Ottawa Construction News staff writer
As work continues underground and on the surface for the new Ottawa Light Rail Transit (LRT) Confederation Line, the city has reported progress in the planning process for the LRT’s west-end second-phase.
The city released the Stage 2 LRT Environmental Assessment and Functional Design Report in June as part of the city’s finance and economic committee agenda. The report details the functional design of the east, west and south LRT extensions, and confirms that Stage 2 remains within the City of Ottawa’s affordability model.
“I am pleased to see that we are moving forward with the Stage 2 LRT plan as it will fundamentally transform how we get around our city,” Ottawa mayor Jim Watson said in a news release. “I am most pleased to see that Stage 2 remains affordable, and I look forward to working with our provincial and federal partners to confirm their support for this plan.”
The work completed as part of the environmental assessment process to date confirms that Stage 2 can be constructed within the $3 billion that the Transportation Master Plan identified two years ago, the city news release says.
The report also sets out the functional design of the alignment and stations for each of the three Stage 2 LRT extensions: the O-Train Confederation Line West extension from Baseline and Bayshore to Tunney’s Pasture, the O-Train Confederation Line East extension from Blair to Place d’Orléans, and the O-Train Trillium Line extension to Bowesville/Riverside South.
In addition, the report confirms the functional design and costs for potential future extensions to Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport in the south and to Trim Road in the east, should funding sources become available.
“This report is the culmination of years of planning and community consultation on Stage 2, and includes the results of the meetings of the Working Group between the National Capital Commission and City of Ottawa Working Group earlier this year on the O-Train Confederation Line West extension,” said Coun. Keith Egli, chair of the Transportation Committee. “The results of the EA process to date have laid a solid foundation for the work we have ahead of us to implement Stage 2.”
“Stage 2 will enhance the transit service that we offer to residents farther east, west and south of our city core,” said Transit Commission chair Coun. Stephen Blais. “I am pleased to see that, in less than a decade, people from Place d’Orléans to Baseline and Bayshore, and from as far south as Bowesville Road, will benefit from the reliability and convenience of rail rapid transit.”
City Council approved the Stage 2 LRT package as part of the 2013 update of the Transportation Master Plan. When completed in 2023, Stage 2 will add 19 new stations and 30 km. of rail to Ottawa’s O-Train system, and bring LRT to within five km. of almost 70 per cent of residents.
The report will be considered by City Council on July 8. Subsequent to this approval, preliminary implementation activities will begin, and the city will continue to engage with federal and provincial partners on project funding.
More information on Stage 2 LRT can be found on the newly launched project website at stage2lrt.ca.
