Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Do you realize the impact of neglect? Obviously, you don't have to put up with the current traffic situation, which is only going to get worse. We cannot even afford to 4-lane Bank Street the short distance from Leitrim Road to Findlay Creek. Furthermore, all those traffic problems will expand in every direction. Already, the airport parkway is a mess during peak-periods. I guess the only way to force people onto an airport train is to make it very difficult to get there by other means. A very bad plan.

Ignore taxpayers at your peril.

I agree totally that taxpayers shouldn't be ignored. Which is why it's so unfortunate that urban and especially Centretown taxpayers have been ignored for so long at the expense of the suburbs. Actually come to think of it, given how we are the only communities in the city who consistently get overruled from other wards when deciding how our own neighbourhoods are designed and organized, "being ignored" would be a significant improvement from the status quo for Centretown taxpayers.

You are right though that I don't have to deal with that traffic and I'm very happy for that fact. I used to live in the suburbs and buying a condo in centretown was one of the best decisions I ever made. If there are suburbanites who aren't happy with their suburban lifestyle, I truly don't see why that should be my problem.

Centretown taxpayers already subsidize the unsustainable, car-centric, carbon-intensive suburban lifestyle with highways we never use but still pay for and a full host of municipal services that are inefficiently distributed in the suburbs due to low density housing and a street grid that looks like an M.C. Escher drawing. I'm continually amazed at how the response from suburbanites to this fact isn't to be happy and grateful but rather it's to complain about how they're not getting even *more* subsidies with direct gold-plated rail service and more stops than we're getting in all of centretown.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

I agree totally that taxpayers shouldn't be ignored. Which is why it's so unfortunate that urban and especially Centretown taxpayers have been ignored for so long at the expense of the suburbs. Actually come to think of it, given how we are the only communities in the city who consistently get overruled from other wards when deciding how our own neighbourhoods are designed and organized, "being ignored" would be a significant improvement from the status quo for Centretown taxpayers.

You are right though that I don't have to deal with that traffic and I'm very happy for that fact. I used to live in the suburbs and buying a condo in centretown was one of the best decisions I ever made. If there are suburbanites who aren't happy with their suburban lifestyle, I truly don't see why that should be my problem.

Centretown taxpayers already subsidize the unsustainable, car-centric, carbon-intensive suburban lifestyle with highways we never use but still pay for and a full host of municipal services that are inefficiently distributed in the suburbs due to low density housing and a street grid that looks like an M.C. Escher drawing. I'm continually amazed at how the response from suburbanites to this fact isn't to be happy and grateful but rather it's to complain about how they're not getting even *more* subsidies with direct gold-plated rail service and more stops than we're getting in all of centretown.

The big problem is that we are building non-sustainable cities. Unfortunately, the only solution is to provide sustainable transportation to everybody within the urban area. That is the only way to increase density. The solution is not moving everybody downtown, since we cannot achieve that. The solution is not to make people's lives a living hell either. That affects pretty well everybody because most people do need to leave their neighbourhoods from time to time. The perceived inequity in service is caused by the fact that we have built for the car culture far too long.

I admit that I am a suburbanite. My job is in the suburbs. You have no idea how much I would like to use alternate transportation but it is so inconvenient, that even driving to downtown is often the best choice.

[OCCheetos]

Service will start at 2pm on Saturday, September 14 and run until 2am. Next day is regular Sunday service. That means a train every 4 minutes on Saturday, and then a train every 5 minutes on Sunday until the evening where it drops to 10 minutes.
https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa/status/1166825971569348608

Full doubles, or just singles?

[On Edge]

In an ideal world the trains would not cross the greenbelt except to the airport.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by On Edge

In an ideal world the trains would not cross the greenbelt except to the airport.

That is like saying that Brampton should have no rail service to Toronto.

There is now at least 350,000 people living outside the Greenbelt. In some respects, getting to the outside of the Greenbelt is critical to our transportation future. We cannot keep expanding the Queensway and other roads across the Greenbelt.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

That is like saying that Brampton should have no rail service to Toronto.

There is now at least 350,000 people living outside the Greenbelt. In some respects, getting to the outside of the Greenbelt is critical to our transportation future. We cannot keep expanding the Queensway and other roads across the Greenbelt.

I think placing a line/border on what we think of as the city is arbitrary and subject to a ton of bias. Yes the Greenbelt was a convenient marker of the "end" of urban Ottawa back in the day but it doesn't make any sense now. For example, there are areas of Kanata, particularly all the apartments/condos/hotels around Kanata Avenue @ 417 that are much more densely populated than most areas of Ottawa inside the Greenbelt. Not to mention their proximity to a million square foot regional shopping area.

[Corvulpes]

a

[On Edge]

Why encourage more sprawl by running trains out there, using up precious scarce public funds? The fact that 350,000 live there already is shocking. Run trains to Barrhaven, Kanata and Orleans AFTER the communities inside the belt are well served. Live in the sticks, live with the consequences.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

Service will start at 2pm on Saturday, September 14 and run until 2am. Next day is regular Sunday service. That means a train every 4 minutes on Saturday, and then a train every 5 minutes on Sunday until the evening where it drops to 10 minutes.
https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa/status/1166825971569348608

Full doubles, or just singles?

I have a feeling there are going to be so many tire-kickers that weekend, they better run doubles. I already know a few people who intend to take their kids out, and many are probably going end-to-end and back, maybe even a few times. It was bad enough that there were long lineups for days the first week Kontinuum opened.

[kmcamp]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

Service will start at 2pm on Saturday, September 14 and run until 2am. Next day is regular Sunday service. That means a train every 4 minutes on Saturday, and then a train every 5 minutes on Sunday until the evening where it drops to 10 minutes.
https://twitter.com/JimWatsonOttawa/status/1166825971569348608

Full doubles, or just singles?

2pm?! Why so late in the day? I know the politicians need a big ceremony and such, but surely they could get things going by noon

[PHrenetic]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I have a feeling there are going to be so many tire-kickers that weekend, they better run doubles. I already know a few people who intend to take their kids out, and many are probably going end-to-end and back, maybe even a few times. It was bad enough that there were long lineups for days the first week Kontinuum opened.

Good Day.

Indeed, I believe so also.
First true test of adding trains on-the-fly for surge capacity ?

We Shall See !

[PHrenetic]

Originally Posted by kmcamp

2pm?! Why so late in the day? I know the politicians need a big ceremony and such, but surely they could get things going by noon

Good Day.

Could, but won't ! After all......Politicians need their Photo-Op fix !
And with several, if not many, needing to fly in from TO ?
And the need for their handlers to chivvy them into place, with just the right backdrop of syncophants and photo partners ?
And speeches ! And taking credit for !! And And AND !!!
[( But No Hard Questions, Puh-lease !! )]

.vs. we who just stand, wait, and endure, so as to get going. After all, we're only the ones who PAID for it !

<sigh>

[CityTech]

I wonder if there will be lineups for the first train. I intend to be on the first one out of Tunney's, but if I have to line up all day maybe not.

[Gat-Train]

Originally Posted by On Edge

Why encourage more sprawl by running trains out there, using up precious scarce public funds? The fact that 350,000 live there already is shocking. Run trains to Barrhaven, Kanata and Orleans AFTER the communities inside the belt are well served. Live in the sticks, live with the consequences.

The 417 is what created sprawl, not trains. There's definitely some TOD potential around Eagleson and Fallowfield. Besides, I guarantee you the total ridership of the transitway routes is higher than all routes 5-19 combined.

[Gat-Train]

The Airport spur is a huge waste of money. Trim extension could have waited, and instead that money could have brought the train out to Eagleson, where there's a park and ride. Plus, we could have avoided wasting money on the temporary bus loop at Moodie. 61 and 62 could have been merged into a high-frequency bidirectional loop. I know they wanna put a big bus loop at March/Eagleson, but there's no need. North-south buses and the 61 can just run right through the overpass, similar to Jeanne D'arc.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by On Edge

In an ideal world the trains would not cross the greenbelt except to the airport.

I used to have the same opinion until I realized how many buses are driving though the greenbelt. We are looking at over 200 buses a day, each way to Kanata alone. That is a high cost in both labour and emissions. By extending the confederation line to Kanata, those buses can be replaced with under 100 trains a day.

Originally Posted by AuxTown

I think placing a line/border on what we think of as the city is arbitrary and subject to a ton of bias. Yes the Greenbelt was a convenient marker of the "end" of urban Ottawa back in the day but it doesn't make any sense now. For example, there are areas of Kanata, particularly all the apartments/condos/hotels around Kanata Avenue @ 417 that are much more densely populated than most areas of Ottawa inside the Greenbelt. Not to mention their proximity to a million square foot regional shopping area.

Agreed. Here is a view of Kent and Lyon from 417:


And what is being built in Kanata from 417:

[OtrainUser]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

The Airport spur is a huge waste of money. Trim extension could have waited, and instead that money could have brought the train out to Eagleson, where there's a park and ride. Plus, we could have avoided wasting money on the temporary bus loop at Moodie. 61 and 62 could have been merged into a high-frequency bidirectional loop. I know they wanna put a big bus loop at March/Eagleson, but there's no need. North-south buses and the 61 can just run right through the overpass, similar to Jeanne D'arc.

This was already covered in earlier posts and was mentioned already that trim alot closer to place Orleans than Eagleson is to Moodie. So cutting out Trim would not fund a station at Eagleson. Anyway the city is not paying for the stations at Trim and the Airport so there is no point to complain about it.

[corynv]

Originally Posted by OtrainUser

This was already covered in earlier posts and was mentioned already that trim alot closer to place Orleans than Eagleson is to Moodie. So cutting out Trim would not fund a station at Eagleson. Anyway the city is not paying for the stations at Trim and the Airport so there is no point to complain about it.

yeah, i believe the airport authority is paying for the spur (or at least a significant amount).

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by corynv

yeah, i believe the airport authority is paying for the spur (or at least a significant amount).

IIRC the Airport's only contribution is the land required for the project (which to be fair, is pretty expensive). Construction costs are being funded by the Federal and Provincial governments.

[J.OT13]

The airport is also paying for their own station. The Feds and Province are responsible for the guideway, tracks and EY Centre Station.

Kealey said the airport is investing $25 million in linking the terminal to the rail spur. That includes the full cost of the airport station located on the north side of the terminal at the departures level.

The federal and provincial governments are paying $155 million for the airport link, which covers almost all the cost of the spur under the project scope.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...annually-compared-to-current-bus-service