West Gatineau LRT & Downtown Loop | Proposed

[Admiral Nelson]

Originally Posted by harls

Yes, and they will be instructed to immediately shave their armpits and dump their wine out the window, too.

I bet you have a whole list of new usernames you are just itching to use. This one was pretty good, actually. Maybe we will let you stick around for a bit.

I admit, I laughed at this.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by corynv

If that's true, and the CAQ arne't lying, then that's the project funded (assuming of course the cost isn't too high for either side to commit to the amount they said)

I'd suggest getting those cheques signed and cashed ASAP.

[J.OT13]

Still strange to me that Gatineau does yet have a final route or estimates, but they're looking for a firm commitment from both levels of Government. Ottawa only puts in their request after they've confirmed their high-level (but poorly calculated) estimates and have confirmed the final routing.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Still strange to me that Gatineau does yet have a final route or estimates, but they're looking for a firm commitment from both levels of Government. Ottawa only puts in their request after they've confirmed their high-level (but poorly calculated) estimates and have confirmed the final routing.

I feel like the CAQ commitment was driven entirely by politics. Otherwise, idk if I'd call the federal commitment "firm".

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

I feel like the CAQ commitment was driven entirely by politics. Otherwise, idk if I'd call the federal commitment "firm".

The Feds sort of acknowledged that they might commit up to 40% last week (emphasis on "up to"), but nothing even remotely "firm" at this point.

The CAQ needs the continued support of the Outaouais next election so I'm confident they will follow through with major promises like the A50 widening, Aylmer Tram funding and the new hospital (even if it takes longer than what they had originally promised). Otherwise, the Outaouais will likely return to the Quebec Liberals, the devil they know.

[Acajack]

I'll applaud any new infrastructure of this scale in my city if it happens, but I won't be holding my breath for this one. Not in the current climate.

[J.OT13]

Renewed call for Ottawa-Gatineau rail loop and Wellington Street transformation

Jon Willing, Postmedia
October 26, 2020


Supporters of the Loop are renewing their call for a rail loop connecting the Ottawa and Gatineau downtowns, with a reimagined Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings. PHOTO BY MCROBIE ARCHITECTS /jpg

Jumping on an opportunity created by Gatineau’s interprovincial transit plan, a group is renewing the call for a rail loop connecting the downtowns of Hull and Ottawa with a vision of transforming Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings.

After writing an opinion piece for the Citizen in spring 2019, Bob Plamondon started receiving support for his idea of converting Wellington Street into a pedestrian mall. Around the same time, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) was advancing a plan to run a rail line from west Gatineau into downtown Ottawa.

• Video Link

The timing couldn’t have been better to breathe new life into the transit loop idea.

Now, the newly established Supporters of the Loop is making an appeal for authorities to plan, in earnest, an Ottawa-Gatineau rail loop on the ceremonial Confederation Boulevard.

The group boasts backing from business leaders and former Ottawa mayors, such as Jim Durrell, Jackie Holzman and Larry O’Brien.

Plamondon, a writer, consultant and former National Capital Commission board member, said ongoing transportation projects should prompt studies on the creation of an Ottawa-Gatineau rail loop and drive decision-makers to “think boldly” about planning Canada’s capital region.


Supporters of the Loop are renewing their call for a rail loop connecting the Ottawa and Gatineau downtowns, with a reimagined Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings. PHOTO BY MCROBIE ARCHITECTS /jpg

“There are a number of things that are happening and my worry is that we will not have the expansive vision, thinking ahead 100 years, of how we can take advantage of these moving parts to take the national capital up to another level,” Plamondon said.

The idea of creating an Ottawa-Gatineau transit loop, served by buses or trains, has been kicking around for 20 years as a way to connect government offices and tourist hotspots while providing convenient, daily transportation between the two cities. It has popped up in past transit studies by the NCC and, more recently, by the STO.

The complexity of building a transit system involving two municipal governments, two provincial governments and the federal government has meant the idea of an interprovincial urban rail line has never gained enough steam to put studies into action.

And when it came to the idea of a transit loop, there hasn’t been a dire need for such a limited system, especially as both municipal governments concentrate on their own transit expansions.

But with STO advancing plans to build a rail system from Aylmer, through Hull and into Ottawa, combined with the federal government’s intention to replace the Alexandra Bridge, it might be hard for governments to ignore.

“I think they need to look at this not just as a transit link, but as a nation-building, capital-building project,” Plamondon said.

STO has decided the Portage Bridge is the best crossing to use for interprovincial rail service, but the agency hasn’t decided yet how to bring trains into downtown Ottawa. The two options are building a 1.2-kilometre-long rail tunnel under Sparks Street to Metcalfe Street or running a tram on the surface of Wellington Street ending at Elgin Street.

The Quebec government has indicated 60-per-cent support for the transit project on that side of the Ottawa River, but the costs for the Ottawa portion are still being determined. The federal government would be required as a funding partner.

The City of Ottawa, which isn’t funding any part of STO’s project, hasn’t formally decided which option it prefers, but some of the reaction at city hall has favoured a Sparks Street tunnel because of the little space available on Wellington Street for a double-track tram system and the potential threat to the picturesque vista.

Plamondon doesn’t believe a tunnel on Sparks Street will fly because of the sheer cost.

Supporters of the Loop envisions a rail line, starting from the southern part of the Portage Bridge, going east on Wellington Street and curving north down an undetermined corridor, which could be Mackenzie Avenue, Sussex Drive or Dalhousie Street, before crossing the Alexandra Bridge to Gatineau and heading west on Laurier Street back to the Portage Bridge.

The finer details of creating a rail loop and closing Wellington Street to cars — such as figuring out where displaced traffic goes, the future of Sparks Street and the movements of pedestrians around surface rail on Wellington — would be for studies to figure out.

Plamondon said the group isn’t taking a position on the question of who would build and operate the complete rail loop, but he believes the federal government would be a major player along with the STO.

Lise Sarazin, executive director of the business organization Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la capitale nationale, is backing the Supporters of the Loop. She loves the idea of an Ottawa-Gatineau transit connection and a Wellington Street pedestrian mall, not just for the benefit it could bring businesses, but also because it could boost the capital’s reputation.

“We need to be a little more visionary,” Sarazin said. “We’re not just a little city. We’re a region.”

McRobie Architects, headed by president David McRobie, made renderings of Wellington Street with the ideas that Supporters of the Loop members have been tossing around.


Supporters of the Loop are renewing their call for a rail loop connecting the Ottawa and Gatineau downtowns, with a reimagined Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings. PHOTO BY MCROBIE /jpg

McRobie said he has an interest in public transit and his architecture firm has worked on several transit projects, including those related to Transitway stations and Stage 1 LRT stations.

Images of an altered Wellington Street showcase “the art of the possible” without prematurely digging into the details, he said.

“Urban design is where you can dream a bit and avoid the technical details overwhelming a good idea.”

“I hope this generates discussion and I hope it carries on beyond discussion.”

https://ottawasun.com/news/local-new...0-16f231d4f90e

[Hybrid247]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I can already see the large crowds of protesters just clogging up that whole area. Transit priority won't help with that

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Hybrid247

I can already see the large crowds of protesters just clogging up that whole area. Transit priority won't help with that

And everything points to a growing need for protest spaces going forward!

[TransitZilla]

It's missing the bikeway on the north side, but that rendering looks pretty awesome. Make it so!

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

It's missing the bikeway on the north side, but that rendering looks pretty awesome. Make it so!

Also, if no vehicle traffic on Wellington, why the large gap between the east and west bound tram lines. IMHO, it would be better to have them side-by-side.

EDIT: Also, if the loop does come to fruition, the NCC should sponsor a free "circle tram" that just does the loop to make it easy for people to get between downtown Ottawa and Hull, relieving some of the pressure on the bridges and allowing easy access to some of the main tourist attractions.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Also, if no vehicle traffic on Wellington, why the large gap between the east and west bound tram lines. IMHO, it would be better to have them side-by-side.

EDIT: Also, if the loop does come to fruition, the NCC should sponsor a free "circle tram" that just does the loop to make it easy for people to get between downtown Ottawa and Hull, relieving some of the pressure on the bridges and allowing easy access to some of the main tourist attractions.

A fare free zone like the Calgary transit mall.

[Kitchissippi]

Because Sparks street isn't dead enough.... Wellington isn't configured for storefronts so I question what there is to do besides strolling between tram lines. While removing cars is a nice idea, without a holistic plan for its public purpose this space could end up just being a bleak windswept place.

[J.OT13]

The Wellington bike lanes are a fairly significant obstacle to this plan, but if we could somehow divert them to Albert and Slater...

As for the Tramway, if it's built surface Wellington, I would prefer having the tracks together in the middle. This would leave more sidewalk space and plenty of room for platforms. I'm neither a fan of the STO's proposal to have the trams on the north side or this one with the trams separated by a public plaza.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The Wellington bike lanes are a fairly significant obstacle to this plan, but if we could somehow divert them to Albert and Slater...

I don't see why cycle tracks couldn't be included in a car free Wellington. If designed well, it would help boost the feasibility of it being car free.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

As for the Tramway, if it's built surface Wellington, I would prefer having the tracks together in the middle. This would leave more sidewalk space and plenty of room for platforms. I'm neither a fan of the STO's proposal to have the trams on the north side or this one with the trams separated by a public plaza.

I still prefer having the tramway in a tunnel, but this idea does have its merits.

[TransitZilla]

If all of Wellington is pedestrianized except for 2 tram tracks, I don't see why fitting in a 4m wide bikeway should be too difficult. The bikeway is supposed to connect to the Portage Bridge and the parliamentary precinct, so re-routing it would defeat the purpose.

I agree with Kitchissippi that if not done properly, this could be a desolate place. There would need to be a commitment to creating street animation and active frontages along Wellington.

[J.OT13]

As per the STO report, bike lanes are only an issue if cars remain on Wellington (or, from another perspective, cars are the issue). I'm therefore retracting my comment: cycling lanes should remain part of the plan.

As for animation on Wellington, the simple presence of tramways running every few minutes would increase activity significantly. Buses are used almost exclusively as for commuting while a tramway would attract significant tourist numbers and locals moving around downtown (especially if the loop is fare-free).

The Feds need to work on animating Wellington, not with retail (though a couple restaurant patios would help), but with more Federal institutions like museums and galleries.

[DarthVader_1961]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Also, if no vehicle traffic on Wellington, why the large gap between the east and west bound tram lines. IMHO, it would be better to have them side-by-side.

EDIT: Also, if the loop does come to fruition, the NCC should sponsor a free "circle tram" that just does the loop to make it easy for people to get between downtown Ottawa and Hull, relieving some of the pressure on the bridges and allowing easy access to some of the main tourist attractions.

Will the changing of the guard be able to use that space when marching?

Seems kinda slim compared to what they have now.

[rocketphish]

In the loop – Plan for a car-free Wellington Street would be a game-changer for Ottawa
Connecting an urban area’s major workplaces and attractions with an easy-to-use transit system is an obvious idea, widely accomplished elsewhere and long talked about here.

Randall Denley
Publishing date: Oct 27, 2020 • Last Updated 2 hours ago • 3 minute read

When Ottawa and Gatineau community leaders band together to support a city-enhancing project, it’s a rare occasion and one that demands public attention. It’s even better when the idea is a winner that solves longstanding national capital problems.

That’s the case with a plan to create an electric streetcar loop that would connect the Parliament Buildings, the ByWard Market, the Canadian Museum of History, the National Gallery and major federal office buildings. The electric trams would travel down a car-free Wellington Street, cross into Gatineau on a rebuilt Alexandra Bridge and return to Ottawa over the Portage Bridge.

Connecting an urban area’s major workplaces and attractions with an easy-to-use transit system is an obvious idea, widely accomplished elsewhere and long talked about here. Ottawa is spending about $4.7 billion on LRT, but it doesn’t connect to Gatineau. The Quebec side is planning a $2.1-billion rail setup to carry people between the two cities, but it ends on Wellington Street, providing only part of the value it could deliver.

A new group called Supporters of the Loop has built on the Gatineau idea. Its work began when former National Capital Commission board member Bob Plamondon suggested taking cars off Wellington. Then Hull-Aylmer MP Greg Fergus championed extending Gatineau’s proposed LRT to make it far more functional. The two ideas have been merged into a plan that’s backed by three former Ottawa mayors and a growing contingent of business and community leaders.

The timing is right. The ancient Alexandra Bridge is scheduled for replacement. The Portage Bridge is at capacity. The federal government wants to use infrastructure money to “build back better” after the pandemic. Electric LRT is a technology that’s in sync with the times. Taking cars off Wellington fits with Ottawa’s approach of giving greater weight to transit, cycling and walking.

Gatineau LRT is coming into Ottawa, one way or another. From an Ottawa perspective, the goal should be to maximize the federal and Quebec money behind the plan to support our downtown and tourism industry.

The two options Gatineau has put forward fall far short. One version calls for a transit tunnel, probably under Sparks Street. This will prove to be prohibitively expensive and it’s unnecessary. The other approach would add Gatineau streetcars to the existing Wellington traffic. Neither idea does more than dump Gatineau passengers in front of the Parliament Buildings.

Councillors on Ottawa’s transportation committee gave both versions a lukewarm response last month, although the city has taken no firm position yet. Councillors did fuss about the “esthetics” of light rail on Wellington, even though it will be battery-powered. If that’s their concern, the plan from the loop group would certainly make Wellington better than it is today.

The loop’s future will depend on political leadership. Gatineau will have to be flexible in its plans, but the most important responsibility lies with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna.

For Watson, the loop plan is a rare opportunity to land a city-building project without contributing to the cost. The loop would create jobs in Ottawa, but it would also enhance the city’s LRT by offering additional top-level transit within walking distance of its downtown stations.

For McKenna, the infrastructure minister, the loop would be a major green transit project in her riding. How much better does it get? The first, modest step would be federal money to plan the loop and estimate its cost.

The pandemic has hit public transit in Ottawa hard and its future is uncertain because the federal government hasn’t decided what to do about downtown office space. The loop project is not something that would be built right away, though. There is plenty of time to assess future demand.

City-changing opportunities don’t come along often and those that would bind Ottawa and Gatineau together are even rarer. If we, collectively, don’t find a way to advance the loop option, it will be a failure of both political will and imagination.

Randall Denley is an Ottawa political commentator and author of the new mystery Payback, available at randalldenley.com Contact him at randalldenley1@gmail.com

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/de...ger-for-ottawa

[Richard Eade]

People seem to look at a single facet of a proposal and assume that everything else around it must remain the same. The NCC and the City of Ottawa NEED to start thinking with a much broader vision.

Take the 1998 idea of the Grande Allée running down Metcalfe. Immediately, the City of Ottawa decried that it would decimate the downtown tax-base if the buildings were removed. There was no lateral thinking. How about if the City had negotiated with the NCC to drop the View-Plane restrictions – since the view of the Peace Tower was now along Metcalfe. With all of the new development that has happened since, we could have had 50+ story buildings. More height and more taxes for the City. But, No. The City assumed that everything else would be static. The City was only thinking about one thing, in isolation of every other possibility.

So, at this point, the City and the NCC should be looking at a bigger picture. The City could combine its need to redevelop Sparks Street into this plan; the NCC could be looking at converting the ‘Front-Lawn’ into a ‘Court-Yard’ and getting rid of that fence. Once there is a larger area (with fountains set to the side, so as not to obstruct the view of the Peace Tower), Heritage Canada needs to animate it, perhaps by hiring character actors to reenact famous debates. Put a publicly-available ‘Soap-Box’ on one corner. Have a Lumber-Jack Show, as they rebuild the huge Arch of the Prince of Wale’s visit in 1860. The thinking should also extend out to the redevelopment of the Rideau/Wellington/Sussex/Mackenzie intersection, and, perhaps, even the addition of the pedestrian bridge between Colonel’s (now Major’s) Hill and Nepean Point. The new Alexandra and Chaudière bridges as well as any reconfiguration of the Portage bridge should be included. Some elements of Greber’s plan are now looked at less favourably, but it is that type of scale that is needed. Big-picture thinking.

So, let’s redevelop Sparks with surface tram (and more retail in the government-owned buildings!) and cafes. The cycle lanes might also be added along Sparks, if there is room – although I’d prefer that they walked their bikes. There is no need for the STO to tunnel 1.2 km under Sparks. (Why do they need to go all the way to Metcalfe underground?) Those tracks could be shared between the FREE ‘Loop’ and the STO.