http://ottawa.econsultation.ca/topics/show/38?lang=en&root=3613#comment_...

There is not now nor has there ever been a business case justification for a double tracked NS LRT. That is the reason Mr. Baird said the new Council must vote on it again after the ridership data become known and when due diligence was done.

There is, however, a business case for extending the O-Train to Leitrim Road to receive local feeder bus route riders from Riverside South and Findlay Creek, and to provide faster transit service to nearby business parks and (secret) government facilities. There is also a business case for building a large park and ride facility at Leitrim/O-Train to intercept the large number of commuters coming by car from the south and south east of the urban boundary.

So, I ask you: Why exactly do the City bureaucrats and certain councillors want taxpayers to cough up ~$1billion for a gold-plated eLRT technology upgrade project for rail to Riverside South that would never, ever generate sufficient ridership and revenue to remotely approach the concil-mandated revenue-cost ratio of 50% for this line?

Is is to ensure that LRT operating costs go through the roof so that the City is forced back to an all bus transit system and the bus lobby can say - I told you so?

My dad once said to me: If something makes no sense, cannot be defended on any logical and factual grounds, it must be because of a political decision to give someone other than the taxpayer a big benefit.

So I need to ask: Who benefits the most? I know it is not the taxpayer, and it is not all those 10,000 + riders who use the O-Train today and who would have to find alternate commuting arrangements for three years while the technology upgrade is built, and it will not benefit residents of Riverside South since over 90% of them would not be within walking distance of any LRT station in the upgrade plan.

And, as Jan Harder told us - suburban lifestyles involve taking the kids
to/from school, hockey etc., go shopping and doctor's appointments and that these folk do this by car, not by public transit.

I eagerly await answers.....