By Amanda Quinn
Buses, cars and a light rail commuter train could all be using Albert and Slater streets as early as 2009, and some area businesses are concerned with the city’s plan.
Current plans have the $675-million train running from Mackenzie King Bridge at the Rideau Centre through Albert and Slater Street to Bayview. It will then run south along the current O-Train route toward South Nepean.
Mohamed Ali of Allegra Print and Imaging on Albert Street says he is not happy with the city’s plan.
“I’m really upset about this. Our customers and suppliers will be upset with even more traffic congestion. Our street is so busy already, why do they want to add even more chaos?”
Réjean Chartrand is the city’s strategic projects director and says the route through Albert and Slater is necessary because it is part of the new north-south rapid transit corridor.
“We need to have the train running the length of downtown. This east-west corridor is an important section of the new north-south corridor that is running to South Nepean,” he says.
Chartrand says each street will have individual car, bus and train lanes with loading and stopping points for businesses.
“This is not a simple project,” he says. “There’s going to be a lot of construction work to achieve this.”
Other major Canadian cities such as Toronto and Calgary already have commuter trains.
Chartrand says it’s time for Ottawa to “put itself on the map” by having a rapid transit system.
“The trains are a nice way to travel. It’s a contemporary and sleek system to have running down our streets,” he says.
The train will run on electricity which will reduce noise and smells, compared to the buses, says Chartrand.
When asked about calls for a subway system instead, Chartrand says that might come later as the city grows.
“At some point, a subway will come. I think it’s a project for the next generation.”
The city is meeting with concerned landowners along the routes this month.
Chartrand says the project is still in the preliminary planning stages and the city is open to any concerns business owners might have.
“The city will take any suggestions very seriously,” he says. “We will fine tune the plans based on those comments.”
Hume Rogers of the Capital Hill Hotel and Suites on Albert Street says noise and vibration from buses already cause problems.
“Our hotel isn’t very pleased. In our meeting room, sometimes it’s so loud outside that you can’t even hear what’s going on in the meeting,” he says.
Rogers is also concerned that the city’s plans do not include a train stop in front of his hotel. He also questions whether the city really plans to listen to the suggestions of local business owners.
“They want to start building this thing next year,” he says. “Seriously, how much can they really study any concerns if they’re planning to start construction in one year?”
Other business owners support the city’s plan, including John Cosentino of the Albert At Bay Suite Hotel.
“It will definitely be an improvement to the downtown core. It will bring more people down here. The initiative is a good one,” he says.
However, he does have a few concerns about how the system will work. For instance, he says having only one car lane could cause some “confusion” for drivers.
A final report outlining the suggestions and concerns of landowners in the Albert and Slater streets area will be presented to the city for consideration in July.
Construction could begin next year, with service scheduled to begin in 2009.