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Originally Posted by Gat-Train
Sounds like the 12-day testing has begun!   |
Not sure, that's the take away if it's just "practicing".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Badyouken
So, while we wait for any significant news, can you all share why you're so into this?
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For me, first and foremost is the ending of a personal disruption. Right now, I walk to St. Laurent to catch the bus. It's ~13 mins. Not a huge deal. But sucks in the cold or adverse weather. This would end when it opens.
Another personal benefit is reduced noise and fumes at my condo from the switch from dozens of diesel buses at rush to electric LRVs, behind my condo.
Beyond that, I am excited for this because I believe it will be actually transformative for the city. Most importantly in how the residents of Ottawa themselves, see the city. I remember attending the public consultations on this a decade ago. I remember an engineer doing a presentation on how the BRT was running beyond design capacity and why LRT was needed. The very first hand up was someone asking why a "train" was needed when Ottawa was a "small" city. This person went on to argue that Ottawa wasn't Toronto or Montreal and didn't need to waste money on trains. That buses were sufficient. I look forward to the sea change in mentality towards urbanism in Ottawa that will come with having a "subway". Maybe folks will stop acting like Ottawa is just a giant small town finally. We'll start seeing more people actually prefer and pursue urban lifestyles. And there will more support transit-oriented development near the LRT stations.
Bit more esoteric, but I also think the eventual completion of Phase 2 and the operational cost savings that will bring, will put OC Transpo a more firm footing, and perhaps even enable growth in coverage or services. Consider for example, Calgary's CTrain. It carried 88 million of the total 102 million riders that Calgary Transit moved in 2017. They have 60 km of LRT and operate ~ 1200 transit vehicles for a covered population that's about 25% larger than what OC Transpo serves. By 2026, Ottawa will have about as much track as Calgary does today. Basically, Stage 2 will bring Ottawa's transit costs more in line with Calgary, making OC Transpo more financially sustainable and stable. And if today's approximately one thousand bus fleet were to be maintained, Ottawa would be able to offer substantially better local services while keeping user costs and taxpayer subsidies reasonable. Heck, Ottawa could offer better services than Calgary with a fleet that was 10% smaller than today's thanks to the ~65 km of LRT/HRT and dozens of kms of BRT covering most of the city. I hope to see services, even in the suburbs, closer to what TTC offers in Toronto's suburban areas.
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