The City of Ottawa's technical briefing on its preferred western light-rail route

Western Light Rail Transit Corridor Planning and Environmental

Assessment Study

22 April 2013

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Presentation Overview

1. Where We Began

• Background and Study Area

2. Understanding the Carling Options

• Transportation Network Perspective

• City-Building Perspective

• Transportation Performance Perspective

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Presentation Overview ctd…

3. Proposed Rapid Transit Network

4. What We Heard (so far)

• Community Concerns

5. Where We Are Headed

5. Summary and Next Steps

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Council Direction: June 27, 2012

• The City presented details and preliminary analysis of 15 corridors

• Council was not satisfied

• Identified that clear interests of the community must be considered and reflected

• Directed to align with City, NCC planning initiatives

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Study Context (2008 TMP)

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Study Area

Bayview Station LRT operational 2018

Tunney’s Pasture Station LRT operational 2018

Baseline Station / Algonquin Campus

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O-Train

Queensway

Corridors Considered Initially (15) 7

O-Train

Holland

Island Park

Kirkwood

Tweedsmuir/Hydro Broadview

Churchill

Woodroffe

Richmond

Rochester Field

Cleary

Understanding the Carling Options

• Compromises the network and operations

• Would require continued bus service in the north, including using the Parkway for the foreseeable future

• 2 – 3 times the cost of other options

• Potentially very visually intrusive • 7.1 km underground is impractical

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Carling via O-Train 9

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Not Recommended for Further Analysis

Transportation Network Perspective: Fractured Network

O-Train (and

service from the

airport) terminates

at Carling and

requires a transfer

O-Train cannot

connect to Gatineau

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Reduced transit service

to Tunney’s, Westboro,

and Dominion

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Transportation Network Perspective: Connection to Tunney’s Pasture

From East:

Every 3-4 train to Tunney’s

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From South West:

Transfer at Baseline

(replacing Tunney’s)

OR

Maintain BRT connection

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T

T

Transportation Network Perspective: Connection to Tunney’s Pasture

From East:

Every 3-4 train to Tunney’s

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T

T From West:

Transfer at Lincoln Fields

(replacing Tunney’s)

Transportation Network Perspective: Connection to Tunney’s Pasture

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T

T

T

T

From South:

Transfer at

Carling and

Lebreton

From East:

Every 3-4 train to Tunney’s

Reduced transit service

to Tunney’s, Westboro,

and Dominion

O-Train cannot connect

to Gatineau

Transportation Network Perspective: Capacity Implications

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30 trains/hr.

(2 min. service)

6 trains/hr.

(10 min. service)

10-minute service inadequate

for employment at Tunney’s

24 trains/hr.

(2.5 min. service)

Inadequate for demand from

the west and southwest

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www.ottawa.ca/westernLRT

City-Building Perspective

• Elevated Guideway

• Lincoln Fields

• Experimental Farm

• Over Queensway (along the Capital Arrival Route)

• Negative impact of infrastructure on view corridors

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Transportation Performance Perspective

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Travel Time = Ridership Baseline to Tunney’s Pasture

• Choosing Carling Avenue adds between 3 – 13 minutes to a passengers’ trip

Transportation Performance Perspective: “Hybrid” Primary

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?

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Transfer Points

Supplementary Corridor (TBD)

Primary Corridor

Tunney’s

Ba

yvie

w

Lincoln Fields

Carling/O-Train

Less efficient Primary

line (longer)

Supplementary line that

would focus on local

needs is problematic -

fractured

Proposed Rapid Transit Network 18

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Lincoln Fields-Baseline Connection

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• Portion south of Lincoln Fields is common to all as it generally follows the current Southwest Transitway

• BRT and LRT in corridor between Lincoln Fields and Queensway

• New BRT connection to Queensway

• Iris Station will be modified to suit LRT

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Lincoln Fields-Baseline Connection

What We Heard (so far)

Community Concerns

• Should protect – not ruin – Byron Linear Park

• Should connect – not physically divide – community

• Should encourage – not restrict – access to greenspace, waterfront and pathway network

• Should avoid – not make use of – the Parkway

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www.ottawa.ca/westernLRT

Parkway (Magenta)

Where it fell short:

• Restricts access to greenspace, waterfront and pathway network

• Relies on using the Parkway

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www.ottawa.ca/westernLRT

Richmond via Churchill (Blue) Where it fell short:

• Ruins Byron Linear Park

• Physically divides community

• Does little to encourage/improve access to waterfront pathways and parkland

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www.ottawa.ca/westernLRT

Richmond via Rochester Field (Yellow)

Where it fell short:

• Ruins Byron Linear Park

• Physically divides community

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www.ottawa.ca/westernLRT

CPR-Richmond (Red)

Where it fell short:

• Does little to protect Byron Linear Park west of Woodroffe

• Does little to encourage/improve access to waterfront pathways and parkland

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Where We Are Headed

• Challenged ourselves to find options that respond to what we heard, while:

• Maintaining the integrity of transit long range financial plan

• Meeting transit ridership goals

• Allowing for continued citywide network investments

• Solutions

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www.ottawa.ca/westernLRT

Richmond Underground • Protects Byron Linear Park and keeps LRT off the

Ottawa River Parkway

• Maintains community connectivity

• Encourages access to greenspace, waterfront and pathway network

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www.ottawa.ca/westernLRT

Richmond Underground - North

• Protects Byron Linear Park

• Maintains community connectivity

• Encourages access to greenspace, waterfront and pathway network

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Estimated Costs

• Class D planning estimates

• based on conceptual plans

• 40 per cent contingencies

• +/- 25 per cent

• consistent with City policy

• In 2013 dollars

• Not including inflation to construction year and variable elements (fleet and maintenance facility)

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Estimated Costs 2013 +/- 25%

Carling via O-Train: $2.3 B

Richmond via Churchill: $2.2 B

Richmond via Rochester Field: $1.7 B

CPR Richmond: $1.1 B

Richmond Underground: $900 M

Richmond Underground-North: $880 M

Parkway: $630 M

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Summary

• Richmond Underground is preferred option

• Responds to clear community concerns • Most cost-effective investment • Improves community and network transit service • Promotes transit ridership and City growth • Allows for citywide network expansions further

East and South

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Use of Former CPR Rail Bed - Skead Street (view North from Westminster)

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Use of Former CPR Rail Bed - Skead Street (cross section options)

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View of corridor from

street level minimized by

trench or landscaped

berm

Use of Former CPR Rail Bed - Skead Street

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Cleary Station – open air

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Cleary Station – view from the River

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Cleary Station – view from the pathway network

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Cleary Station – aerial view

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New Orchard Station (view East from Byron)

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Richmond Underground (cross section)

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Richmond Byron Linear Park

New Orchard Station (view from Richmond)

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Next Steps

• Public Open House: April 25, 2013

• Your input needed - westernLRT@ottawa.ca

• Transportation Committee and Council in June 2013

• Functional Design and EA Documentation

• Decision included in 2013 TMP (late June)

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Questions?

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