West Gatineau LRT & Downtown Loop | Proposed

[J.OT13]

The majority of transit ridership in Gatineau comes from east of the Gatineau River, but converting the RapiBus a decade or so after its opening is not viable politicly or financially.

The downtown had capacity issues, but I imagine moving buses off of Wellington will help. The tramway itself will remove more buses and take a different route, further relieving the downtown.

One main reason for the tramway vs buses in Aylmer is the lack of space. There really isn't anywhere to build a segregated bus way (or railway) through Aylmer, so the higher capacity trams is the better option.

[Acajack]

No one wants to go back to the Wall of Buses on Albert-Slater but still, those streets can easily take whatever volume the STO can throw at them. As has been stated, STO has considerably reduced the number of buses it sends to downtown Ottawa.

I agree that the loop through downtown Hull sucks, but that's the Ville de Gatineau's problem. Not Ottawa's.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The majority of transit ridership in Gatineau comes from east of the Gatineau River, but converting the RapiBus a decade or so after its opening is not viable politicly or financially.

The downtown had capacity issues, but I imagine moving buses off of Wellington will help. The tramway itself will remove more buses and take a different route, further relieving the downtown.

One main reason for the tramway vs buses in Aylmer is the lack of space. There really isn't anywhere to build a segregated bus way (or railway) through Aylmer, so the higher capacity trams is the better option.

The northern route through the Plateau would have been fine for BRT, though.

Ultimately though both the population and their elected officials went for the "shiniest" option.

I really do hope it gets built (and that the Rapibus gets converted to rail) but I don't know if it will ever happen given how the city, province, country and world have changed in the past 18 months.

In a way I am kind of happy to be living east of the Gatineau River, where we at least have some form of rapid transit already in place and operational.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Nowhere

Downtown Hull and Ottawa are getting at capacity however when it comes to STO buses.

By what measure is downtown Ottawa "at capacity" for STO buses?

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

One main reason for the tramway vs buses in Aylmer is the lack of space. There really isn't anywhere to build a segregated bus way (or railway) through Aylmer, so the higher capacity trams is the better option.

There really is, it's just not politically palatable to give up a lane of either the Upper or Slower Aylmer Roads, or to retroconvert the old railway RoW.

[J.OT13]

Pretty much every city with a rail transit plan has received a funding commitment from the Feds over the last few months: Quebec, Hamilton, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton. When is it Gatineau's turn?

[wingman]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Pretty much every city with a rail transit plan has received a funding commitment from the Feds over the last few months: Quebec, Hamilton, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton. When is it Gatineau's turn?

After the official announcement of the federal election?

[J.OT13]

Tramway entre Aylmer et Ottawa : le maire de Gatineau s'attend bientôt à une annonce

Radio-Canada, 28 juillet 2021

Le maire de Gatineau, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, affirme que des développements sont bientôt à venir dans le dossier du tramway prévu dans l’ouest de la ville.

À l’émission Les matins d’ici, mercredi, il a indiqué "qu’un travail assez intense" dans ce dossier se déroule présentement dans les bureaux de la ministre fédérale de l'Infrastructure et des Collectivités, Catherine McKenna, ainsi que ceux du ministre québécois des Transports, François Bonnardel.

Le maire gatinois estime que les deux paliers de gouvernement se rapprocheraient même d’une "entente finale".

"Le maire est optimiste quant à une annonce prochaine sur une entente de financement sur le partage des coûts du tramway" qui relierait le secteur Aylmer à la ville d’Ottawa, précise par courriel son cabinet. "En ce qui concerne l’échéancier, nul ne le sait, mais nous espérons une annonce prochaine".

Le projet de tramway, qui relierait le secteur d'Aylmer à Ottawa, est en cours de développement, dans l’optique qu’il soit opérationnel d’ici 2031. Le coût est estimé à plus de 3 milliards de dollars.

Le gouvernement du Québec a déjà annoncé qu’il financera le projet jusqu’à hauteur de 60 %. Pour sa part, le gouvernement fédéral a donné son accord de principe, en plus d’avoir participé à la création d’un bureau de projet.

En entrevue, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin a réitéré son désir de voir du financement être accordé au projet de tramway d’ici le déclenchement des prochaines élections fédérales.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle...medium=twitter

[J.OT13]

In short, the Mayor of Gatineau confirmed negotiations between McKenna and Quebec Transport Minister Bonnardel. An announcement should come soon, but no timeline.

En entrevue, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin a réitéré son désir de voir du financement être accordé au projet de tramway d’ici le déclenchement des prochaines élections fédérales.

That could be 2023

[SkeggsEggs]

https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/news/ncc-recom...mway-alignment

[rocketphish]

NCC endorses Gatineau transit connection on Wellington Street
Plan could see cars and buses booted from street in front of Parliament Hill

CBC News
Posted: Aug 13, 2021 12:33 PM ET | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

The National Capital Commission (NCC) has recommended a plan to connect Ottawa and Gatineau's light rail systems via Wellington Street, in the heart of downtown Ottawa — despite the City of Ottawa's stated preference that it be connected, underground, one block to the south.

In January, the federal agency's board approved the Wellington route in principal because it saw it as opportunity to finally build an interprovincial transit loop between the two downtowns and their two transit systems, OC Transpo and the Societé de Transport de l'Outaouais (STO).

On Friday the NCC says it is formally recommending the Wellington route to the federal government after further analysis and consultation with the two cities involved.

STO's tramway is not expected to be completed for another eight years or more, but the two cities have been at odds for years about how to connect the two systems.

Gatineau officials had previously voiced support for a connection above ground at Wellington Street, and in January, the NCC endorsed the idea.

Last year, the City of Ottawa's position has been that it would prefer the connection be made via an underground tunnel at Sparks Street, one block to the south.

Public Services and Procurement Canada also preferred that option, the Hill Times reported, citing several "structural, security, and traffic issues" posed by the Wellington Street connection.

But the City of Ottawa's transportation committee also approved the Wellington Street option "should the funding for the Sparks Street tunnel not materialize."

A May study from consultants hired by the STO supported the underground idea, but suggested the cost — estimated at nearly $1 billion more than a surface connection — may sway the city to back running the trains via Wellington Street instead.

That idea may see the street pedestrianized with cars and buses redirected to nearby streets.

The last federal budget created an office at the NCC to oversee interprovincial transit and investigate the possibility of constructing a new crossing over the Ottawa River.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson dismissed the office at the time, saying he "does not see a reason to establish a new bureaucracy at the NCC to plan transit for Ottawa and Gatineau."

An NCC long-term plan on interprovincial transit is expected to be released in late 2021.

City officials did not comment in the release sent Friday. It's not yet clear whether the NCC or the federal government would fund the transit link.

There are an estimated 200,000 crossings between Ottawa and Gatineau each day, and the populations of both cities are estimated to increase by 26 per cent or more in the next 30 years.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...tion-1.6140070

[rocketphish]

NCC confirms Wellington Street is the best way to run Gatineau's tramway into Ottawa

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Aug 13, 2021 • 2 hours ago • 2 minute read



The National Capital Commission has told the federal government that an interprovincial tramway should run on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, rather than inside a pricey tunnel constructed under Sparks Street.

The NCC board endorsed the option earlier this year, but the federal agency on Friday confirmed it has become their formal recommendation to the feds as the City of Gatineau and the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) plan a tram system between west Gatineau and downtown Ottawa.

The federal Liberal government, reportedly days away from triggering a federal election, likes the Wellington Street option, too.

In the NCC’s news release, Infrastructure Minister and Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna said the feds are “pleased with the National Capital Commission’s recommendation for a surface tramway design.”

The project requires funding from the feds and the Quebec government.

Gatineau’s planned tram system extends from the westernmost community, through Hull, across the Portage Bridge and into downtown Ottawa.

The Ottawa portion has been under study with two options.

The full project with the tramway on the surface of Wellington Street is estimated at just over $3 billion. The Sparks Street tunnel option would between $3.5 billion and $3.9 billion.

STO’s consultant on the tram study declared the Sparks Street tunnel option as “the most effective solution” to run the the rail vehicles into downtown Ottawa.

The City of Ottawa isn’t paying for Gatineau’s tram project but its transportation network would be significantly impacted by a tramway running down Wellington Street, which is a federally significant corridor but ultimately a municipal road.

Ottawa council declared the Sparks Street tunnel option as “optimal” for Gatineau’s tramway but didn’t reject the Wellington Street surface option.

Still, the City of Ottawa has noted the challenge of building tram tracks along Wellington Street because the narrow corridor also requires bike lanes and enough sidewalk space to handle large volumes of pedestrians, not to mention vehicular lanes.

The tram study has floated the idea of closing Wellington Street to traffic between Bank and Elgin streets.

The NCC is also looking at using Gatineau’s tramway to create a transit “loop” between the downtowns of Ottawa and Gatineau, connecting federal institutions and tourist attractions.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...ay-into-ottawa

[passwordisnt123]

I'm a bit surprised the NCC would still go full steam ahead on this alignment when both the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau have come out saying they'd prefer the Sparks Street tunnel alignment.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

I'm a bit surprised the NCC would still go full steam ahead on this alignment when both the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau have come out saying they'd prefer the Sparks Street tunnel alignment.

The NCC doesn’t exactly have any transit expertise or experience. I think they’re just salivating at the potential funding for a Confederation Boulevard revamp. I still think throwing a couple of billion on a tram that has no direct transfer to the O-Train network is shortsighted.

[Hybrid247]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The NCC doesn’t exactly have any transit expertise or experience. I think they’re just salivating at the potential funding for a Confederation Boulevard revamp. I still think throwing a couple of billion on a tram that has no direct transfer to the O-Train network is shortsighted.

Agreed. Also worth noting are the PSPC's concerns with the Wellington option, whom I imagine would have a bigger say than the NCC in the matter since they are the official stewards that overlook and manage most, if not all operations in the parliamentary precinct. But McKenna also seems pretty hell-bent on the Wellington option, so not sure how that's all going to play out.

[bartlebooth]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The NCC doesn’t exactly have any transit expertise or experience. I think they’re just salivating at the potential funding for a Confederation Boulevard revamp. I still think throwing a couple of billion on a tram that has no direct transfer to the O-Train network is shortsighted.

I've always thought of "Confederation Boulevard" as a kind of amusement park version of the capital. I always joked that it needed a ride to complete the experience. I didn't think that joke would actually materialize.

I think the NCC is really mostly interested in building the capital into a kind of theme park. It's sad.

[zzptichka]

Really happy NCC is recommending this option. Fully expect they pull a Hospital and force burying the trains along with another Billion dollars under Sparks though.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Really happy NCC is recommending this option. Fully expect they pull a Hospital and force burying the trains along with another Billion dollars under Sparks though.

If they don't put the trains under Sparks with a direct connection to the O-Train it's going to be pitchfork time for me. If it costs a billion dollars more to have an integrated transit system in this region then it costs a billion dollars more. Street trams from Gatineau in front of Parliament... total joke in my opinion. We don't need a sightseeing tram, we need functional interprovincial mass transportation, especially since we can't seem to build a road bridge despite decades of studies and political posturing.

[roger1818]

Sorry if I missed this, but has it been said if the Spark Street tunnel option would be cut and cover or a bored tunnel?

[Floppa]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

I'm a bit surprised the NCC would still go full steam ahead on this alignment when both the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau have come out saying they'd prefer the Sparks Street tunnel alignment.

Are you actually surprised that the NCC are once again being clueless about the actual transit needs of our metropolis and are putting aesthetics about actual function?

Still, a street option is actually better. I'd rather not copy the Eglinton and mix modes (high-speed subway tunnel <--> slow, street-running tram) for what will be an important transit spine for our region. Either build a subway or a tram, but not both. It never ends well.