Thu, August 9, 2007
By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, CITY HALL BUREAU

Every corner of Ottawa stands to benefit -- some more than others -- if the city gets its way on a wish list of transit priorities.

With the cancellation of the $1-billion north-south light rail project and subsequent revision of the city's transportation master plan, city staff have released a $612-million package of proposed transit goodies.

Almost half the money, $287 million, would go to the rapidly growing South Urban Community --Barrhaven and Riverside South.

Topping the list there is extending transitways and the current O-Train network south from South Keys to Leitrim where the line will end in a field, but where the city intends to build two nearby park-and-ride facilities.

Also a priority is the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge that will cross the Rideau River linking Barrhaven to Riverside South -- a community with a population of 65,000 that is expected to grow by more than 100,000 over the next two decades.

WEST-END EXTENSION

Transitway extensions, estimated to cost $97 million, are also planned for the west end.

The east end gets the least from the package, with $80-million worth of improvements planned for the Navan Rd.-Trim Rd. Cumberland Transitway and two new park-and-ride lots.

Nancy Schepers, the city's deputy manager of planning, transit and environment, said after the cancellation of the LRT project the city needed to develop immediate and short-term solutions to meet Ottawa's growing transit needs.

"This completes so many gaps in the (transit) plan," said Schepers, adding the bulk of the work could begin next year and be completed by 2013.

Extending the O-Train to Leitrim will also require two train cars to meet demand, but Schepers said getting an exact match to the current set "may be a challenge."

The city expects that the way it has packaged the transit priorities will secure the $400-million commitment shared by the provincial and federal governments that runs out in 2013. The city will chip in the balance.

Schepers said the next step for the city is to draft a business case that will convince the two levels of government to hand over the cash.

Gloucester-South Nepean Coun. Steve Desroches said building the west-end bridge and extending the O-Train south are obvious priorities.

"These are communities that are growing at great rates and will continue to do so," said Desroches.

Not on the list is a tunnel some members of council want to bore underneath the downtown core for a commuter train.

The only projects that made the list were ones where an environmental assessment had already been completed and only small revisions were required. An EA for the tunnel is expected to start next spring.

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TRANSPORTATION WISH LIST

Proposed City Transportation Projects with preliminary estimated costs in millions of dollars

South Urban Community ($287 million)

- $85 million: Southwest Transitway extension (Fallowfield-Barrhaven Town Centre)
- $48 million: Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge (with transit)
- $45 million: O-Train extension to Leitrim Park-and-Ride
- $35 million: Strandherd Dr. (Woodroffe-Prince of Wales)
- $30 million: Southwest Transitway (Norice-Baseline Station)
- $22 million: Earl Armstrong road widening (River Road-Limebank)
- $12 million: Two Park-and-Ride Lots (River Rd., Leitrim)
- $10 million: Transit priority/facilities (Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge-Woodroffe Station-Fallowfield Station)

Citywide/Other ($125 million)

- $60 million: New bus garage
- $46 million: Transit fleet acquisition (2009)
- $15 million: SmartCard
- $2 million: Transit-oriented rural pathway linkages
- $2 million: General transit stop improvements
West Urban Community ($97 million)

- $64 million: West Transitway extension (Eagleson-Terry Fox)
- $33 million: West Transitway extension (Bayshore Station-Moodie Dr.)
- East Urban Community ($80 million)
- $70 million: Cumberland Transitway (Navan Rd.-Trim Rd.)
- $10 million: Two Park-and-Ride Lots (Chapel Hill South, Millennium Park)
Central Area/Inside the Greenbelt ($23 million)
- $8 million: Baseline-Heron Transit Priority
- $5 million: Central Area Station Improvements
- $5 million: Rideau St. Transit Improvements (Sussex-King Edward)
- $5 million: Pedestrian Bridge (Baseline Station-Algonquin College)

TOTAL: $612 million