Gatineau Tramway

STO Gatineau : Findings from the Public Consultation on the Integration Options for Ottawa

The Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) today released the findings of the public consultation conducted between June 22 and July 19, which gave Gatineau and Ottawa residents the chance to comment on the two options for integrating a future tram into downtown Ottawa, one at grade on Wellington Street, the other under Sparks Streets.

The following observations reflect the opinions of the 1,500 respondents, 60% of whom were Gatineau residents, and 40% Ottawa residents:

- The large majority of residents, between 84% and 87%, believe it is important to provide proper service to both downtowns and to connect Gatineau's and Ottawa's transit systems.

- The three most important factors for respondents in regard to the integration options are the performance of the public transit system, i.e. commercial speed, reliability and resilience (84%), the quality of the pedestrian environment (67%), and the quality of public transit, i.e. the importance of limiting the number of transfers (65%).

- The option of running the tram under Sparks Street is the preferred choice of six out of ten respondents: 56% of Gatineau residents and 67% of Ottawa residents.

- Half of the respondents believe that the presence of a tram on Wellington Street is compatible with preserving the image and heritage value of the nation's capital and Parliament Hill.

- A large majority of respondents, i.e. 89% of Gatineau residents and 78% of Ottawa residents, believe that not all STO buses should be eliminated from downtown Ottawa.

For details, go to the dedicated page on the STO website.

"The public consultation findings confirm that more than 80% support a system that connects the two downtowns. This is the point on which there is the highest level of agreement, in addition to the findings confirming that performance, quality of service and quality of the environment are determining factors in promoting public transit," indicated STO President Myriam Nadeau. "Essentially, the idea is to get customers as close as possible to their destination to avoid the need for more transfers or a significant increase in the distance they have to walk.

For example, getting customers beyond the Lyon Station would encourage the use of public transit."

The preferences and concerns of respondents in terms of both the scenarios and the modes of transport will be taken into consideration in the next phases of the study. These findings were presented to Gatineau Municipal Council this week, and will be presented at Ottawa's September 2 Transportation Committee meeting. 

Source : STO