A public meeting about the latest details of Ottawa’s new light rail system is scheduled for Thursday night at city hall.
The meeting will provide the public a chance to give feedback about new tentative plans, and will include a presentation with the results of a study looking at where and how a downtown transit tunnel could go.
Project manager David Hopper says that while most construction options are still on the table, members of the environmental assessment committee found that some scenarios are more highly recommended than others.
“We think by having two in the downtown, one at the Rideau Centre and one at the University of Ottawa campus — that’s the right balance.”
He says areas considered best for the downtown west station would be in the vicinity of Lyon and Kent streets. A downtown east station is being considered near Metcalfe and O’Connor streets. And there would also be one at Booth Street that would cover the western edge of downtown.
Dennis Gratton is senior project manager for the project. He says more than 100 people, including businesses and public groups such as the pedestrian committee, have been consulted. But he thinks the most important step is getting public reaction.
“The more people that come, the better,” says Gratton.
“The principle we have is we want to serve transit users and make it as easy as we can. So we want to hear what people have to say about it.”
About 400 people commented on the early stages of the project in September and October.
One of the main themes of their commentary, according to a backgrounder compiled by the city of Ottawa in November, was that construction should begin as soon as possible. But the timeline set out for the project looks like it will be moving slower than that.
Gratton said those involved with the study will narrow down possible routes and station locations after the public meeting. They will recommend an option to the transit committee in March and bring it before city council in April. The earliest projected start date for construction would be 2017. City staff says the timeline shouldn’t be affected by the postponing of this meeting one month ago because of the transit strike.