Council today approved the budget for 2019 and Stage 2 light-rail transit, allowing construction of the City's O-Train network expansion to begin this year.
The approved Budget 2019 makes investments to build more affordable housing, close Ottawa's infrastructure gap, expand public transit service and enhance the safety of Ottawa's communities. "Council has approved a financial plan for this year that is prudent and affordable, and will make needed investments to close the City's infrastructure gap sooner than previously planned," said Mayor Jim Watson. "The approval of Stage 2 of the O-Train is an important step forward for Ottawa as we near the one-million population mark, ensuring that future generations are well served by the world-class public transit." The budget designates $3.4 million in 2019, and $5.1 million on an annual basis thereafter, for new transit routes to meet emerging needs where there is a significant demand for service. Budget 2019 includes an additional $7.8 million for new buses to expand service across the city, $22.4 million to refurbish buses and $55.2 million to replace 79 old buses. The City will spend $4.2 million to expand transit-priority traffic controls.
Budget 2019 includes no-charge transit service for seniors on Sundays, in addition to no-charge service currently offered on Wednesdays.
Council also approved the
Stage 2 LRT, a transformative project that will expand the O-Train by 44
kilometres to the south, east and west, and add 24 new stations. The expansions will be completed in 2022, 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Stage 2 will extend the existing Trillium Line south from Greenboro Station to Riverside South, with a link to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. TransitNEXT is the preferred proponent to design, build, finance and maintain the Trillium Line extension, which will add 16 kilometres of rail and eight stations in the south.
Stage 2 will also extend the Confederation Line farther east to Place D'Orléans and Trim Road and west to both Moodie Drive and Algonquin Station. East-West Connectors is the preferred proponent to design, build and finance the Confederation Line extension, which will add 12.5 kilometres of rail and five stations in the east and 15 kilometres of rail and 11 stations in the west.
Stage 2 is funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa. The total project cost is $4.6 billion. Council received a report on the long-range financial for public transit that concluded the Stage 2 project is affordable for the City.
Source : City of Ottawa
EDITED TO ONLY CONTAIN THE SECTIONS PERTAINING TO THE O-TRAIN
