Committee approves western LRT route with partial tunnel
Posted Jul 10, 2013 04:26:28 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The City’s transportation committee has approved the Richmond Underground route for the western LRT extension, running along the Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway, but with only about half of it in a tunnel.
The NCC had said it would only approve that route if the entire 1.2-kilometre route was underground.
Residents along the proposed transit line say the current vision will cut off access and ruin the “park experience” along the Ottawa River.
The line — which will link Tunney’s Pasture with Baseline Station — has an estimated price tag of $980 million.
“I believe this whole thing is cost-driven,” resident Ron Bollman told committee members.
“You’ve got a billion dollars; you’ve got to find a solution (and) you’re trying to fit it in this billion-dollar envelope. It’s not beginning with, ‘where’s the best route? How much is it going to cost? Let’s do a comparison,'” Bollman said.
But Councillor David Chernushenko warned, the City isn’t made of money.
“We would all love our rail to be a Mercedes,” Chernushenko commented during the debate. “We can aim to create a Volkswagen for everyone, and make sure no one gets stuck with a Lada.”
The committee passed a motion that says the City will continue to work with the NCC as it develops plans for the corridor.
