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Ottawa Transit Developments

Phase 3 mentioned during the campaign:

Ford was in Ottawa to recommit his commitment to widen the highway between Highway 416 and Maitland Avenue. Other parties have attacked the idea, saying it brings a big price tag and little difference to commuters.

The Ontario PC candidate also committed to funding Phase 3 of Ottawa’s light rail transit system, which in a decade or so from now, would bring the trains out to Barrhaven and Kanata.

A public inquiry is currently underway to review Phase 1, which has been plagued with a variety of issues including: breakdowns, faulty doors, and derailments over its first four years. Ford called for the inquiry to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself with future phases.

“We want to make sure that any problems that happened in the past aren’t going to happen in Phase 3,” he said. “I can assure the people of Ottawa, we’re all in for Phase 3 as well, but I don’t want to see the same problems and the same concerns because it was disturbing what was happening in the other phases.”
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barrhavenindependent.ca

Ford Calls For End To MPP Allowances - Barrhaven Independent

Doug Ford said he was "frustrated" to hear Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod took an allowance from her riding association, and wants to bring an end to the practice.
barrhavenindependent.ca barrhavenindependent.ca
 
drum118 said:

Alstom didn't have time to research Ottawa's labour market for LRT bid, claims rails weren't right before​

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To anyone who (magically) believes that just getting the private sector to do the work results in better outcomes with more efficiency, the allegations make eye-opening reading.

It’s always more nuanced. Public or private, multiple organizations - or multiple departments within an organization - are hard to wrangle, and need dedicated, focused, knowledgeable project managers and engineering staff to coordinate and oversee the project. You need a single person - or a very small team - that can make project decisions, have the authority to hold other teams accountable, and can communicate to the top stakeholders. Finally, the people making the final shots have to understand the tradeoffs of any timing or funding choice they make. It’s a tough organization problem, and it’s a miracle that we routinely pull it off.
 
The Confederation Line is for all intents and purposes a fully grade separated metro system. Using light rail vehicles for such a system in what I assume is some kind of hybrid/cost saving measure was cleary a poor decision. Something like the Canada Line cars in Vancouver would have been more appropriate.
 
treplow said:
The Confederation Line is for all intents and purposes a fully grade separated metro system. Using light rail vehicles for such a system in what I assume is some kind of hybrid/cost saving measure was cleary a poor decision. Something like the Canada Line cars in Vancouver would have been more appropriate.
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Indeed.

I'd previously heard here, that they were stuck with them, because they were selected before the grade-separation was finalized. But the article here suggests they were selected very late in the day - making the entire farce even more incomprehensible.
 
nfitz said:
Indeed.

I'd previously heard here, that they were stuck with them, because they were selected before the grade-separation was finalized. But the article here suggests they were selected very late in the day - making the entire farce even more incomprehensible.
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As far as I know, the City had specified LRVs in the bid specs early on, because they were planning for at-grade sections of the line. Even though Alstom joined the team late in the game, their vehicle would need to be low-floor.
 
duffo said:
As far as I know, the City had specified LRVs in the bid specs early on, because they were planning for at-grade sections of the line. Even though Alstom joined the team late in the game, their vehicle would need to be low-floor.
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If there was opportunity to change the vehicle at the last minute, there was opportunity to change the platform elevation and floor height.
 
nfitz said:
If there was opportunity to change the vehicle at the last minute, there was opportunity to change the platform elevation and floor height.
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Probably true, but the city has repeatedly said it was impossible. City of Ottawa doctrine, especially under Jim Watson, is that every decision made is the best one possible, every change is an "improvement," nothing is a compromise, and every criticism is invalid.
 
CapitalSeven said:
Probably true, but the city has repeatedly said it was impossible. City of Ottawa doctrine, especially under Jim Watson, is that every decision made is the best one possible, every change is an "improvement," nothing is a compromise, and every criticism is invalid.
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Ah, the shoot the messenger approach. Well, we can see where that ended up.

Reminds me of someone else ... somewhere ...
 
duffo said:
As far as I know, the City had specified LRVs in the bid specs early on, because they were planning for at-grade sections of the line. Even though Alstom joined the team late in the game, their vehicle would need to be low-floor.
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Alstom weren't obligated to bid on the project. They still put forward a design they said would work, and based on an existing train that had many of the same operational characteristics they are now trying to claim are "pushing the limits" of what LRVs can do.
The city definitely should have gone with light metro vehicles, but that doesn't answer the question of "what on earth was Alstom thinking?"
 
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