The Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO) received a status update on the O-Train Confederation Line project as well as Stage 2 LRT.

--Press Release--

The Committee received updates on the Stage 1 and Stage 2 light rail transit projects. Progress has been made on various technical and system-related communications issues on O-Train Line 1. Due to poor performance by Rideau Transit Group, the City intends to exercise some of its rights under the project agreement to improve service reliability for customers. In the interim, the City is taking steps to enhance service and increase capacity. Forty additional buses have been added, with 19 more to be added in January 2020. Twenty buses are now dedicated for R1 replacement services during peak times.

Construction work is progressing on all three Stage 2 extensions. Work is underway on station and vehicle design, roadway drainage, and bridge and pedestrian overpasses. Tree clearing along the Trillium Line, ongoing work on highway 174, and utility relocation work within the west extension project limits will take place early next year.

The Committee received an interim report on properties acquired for Stage 1 of the light rail transit project. A final report will be tabled at the Committee once the remaining transactions have closed.

Source : City of Ottawa

The audio recording of the portion of the committee meeting dealing with the Confederation Line and Stage 2 LRT updates.

The presentation slideshow of the Confederation Line update.

The presentation slideshow of the Stage 2 LRT update.

Progress Video on the Trillium South Extension

ʺOver the last few weeks, we have been as frustrated as our transit users with the poor performance of LRT and the unreliability of our bus system. Following a number of issues taking place this morning, we once again convened a meeting with the City's senior leadership team to see what can be done to bring some short-term stability to the system and enhance reliability for all users, both on LRT as well as our bus network.

This morning, we approved $3.5 million in additional spending authority, to ensure that staff have the resources they need to increase the current level of service for our transit users.

At our request, OC Transpo General Manager John Manconi and his team are taking the following actions, which will be implemented starting next week:

• Of the fleet of buses that had recently been taken out of service, 40 are still MTO certified and will be brought back into service starting next week.
• Working hand in hand with ATU 279 president Clint Crabtree, Mr. Manconi has found a solution to extend the current service booking past December 31^st, which will free up the bus drivers needed to operate these additional buses.
• These additional buses will be deployed on routes that have faced chronic issues since the October 6 service change, such as the 39 in the east, the 257 in the west and the 75 in the south.
• On January 1^st, 2020, an additional 19 buses will join the fleet and further improve service for our customers.

We want to thank Mr. Crabtree and the ATU 279 members for their collaboration and support during these trying times for our drivers and customers.

Chair Hubley and I also want to reassure residents that these LRT issues are being taken extremely seriously. Finding solutions to these problems continues to be the number one priority at City Hall – both at the political and staff level.

At next week's tabling of the Draft 2020 Budget, we will be announcing further transit investments that will aim to improve the experience of transit customers across the city.

As the operations of the Confederation Line are being overseen by RTG and RTM, we convened a meeting this past Monday with the entire Executive Committee of the consortium, which includes senior staff from all participating companies. They have assured us that they are bringing in experts from Toronto and Europe to provide the technical knowledge required to find the root causes of these ongoing issues. They have created task forces on each of the recurring issues, and they are reviewing every incident in order to identify probable causes and solutions.

Mr. Manconi will provide further details on the work that is ongoing to find permanent solutions to the LRT issues at the Transit Commission meeting of November 6.

We are holding RTG/RTM to account for this ongoing poor performance of the system. As a result, and consistent with the Project Agreement, we have instructed staff to deduct $2.8 million from RTG's October payment. Similar deductions will be made until the performance of the system improves and stabilizes.

In the meantime, we want to once again apologize to our transit customers as we work through the growing pains of launching the Confederation Line.ˮ

​Source : Office of the Mayor Jim Watson

The committee received a status update on the O-Train Confederation Line project as well as Stage 2 LRT.

Nearly a decade of planning, consulting, designing, constructing, and testing will become a reality when the Confederation Line opens to the public this Saturday, September 14 at 2 pm. The Committee received an update on the launch of the Stage 1 Confederation Line, including details about the public opening, and a recap of the drills that have taken place in preparation for the launch. Staff also highlighted the many customer service initiatives and supports that will be in place when OC Transpo adjusts and expands its bus service following the launch of the Confederation Line.

Progress is being made on each extension of the O-Train Stage 2 light rail project. Work including borehole drilling, top soil stripping, site office set-up, utility relocation, pre-construction surveys, and tree clearing are currently underway. Staff also provided an update on work happening this fall, including drilling at future Trillium Line rail bridges, the widening of highway 174, and tree clearing along the Confederation Line East and West extensions.

Source : City of Ottawa

The audio recording of the portion of the committee meeting dealing with the Confederation Line and Stage 2 LRT updates.

The presentation slideshow of the Confederation Line update.

The presentation slideshow of the Stage 2 LRT update.

Overall

• Preparatory activities (borehole drilling, silt fence installation, site office mobilization, preconstruction surveys, etc.) are currently underway on each O-Train extension to facilitate the commencement of Stage 2 construction activities in 2019.

O-Train Trillium Line South Extension

• Uplands Structures Yard set up
  • Installation of fencing is now complete. Crews have commenced the installation of light posts and work trailers.
  • This yard will be used for the coordination of Airport Link construction activities.
• Laydown areas will be established within close proximity to the Trillium Line near Bowesville Road and Uplands Drive.
  • Site trailers have been set up and crews will begin to install temporary concrete barriers (TCBs) at each location.
  • TCB installation will take place at night to minimize impacts on local traffic.
• Borehole drilling is currently underway in the following locations:
  • South Keys Station
  • Along the alignment between Leitrim Road and South Keys Station
• Silt fence installation
  • Crews have almost completed the installation of 30,000 metres of silt fence along the perimeter of the Trillium Line O-Train south extension from Greenboro Station to terminus stations (Airport Station & Limebank Station).
  • To date, approximately 90% of the work has been completed.
• Stump pulling and grinding between Hunt Club Road and Limebank Road/Uplands Drive is now complete.
• Crews have started to strip lands (i.e. topsoil removal) between Uplands Drive and the mainline.
• Noise and Vibration monitoring
  • Baseline noise and vibration monitoring is taking place at properties near the Trillium Line alignment to ensure that construction and rail activities comply with applicable regulations and requirements
• Ongoing works at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
  • In coordination with the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority (OMCIAA), crews are continuing to fence off Airport lands where work will occur.
• Preparatory works at Walkley MSF
  • Preliminary preparatory work such as survey control, clean up and fencing have commenced at the future site of the new Walkley Yard Maintenance and Storage Facility.
  • TransitNEXT will be coordinating with Capital Rail to leverage shutdown time for geotechnical investigations nearby Walkley MSF.

O-Train Confederation Line East Extension

• Borehole drilling is currently underway at the following locations:
  • Montreal Road & OR 174 Interchange
  • Montreal Flyover
  • Trim Road
  • OR 174 median lanes (night work) between Blair Road & Trim Road
• East day-to-day work yard set up
  • Crews will begin constructing a granular pad near Montreal Road and OR 174 to support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-to-day yard
  • Work has commenced to strip top soil and pave yard access points.
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line East construction activities
• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity to the project. They will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to construction.

O-Train Confederation Line West Extension

• Borehole drilling currently underway in the following locations:
  • Lincoln Fields Station
  • New Orchard Station
  • Between Pinecrest Station & Connaught Tunnel
  • Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway (near Churchill Avenue)
• Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway Cut and Cover Tunnel Preparatory Works
  • The Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) Parkway is shifting north to accommodate the space required to construct a cut-and-cover tunnel between Dominion Station and Cleary Avenue
  • Crews have commenced preparatory activities to realign the SJAM by installing signage, fencing and temporary concrete barriers. Topsoil stripping will commence upon the completion of barrier installation.
  • From July to October 2019, Sir John A MacDonald Parkway will have off-peak lane reductions between Dominion Avenue and Cleary Avenue. Eastbound and Westbound traffic will be maintained at all times.
  • The City of Ottawa continues to coordinate with the NCC's Public Affairs Office to provide appropriate public notification (PVMS, resident notices, web updates, etc.)
  • Crews are targeting to have the east bound lanes completed by this fall and the west bound lanes complete by spring 2020
• West day-to-day work yard set up
  • Work has commenced to construct granular pad near Baseline Road and Navaho Drive/Transitway to support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-to-day yard.
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line West construction activities.

• Building demolition
  • Building demolition is scheduled to occur in September 2019 within the project limits:
    • On the east side of Connaught Avenue between Severn Avenue and Hanlon Avenue (three houses)
    • On Richmond Road, east of Cleary Avenue (one strip mall).
• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity to the project. As indicated in the east update, DST will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to construction.

Overall:

• Preparatory activities (borehole drilling, silt fence installation, site office mobilization, pre-construction surveys, etc.) are currently underway on each O-Train extension to facilitate the commencement of Stage 2 construction activities in 2019.

O-Train Trillium Line South Extension

• Uplands Structures Yard set up
  • Spreading of gravel, temporary road construction, and fence installation has been completed at Uplands Structures Yard Drive (north of the EY Centre, east of Uplands Drive)
  • This yard will be used for the coordination of Airport Link construction activities
• Laydown areas will be established within close proximity to the Trillium Line near the Bowesville Road and Uplands Drive. Crews will begin with the installation of temporary concrete barriers (TCBs) at each location.
• Silt fence installation
  • Crews have commenced the installation of 30,000 metres of silt fence along the perimeter of the Trillium Line O-Train south extension from Greenboro Station to terminus stations (Airport Station & Limebank Station). To date, approximately 40% of the work has been completed.
• Stump pulling and grinding along the Trillium Line South extension between Hunt Club Road and Limebank Road/Uplands Drive is anticipated to be completed in mid-July
  • Once complete, crews will begin stripping lands (i.e. topsoil removal) later this summer to further prepare for the construction activities
• Noise and Vibration monitoring
  • Baseline noise and vibration monitoring is taking place at properties near the Trillium Line alignment to ensure that construction and rail activities comply with applicable regulations and requirements
• Ongoing works at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
  • Hydrovacing near future guideway structures is now complete.
  • In coordination with the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority (OMCIAA), crews will begin fencing off the Airport lands where work is occurring.

O-Train Confederation Line East Extension

• Borehole drilling is currently underway at the following locations:
  • Montreal Road & OR 174 Interchange
  • Montreal Flyover
  • OR 174 median lanes (night work) between Blair Road & Trim Road
• Borehole drilling is anticipated to begin near Trim Road
• East day-to-day work yard set up
  • Work to commence in early July to construct granular pad near Montreal Road and OR 174 to support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-to-day yard
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line East construction activities

• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity of construction activities in the zone of influence. They will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to construction.

O-Train Confederation Line West Extension

• Borehole drilling currently underway in the following locations:
  • Lincoln Fields Station
  • Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway (nearby Cleary Avenue)
• Borehole drilling is anticipated to begin near New Orchard Station in early July
• Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway Cut and Cover Tunnel Preparatory Works
  • The Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) Parkway is shifting north to accommodate the space required to construct a cut-and-cover tunnel between Dominion Station and Cleary Avenue
  • Tree clearing north of the SJAM and within the median (phase 1) is now complete. Further tree clearing activities will take place south of the SJAM (phase 2) after Oct 1 (start date TBD)
  • Crews will start preparatory activities to realign the SJAM the week of July 2 (including fencing, installing temporary concrete barriers, stripping topsoil, etc.).
  • From Tuesday, July 2 to October 2019, Sir John A MacDonald Parkway will have off-peak lane reductions between Dominion Avenue and Cleary Avenue. Eastbound and Westbound traffic will be maintained at all times.
  • The City of Ottawa continues to coordinate with the NCC's Public Affairs Office to provide appropriate public notification (PVMS, resident notices, web updates, etc.)
  • Crews are targeting to have the east bound lanes completed by this fall and the west bound lanes complete by spring 2020
• West day-to-day work yard set up
  • Work to commence in July to construct granular pad near Baseline Road and Navaho Drive/Transitway to support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-to-day yard.
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line West construction activities.
• Building demolition
  • Building demolition is scheduled to occur in September 2019 within project limits:
    • On the east side of Connaught Avenue between Severn Avenue and Hanlon Avenue (three houses)
    • On Richmond Road, east of Cleary Avenue (one strip mall).
• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity of construction activities in the zone of influence. As indicated in the east update, DST will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to construction.

Communications & Stakeholder Relations:

• Confederation Line East & West Corridor Wide Notices

• East-West Connectors (EWC) have distributed corridor wide notices to properties near the Confederation Line East and West extensions
• These notices provide an overview of all Stage 2 LRT implementation activities taking place in 2019 between July and December. The notices are available online by visiting stage2lrt.ca/news.

Overall

• Preparatory activities (borehole drilling, top soil stripping, site office mobilization, preconstruction surveys, etc.) are currently underway on each O-Train extension to facilitate the commencement of Stage 2 construction activities in 2019.

O-Train Trillium Line South Extension

• Borehole drilling between Greenboro Station and Bayview Station
  • Borehole drilling is scheduled to occur at night between late-July and mid-August between Greenboro Station and Bayview Station. This work will occur at night while the O-Train Trillium Line is not in service to minimize disruptions to transit operations.
  • Some hydrovacing is required at each station for utility investigations.
• Preparatory works at Walkley Maintenance and Storage Facility
  • In coordination with OC Transpo Rail Operations, preparatory works such as surveying, clean up, trackwork and fencing are underway at the future site of the new Walkley Yard Maintenance and Storage Facility.
• Uplands Structures Yard set up
  • Light post installation is now complete.
  • Crews will be connecting utilities to site trailers in preparation for occupation later this summer.
• Jersey barrier installation
  • Crews will be installing jersey barriers overnight between late-July and mid-August at the following locations:
    • Airport Parkway
    • Uplands Drive
    • Lester Road
    • Leitrim Road
  • This work is scheduled to take place at night to minimize disruptions to local traffic.
• Caisson drilling at future Trillium Line rail bridges
  • Caisson drilling is a method of creating structural foundations where boreholes are drilled and filled with concrete/reinforcing materials. These weight-bearing concrete columns (perhaps supplemented by steel cages or other reinforcements) can reach all the way down to the bedrock, providing for a much more stable base for large structures.
  • Caisson drilling is anticipated to begin later this summer in the following locations where new rail bridges will be constructed:
    • Airport Parkway
    • Uplands Drive
    • Lester Road
    • Leitrim Road
  • Crews have commenced construction of crane pads at all of the above locations to support upcoming drilling activities.
• Crews have started to remove topsoil and lay gravel between Uplands Drive and the main Trillium Line. Excess soil is being trucked to the Bowesville/Earl Armstrong laydown site and stockpiled for future use. Once complete, crews will commence topsoil removal activities between Uplands Drive and Airport Station.
• Noise and Vibration monitoring
  • Baseline noise and vibration monitoring is underway at properties near the Trillium Line alignment to ensure that construction and rail activities comply with applicable regulations and requirements.

O-Train Confederation Line East Extension

• Borehole drilling is currently underway along OR 174 between Blair Road & Trim Road (night work).
• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity to the project. They will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to construction.
• East day-to-day work yard set up (Montreal Road and OR 174)
  • Crews have completed the installation of the granular pad and fencing.
  • Utility work and site servicing to follow.
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line East construction activities support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-today yard.

O-Train Confederation Line West Extension

• Borehole drilling is currently underway in the following locations:
  • Lincoln Fields Station
  • Between Pinecrest Station & Connaught Tunnel
  • Bayshore Station
  • Lincoln Fields Tunnel Portal
  • West of Moodie Station
• Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway Cut and Cover Tunnel Preparatory Works
  • The Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) Parkway is shifting north to accommodate the space required to construct a cut-and-cover tunnel between Dominion Station and Cleary Avenue.
  • Crews have commenced preparatory activities to realign the SJAM by installing signage, fencing and temporary concrete barriers.
  • Topsoil removal is underway.
  • Roadworks are anticipated to begin in areas where topsoil removal has been completed.
  • Off-peak lane reductions between Dominion Avenue and Cleary Avenue are anticipated to occur until late October. Eastbound and Westbound traffic will be maintained at all times.
  • The City of Ottawa continues to coordinate with the NCC's Public Affairs Office to provide appropriate public notification (signage, resident notices, web updates, etc.)
• West day-to-day work yard set up
  • Work has commenced to construct granular pad near Baseline Road and Navaho Drive/Transitway to support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-to-day yard.
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line West construction activities.
• Building demolition
  • Building demolition is scheduled to occur in September 2019 within the project limits:
    • On the east side of Connaught Avenue between Severn Avenue and Hanlon Avenue (three houses)
    • On Richmond Road, east of Cleary Avenue (one strip mall).
• Rochester Field Archeological Investigation
  • In coordination with the NCC and local indigenous stakeholders, EWC is performing an archeological investigation at Rochester Fields.
  • Once complete, work will commence to transition this location to a laydown area.
• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity to the project. As indicated in the east update, DST will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to the start of construction.

This is a public notice to highlight construction that will take place for the East Extension for Stage 2 of the O-Train.

The Transit Commission received the following presentation on June 19, 2019.

The following is the accompanying news release:

The Transit Commission received a report regarding Customer Service Operational Readiness for the launch of O-Train Line 1, as well as a presentation on electric buses for OC Transpo's bus fleet.

The opening of O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, will mark a historic transformation in the way transit service is delivered in Ottawa. The opening of Line 1 will require major changes to the bus route network, which will represent the largest service change ever for OC Transpo customers. OC Transpo staff are committed to ensuring that the customers are supported, prepared, comfortable and knowledgeable about the changes and the transition period in order to provide a positive end-to-end customer experience starting on day one. The presentation outlined the many activities, customer communications, and changes carried out by OC Transpo to be ready for light rail operations, including service changes to the bus network and at LRT stations.

In response to a motion from the Mayor at Council on June 12, 2019, staff presented a plan to introduce electric buses to the OC Transpo fleet. The Transit Commission gave direction to staff that the electric buses and required charging infrastructure be acquired through a tendering process to a maximum of $6 million.

Here are some key important points from the presentation:

• Minor changes before Confederation Line opens include the opening of the new Line 2 platform at Bayview Station, the complete reopening of the pedestrian walkway from Telsat to the Gloucester Centre and the relocation of bus routes at Hurdman and Tunney's Pasture.
  

• Once the Confederation Line opens, a parallel bus service (current bus service) will be maintained for 3 weeks to help passengers transition to the new O-Train line.
• The new bus route changes (affecting approximately 100 routes) will take place on the day immediately following the three weeks parallel service.

Confederation Line LRT Operational Readiness and Ready for Rail presentation

 Electric Buses presentation

Canada's National Capital relies on Thales signalling once again for its major LRT Line expansion. Thales has been contracted by East-West Connectors to provide its SelTrac™ Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) system for the City of Ottawa's Stage 2 O-Train Confederation Line Extension project.

The Stage 2 Confederation Line extension will expand the initial 13 station Stage 1 Confederation Line farther east and west. The Stage 2 Confederation Line will extend east to Trim Road and west to Baseline Road and Moodie Drive, adding 28 kilometres of rail, 16 stations and a maintenance and storage facility. Following completion of the Stage 2 extension, the Confederation Line will consist of 29 stations spanning a distance of 40 kilometres providing more Ottawa residents with fast, efficient, clean and reliable light rail service.

Thales's SelTrac™ Communications Based Train Control system is an integral part of the O-Train's Stage 1 transportation solution, which is designed to meet Ottawa's transit challenges with a system that integrates surrounding communities with existing cycling and pedestrian paths and roadways. Because Thales is familiar with the O-Train system, its operation and technology, and in particular the Light Rail Vehicles being used, Thales's involvement in the Stage 2 Confederation Line extension minimizes integration risks and commissioning time.

Thales's contribution to the Stage 2 O-Train Confederation Line Extension project consists of integrating control units on-board each train, the installation of guideway equipment, including zone controllers, as well as commissioning the system to be safely integrated within Stage 1 operations.

Thales is proud to bring proven expertise and decades of transit infrastructure experience to a project that will provide the transportation foundation for Ottawa's growth and evolution through the twenty-first century.

Source : Thales

"The Stage 2 O-Train Confederation Line Extension project allows Thales to continue to play an important role in providing a world-class transit system to Canada's national capital. Continuing our work from Stage 1, our local, made-in-Ontario SelTrac™ CBTC technology is a key part of the O-Train system, bringing to life the next important phase of Ottawa's long-term transit vision, providing passengers a faster, safer and greener way to commute."

 

​Dominique Gaiardo, Vice President and Managing Director for Thales's urban rail signalling business.

Ontario's government is working for the people to make commutes shorter, relieve congestion and build better transit faster. Today, Premier Doug Ford and Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation, announced that the Ontario government will provide the City of Ottawa with a maximum of $1.208 billion to build the Ottawa Stage 2 Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.

"Building a quality transit system is a big step forward in making sure Ottawa is open for business and open for jobs," said Ford. "The people of this great city deserve a world-class transportation system that gets both them and the economy moving. This investment puts people first."

The Ottawa Stage 2 LRT project will be capable of reaching a future capacity of up to 24,000 passengers per hour, each way during peak periods.

"I am very appreciative that the Government of Ontario is investing with us to make Stage 2 LRT a reality for the residents of Ottawa," said Mayor Jim Watson. "Stage 2 will extend our LRT network to communities farther east, west and south. It will bring 77 per cent of Ottawa residents within five kilometres of fast, efficient, clean and reliable rail service."

The Stage 2 LRT project will add 44 kilometres of new rail and 24 new stations, and consists of three light rail extensions:

• Confederation Line east to Trim Road

• Confederation Line west to Moodie Drive and southwest to Algonquin College

• Trillium Line south to Limebank Road, with a spur to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

"The Ontario government is a strong supporter of public transit," said Yurek. "The Ottawa Stage 2 LRT construction project will transform the way residents and commuters travel within the City of Ottawa. The new LRT will shorten commute times, and help people get to work, school or appointments quickly and conveniently — and, just as importantly, help people get back home to their families at the end of the day. It will also help Ontario's economy by creating more jobs in the construction industry."

• The Trillium Line south extension is scheduled for completion in 2022, and the Confederation Line east and west extensions are scheduled for completion in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
• Through earlier investments, the Ontario government also committed up to $600 million toward the Ottawa Stage 1 LRT project.
• Stage 2 will create jobs and investment by generating a projected 27,000 person-years of employment and an economic impact of $5.6 billion.
• Stage 2 will reduce Ottawa's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 110,000 tonnes by 2048.

City Councillor Diane Deans along with Councillor Riley Brockington, Jean Cloutier, Carol Ann Meehan, and Shawn Menard will be hosting a public meeting on Stage 2 LRT. 

Last Friday, city staff released a report outlining significant changes to Ottawa's Stage 2 Light Rail Transit project. This included a project increase of $1.2B, a two year delay, and a 28 month shut down of the Trillium Line. Members of Council are being asked to vote on these recommendations on Wednesday March 6. 

This meeting is an opportunity for residents of Ottawa to share their comments, concerns, and feedback on the largest infrastructure project in the city's history. City staff will be providing a project overview followed by a question and answer period. 

The meeting will take place on: 

• Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019 
• Location: Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, Ellwood Hall 1265 Walkley Road 
• Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Members of the media are invited to attend. 

Councillor Deans will be available for comment during the proceedings.

For more information please contact: 

• Diane Deans
• Diane.Deans@ottawa.ca 
• Twitter: @dianedeans 

With last weeks news that brought much detail to the next phase of Ottawa's O-Train LRT network, O-Train Fans will be compiling and bringing you new information on the future stations that will be constructed.

From Trim to Montreal in the East, Westboro to Baseline and Moodie in the West, and Limebank and the Airport in the South.

Concept photos of the new stations as well as the description of the stations provided by the City of Ottawa are now available on O-Train Fans.

Be sure to check back and visit the Stations section of the site to learn more as more information develops and becomes available. Of course, once construction commences, we will begin doing Snapshot updates as before of these new stations.

Stay tuned to O-Train Fans. The launch of the Confederation Line is only months away, and we promise to have complete station profiles and photos available in the weeks following the opening!

I would also like to remind all of our site visitors, if you ever have any questions, have information you would like to share, spot trains testing, take some great photos or anything else O-Train related, we invite you to register and join the discussion on our forums : www.railfans.ca/forum

City of Ottawa officials held a technical briefing today to outline the results on the Stage 2 LRT procurement. The technical briefing was accompanied by a report that outlines the results of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for Council approval. The report will go to Committee of the Whole for consideration on February 27 to hear public delegations on this matter, and Council on March 6. Once approved, construction will begin in 2019 to extend the O-Train farther south, east, and west and is anticipated to open in stages starting in 2022 with full construction completion date in 2025.

Stage 2 is made up of two projects extending the Confederation and Trillium Lines totalling 44 kilometres of new rail and 24 new LRT stations. It will extend the existing Trillium Line south to Riverside South with a link to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, and it will extend the Confederation Line, scheduled to open this spring, farther east to Trim Road and west to both Moodie Drive and Algonquin College.

The Stage 2 project is funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa. The project has been divided into three separate contracts, the Confederation Line Extension (including east and west extensions) as a Design Build Finance and the Trillium Line South Extension as a Design Build Finance and Maintain Project and a Memorandum of Understanding for 38 Vehicles, the construction of the Belfast Yard Maintenance and Storage Facility expansion and for civil and vehicle maintenance and lifecycle.

East-West Connectors has been recommended as the private sector partner to design, build and finance the Stage 2 Confederation Line Extension, which adds 12.5km of new rail and five new stations in the east, extending the line from Blair Station to Trim Station, and 15 km of new rail and 11 new stations in the west, extending the line from Tunney's Pasture Station to Moodie and Baseline station.

TransitNEXT has been recommended as the preferred proponent to design, build, finance and maintain the Stage 2 Trillium Line Extension, which adds 16 km of new rail and eight new stations extending the line farther south from Greenboro Station to Limebank Station, with a link to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. The preferred proponent will also be responsible for upgrading the existing stations as well as maintenance for the existing infrastructure and rolling stock.

The preferred proponent's submissions indicate staggered construction completion dates with the Trillium Line South Extension completed in 2022, with the Confederation Line east and west extensions opening in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Stage 2 will change the way we move around Ottawa, providing shorter commutes, bring 77 per cent of Ottawa residents with five kilometres of fast, efficient, clean and reliable rail, capable of reaching a future capacity of up to 24,000 passengers each way during peak periods. Construction will generate economic output of approximately $5.6 billion (2018$) and over 27,000 person-years of employment. When complete, the Stage 2 O-Train system will result in a fully grade-separated system that spans nearly 64 kilometres to include 41 stations, 85 vehicles and three maintenance and storage facilities. 

​Source : City of Ottawa

​The city today shared with media the following memo on the Revenue Service Availability date.

----

November 2, 2018

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide clarification on the liquidated damages associated with the Required Revenue Service Availability (RSA) Date of the Confederation Line light rail transit project.

Rideau Transit Group (RTG) advised that it would achieve RSA by November 2, 2018. RTG missed the May 24, 2018 date and has now missed its commitment to achieve RSA by November 2, 2018.

As you may recall, at the September 10, 2018 meeting of the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO), staff outlined that the City would be in a position to deduct the $1M in liquidated damages from the next payment to RTG. The City intends to levy Liquidated Damages in the amount of $1M on the next payment to RTG, which will be when it achieves Substantial Completion.

A further update on the Confederation Line will be provided at the FEDCO meeting of November 14, 2018.

​Source : City of Ottawa