Ottawa Transit Developments

[ShonTron]

I’d actually be good with an at-grade Sparks Street alignment if only because it was the original OCR streetcar line through Downtown Ottawa and would help bring a bit of life back to it.

 

[Sauga89]

I'm confused by the surface downtown section on Wellington, which doesn't quite intersect the Ottawa LRT.

There really hasn't been good co-ordination between the rapid transit systems for Ottawa and Gatineau. It would really make sense in many ways to have one transit plan and agency for the region, but the different municipal and provincial governments make that complicated. In a rational world, I think Gatineau's LRT would tunnel under Sparks, with in-station connections to Ottawa's Line 1, and continue on into Vanier, or go down Bank Street to Lansdowne. Ottawa's Line 2 should also continue across the river to meet Gatineau's existing bus transitway. The reality is that the plans are being drawn up separately.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

There really hasn't been good co-ordination between the rapid transit systems for Ottawa and Gatineau. It would really make sense in many ways to have one transit plan and agency for the region, but the different municipal and provincial governments make that complicated. In a rational world, I think Gatineau's LRT would tunnel under Sparks, with in-station connections to Ottawa's Line 1, and continue on into Vanier, or go down Bank Street to Lansdowne. Ottawa's Line 2 should also continue across the river to meet Gatineau's existing bus transitway. The reality is that the plans are being drawn separately.

A unified system would be fantastic. An annoying thing is you can transfer to STO with your presto card but can't start a journey on it.

Anyway the tunnel plan is the preferred option if the money is there, with a direct underground link. The Wellington route is the "budget friendly" option, but it means long walks for riders plus regular blockages for protests in front of parliament.

 

[Allandale25]

A multimodal bridge to improve transportation connectivity in the National Capital Region - Canada.ca

The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, will provide an update on how the Government is advancing its commitment to improve...

www.canada.ca

A multimodal bridge to improve transportation connectivity in the National Capital Region​

From: Public Services and Procurement Canada

Media advisory​

January 29, 2025 – Gatineau, Quebec
The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, will provide an update on how the Government is advancing its commitment to improve transportation and mobility in the National Capital Region by adding a first interprovincial bridge in the east.
Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local.
Date: January 30, 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Gatineau, Quebec

 

[Kyle Campbell]

A multimodal bridge to improve transportation connectivity in the National Capital Region - Canada.ca

The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, will provide an update on how the Government is advancing its commitment to improve...

www.canada.ca

I expect this will turn out to be a non event. Probably yet another bridge study to put on a shelf beside all the others

 

[Sauga89]

A multimodal bridge to improve transportation connectivity in the National Capital Region - Canada.ca

The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, will provide an update on how the Government is advancing its commitment to improve...

www.canada.ca

https://ottawa.citynews.ca/2025/01/...ew-bridge-connecting-east-ottawa-to-gatineau/

Subject to further design and impact studies, they say they are going to build a bridge in the east end between Aviation Parkway and Montée Paiement, with construction starting in 2032.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

https://ottawa.citynews.ca/2025/01/...ew-bridge-connecting-east-ottawa-to-gatineau/

Subject to further design and impact studies, they say they are going to build a bridge in the east end between Aviation Parkway and Montée Paiement, with construction starting in 2032.

Been there, done that, got the tshirt. Until they are funding actual shovels in the ground, it's just words. The Montfort Hospital and Manor Park residents have killed the idea of a Kettle Island bridge time and time again, no reason to believe this round will be different.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

Just a little comparison of how they've maintained the design language over the various phases:

Bayview (Stage 1)

The original stations all have dramatic sloping roofs, a lantern box at the entrance, real wood ceilings on the interior, and "shrouds" surrounding the elevators. It also introduced the red O lollipop signs, in a fairly successful attempt to mimic something as iconic as Montreal's Metro logo

Bowesville (Stage 2 South):

Line 2 stations mimic the flowing roofs of the original stations, but use a fake wood metal ceiling on the interior (which actually might not be so bad, the wood ceilings are aging poorly). They lack the lantern box and elevator shrouds

Jeanne D'Arc (Stage 2 East)
Line 2 east stations have the lantern boxes, and elevator shrouds, but the building lines are less dramatic than the original stations. They also use a fake wood metal ceiling on the interior

Moodie (Stage 2 West)
Similar to Stage 2 East stations, but oddly enough use the real wood ceilings like the original stations.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

One thing they did better in Stage 1 was the placement of the lollipop signs.

For example, for the newly opened Line 2 at Dow's Lake it's visible from the bike path, but there's none on Carling Ave indicating the station is there, and the station is a bit hidden if you don't know it's there

Whereas on line 1 the placement is better at guiding you to the entrance from a distance

 

[Kyle Campbell]

And finally, just highlighting interiors through the various phases:

At Lees, you can see the wood slats and large wall tiles they use as finishings. Spiders love those ceilings, pretty much every station is filled with cobwebs

Stage 2 South stations are a bit simpler, with that fake wood ceiling. They also leave concrete walls exposed. A new feature is they all have next train displays at the gates, on the original stations only the underground stations downtown did that . It still looks and feels like an Otrain station though

Stage 2 East stations like Trim have a different fake wood metal ceiling, and do use tiling on the walls, but are still somewhat simpler than the originals while still keeping the look and feel. Tbh, I think the Stage 2 south ceilings look better

 

[Kyle Campbell]

Actually one last station to highlight. Airport is unique as it blends the airports style with the O-Train look and feel. It's also the only climate controlled station in the entire system, and the only Stage 2 South station to have lanterns. It's a fantastic airport connection unfortunately paired with a terrible two transfer connection to downtown

 

[Mihairokov]

One thing they did better in Stage 1 was the placement of the lollipop signs.

For example, for the newly opened Line 2 at Dow's Lake it's visible from the bike path, but there's none on Carling Ave indicating the station is there, and the station is a bit hidden if you don't know it's there

Whereas on line 1 the placement is better at guiding you to the entrance from a distance

I really like the lollipops. I think they look good, especially when lit up at night.

Actually one last station to highlight. Airport is unique as it blends the airports style with the O-Train look and feel. It's also the only climate controlled station in the entire system, and the only Stage 2 South station to have lanterns. It's a fantastic airport connection unfortunately paired with a terrible two transfer connection to downtown

This specific ticket machine wasn't working on the opening night of Line 4 and I was really miffed at that until I realized the other machines also located by the gates which were working properly. I assumed it was the only machine prior to the gates.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Ontario PCs promise to upload the Ottawa LRT to Metrolinx.

Release here.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

Ontario PCs promise to upload the Ottawa LRT to Metrolinx.

Release here.

I suppose it's good finance wise for the city, but it seems an odd stretch of Metrolinx's mandate. Metrolinx's track record on construction projects so far isn't encouaging either.

 

[duffo]

Ontario PCs promise to upload the Ottawa LRT to Metrolinx.

Release here.

How I'm interpreting this is that they will save the taxpayer money by turfing OC Transpo operators in favour of the private sector.