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On trend with the growing number of rapid transit proposals coming up for debate in medium-to-large cities across Canada, the ongoing debate now wending its way through London City Council about the future of rapid transit in the city of nearly 400,000 located halfway between Toronto and Windsor, is indicative of a larger move towards public transit, and a smarter savvier method of urban planning for the future.
As home to the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College, the city has a students-to-general-population ratio of about one-in-ten. A sizeable workforce bolstered by a large insurance, healthcare, and emerging tech sector, together with the student population create a palpable need for rapid transit in a city that has grown far too accustomed to the pervading car culture that has defined London since its last streetcar went out of service in 1940.
Fast-forward to the present, when the issue before London City Council is a choice that will likely fall between two possible rapid transit proposals — LRT/BRT Hybrid vs BRT only — both of which would run along two major corridors. In either case, the line would run north-south through the core along Richmond Street, terminating on the northern end at Masonville Mall via the University of Western Ontario, and to the south via Wellington Road terminating at White Oaks Mall, a major shopping district in close proximity to the 401 Expressway. Moving east-west the proposed route would travel along Dundas Street through the core, terminating at Fanshawe College along Oxford Street, and to the east at Oxford and Wonderland Road, an area which has been rapidly intensifying with new homes and retail.
Notable in the above map, the northern and eastern corridors are shaded in orange, while the southern and western corridors are shaded in blue. These colours follow along with the original plan, which would see the orange corridors served by LRT in a semi-exclusive right-of-way, while the blue corridors would be served by a semi-exclusive BRT. The favourite choice of City Staff, which then became the plan first endorsed unanimously by the Mayor and City Council back in November 2015. This so-called Hybrid Option, at a cost of $880 million CAD, was on track to become the official Rapid Transit Plan for London until recently. Inevitably, as appears to be the case with almost any public transit debate, it was not long before the usual contingent of politics, politicians, and special interests, began to take their toll.
Before long, and despite being a cornerstone of the entire Rapid Transit Initiative, officials at the University of Western Ontario began to raise concerns over the proposed introduction of LRT service through the heart of the campus. Questions about noise, vibrations, and the potential impact on sensitive lab equipment that may be impacted by the rumbling of nearby streetcars, along with a general concern for student safety, quickly eclipsed the majority voice of students who overwhelmingly embrace the notion of an LRT line that connect them to rest of the city.
The LRT portion of the plan was struck another blow in April 2016, when City Staff performed a stunning about-face, dropping their previous preference for the Hybrid option, and instead recommending a cheaper, less invasive BRT-only plan. This mirrored the desires of several vocal members of the Downtown Business Association, who had by then begun to lobby City Council with their own displeasure at the notion of tearing up city streets for years on end. By May, the Mayor and several City Councillors had changed their mind about Light Rail, with the City set to study the issue further.
To be debated at an undetermined date, the future of London's Rapid Transit Initiative now hangs in the balance between four potential plans: Base BRT, Full BRT, Hybrid BRT/LRT, and Full LRT. While it is anyone's guess as to which plan will win out, there are many signs that Full BRT will triumph, with only a faint hope remaining for the Hybrid BRT/LRT. Below are a series of images depicting the various alignments, and associated statistics and costs of each of the four possible plans.
Option One: Base BRT
The most budget-conscious and least invasive option, the Base BRT would essentially follow the alignment of existing bus routes, albeit with several kilometres of upgrades including a semi-exclusive right-of-way, and reconfigured stops and pedestrian islands where necessary.
Option Two: Full BRT
The preferred option of City Council, the Full BRT plan would represent a marked improvement over Option One, adding additional kilometres of semi-exclusive right-of-way, thus reducing the amount of time that buses spend in mixed traffic.
Option Three: Hybrid BRT/LRT
The initial first choice of City Staff and City Council, the Hybrid BRT/LRT plan would see LRT serve the northern and eastern corridors, while BRT would serve the southern and western corridors. Most notable to this plan, LRT would serve both the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College, thus representing nearly the entire student population of London.
Option Four: Full LRT
The most expensive option on the table, the Full LRT plan would bring light rail to every corner of the city. This option represents the most dramatic improvement to London's transit infrastructure and would bring the City to the forefront of urban planning in the region.
Only time will tell which way the wind will blow on this critical issue for London's future, depending on a mixture of costs, politics, and special interests. As of now, the capital cost of this project in any iteration for London is capped at $129 million CAD, the rest to be sought from both the Province and the Federal Government in Ottawa. A decision on this issue is expected for the end of May 2016, at which time it is hoped that a clear winner in the current debate will come forward allowing the City to plan its next move.
If successful, the adoption of a plan that includes light rail would help align London with a host of competing cities in Southwestern Ontario, such as Kitchener-Waterloo, Brampton, and Mississauga, which have all committed to building their own respective networks of light rail in an effort to combat sprawl and reduce traffic congestion, while simultaneously attracting new businesses, schools, and residents to their municipalities.
SkyriseCities will be sure to follow up with this issue once a final decision has been made. For more information, interested readers can read through the Shift London Report and associated Forum thread, and as always, readers are encouraged to join the conversation in the comments section below. What is the best rapid transit solution for London, Ontario? Let us know what you think!
