Going down the line
Dave Pizer tours the proposed light-rail route, which the builders are convinced will work. People along the way aren't so sure
By DAVE PIZER, OTTAWA SUN
       
                       
A computer graphic depicts the future Lebreton station, where the light-rail line runs beside the transitway and riders transfer using the overhead walkway.
AFTER NEARLY three hours on a swaying OC Transpo bus as part of a tour of the proposed north-south light-rail line, my nausea told me it's time for trains.
With less than a month before council makes its final decision on whether to build the $780-million system, senior members from Siemens/PCL-Dufferin -- the consortium that won the bidding process -- took the media on a technical tour. They showed where the 29.4 km of track will run, explained what the construction will entail, and answered questions.
Not surprisingly, they had answers for everything.
Do business people on Slater and Albert streets have a point when they say cars, buses and trains will mean too much congestion?
"No, not because of the light-rail vehicles," said Steffan Kuerth, lead negotiator for the Siemens/PCL-Dufferin group.
He added the number of buses will be decreased 30% -- although OC Transpo can change that figure.
Wouldn't it be far cheaper to have diesel rather than electric trains?
Diesel trains can't handle big curves, are heavier, require more maintenance, and aren't as good for the environment, said Kuerth.
Will shutting down the O-Train for more than two years, while the north-south line is being constructed, hurt ridership gains made by the pilot project?
"I think the opposite," said Ashley Langford, national manager of transportation for Siemens. "The concept has been proven and now it's time to build the whole system."
What about the noise for residents who live near the proposed light-rail line?
"They're (electrified trains) less noisy than automotive traffic," said Langford. "If you don't mind cars going by, then you won't mind the train."
The light-rail charm offensive was also bolstered by some good fortune. On the way back to City Hall after the tour, the bus slowed to a crawl on a heavily congested Hunt Club Rd.
"So you're coming back downtown now and you're obviously stuck in traffic," said Siemens communications manager Jason Di Tommaso, taking full advantage of the situation in his role as tour guide.
DOWNTOWN DOUBTS
After disembarking at City Hall, I decided to revisit important spots along the tour.
People's enthusiasm seemed to depend on whether they planned to use the proposed system, which could end up running from the University of Ottawa all the way to the heart of Barrhaven.
Jennifer Mosley works on Albert St. and walks to work.
"I think for the downtown core it's a bit much," she said, standing outside her office building. "I think it's congested enough down here."
Another woman, standing at the bus stop across the street, lives in Barrhaven and thinks the north-south line is a good idea.
"Yes, I would (ride the train)," she said, hopping on a bus before she could share her name.
At the O-Train station at Carleton University, students waiting for the train said they supported the project.
"If you don't do it now, when the city is growing, when are you going to do it?" asked Tom Shea, a fourth-year humanities student.
Belay Birhanie, a fourth-year criminology student, said the inconvenience of shutting down the O-Train during construction of the north-south line would be worth it.
"The effect in the long run is good, so it's not a problem," he said.
There was one spot on the bus tour that really caught my attention. Our guides showed us where the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge will cross the Rideau River and the path the train will take as it heads toward Barrhaven.
From the road, it seemed to come awfully close to a couple of Chapman Mills subdivisions.
Margaret O'Connell rents a charming townhouse on the edge of the line's path. To the right of her home is an unkempt field and a beautiful mature tree line.
That view will change drastically if the LRT project is approved and the tall grass is replaced with tracks and the tranquility with racing trains.
"We're moving," she said. "It's not the only reason. (But) with the light rail going through there, I wouldn't want to stay."
NOISE CONCERN
Neil Doherty owns a home in an another Chapman Mills subdivision on what could become the other side of the tracks in 2009.
His biggest concern is the possible noise. "It depends on how loud it is," he said. "That's the only thing."
I then drove into Barrhaven, following a massive silver Hummer, and pulled into the enormous lot at the Barrhaven Town Centre.
It will cost an extra $24 million to extend the line into the heart of Barrhaven and some councillors feel it's essential to do so. But will these car lovers hop on the train?
The answers were predictably mixed.
"No, because I just work over the Hunt Club Bridge and it won't do me any good," said Meg Roper, shopping with her two young daughters.
"Absolutely," said Christine Doody. "Who wants to drive downtown?"
dave.pizer@ott.sunpub.com
