By David Hutton
A West Coast transit tour by some city councillors and planners has been put on hold until the city figures out when, or if, they’ll proceed with a plan to build tunnels through the downtown core.
The trip, estimated to cost between $40,000 and $50,000, was approved in early September by the city’s transportation committee after being proposed by Capital Coun. Clive Doucet.
He withdrew the request because he said there’s no purpose to it when city council currently has “no direction” when it comes to public transportation and may not get started on a new project until next year.
“It’s not clear we’re going to have any movement with public transit so what’s the point in going on a fact-finding mission when you don’t know what you’re looking for?” Doucet says.
The plan was to send a 12-person delegation from the city’s transportation committee to Seattle, Wash., Eugene and Portland, Ore., and possibly Vancouver, in November, to study their transit systems. Those cities are considered to have some of the best transit systems in North America, Doucet says.
“These trips are necessary to get a sense of what else is happening and talk to other city officials first hand,” says Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes. “We should be making sure we know what the best practices are around the country, be it waste management or transit. I still support it.”
Several city councillors still voiced their distaste for the idea at council despite Doucet’s putting it on hold.
“I recommend we just scrap the idea now, save the taxpayers’ money, and take a trip to the Internet instead,” said Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Gord Hunter. “That will only cost 42 cents.”
“But then we’d only get 42 cents worth of advice,” Doucet retorted.
The trip may still go to a city council vote in November if councillors approve a $1.1-billion proposal by Ottawa land developer Urbandale.
The plan, put forth in August, includes a pair of downtown subway-style tunnels that would be used by buses and a light-rail subway. The tunnels would run from the University of Ottawa underground through the downtown core to Bronson Avenue.
“I think tunnels through downtown are the best option,” Holmes said. “I’ve been saying that for years. It’s too congested on Slater and Albert and we need a long-term solution. It’s good for business. But whether or not we can get going soon is another story.”
The city’s plans to improve transit have been in limbo ever since Mayor Larry O’Brien led city council in killing the north-south light-rail plan from Barrhaven to the University of Ottawa after he was elected last year.
That cancellation has resulted in two lawsuits put forth by Siemens Canada, PCL Constructors and Ottawa LRT Corp., the companies who were to design, build and maintain the rail line. The lawsuits could potentially cost the city $286 million.
The city has fast-tracked an environmental impact study that looks at the costs and technologies involved in the downtown tunnel options and has put the downtown core at the top of its agenda. But the pending lawsuits have led to slow, cautious movement when it comes to finding a way to lessen congestion through the core, Holmes said.
Several other proposals are also still on the table at the city, including one that would see electric trains running above ground through the downtown core, and linking up with the bus transitway and the existing O-Train. Another, proposed by the mayor’s task force on transit, includes a downtown tunnel and a 30-year plan to expand commuter rail throughout the Ottawa region, mainly on existing rail lines.
“If we do agree to go through with one of the proposals or something else soon, and there’s a point in re-animating this and saying let’s go to Seattle and see what cool things are going on there,” Doucet said, “then we will.”