Ottawa LRT funding approved
The Canadian Federal Transport Minister John Baird has announced CAD600 million in funding for the City of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit plan. The money would go toward the CAD2.1 billion first phase of the project, which includes 12.5 kilometres of light rail from the Tunney’s Pasture transit station in the west to the Blair station in the east. A 3.2-kilometre tunnel will run between LeBreton Flats and the University of Ottawa, with four underground stations.
It is expected that the plan in cooperation with a redesigned bus system will yield up to CAD100 million in annual operating cost savings, beginning in 2019 and the removal of more than half the buses from the central area causing a reduction of the city’s fuel consumption by 10 million litres annually, and, a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 38,000 tonnes per year.
Details can be found at ottawalightrail.ca
Tags: interurban, light rail, LRT, tram
Rail For The Valley 
June 12, 2010 at 11:21 am
Vancouver’s gonna look pretty 3rd rate, compared with Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton & Montreal, without an @ grade light rail/tramway tranit system.
Zweisystem replies: Oh no, no, no – Our politicos keep saying that Vancouver is a world class city with the SkyTrain metro. Everyone comes to Vancouver to see how transit is done right – NOT!
June 12, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Everyone comes to Vancouver to marvel at the single agency in charge of all transit, roads, etc. and to try to figure out how a fully grade separated light metro could possibly break even on just 100,000 passengers per day.
June 13, 2010 at 3:48 am
Ottawa could have saved them billions by building the LRT on Albert, and Slater St. I have a good feeling the cost of the tunnel is going to rise quite a bit.
June 13, 2010 at 9:24 am
What a load of claptrap you speak David, obviously you never left your BC comfort zone and studied in depth, Light Rail Transit systems in the US, Europe or the Far East
Zweisystem replies: I think David’s tongue was firmly in his cheek.