LRT will go east-west first

After presenting four possible implementation scenarios for public consultation, Ottawa city staff have decided to pursue a slightly amended version of Implementation Scenario Three in going forward with Ottawa's transit plans. It breaks the construction of the city's ambitious light-rail plan into three phases, which I will copy from the official website:

The first increment of investment – totalling about $1.7 billion includes a total of 12 kilometres of new LRT track, 10 kilometres of BRT and a further nine kilometres of bus supplementary transit. Specific projects include:

• A tunnel through the downtown
• LRT east to Blair Station and west to Tunney's Pasture
• Key pieces of BRT that will expand the current Transitway in the west, east and south of the City
• Transit related infrastructure for Strandherd-Armstrong bridge

The second increment of investment – totalling about $0.9 billion, consists of the construction of LRT south to South Keys station, and west to Baseline Station. In total, increment two includes 18 kilometres of new LRT track.

The third increment of investment – totalling $0.4 billion includes completion of the LRT line south from South Keys to Riverside Town Centre, as well as the construction of two important pieces of BRT to complete the Transitway in the west and east. This third increment includes 10 kilometres of LRT and 14 kilometres of BRT.

Although the draft plan still has to be approved by City Council, and the first phase will still take years, and the final ones will still be decades, these are exciting times for transit enthusiasts in the city.

To read coverage of the news in mainstream media, click any of the following links:

• Orleans Star, "City rolls forward with transit plan"
• Ottawa Business Journal, "Tunnel, east-west rail, recommended for first phase of transit plan"
• Nepean This Week, "Light rail plan changes tracks"
• Ottawa Citizen, "More transit, fewer roads in city's new master plan"
• Ottawa Sun, "LRT changing tracks"
• Larry O'Brien's blog: "Council two weeks away from making huge decision on transit"