Map shows plans for an expanded LRT system, including a downtown tunnel.
Plans for a downtown tunnel to extend the light rail transit network are moving forward, but city council and a lack of federal or provincial funds could still derail the project.
While the tunnel is seen as the most integral part of the new rapid transit network, the $600-million project could be stalled over debate on how to extend the LRT outside of downtown.
A joint transit and transportation committee meeting on Wednesday heard from 28 public delegations that raised various issues including the potential technology to be used by LRT, the location of park-and-rides, which line the train would run, and more.
Capital Ward Coun. Clive Doucet also pushed his own transit plan at the meeting, which would see the LRT extended along Carling Avenue. None of the delegations or councillors objected to the downtown tunnel.
At press time, the committee hadn’t made a decision on whether the implementation plan will be brought before council on Nov. 26. The plan would see the LRT extended east to Blair station and west to Baseline through a downtown tunnel and, at a later date, extended to the airport. Because the south line would be the last leg of the extension, anger from southern constituents could delay the project.
Further, David Jeanes, president of Transport 2000, a non-profit organization that looks at sustainable transportation options, said in an earlier interview that the project is too large and the city should focus on just building the downtown tunnel. The first phase of construction is expected to cost $1.7 billion, while the whole project is expected to cost over $4 billion.
“All it takes is the federal or provincial government to say ‘we don’t have three, four, five billion for you’ for the whole plan to fall apart,” said Jeanes. “There is no plan B.”
Vivi Chi, the city’s manager of transportation and infrastructure, says plan B would be to add more buses into the core.
However, she warned in an interview that the transit system will reach capacity by 2017, which means the city will not be physically able to put any more buses on the current transit system. This, she said, will lead to a backup in the system, and a tunnel is integral to the entire transit plan.
“I don’t see that there is another solution or another viable option,” said Chi.
If supported the plan will be debated at the next city council meeting; if rejected city staff will return to the drawing board.