By Julie Fortier
Commuters who are tired of congested roadways, late buses and inconvenient routes are a little bit closer to getting their wish. The City of Ottawa is conducting a Rapid Transit Expansion Study this month to determine which streets will be the best to run a traffic-free transit system through Centretown.
Although the exact streets will not be determined this month, Dennis Jacobs, director of planning, environment and infrastructure policy for the study, said the long list of possible streets and routes will soon be narrowed down.
“We are just assessing the movement of people in the city and what corridors have the greatest demand or greatest potential to move people,” he said.
Rapid transit is different from Ottawa’s current system because it operates in traffic-free areas. Although Ottawa has a rapid transit system that runs from the west end parallel to Scott Street and then in the east end alongside Nicholas Street, the buses must use regular roads through Centretown. This causes congestion, especially during rush hours.
The mode of transportation is still undecided. The study is looking into options including expanding the bus Transitway and light rail transit on new or existing tracks, like the O-Train.
Jacobs said as Ottawa grows there is a need to reduce the number of personal cars moving through the city. He said rapid transit is Ottawa’s best option.
“We can get more benefit both in moving people and in improved environmental quality. The fewer cars on the road, the less emissions . . . we see it as a key principal in achieving the vision that the community has identified to us in charting a course for the future of Ottawa.”
Some of the routes being looked at in Centretown include Somerset, Wellington and Rideau streets, as well as Albert and Slater streets, where OC Transpo buses run now. The city is also looking into linking people in Gatineau, Orleans and Kanata to the downtown core.
Jennifer Wilkinson, a co-op student at the Department of National Defence who lives in Kanata, said a system like that would help her situation. “I have to commute every morning and every night . . . and if I take the regular bus routes it takes me up to an hour-and-a-half to get to work. I’d take anything that’s faster. Who has time to sit on a bus for that long?” she said.
Amelia Shaw is the manager of public affairs at the Canadian Urban Transit Association, which studies public transportation methods from all over the world. The association is not part of the study, but Shaw was quick to point out Ottawa’s existing transit system is very good already.
“Ottawa is world-renowned for [its] transitway system. We have people from all over the world asking how well Ottawa is doing because [Ottawa’s transit system] is considered an alternative to more expensive options,” she said.
“Ottawa is growing its system to meet the needs of its population and I commend them for that.”
The $600,000 study was announced last June when Mayor Bob Chiarelli and federal Transport Minister David Collenette said Ottawa would be receiving $100,000 to look into projects designed to cut pollution and improve municipal services as part of the Green Municipal Funds program. Another $100,000 came from Transport Canada. The City of Ottawa will pick up the balance.
The study’s recommendations on which corridors to use will be released Nov. 4 and there will be open houses to get public input in early December.