1.

Montreal was (and is) a much larger city than Ottawa when the Metro was built. It is unusual for a city to build 2 lines at once like that, but they were building it for Expo 67.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Toronto built the "U" within a few years.

The "U" is basically two ends of the same line (like the eastern and western ends of the Confederation Line). It is true that its shape provides better redundancy, but it isn't a redundant line.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Calgary surface route can be used by buses, should the need arise.

That is true downtown, but I don't think it is true in the suburbs.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Vancouver took a few decades before a second line though downtown was built (and this new line has capacity limitations).

Exactly. There were no plans for a second line when the Expo line was built. Even worse, both lines end downtown, rather than continuing on out of town again. Also, the routing of the Canada Line does little to provide redundancy for the Expo Line (without significant bus transfers). Once the Millennium Line is extended to connect the two, it will help.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Edmonton has had one rail route through downtown for the last 40 years however, it caries half the passengers as Confederation. They are now building a second line through downtown.

Similar to Vancouver, I doubt if that second line was planned when the first one was built.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Vancouver took a few decades before a second line though downtown was built (and this new line has capacity limitations).

Vancouver's second line doesn't displace the first.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Buses won't be much of a back-up plan when all the Transitways are ripped out and downtown bus lanes are removed.

Exactly what kind of backup plan is needed? If, for some reason the ENTIRE LRT line is shut down it's likely to be short-term in duration so why can't OC Transpo simply deploy buses to the routes they are using today?

If you're worried about the loss of bus lanes, that can be temporarily remedied with some portable signs.

Any short-term (or after hours) stoppage of the Trillium line is currently solved with a parallel bus route. It —, but it's still something.

Expecting to have a seamless and equally efficient backup ready at the drop of a hat seems unrealistic and unnecessary

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by OtrainUser

Watson already said they have a backup plan for that just in case

Was this a long-term plan or a plan in case there is hiccups during start up?

There is long been talk to maintain the main Transitway routes at start-up but those will be shutdown once everything is running smoothly, within days or weeks I expect.

My concern is just the dominance of the Confederation Line for access to downtown. Is there any other city that has really done this? Most cities have more secondary routes accessing downtown. We have to consider more than just rail lines.

In Toronto, it is the streetcar, which carry enormous numbers of passengers. Also GO. Other cities with light rail have a multitude of bus or trolley routes that still enter downtown, usually following parallel roads.

Another example, the C-Train is fed by suburban bus routes, but away from the C-Train lines, bus routes still go into downtown.

We have been attempting to eliminate so many buses that in the event of a shutdown, will we have enough to move people out of downtown? Or do we cripple the rest of the transit system when we attempt to do so?

I know that the TTC uses bridge bus services, but the TTC also has an enormous bus network, despite the subways.

[lrt's friend]

The "U" is basically two ends of the same line (like the eastern and western ends of the Confederation Line). It is true that its shape provides better redundancy, but it isn't a redundant line.

This is true, but Toronto's subway system has had congestion problems for years. This is why there has been a push on to build the Relief Line. Furthermore, both the streetcars and GO move a lot of people into and out of downtown.

Other cities are doing better. Vancouver has two downtown rapid transit lines since 2010. Both Calgary and Edmonton (our peer cities) will be building a second line, while we will still be building our first. Montreal will be building its third with very wide coverage as a result of interlining.

[lrt's friend]

I think the time frame for building a second line experienced in other cities is no longer relevant. City planners are now realizing that building around the car, which was very much the case from the 1950s to the 1990s is not the right thing to do any more. We are now seeing more construction of rapid transit than we ever seen. It is not necessary to wait 40 or 50 years to build line 2, except, our plans seem to be based on a lack of redundancy even in the longer-term. We are not even thinking of redundancy. In fact, our long-term plans reduce redundancy. I always found this disturbing. The Confederation Line is going to be very, very long route for size of this city. It seems that eventually 90% of Ottawa-Gatineau passengers bound for the central parts of the city will be using the Confederation Line for at least part of their trip. Is this really a good transportation plan?

We haven't even put a line on a map for Line 2 yet, and I mean Line 2 that serves downtown.