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Ottawa light rail on the wrong track
Yesterday,
current city council voted on Siemens 1 billion dollar plan to build a light
rail system in the capital region. This surprising end comes as quite a shock
to most of us because the last we were informed by Mayor O’Brien is that we had
at least 6 months of waiting to get to this point. I believe, like most people
in this city, this was 6 moths would have been one of the few times that a
bureaucratic delay turned out in our favour.
The
original plan approved by former Mayor Bob Chiarelli, but delayed by the Federal
Government was to build a surface light rail system that extend from Ottawa
University, south to Barrhaven. The now approved plan by Larry O’Brien is to
have the rail line start in the LeBreton Flats and continue south to Barrhaven,
with the possibility of adding tunnels at a later date to extend the line north
into the downtown core.
The
new plan comes with a less expensive price tag then the original $1 billion.
The project under its current stipulations will cost the city $880 million.
This is one of the few pluses that have come of this seemingly rash decision by
council. Over all I feel the whole project is flawed at best. Although not as
tight and restricted to space as other major cities in the world, I feel that
it would be a fairly large burden on the flow of traffic to add an electric
train system to the mix. I believe that the better route to go would have been
with either the completely underground system found in many cities such as London, and New
York. Or a sky train system such as the one in Bangkok, Thailand.
Both of these systems allow for traffic to continue to flow once constructions
has been completed.
According
to an IBI report, by 2021, only approximately 1,000 people will have switched
to using public transit instead of driving private cars. 880 million seems like
a large amount of money to get only 1,000 cars of the roads. What we need to do
is take the time to develop a plan that will best accommodate the requirements
of the citizens of Ottawa.
By following the current trend of “stay the course tactics” used by politicians
these days it will only lead to more headaches, more traffic congestion and
less money in the city coffers for social service programs that could
desperately use the funding.
Don’t
misinterpret what I'm saying though. I still believe that an overhaul of the
public transit situation is necessary for the future of the city but it won’t
help anything if you take a project and jam it down the throats of the citizens
of this city. What I suggest is that Mr. O’Brien take his 6 months and
reevaluate the whole plan. The voters of this city have given him the time and
he should use it. Come up with a plan that will best meet needs of the people.
ciao
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| | Posted 12/7/2006 8:49 PM - 36 Views - 4 eProps - 2 comments
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