Approach will move people ‘for years to come’

BY JAKE RUPERT

Ottawa’s top transit bureaucrat is urging city politicians to back a $2-billion plan for mass transit or risk setting the municipality back for decades.

Nancy Schepers, deputy city manager of transit, planning and the environment, said yesterday that the rationale behind the plan is rock solid and will benefit generations to come.

“This makes perfect sense. It allows for a phasing in of a citywide transit plan that will move people quickly and efficiently for years to come.”

The plan was brought forward by city councillors on the transit committee and, with some dissent, was approved by the committee. City council will debate and vote on the plan next week.

The transit plan designates four priorities anchored by a downtown tunnel, the costing and feasibility of which is being studied by city staff. Boiled down, the approach calls for the city to pick what the system will be, then start building it in pieces as the money becomes available.

While Ms. Schepers admitted that light-rail is a leading contender, she said a decision will be made by spring as to what type of vehicle will use the tunnel.

Once that choice is made, then that technology will eventually be used in all other branches of the system, including two new priorities included in the plan: bringing rail service to the southeast of the city and building the Cumberland transit line.

The fourth priority is completion of the western bus transitway to connect downtown to Kanata and Stittsville, and the extension of Barrhaven’ transitway.

Ms. Schepers said the western side of the city is most practically served in the medium-term by buses, but the transitway could be converted to rail.

“What we’re looking at is absolutely consistent with where we were planning to go anyhow,” she said.

“It sets clear priorities that are practical and that will lead logically to the next step and the next step until there is a citywide integrated system. It really has the potential to transform the city if done right.”

To help pay for the projects, the city would immediately apply to the federal and provincial governments for the $200 million each pledged to support the cancelled north-south light-rail line. This money would go to several projects, mostly bus-based in the west and others that the city is ready to start. The city could also conceivably restart portions of the cancelled north-south lightrail project because the approvals and studies are done.

(This could also help settle two lawsuits launched against the city after the light-rail plan was cancelled.)

Councillors pushing the ideas felt that it was time to get started on a new approach. They were also concerned that other cities would snap up the money the upper-tier governments have set aside for transit projects.

However, some councillors have expressed concern over the estimated $2billion price tag. Ms. Schepers said this number could come down depending on how council chooses to meet the priorities.

Jane Almeida, a spokeswoman for Premier Dalton McGuinty, said yesterday that when a funding application arrives from the city, it will be referred to the Ministry of Transportation for review. Then, if there is good rationale for the proposals, the money will flow.

“Our $200 million is there for transit,” Ms. Almeida said. “We welcome any plan coming forward from the City of Ottawa.”