The transportation master plan’s proposal of the light rail transit expansion was the focus of the Nov. 4 transit commission meeting due to the exclusion of suburbs west of Ottawa and the Ottawa Airport.
When Mayor Jim Watson unveiled the updated TMP last month, Orleans was included in the second phase of the installment of a $3-billion LRT over the next 10 years. The new LRT will connect Ottawa’s four major shopping centres – Bayshore Shopping Centre, Place d’Orleans, Rideau Shopping Centre, and Riverside South.
The inclusion of Orleans in the LRT expansion came at the expense of communities west of Ottawa.
The city estimates extending the O-Train from Blair station to Place d’Orleans would cost $500 million. Staff estimates extending LRT from Bayshore Shopping Centre to Terry Fox Drive would cost $600 million and extending it to Canadian Tire Centre would cost $800 million.
Representatives from Stittsville and Kanata, two communities that were shut out of the second phase, attended the meeting to discuss the issue.
“We are disappointed with the lack of emphasis in transportation in the west end,” said Marilyn Jenkins, president of Stittsville Village Community Association. “The population is expected to increase in the next 10 years while Kanata continues to be developed.”
“If people living west of Ottawa are supposed to be encouraged to use transportation, the city should be looking to put equal emphasis on all regions,” she added.
According to Ottawa’s planning and growth management department, 3,000 new homes will be built in Kanata and the developing high tech industry along March Road will increase employment in the area.
Gary Sealey, president of Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association, said the transportation plan “largely ignores the growing employment in Kanata and the importance of linking Kanata to Ottawa.”
However, Kanata North Coun. Marianne Wilkinson convinced staff and the commission to take $30 million allocated for bus tunnel infrastructure and instead extend bus rapid transit service to Solandt Road and Terry Fox station.
Coun. Shad Qadri, a member of the transit committee, said the addition of the LRT to Bayshore Shopping Centre combined with the additional funding will increase transportation services to communities west of Ottawa. The only drawback, he said, is that commuters accustomed to riding direct bus routes downtown will have to transfer.
“Some people have an issue with transferring during the ride to their destination, but transferring in this city will become a reality,” he said. “The addition of the LRT shifts Ottawa transportation from a transit system with direct routes to a hub and spoke system.”
“This will increase service in the area because buses will be driving more frequently to stops of shorter distances, rather than just one long route,” Qadri added.
David Jeanes, president of Transport Action Canada, said he likes the plan, but Ottawa missed the opportunity to link to Gatineau with the LRT and on a Prince Edward Bridge bus route. He also said the LRT should extend to the Ottawa Airport.
“There should be a link connecting Ottawa’s suburbs with the growing amount of jobs in Ottawa. It also makes sense to connect major centres in Ottawa since the suburbs are expanding and Ottawa is becoming more developed,” Jeanes said.
The master plan tabled last month proposes extending the O-Train with five additional stations at Gladstone, Walkley, South Keys, Leitrim and Bowesville. It narrowly misses the airport by one and half kilometres.
Mayor Jim Watson said the city is prepared to “explore the feasibility” of a light rail link to the airport. When the transportation plan was tabled last month, city deputy manager Nancy Schepers said a direct link to the airport would jeopardize the city’s goal of commuters boarding an O-Train every eight minutes.
Another key feature of the master plan includes building three cycling and pedestrian bridges and spending millions to fill gaps in cycling routes.
“The vision is really important and it’s good to see that Ottawa is dedicated to improving city wide transportation, especially with emphasis on local transportation for individual pedestrians and cyclists,” said Shelia Perry, vice-chair of the parks and recreation advisory committee.
The improvements of public transportation will require a 2.5-per-cent annual property tax increase, inflationary increases to transit fares, and help from the provincial and federal governments. The city will need $975 million from the provincial and federal governments to help extend LRT to new communities over the next decade.
“We will need help from the upper levels of government and the people will need to contribute as well, but as long as the city can provide quality and timely service, people should be supportive of this project,” Qadri said.