Canada pledges funds toward Ottawa’s Stage 2 LRT

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

The Canadian government says that it will provide CA$1 billion (US$800 million) in funding for Ottawa, ON, planned Stage 2 light-rail transit project.

 

“I am very proud of the work of all members of council that led to the unanimous approval of the Stage 2 LRT project by council, which strengthened our position to quickly secure this historic funding commitment from the government of Canada,” said Jim Watson, mayor of Ottawa. “Today’s federal commitment is in addition to previous indications from Premier Kathleen Wynne and the government of Ontario that they also intend to support the project. I look forward to formalizing these funding commitments so we can move forward with construction in 2018.”

Earlier this month, Mayor Watson, council members and representatives from Ottawa’s business, tourism and academic communities launched the request for funding for stage 2 of the LRT project.

In a letter to Mayor Watson dated July 22, 2015, Royal Galipeau, member of Parliament for Ottawa wrote, “I am pleased to express this government’s intent to support the city of Ottawa’s stage 2 light-rail transit project with a contribution of up to one-third, approximately one billion dollars, once a formal application has been received and approved.”

According to Mayor Watson, the Stage 2 project will further reduce commute times by adding 19 new stations and 30 kilometers (19 miles) of rail to Ottawa’s O-Train system between 2018 and 2023. The project is expected to generate 24,000 person-years of employment, increase tax revenue to approximately CA$170 million (US$130 million) and provide an economic output of CA$3.8 billion (US$2.9 billion) to the local economy.

The project would extend Ottawa’s O-Train system east by extending the Confederation Line from Blair to Orléans, with stations at St. Joseph, Jeanne D’Arc, Orléans Drive and Place d’Orléans.

To the west and southwest, it would extend west to Algonquin College and Bayshore, with stations at Westboro, Dominion, Cleary, New Orchard, Lincoln Fields, Queensview, Pinecrest, Iris, Baseline and Bayshore.

The Confederation line would extend service south to Riverside South and Bowesville, with a new station at Gladstone and stations at Walkley, South Keys, Leitrim and Bowesville.

When completed in 2023, Stage 2 would bring LRT to within five kilometers (three miles) of almost 70 percent of the city’s residents.

 

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