Ottawa Needs a Transit Grid.
Instead of focusing most of our Transit resources in the core, we must have a combined bus and rail system that allows all transit users to go anywhere in the region.
People also need to be able to use the transit system OUTSIDE of the peak hours, and on weekends!
What I am proposing is that we return to the original plan known as the ORTEP, or the Ottawa Rapid Transit Expansion Plan. The Mayor's Task force members also recommenced a transit style grid for Ottawa.
The City of Toronto is using a Transit gird for its future transit network called "Transit City".
Ottawa should do the same. We need a transit grid that serves all of the Ottawa Region, not just downtown Ottawa.
That is how you build a sustainable society.
More on ORTEP and previous Rail-based Transit studies.
The following two images are scans of copies of the ORTEP plan that was given to me at a public Open house event. This event was hosted by the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. The ORTEP plan was created by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.
This image shows the extent of the ORTEP network.
Note the use of EXISTING railway lines for Transit use, and how rai,l and bus-based transit would allow for TRANSFERS between the various transit lines.
Even though Kanata has a high employment base (58%), many of its residents travel to downtown Ottawa to work. However; a significant amount of those Kanata residents also commute to the Merivale area Business Parks in the south end of the region inside the Greenbelt. This area was at the time part of the City of Nepean. Take note that there is a direct rail line that goes from Kanata to the Merivale Business Parks. That was identified as being a vital component of the ORTEP Transit network, yet today the use of existing railway lines is not part of the immediate plan for public transit. Why? Shouldn't we be using what transit infrastructure is in place to have a cost effective transit system?
The next image shows the Recommended Rapid Transit corridors
Other Plans to use existing rail lines for Public Transit.
The ORTEP plan was not the first plan to use our existing railway lines for public transit in the Ottawa areas. During the time that the City of Nepean was in existence Canadian National proposed a plan that would use the railways lines in Nepean and Ottawa for Commuter rail.
The following are some scans of a report that was made to the Nepean Chamber of Commerce about such a proposal .
And here is the map that shows the extent of this proposed rail-based transit network.
Take note of the railway station/stop at the Colonnade-Merivale Industrial Parks
If the people of Ottawa want a cost effective and environmentally sustainable public transit network then we have to use what transit infrastructure is already in place and that means using our existing railway lines.