Ottawa citizen transit commissioner barred from seeing LRT return-to-service plan

By Mike Vlasveld

One of the City of Ottawa's citizen transit commissioners says she's not being allowed to lay eyes on Rideau Transit Group's (RTG) proposed light rail return-to-service plan, and that it will not be made public.

In a Twitter thread, Friday, October 15, Sarah Wright-Gilbert explains that she requested to see RTG's plan but was told that only city councillors are able to view the plan, and even then, only in the presence of the city clerk.

“In a time where public confidence in our transit system as a whole, but specifically the SAFETY of our transit system is low to non-existent, transparency is of the utmost importance,” she writes. “However, I am told that due to the nature of the P3 agreement the return to service plan is basically confidential.”

Wright-Gilbert questions her role as a transit commissioner if it doesn't include reviewing important documents such as this.

“Not only should I, as a Transit Commissioner who has taken an oath of office be able to view this document, but it should also be posted publicly. We are paying RTG $5M per month. We should know what their plans are.”

River Ward City Councillor Riley Brockington validated someof Wright-Gilbert's concerns, replying, “I serve as a Commissioner on the Transit Commission and as a Trustee on the OPL Board. OPL Trustees receive information, public and in-camera, the same, there is no differentiation between what a Councillor or Citizen Trustee receives.”

The commissioner goes onto say that “beyond furious” would be an understatement regarding how she feels about the lack of transparency surrounding the LRT debacle.

City Manager Steve Kanellakos said on Wednesday that the city was expecting to receive RTG's plan and that he hoped to share a plausible timeline for the LRT's return to service by the end of the week.

He also said the city would have to validate RTG's plan.

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