Western LRT corridor evaluation criteria
By Tim Lane
Jan. 25, 2011

Western LRT corridor Bayview to Baseline Station
 
  I assume that the existing Transitway corridor between Lincoln Fields Station and Baseline Station will remain as the only possible route for that section.
 
   If so, the only question there will be, will we still have buses running from Lincoln Fields to Baseline in that corridor,
paralleling the ELRT line?
 
   The answer, which should be obvious to anyone but certain "Bus People," is, NO.

When ELRT reaches Baseline Station, buses will cease running on the transit corridor north of there.
 
   So, the next question is, do we use the

1. Ottawa River Parkway (ORP)
2. the Byron Corridor (BC) or
3. Carling Ave. (CA)

as the route from Lincoln Fields to Bayview?
 
   The Carling Ave. alignment, of course, would include the section of the O-Train line from Bayview Station to Carling
Station.

THIS WOULD NOT PRECLUDE THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE DIESEL O-TRAIN OVER THAT SECTION!
 
   Following is an analysis of the draft document: “Alternative Corridors Evaluation Criteria ”
for the WLRTC study.  These are the Criteria which were developed with public contribution and will be used
by the project team to evaluate the alternative LRT corridors.

Promote Smart Growth:
 
> Transit-oriented development Opportunities

• ORP - Next to none
• BC
  1. Several developments already under way, strip malls could become much more intense developments at Cleary, Lockhart, Woodroffe
  2. Car dealerships west of Woodroffe on Richmond Road could become more useful developments
• CA
  1. Opportunities along the O-Train section at Gladstone/Young St. - SAKTO has already said they would build
             the station 

  2. City owned land on both sides of Queensway at the rail line 
  3. Massive Government Oak St. warehouse redevelopment
  4. Failed condo development at Champagne & Hickory would spring back to life
  5. Civic Hospital parking lot Champagne & Carling
  6. Various strip mall redevelopment on N. side of Carling, west to Bayswater Ave.
  7. Possible redevelopments Lucky Key Restaurant, Westgate S.C., south side Carling near Archibald
  8. Possible redevelopments Hampton Park Plaza, Camco Acura, and 1501 Carling.
  9. Possible redevelopment failed Dymon Self Storage cesspool
  10. Possible redevelopment 1564-1574 Carling strip mall
       
  11. Possible redevelopment former & current Gas Stations Carling @ Churchill
       
  12. Possible redevelopment Hakim Optical & vacant lot to its west
       
  13. Possible redevelopment of strip mall 1657 - 1673 Carling
       
  14. Possible redevelopment strip mall N.E. corner Cole & Carling
       
  15. Possible redevelopment old small apts. N. side Carling west of Cole

  16. Possible redevelopment strip malls both sides Carling west to Broadview & to Maitland
       
  17. Possible redevelopment McDonald's & strip mall on opposite side of Carling
       
  18. Ongoing replacement of older, large single family homes on S. Side Carling west to Iroquois with multi-unit condos/apts.
       
  19. Possible redevelopment Carlingwood Shopping Centre & Fairlawn Plaza.
       
  20. Possible redevelopment both sides Carling, Woodroffe N. to Woodroffe S. & beyond towards Edgeworth

 
> Compatibility with adjacent communities:
 
ORP - MASSIVE NIMBY factor due to "using up" Green space,
            fencing off access to Ottawa River parkway lands, etc.
           "visual pollution" of tracks, overhead wires, some noise
 
- Only one new station proposed to serve this area

          - Sharp curves make this a longer, slower, noisier route
           than Byron.
 
          - Air quality improved compared to buses
 
          - Construction impacts minimal
 
BC - Linear park would be narrowed, NIMBY's won't like it -
         Would they prefer a widened Richmond Road?
 
      - Some road accesses from Byron to Richmond could
        be closed
 
      - Would provide faster, better link to downtown, Lincoln
        Fields, Baseline, Algonquin College than current bus
        service for residents in corridor
 
      - Air quality not much changed, since so few buses now
 
      - Construction impacts minimal, but greater than ORP route
 
CA - Much of development discussed above is happening
        anyway, but with LRT might reduce "need" for more auto
        traffic in adjacent communities.
 
      - Some reduction in space available for auto traffic

- Would be offset by reduced auto use in corridor,
especially to the hospitals
 
      - Air quality slightly improved, more buses replaced
        than in BC, but not as many as along ORP
 
      - Construction impacts much greater than ORP or BC
 
> Protect Historical, Cultural, and Archaeological Resources:
 
  
ORP - MASSIVE NIMBY factor due to "using up" Green space,
           fencing off access to Ottawa River parkway lands, etc.
           "visual pollution" of tracks, overhead wires, some noise.
 
          
BC - Linear park would be narrowed,  many recent trees would
        need removal or re-planting, NIMBY's won't like it.
        BUT - This USED to be an electric tram route, lined
        with beautiful arching rows of large elms and other trees.
        It could be the same, again.
 
       -"Grassed-over" tracks could be used to make it even
        "greener" than it was in the fifties.

      - The Byron Corridor is lined with multiple overhead wires
now.
 
-The power lines along Byron could be moved north
onto the ELRT corridor, doing dual function, and
leaving a screen of trees along the south side of
the corridor.
 
    - Crossing the greenspace west of Maple Lawn to get from
      Dominion Station to Richmond/Byron would not impact
      Maple Lawn.
   
CA - Until a few years ago, the lampposts along the median of
        Carling were connected by overhead wires.
 
      - They were replaced with new poles, with buried wires.
 
     - Having brackets and wires added to these poles would
       not be a major change.
 
 
 
> Create Successful Rapid Transit Stations
(Some of the points I make below would also apply to)
> Provide a safe facility
 
ORP - The only new station on this route would be at New
           Orchard Ave.
          
          - I couldn't imagine a more windswept, isolated,
            mugger-friendly spot that would be a couple
            of blocks from the nearest concentrations of habitation,
            and an additional couple of blocks from any commercial
            activity.
 
          - This station, and the lack of development potential
            elsewhere along that line, would be THE major
            argument for NOT using the ORP corridor for ELRT.
 
 
 
BC - A station near Woodroffe could be a mecca for
        development, and, a major transfer hub
        for buses to take one to Carlingwood S.C.,
        and into surrounding neighbourhoods.
  
       - A station somewhere between New Orchard and
Edgeworth would serve all the apartments along
McEwan and Ambleside, New Orchard Lodge nursing
home, the Woodpark neighbourhood, and the Alex
Cullen Memorial Social Housing at Midway & Hartleigh.

       - There could be potential commercial redevelopment of the nearby car dealerships along Richmond Road,
        
 
 
CA - Opportunities along the O-Train section at Gladstone/
         Young St. 

- SAKTO Corp. have already said they would build the
         station there. 
 
       - If the empty space south of Carling was used for a curve
         to connect the Carling ELRT to the O-Train line, then the
         existing Carling station could be reused & enhanced to
         connect to the massive development slated for the
         Civic Hospital employee parking lot.
 
       - A station at the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital
         would be adjacent to the hospital emergency and
admissions depts.
 
      - There are doctors offices, clinics and pharmacies
along the entire Carling Ave. Corridor.
 
      - The Kirkwood fire station would be right beside the line,
         for fast access to the system in case of emergency
 
      - A station at Churchill serves the office buildings nearby,
        and all the potential nearby development, as well as
        a mecca for connecting buses into Westboro.
 
      - A station at Broadview serves FOUR major schools,
        and potential redevelopment along Carling.
 
      - A station at Carlingwood shopping centre needs no
        justification   :>)
 
      - As much as possible, stations should be constructed
        AT GRADE.

      - People DO NOT LIKE being down in "holes", ESPECIALLY
        when the elevators and/or escalators are not working.   
 
> Increase Ridership, Mobility and Capacity
 
ORP - Next to no improvements for riders
 
          - Only one new station, far from most useful destinations
 
          - Curvy route is 0.5 km. longer, and slower than Byron
 
BC - Far more people, schools & businesses close to the line
 
      - Straighter, shorter route would allow an extra station,
        compared to ORP, without hurting travel time
 
 
CA - Opportunities along this line for getting thousands
        of people much more quickly, to dozens of important
        employment, educational, medical, residential, and
        shopping destinations, BLOW AWAY the other two lines,
in terms of increased ridership potential, ESPECIALLY
        all-day ridership.
 
      - AND, coupled with the City's calculation that the travel
        time on the Carling route would be only three minutes
        longer than on the ORP, then why would you not prefer
        Carling?
 
 
 > Maximize sensitivity to Natural Environment
 
  
ORP - Some disruption of the natural environment
 
BC - Far less disruption - it WAS a light rail line in the past!
 
CA - Next to no disruption
 
       
> Apply Sustainable Design Best Practises
 
ORP - Lots of curves adds travel time, wheel wear, & noise
 
BC - Straighter, shorter route than ORP
 
CA - Sharp curves at Carling Station & Lincoln Fields
 
      - Otherwise, a fairly straight route
 
     - Somewhat hillier than other two
 
     - But, hills could be taken advantage of,
to create needed grade separations, and
to reduce steepness at some grade
      separations
     
     - If stations are at grade, and a nearby grade separation is
       needed, take the rail line under the nearby road, and use
       gravity to get you going, and to stop at the station
 
     - Stations should be at grade, to reduce energy required
       for extra lighting, ventilation, elevators, escalators.
 
> Wise Public Investment
 
 
ORP - relatively cheap to build, but provides virtually
           NO land value uplift, and no advantages to users.
 
BC - About the same cost to built as ORP, but much
         greater land value uplift, and usefulness to users
 
CA - most expensive to build, but the land value uplift
         would be ENORMOUS compared to the other two.
 
      - Land value uplift would be so great that developers
        could be induced to PAY for the stations
(witness SAKTO)

- Net effect could be that the Carling Avenue route
could cost the TAXPAYER LESS to build than either
of the other routes (!)

     - Provides usefulness benefits to thousands more people,
       all day, every day, than the other two routes.