In The News

• Route gets rough ride
• Opponents ride Chiarelli on Light-rail
• Shape of city's commuter future to be decided in coming weeks
• Light-rail, greenbelt a bad mix
• Key facts of light-rail kept secret
• Light-rail bid plea goes online
• Agreement in Principle with the Airport Authority
  
• Deal offers city option for light-reail yard at airport
• New Poll - Decima Research
• LRT station next door big economic boost, experts say
• Rail's Age of Steam
• Light rail critic, manager clash over comment
• Rail Alliance jumps track
• Centretown BUZZ community newspaper
• Longtime manager leaving
• Staff rail at LRT critics
• Testy staff fire back at LRT critics
• Munter weighs in on Light Rail as working group convenes
• It's time to pipe up and help save bluebird trail
• Transit truth jumps the track
• Council misses the train
• CFRA Poll (AM 580)
• Light-rail officials seek to allay council's concerns
• Lack of clarity on LRT process divides council
• City hides the truth about light rail
• Harder calls for extended light-rail line Barrhaven councillor pushes for $30-million change to plan
• Light-rail gets rough ride along the route
• Coalition of public transit supporters wants city to abandon 'Cadillac' plan for something simpler
• LRT debate finds fresh fuel with provincial report
• Chernushenko favours smarter approach to investing federal money in Ottawa's light rail transit project

Route gets a rough ride
Proposed light-rail line heads wrong way, councillors say
Friday April 28, 2006

By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, OTTAWA SUN

AS FAR AS some city councillors are concerned, a proposed light rail transit line isn't on the right track.

Councillors got a peek this week at the first of three proposed routes for the east-west line -- and a few of them weren't impressed.

The line, which stretches from Kanata to Orleans, doesn't come close to taking passengers into the downtown core -- a dropoff point one east-end councillor says is crucial for riders.

"They're going to want to go downtown," said Cumberland Coun. Rob Jellett.

The first proposed route takes passengers from Kanata, along the Queensway, through Nepean, up to Hunt Club Rd., over to Walkley and Innes roads, and into Orleans.

MAKES NO SENSE

Jellett said the design doesn't make any sense and isn't practical.

"It will have to come down to Montreal Rd. at some point," he said, adding most east-end passengers who use the public transit system work downtown, in Gatineau and at Tunney's Pasture.

"The connection to Montreal Rd. is crucial," he said.

Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume, chairman of the planning and environment committee, agreed with his colleague that the first of three proposed routes wouldn't be convenient for passengers.

"I don't want to spend taxpayers' money that will serve low-density business parks," said Hume. "If we're going to supply an efficient east-west line, we're going to have to do it right."

Ned Lathrop, deputy city manager and director of planning and growth management, said the east-west rapid transit concept is in the preliminary stage. He pointed out none of the routes has gone in front of any city committee or council.

He said it will take about two years to complete all the environmental assessments and select a preferred route.

Lathrop guaranteed the final route will be a quality product that maximizes ridership and gets passengers where they want to go. "We won't consider a route that is slow and doesn't make for good quality transit," he said.

Two other lines in the environmental assessment stage bring the light-rail line into the downtown core.

One line would run parallel to the transitway from Orleans to Innes Rd., then jump over to Montreal Rd., down Rideau St., over to Carling Ave., and out to Kanata.

At some points, the east-west line may have to connect with the north-south line, on which construction is scheduled to begin this fall.

Mayor Bob Chiarelli said the three proposed electrified train routes will come before council in about two years.

Once the preferred route is selected by councillors, they can still make adjustments based on public consultations.

"We will need a system that will be relevant for the next 50 years," said Chiarelli, who would like to see the potential $1.5-billion, east-west transit line completed by 2012.

derek.puddicombe@ott.sunpub.com

Opponents ride Chiarelli on light-rail

First exchange for mayoral hopefuls

Mayoral candidates, Terry Kilrea, Bob Chiarelli and Alex Munter, outlined their themes for this year's campaign during a public forum at the Rideau Carleton Raceway. Mr. Kilrea and Mr. Munter said suspicions are growing that the light-rail project isn't good value.

Patrick Dare, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Ottawa's three main candidates for mayor got out of the election gates yesterday with a first public exchange at the Rideau Carleton Raceway that asked whether the biggest capital project in the city's history, the north-south commuter rail line, is a boondoggle.

Mayor Bob Chiarelli replied with an emphatic no, saying the new 28-kilometre rail line will serve Riverside South, a community of up to 55,000, and South Nepean, with up to 150,000. His two main challengers, Alex Munter and Terry Kilrea, said there's a growing suspicion among taxpayers that the project isn't good value for the $725 million being spent.

Mr. Kilrea argued the commuter rail line is going the wrong way and should be running east-west, where much of the city's heavy commuter traffic and congestion occurs.

Mr. Chiarelli said east-west rail will come in time, but that the city went with a pitch to the federal and provincial governments for the north-south line because it had a lower, more palatable price tag. He said the federal and provincial governments, which are contributing $200 million each for the north-south line, would never have gone for a $2-billion project, which is about what an east-west service would have cost.

Mr. Munter called for an independent financial look at the costs and benefits of the project and urged that city council not rush into contracts for the rail project before the Nov. 13 election. Mr. Munter reminded Mr. Chiarelli that he considered the bus-only transitway system too costly, at $5 million a kilometre, when he first ran for the regional chair's job in the 1990s, defeating Peter Clark. The north-south rail project has a capital cost of about $25 million a kilometre.

Answering questions later, Mr. Chiarelli said the north-south commuter line will be the first piece of transportation in the city that will serve neighbourhoods as they are growing, rather than after the fact. Mr. Chiarelli said the city's east-west corridor has already seen a major investment of public money in the bus transitway.

During the moderated discussion, the candidates set themes for the seven-month campaign. Mr. Kilrea said the city's biggest problem is spending on unaffordable projects and programs and wants to see council stick to the basic services -- "police, fire, paramedics. Pick up my garbage, clean my roads."

He said business people and rural residents are upset with an administration that costs too much and demands uniformity on everything from chip stand fees to bylaw enforcement. Mr. Kilrea said the city shows businesses little respect, noting that it suddenly cancelled garbage collection for small businesses without informing them.

Mr. Munter said the election is about whether it's time for a change after a decade of Mr. Chiarelli as the top municipal politician. Mr. Munter said the city has to focus on things like ensuring a supply of affordable housing so it doesn't end up with Toronto's social and economic problems. He said the public's confidence in city hall's financial management is being eroded and he wants to ensure taxpayers get value for their money.

Mr. Munter said he was shocked by yesterday's news about a $1-million property tax increase imposed on the Ottawa Senators, without the team being notified. "The city is not prepared to listen. The city is not open."

Mr. Chiarelli said he is proud to run on a record that includes tax freezes in many years and a city economy that is booming. He said the city government is in solid financial shape, with a triple-A credit rating.

The City of Ottawa has a debt of about $454 million and total investments and reserves of about $860 million.

Mr. Chiarelli acknowledged that the property tax system is unfair to some business owners, but said the city is doing all it can to get the provincial government to change it.

And he noted that the city is finally getting some financial help from senior levels of government, including $80 million a year in GST and gas tax money.

He also noted that he created several business advisory groups, including a task force on cutting red tape.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Light-rail, greenbelt a bad mix
Make staff explain why they don't want Walkley rail yard
Randall Denley, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Tuesday, April 11, 2006

City staff have suggested the storage and maintenance yard for the new light-rail system should go in the Greenbelt. Now a provincially mandated citizens' committee says the best site is the Walkley rail yard.

Imagine, a new rail yard going on the site of an old rail yard. It seems more appropriate than putting it in the Greenbelt.

It also happens to be the location the city proposed when it was selling the train plan to the provincial and federal governments. What's really behind the city's opposition to a plan that seems so sensible?

Residents of Emerald Woods in South Gloucester were surprised this year when city staff recommended a site between their community and the Airport Parkway.

They were concerned about noise from the maintenance and storage yard and worried it would eliminate recreational use on the Greenbelt land.

The provincial Ministry of the Environment told the city to form a community working group to examine the merits of three possible sites for the rail yard.

The community group has just completed its work and is recommending the Walkley yard site as significantly superior to the alternatives.

The committee's recommendations and rationale will be explained at an open house to be held today between 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre on Walkley Road.

The citizens' committee gave the lowest score to the city's top choice, the site near Emerald Woods. Second lowest was the city's apparent second choice, a piece of airport-owned land near Bowesville Road.

While the committee was trying to evaluate the three sites, city staff announced they had cut a deal with the airport authority on the Bowesville Road land.

Rejean Chartrand, the city official in charge of the train building project, says that deal was only meant as an alternative, not a final solution. Chartrand says city staff have not yet taken a position on the committee's Walkley train yard recommendation and are still evaluating it. On the surface, this seems like a simple issue. Locating the maintenance and storage buildings for light-rail at the Walkley yard would be a logical new use for the land. It's what is called a "brownfield" site -- previously used for an industrial use -- that will be expensive to clean up for another purpose. When a rail yard is available, why would the city want to build in the Greenbelt?

City staff aren't saying, but you can bet the answer is money. The city already owns the Lester Road site the Emerald Woods residents don't want used. The deal it has with the airport authority for the Bowesville site increases sewer capacity for the airport in exchange for five years of free rent for the maintenance facility.

No real cost was released on that deal, and the city can bury what there is in another capital project. Acquiring the Walkley rail yard would mean writing a cheque to CP Rail. The question is, how big a cheque?

City consultants say the Walkley site will cost between $7.5 million and $9 million. Some members of the citizens' committee dispute that figure. The real cost is millions of dollars less, according to Tim Lane, who sat on the committee and is a member of the transportation lobby group Transport 2000. He says his group was told by CP Rail that the asking price for the 40 acres the city requires is $125,000 an acre. A CP Rail spokesman confirmed the figure is correct.

he Walkley site does not have costs for sewer and water connections, as the other two do, but there is an unspecified cost for the one-kilometre rail connection. It's difficult to say for sure, but it certainly seems the city consultants have given a high estimate of the Walkley site cost.

There is also a complex operating disagreement involving different views on how the storage and maintenance buildings should tie in to the rail line. The city and its consultants say the Walkley plan would add service delays because trains must travel one kilometre to reach the main track and the other sites are immediately adjacent to it.

Lane says that would amount to a delay of about one minute. His Transport 2000 colleague, David Jeanes, says the Walkley location would ultimately be more appropriate because it could serve the north-south and the east-west lines.

The city's approach to the rail yard issue has been confusing, to say the least. First, staff said they would use Walkley, then Emerald Woods/Lester, then they seemed excited about the Bowesville site.

A citizens' committee with access to all the information the city is prepared to release is convinced putting the new rail yard on the site of the old rail yard is the best plan. If city staff think putting it in green space is better, they owe us a clear and compelling reason why.

Contact Randall Denley at 596-3756 or by e-mail, rdenley@thecitizen.canwest.com

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Shape of city's commuter future to be decided in coming weeks
Patrick Dare, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Ottawa city council has two chances to decide the fate of the city's proposed north-south commuter rail service.

The first decision will be whether the project goes ahead at all. The second will be over whether some bells and whistles should be added.

The city has picked a consortium led by Siemens to build a 28-kilometre rail service from Barrhaven to the Rideau Centre. But the approval process will take months.

City managers will negotiate with the Siemens consortium over the next few weeks on details of the contract, including how much it costs. Then the project, including design and cost, will be released to city council and the public, likely on May 23.

The public will have a chance to comment, then the project goes to a city council committee on June 20. Full council votes on June 28 either to award the contract, or not. But the manager in charge of the project, Rejean Chartrand, says the commuter rail line is a "design in progress" that could be amended as late as September.

In July, the two unsuccessful consortiums, led by Bombardier and Kinkisharyo International, will have their $2.5-million deposits returned and will be given $1 million each for the designs in their proposals. Ideas from the unsuccessful projects might include the design of a bridge or a station. Council would approve the amended design and contract and construction would start in the fall.

The big question is whether the rail project will fall within the $725-million budget. The provincial government is contributing $200 million and the federal government is contributing the same. Any costs above $725 million would come straight from Ottawa taxpayers.

Nepean Councillor Gord Hunter, one of city council's biggest critics of commuter rail, said yesterday that if the project comes in under $725 million, council will do the deal. If it comes in way over, or requires big changes to be financially viable, he believes council will vote it down.

Mr. Hunter argues that, while it may be "glitzy and glamourous," the project will also be extremely expensive for the number of riders it will serve. He'd prefer to see continued use of express buses to the downtown from the suburbs and looking at turning the bus-only transitway system into a commuter rail service, once the city's population gets big enough.

Mayor Bob Chiarelli has argued that rail service is the way ahead for cities because people like to ride on rail cars and Ottawa's road congestion is becoming severe.

Riverside South and South Nepean, two communities that are to be served by the line, are two of the faster growing communities in the city. Only a small group of senior city hall officials knows details of the bids.

The group includes Mr. Chiarelli, Councillor Janet Stavinga and Councillor Peter Hume.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Documents outlining the city's bidding requirements for the north/south commuter rail line contain little to show taxpayers will get value for their money, says one councillor.

City of Ottawa officials overseeing the $725-million project yesterday released about 1,000 pages outlining many of the city's key demands to the three groups of companies bidding for the job. But many of the demands on costs, risk factors, maintenance plans, payments, legal and commercial issues, deposits and technical information were not included.

That prompted Councillor Gord Hunter to question why there wasn't sufficient information to demonstrate the cost and benefit. He said that while the level of detail on some issues -- how many trees will have to be removed to make way for the light-rail line, for example -- shows staff did a lot of homework before asking for bids, there's little to show value for the expense.

"There's not a lot of insight into the costs of this being given, and that's key information I'd like to see, and I think the public would like to see," Mr. Hunter said. "I don't see how any of that would be proprietary to the companies when this information was shared with all three of them. I was looking for all information shared with the three parties.

"I'll be following up with staff. I think they should explain why this information is not being released." Mr. Hunter wasn't alone in his concerns. One of the project's initial supporters, Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder, is having doubts. She supported the line when it was to cross Barrhaven and go to the suburb's town centre on Greenbank Road.

But that part of the line was cut to save $30 million. The route is now planned to end at Woodroffe Avenue, on the east side of Ms. Harder's ward. Ms. Harder said yesterday that if the line isn't extended to Greenbank Road, people won't use the train and it will fail and be a waste of money. She said if the money for the extension isn't found to include it in the bid, she will withdraw her support. "I'm not into wasting taxpayers' money," she said.

Rejean Chartrand, the city official in charge of the process, said most of the information released yesterday was already known, and that some parts of the city's request for proposal needed to be blanked out for legal reasons and because the municipal freedom of information act doesn't allow for it. The federal and provincial governments have each agreed to kick in $200 million for the project, and the city has agreed to pick up the rest. With the city's potential contribution more than $300 million, even though parts of the initial planned route have been axed to keep spending under control, many councillors want more information. The release of the documents was intended as a response to councillors' concerns, and to reassure the politicians and the public that the project is proceeding as it should.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Light-rail bid plea goes online
City posts details about project, problems

By DAVE PIZER, OTTAWA SUN

Coun. Diane Deans got what she bargained for yesterday after the city posted its massive request for proposals for the $725-million light-rail line on its website.
Deans had been vocal in calling for city staff to release more details about the project.

"Before, it was like fishing around in the dark -- pitch dark. Now, I'm in a corn maze," she joked.

The RFP outlines the performance requirements for the three consortia vying for the contract to design, build and maintain the north-south transit system.
The detailed document also spells out certain challenges associated with the project.

The Strandherd-Earl Armstrong Bridge, which will cross the Rideau -- a Canadian Heritage River and National Historic Site -- is one example. The RFP says the city will pay the winning consortium $8 million to "elevate" the bridge "from a traditional structure" to one that is deemed "approvable" by Parks Canada and the National Capital Commission.

Mayor Bob Chiarelli said the release of the bulk of the RFP will probably answer concerns or issues residents have about the city's largest construction project, but will most likely raise more questions. That's what Chiarelli and the LRT team expect and want.

FEEDBACK WANTED

"We want feedback and dialogue," he said. "We are now getting into the creative part of it."

Coun. Gord Hunter is sending the link out to his constituents today in his e-mail newsletter, but he doubts most will have the time to sift through the enormous document.
The city omitted some information from the public version in order to protect certain intellectual property of the bidding companies. It's that information that interests Hunter the most.

"How big are the blocks and is it significant information that we should have?" he wondered.

The project's selection panel will choose the winning bid on April 21. The design will be made public between May 23 and June 6, and council will make its final decision on contract amendments on Sept. 13, 2006.

Residents can read the document by visiting www.ottawa-public-lrt.ca.
© The Ottawa Sun

21 March, 2006

From: Régean Chartrand, Director, Economic Development and Strategic Projects
To: Mayor and Members of Council
Memo

Deal offers city option for light-rail yard at airport

Agreement all but guarantees maintenance facility
won't be built in residential area, councillor says

Jake Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Wednesday, March 22, 2006

The City of Ottawa and the airport authority have reached an agreement allowing for a link from the planned north/south light-rail line to the airport and a maintenance yard on airport property.

The deal was announced yesterday by Rejean Chartrand, who is overseeing the city's Rideau Street to Barrhaven light-rail project. Councillor Diane Deans says it's "great news" for Emerald Woods-area residents in her ward.

People living in the community west of Albion Road were upset that city staff designated land near the residential area at Lester Road as the preferred location for the line's yard.

Staff chose the site because an alternative area at Walkley Road was deemed too expensive, and airport officials wouldn't allow the yard on land they lease from Transport Canada.

Ms. Deans said yesterday's announcement that authority officials have agreed land near Bowesville Road can now be used as the maintenance yard should all but guarantee the Lester Road option will not be exercised.

"I think this is great news for residents in that area," she said. "The airport location is a much better option than one that would disturb a residential area, which is what the Emerald Woods option would have done."

Three groups of companies are bidding to design, build, supply cars for and then maintain the north/south line for 15 years. The preferred bid is expected to be announced next month, and construction on the roughly $725-million project is slated to start in late summer.

A link to the airport from the line, which will run within two kilometres of the main terminal, was originally part of the project but was axed.

Mr. Chartrand's announcement didn't say there were any plans to put the link back into the project, but it means the line could be built at any time.

Under the agreement, Mr. Chartrand said the right of way from the line to the airport will cost the city a dollar, with the maintenance yard rent free for up to five years. After that, the rent will be set based on market value. The city also gets the option build a park-and-ride on airport land with the same rental terms as the maintenance yard.

In return, the city will give the airport authority increased sewer capacity.

"This agreement ... is an important step in securing potential space for the expanded system to operate," Mr. Chartrand's announcement said. "The Bowesville site provides a third, affordable option for the maintenance facility."

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

New Poll - Decima Research

March 16, 2006

A Poll done by Decima Research for the Ottawa Citizen indicates that we're not happy with our municipal leaders, those that get a large chunk of our tax dollars:

"Indeed, taxes emerged as the most important issue for residents in the survey, with 18 per cent saying it will determine how they vote. Eleven per cent named city budget management as the second most important issue. Traffic and transportation came in third at nine per cent. Protecting social programs garnered four-per-cent support."

"Among those who named taxes as the most important issue, 59 per cent said the city was on the wrong track. And of those concerned with transportation problems, 54 per cent said the city was going in the wrong direction. link to article" --end quote, from

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=38618685-3b92-4005-9b70-f61492012a08&k=60407

Note that Traffic and Transportation came in at 9% in importance - above protecting social programs at just 4%. Is that surprising? We care more about traffic and transportation than we do about protect social programs. That's pretty surprising (and revealing) in my opinion.

Why do you think a majority of the 400 residents surveyed think that the city is going in the wrong direction when it comes to public transportation?

While the LRT project is supposed to be the crowning jewel to mayor Bob's list of accomplishments, it's being rushed in order to do so. This has raised criticism from residents, experts, politicians and those involved in the project. That's why public opinion is so low on the transportation issue.

Ron R.

LRT station next door big economic boost, experts say

By Jim Donnelly, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Wed, Mar 15, 2006 2:00 PM EST

Something's been lost within the orgy of infighting surrounding the city's light rapid transit project. It's the immediate economic benefits, particularly for commercial areas within spitting distance of newly built downtown stations.

Despite the cascades of complaints raining down on the city regarding LRT, most rail experts agree the benefits of a light rail station, particularly when plunked adjacent to a commercial building, are akin to an injection of economic steroids.

"As light rail systems started going in across the United States, people started discovering that there was a big climb in property values around the stations," says David Jeanes, president of the lobby group Transport 2000.

"Likewise it wasn't very good if you ended up being at the midpoint between two stations, because it might be a long walk between stations."

The evidence is plentiful among U.S. media sources. Phoenix, Ariz., for example, expects over US$600 million in new commercial and residential investment along its planned 32-kilometre stretch of track that's currently under construction.

Similarly, the market value of condos within a five-minute walk of the South Pasadena LRT increased 10 to 15 per cent on average, while that same city experienced a 6.7 per cent increase in the value of single-family residential property values in areas blessed with rail stops.

It's in the spirit of harnessing these economic benefits that the city has had several meetings with downtown business groups and building owners, says deputy city manager of planning and growth Ned Lathrop.

"We've been partnering with the business community downtown, and it's all about locating stations so they can be an advantage to the business community that they're near," he says.

Six downtown LRT stations are planned for construction, including stops close to the World Exchange Plaza and Place de Ville complexes. And although some downtown business groups initially fought the light rapid transit project, developers around town say most people have come to realize the net result of light rail.

"It's an amenity to people working in that building, and it's an attractive amenity for a building to have," says Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) president Ian Fisher.

"The debate is whether you want it in front of your building or not, and that will come down to individual building owners and how they see it."

Mr. Fisher, however, says most planned LRT station locations are really dictated by already-existing infrastructure and surface impediments, simply because there isn't enough room downtown to pick-and-choose too liberally. Bus stations cannot be converted to LRT stations, he says, so the two technologies are forced to run on alternate stops.

"So that immediately excludes everybody that's got a bus stop now," from getting an LRT stop, he says. "So what they're doing is talking to the individual building that they've placed their stop in front of, to say how do we make it fit your building?

"It's not like the building asked for it, or had any say in it," he continues. "The city has come and said 'this is the logical place for us to put this station, now how do we integrate it?'"

In fact, he says, some building owners might even be loathe to have an LRT station right outside their building simply because of congestion issues – the very reasons some business groups were initially opposed to the idea.

"Looking my window right now, there's a bus stop across the street from me at the Minto building," he says. "And I'm quite happy it's in front of their building, because I take advantage of it, but I don't have to put up with the coagulation of people in front of our doors."

Regardless, he agrees the placement of LRT stations will mean big bucks for property owners along the line and close to downtown stations. Mr. Lathrop says the city has even instituted financial incentives to the three bidding consortiums in terms of improving streetscapes – essentially, they get more money if they can show how they would improve the areas around their stations, and thus by definition increasing property values.

Other cities with light rail systems have actually gotten local businesses to pay for beautification measures around stations, says Mr. Jeanes. So in this respect, he says, the city has actually worked a bit of a raw deal for itself.

"Most of the beautification around the street (in Houston, Tex.) was paid for by businesses, which included putting in special paving, and building decorative fountains between the tracks in the downtown core," he says.

"We're not doing that in Ottawa. I don't think they're getting any significant amount of money from downtown businesses."

© The Ottawa Business Journal, 2006

The manager of Ottawa's planned light-rail extension is threatening legal action against a transit expert who criticized his handling of the project.

David Jeanes, the head of the national non-profit organization Transport 2000, told city staff last week that the project is designed to fail.

In a follow-up e-mail to River Coun. Maria McRae, Jeanes asked whether the committee had been presented with information according to accepted engineering standards.

That comment apparently angered the man in charge of the project, Rejean Chartrand, who was copied on the e-mail by McRae.

Chartrand, who is a professional engineer, says questioning the ethics of an engineer is considered a serious offence. He is threatening to refer the matter to city lawyers if Jeanes fails to back up his statement or retract it by the end of the week.

Chartrand says his threat of legal action is nothing personal, he just wants Jeanes to account for his statements.

Jeanes, who is also professional engineer, has been offering advice since the beginning of the project, but has also been an outspoken critic.

He says he's provided the staff and councillors with virtually unlimited, unpaid advice throughout the planning of the $725-million project. He insists he's critical because he cares.

"Our goal was always to improve this project, not to kill it," said Jeanes.

Several councillors are backing Jeanes, who they regard as an invaluable resource on transport issues.

Other councillors stand behind Chartrand, saying he is right to defend his professional reputation.

McRae is worried that the entire project is getting off track, and is offering to set up a conciliation session between the two.

"If we're going to be the spade in the ground this fall, I don't think it's going to be very helpful to have this chasm widening," said McRae.

The light rail project expands the current line north into the downtown core and south to Woodroffe. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall, and the city says it will be operational by 2009.

Rail alliance jumps track

By Susan Sherring, OTTAWA SUN

Sat, March 11, 2006

As David Jeanes sees it, the city's bureaucracy is playing hardball with him.
City staff - and some politicians -- see it much differently.

Jeanes, the head of Transport 2000, has been a thorn in the side of city staff who are working on the city's light rail project, constantly questioning their decisions, their numbers, their vision.

And this week, Jeanes received a letter from the city advising him if he doesn't retract a recent statement questioning their behaviour, the city's legal department will be called into action.

In an e-mail obtained by the Sun, Jeanes complained about how information on the project wasn't delivered properly at a recent transportation committee meeting.

"I am a licensed professional engineer and identified myself as such in my submission. My messages were carefully considered with respect to my responsibilities as a professional engineer. None of the city information was presented according to the Professional Engineers' code of conduct for professional engineering work," Jeanes wrote in an e-mail, sent to River Coun. Marie McRae.

Rejean Chartrand -- who is in charge of the light rail project and one of two city staffers who addressed the committee -- fought back after being copied on the e-mail from McRae.

"This is a very serious allegation and one that directly affects my reputation and credibility. It is a statement that absolutely has no foundation and is irresponsible," Chartrand wrote in an e-mail dated March 7.

"You are requested to forthwith retract that statement or provide clear substantiation of your allegation within the next five business days. I have copied Mr. Rick O'Connor, City Solicitor on this correspondence and will instruct him to follow-up on this issue should you fail to respond within the next five days.

"David, you need to appreciate that these types of unfounded allegations will no longer be tolerated by the City and will be addressed vigorously."

No beating around the bush here.

Small wonder. Even Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Gord Hunter, no fan of the project, says Jeanes has to realize he has to have his facts behind him when criticizing the process.

Still, Hunter was taken off guard when he heard about what city staff had done. He said Jeanes has been an invaluable resource to the project, going so far as to say the light rail pilot couldn't and wouldn't have proceeded without his knowledge and expertise.

"Looks like the dueling pistols are out," said Hunter. "I'm concerned that we're talking about using the heavy hand of the law instead of trying to sit down and talking about this. That's what I'd prefer to see, trying to find out what our differences are and dealing with them."

That being said, Hunter acknowledges that Jeanes can't just disparage city staff or the project willy-nilly, without having the facts behind him.

Innes Coun. Rainer Bloess says it's no small wonder that city staff delivered such a stern letter to Jeanes. "I think what we're seeing here is that we're fed up with some of these allegations," Bloess said.

For her part, McRae -- a lawyer -- said she's not surprised at all by Chartrand's reaction, given that his integrity is being called into question.

"Given the nature of this allegation, I think city staff have no choice but to take him to task to refute what is being said," McRae said.

This isn't he first time staff and politicians have suggested Jeanes has played fast and loose with the facts. Clearly, city staff are hoping it be the last.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans -- who has complained the light rail process has become too secretive -- said Jeanes had incredible knowledge and expertise where light rail is concerned.

"It think it's a really sad state of affairs the relationship has deteriorated so dramatically," she said.

Contacted as his home yesterday, Jeanes wouldn't say whether or not he was going to retract his comment.

Asked if he felt the city was playing hardball, he said: "Well, that appears apparent.

"I really can't say anymore."

Chartrand didn't return requests to speak with the Sun.

© The Ottawa Sun

Centretown BUZZ community newspaper

March Edition

A PUBLISHER'S STATEMENT ON O-TRAIN EXPANSION

Members of the DCA and CCCA have been closely following the growing community unease with the City's North-South Light Rail Transit project, which is billed as an expansion of the successful O-Train. We have many concerns, notably: the lack of justification for the estimated $725m cost when the O-Train cost between $33m and $40m; the suspension of current O-Train service during its construction; the route through our downtown; elimination of multi-use pathways along the entire LRT; and the planned construction of a large train maintenance facility in greenspace near the Airport Parkway. And one core requirement for our members is still not being addressed in the City's planning: light rail service across the Prince of Wales railway bridge into Gatineau.

Having witnessed what has occurred so far, our two community associations believe that the LRT process is fundamentally flawed: critical decisions are being made with no public input. The people of Ottawa need to see all of the concerns addressed in an open and transparent manner -- before any commitments are made and followed through by the City. Let's see what we're getting for what is the largest investment of public funds in the City of Ottawa's history, including convincing proof that transit ridership will increase commensurate with the money spent.

We very much support transit and investment in light rail, but we want it see it done in a community-inclusive way. Closed-door, 'trust-us', processes are simply unacceptable and we call upon all elements of the City - Mayor, Council, staff, and consultants - to open their books to sincerely consult with the community which will be paying the tab.

We cannot have essential City services threatened, as may already be happening, by a too-expensive and opaque City contract.

Longtime manager leaving

Longtime deputy city manager Ned Lathrop's departure effective at the end of May, was announced yesterday.

Lathrop, who has stickhandled many major projects through the maze of bureaucracy, said he's leaving to care for his elderly parents who live in southern Ontario.

"I've been going there every weekend as it is, but you can't have two jobs," Lathrop told the Sun.

© The Ottawa Sun

Staff rail at LRT critics

By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, OTTAWA SUN

March 2nd, 2006

The city is fighting back against those who claim city staff is misleading the public about Ottawa's light rail project.

At yesterday's transportation committee meeting, David Jeanes, the president of Transport 2000 Canada, an advocacy group, and Ottawa's deputy city manager, Ned Lathrop, went head-to-head after Jeanes accused members from the LRT project office and senior management of misleading council, the media and the public about the $725-million project that is expected to start this summer.

COMPLAINTS

"I have met with almost every group that has concerns about the project and each has very legitimate complaints," Jeanes told the committee. Among other groups, he said, the Airport Authority, University of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission are concerned about the project.

Lathrop took exception with Jeanes' comments.

"I'm not holding back anymore," said a visibly angry Lathrop. "It's about time we woke up. We are a city of the future. This city deserves good quality light rail."

He also told Jeanes the city would no longer accept unfair criticism directed toward staff and council about its largest construction project.

"We will push back from now on," Lathrop told Jeanes.

Lathrop was vindicated late yesterday when Paul Benoit, president of the Ottawa Airport Authority, e-mailed city staff and River Coun. Maria McRae, who had been asking about concerns the authority had with LRT.

"The Airport Authority and the city are working well together on the airport portion of the project; we have no serious concerns ... and I do not foresee any," Benoit wrote.

A spokesperson for the mayor's office suggested they expect similar letters from the NCC and the U of O.

They made sure the LRT train tracks go nowhere near the Airport, and because of costs, the projected link to the Airport was dropped. Of course the Airport Authority is happy, they won't be losing their parking revenues. The cab companies are happy... Will the Mayor flaunt an email from them too? Everyone is happy... except the public 'cause we're stuck paying $750 million for something that goes nowhere, isn't practical, and won't be used.

Testy staff fire back at LRT critics

METRO OTTAWA
March 2nd, 2006

Beleaguered city staff accused of hiding information about Ottawa’s $720-million light rail project shot back at their critics yesterday.

Ongoing criticisms of the environmental assessment (EA) process are either false or have already been addressed, Deputy City Manager Ned Lathrop said, adding that even the province has acknowledged a proper EA has been prepared, despite suggestions by some that city staff have mishandled it.

“We have done our desired due diligence,” Lathrop told the city’s transportation committee during a sometimes testy exchange, adding that if allegations of impropriety continue, “(staff) will start to push back.”

But critics held firm. David Jeans, representing Transport 2000, accused staff of misleading the public when disclosing information and indicated serious problems with the EA, which determines the impact of the project on the proposed rail corridor. He cited incorrect references in the EA to the height or weight of trains and weather performance, and noted the EA was unable to protect some important land areas.

“I have been promoting public transportation with Transport 2000 for 30 years,” Jeans said. “I can only conclude now that the city’s light rail plan is designed to fail and that the rest of the light rail network will not be built.”

Jacques Legendre (Rideau-Rockcliffe ward), a light rail supporter, was one of only a few councillors to vote against the EA terms last summer. He cites the lack of a tunnel through the downtown core as an example where staff refused to study all options.

“Regardless of what staff say, there is a fundamental problem with the EA,” he said. “I’m worried that in the approach to cut corners we’re not going to get the most viable long-term system.”

© METRO OTTAWA

Munter weighs in on Light Rail as working group convenes

By Jim Donnelly, Ottawa Business Journal Staff

Wed, Mar 1, 2006 3:00 PM EST

The City of Ottawa's relentless quest for transparency regarding the north-south light rail transit project has caught the eye of more than just irate community members, it seems.

Former councillor and mayoral candidate Alex Munter says he's appalled with the city's actions over the project's short life span thus far, and says leadership within city council is to blame over a process that's spiraled dangerously into gratuitous mudslinging.

"I'm deeply dismayed by what's happened with light rail expansion," said Mr. Munter. "It's been dividing people, dividing communities, because of concerns over secrecy, bad process and potential cost overruns.

"I think that goes to leadership, and some of the people who have been the greatest champions of light rail are getting off the train," he continued. "And that's because there's been poor communication, poor leadership, and too much secrecy."

The city's LRT project rolled on last week with the convening of a public working group designed to solve one of its more contentious issues.

At issue within the group is the placement of maintenance and storage facilities within one of three proposed sites around town – one just off Airport Parkway (known as the Lester site), one at the old Walkley railyard and one at Bowesville Road. Local residents are already furious at the city's apparent preference of the Lester site, located within a swath of green space.

Last December, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment recommended the creation of a working group to determine the best location for the maintenance yard after evaluating the city's environmental assessment.

But seats were still warm after the working group's first meeting last week when OBJ began receiving fresh complaints about the consultation process and its supposed lack of sincerity.

"This is moving forward very much like a 'we have to do it, so let's get it out of the way' kind of thing," said a group delegate. "Had not a bunch of residents started complaining to the ministry (of the Environment), this never would have happened."

In the spirit of public transparency, the city also unveiled last week a new section on its website devoted to light rail. The site promises to provide project schedules and construction updates as the initiative rolls along.

City officials, however, insist the working group be given peace and quiet so it can achieve its mandate. The working group is made up of community and business leaders and reports to Barry Townsend, manager of city's light rail implementation division. It is being coordinated by Marshall, Macklin & Monaghan, the engineering consulting firm that is providing services to the city during the project's procurement phase.

"They're going to have several meetings," said Mr. Townsend, who expressed irritation when asked what effect the working group's potential recommendations might have on the project.

The group is scheduled to meet four times, for a total of twelve hours, over the next four weeks.

"I think it would be more appropriate... because the working group puts together their recommendation, and then it goes out to a public meeting," he continued. "And that would be the time you'd report on it, not now.

"I think they deserve their time to work through, without having anyone following them around."

Not so, say some working group members, who argue the city has already entered the latest round of negotiations in bad faith. Group members complained to the OBJ they don't have access to the project's financial information, and said the group's life span of just 12 total hours wasn't nearly enough to solve such a complex and difficult issue.

A fifth meeting is being considered by the city, sources say, although no decision has been made as of yet.

"If we don't have the financial data, there's nothing preventing them from taking our recommendation and undermining it," said the working group delegate. "Everybody feels it's being rushed, and that we haven't been given some very important components of the evaluation.

"Really what's at stake here is the mayor's timeline, and not much else."

It's time to pipe up and help save bluebird trail

Elizabeth Le Geyt
Citizen Special

Saturday, February 25, 2006

The declining numbers among many bird species in the Ottawa area is mostly due to loss of habitat. It is crucial the birding community be aware of how the Riverside South Community design plan will affect environmentally sensitive areas.

Already, a large field on the north side of Armstrong Road, a winter habitat and nesting ground for short-eared owls, snowy owls, red-tailed and rough-legged hawks, has been lost in preparation for a large subdivision.

The proposed O-Train line for this community involves Armstrong, Bowesville and High roads and goes through the heart of woodland on both sides of Bowesville Road where an active, successful bluebird trail exists. This trail, which now has 56 boxes set up and ma! intained by Brian and June Pye, is the main reason eastern bluebirds are still seen in this part of Ottawa.

A proposal for an Ottawa sports park, now before the Airport Authority, Transport Canada and the City of Ottawa, intends to create a sustainable development that will integrate soccer facilities into the existing natural area and will include a nature preserve in the triangle of land between the north end of Bowesville Road, the eastern end of Armstrong Road and High Road. The northern end of the park will have trails for winter skiing and bird and nature walks in the summer. The sports park proposal suggests locating the new O-Train corridor along the old rail line that has been in disuse since the rails were torn up in 1999.

Moving the O-Train line and associated park-and-ride lots further south along Armstrong Road would reduce the financial and environmental costs of the rail line. This simple alteration would save the woods and allow the bluebirds to continue nesting there. Other species will also be affected as the Riverside South development goes ahead as planned. The uncommon grasshopper and clay-coloured sparrows nest on airport property with more common species of field, Savannah, vesper, song, white-throated and chipping sparrows.

Also associated with this area is a continuing controversy about the location of the rail maintenance yard. Possible sites include the Armstrong Road fields, greenspace near Lester Road and the Airport Parkway, and the existing decades-old Walkley yard, a brownfield site. The Walkley yard site seems the best choice to help protect environmentally threatened areas.

The above examples indicate the growing challenge of development in the national capital area. Protecting our renowned natural areas is the responsibility of everyone interested in the preservation of the natural world. I encourage my readers to contact th! eir city councillors, MPs and MPPs and various media to express their concern about the environmental impact of this development and their support for the Ottawa sports park. Together we can help to preserve some of this vital natural area and the bird habitats.

The birds need our help.

The homo sapien is the most successful species on the planet so far, flourishing and overrunning the earth in a minute space of time in the world's long history. In pursuit of wealth and material possessions, we have raped and pillaged our home with little thought for the other creatures we share it with.

Henry Beston wrote about the animals in his book, The Outermost House: "They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth."

Please send birding reports and specify location to 821-9880 or e-mail elegeyt@rogers.com . The Wi! ld Bird Care Centre for orphaned and injured birds is at 828-2849.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Transit truth jumps the track

Randall Denley
The Ottawa Citizen

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Isn't it time for the truth about transit? City councillors missed another opportunity this week when they sent the provincial government a transit ridership growth plan that omits the two most relevant points. The city transit expansion plan isn't remotely affordable and it won't come anywhere near meeting the target of 30 per cent of commuter trips on transit.

The report to the province is the 49-page Reader's Digest version of stacks of documents that underlie the big transit plan. About the only one left out is the ridership study, which makes the unpleasant point about how little all this expansion will achieve.

Despite that omission, the latest report does contain some interesting facts.

The north-south line is really just the beginning. It's supposed to open in 2009. Over the next eight years, the bus fleet will increase 40 per cent while the rail will go up 225 per cent to reflect extension of the north-south line and creation of an east-west system.

Despite more fares coming in, the operating bill for taxpayers is projected to increase by $2.1 billion over the same time period, an average of $121 million a year. Even with more provincial gas tax money in the future, the city report says it's "uncertain" if property taxes could pay for the rest. Actually, it's certain they couldn't. That kind of annual increase, if paid from property taxes, would amount to something like 15 per cent a year, just to pay for transit.

By 2021, Ottawa city staff say our whole transportation network will be four times as large as it is today.

Per capita transit ridership in Ottawa is the third highest in Canada, but it has only increased 4.4 per cent in a decade. The city's current plan calls for increases of six per cent a year. The city's latest report describes the 30 per cent target number as "a real challenge" that would mean Ottawa had the highest percentage of transit use in North America. It also says the goal can be achieved.

No, it can't, according to the city's own ridership study. Even with the planned construction and spending, transit's share of the daily commute will only increase to 21 per cent by 2021. Without all the expenditure, it will decline below today's levels. The 30 per cent target is only achievable if the 2021 cost of operating a car increases by 50 per cent, after inflation. Sound likely?

The $725 million north-south train will only reach one area that is not already well-served by transit. Riverside South, assuming it increases in size tenfold, will generate 1,400 riders in the morning rush by 2021. That would be less than half of one per cent of all morning rush hour trips. This model community, which has train transit as its central reason for being, will have 21 per cent of its commuting trips provided by transit, well below the city's overall target figure.

If Riverside South doesn't develop as planned, the train will be even more useless because most of the rest of the people it will carry are already well-served by bus transit.

The ignored ridership study also reminds us that projecting big transit increases based on population and job growth is a bit simplistic. The increasing number of jobs in the suburbs won't be easy for transit to serve and the aging population calls into question Ottawa's ability to actually fill all those projected jobs.

A proper executive summary of this latest report would have told us Ottawa's grand transit expansion plan costs way, way more to build than we can afford, has insupportable operating costs and won't meet the commuting-share goals city staff keep citing.

The truth probably does not constitute a compelling sales pitch to the provincial government, which will be asked to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the transit dream. But what about the taxpayers? Don't we deserve the truth?

There's a fine line between a sell job and a con job, and the city has crossed it.

Contact Randall Denley at 596-3756 or by e-mail, rdenley@thecitizen.canwest.com

Randall Denley, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, February 11, 2006

Unbreakable rule of the workplace: If you're working on a big project, don't leave the boss out of the loop. Even more important when you've got 22 bosses.

Ottawa city councillors put their staff through a four-hour question and venting session about light rail this week but it was difficult to feel sorry for staff. Sure, most of it was stuff councillors should already have known, but did staff really think their political bosses would be content to be kept in the dark until this summer?

Well, maybe they did. Like most things that are now giving councillors great concern, the approval path for the train is something they already agreed to.

"They are finally realizing they are out of the loop for a long time, but that was laid out last summer and they voted for it," Councillor Gord Hunter says.

This week's demand for more information is a last-minute attempt to regain some kind of control over a project on which most councillors have been passengers for years. Councillors' noses are so far out of joint that some are actually talking about voting against the train proposal if it doesn't meet their long and varied lists of demands. Clearly not satisfied with the project, some argue it should be diesel trains, not electric trolley cars; that it should go down Montreal Road before it goes south to empty fields; and that it must be extended to the big-box stores in Barrhaven.

Good to see councillors in the game, but it's going to be difficult now to change the city's north-south rail plans in any substantive way. Councillors have locked themselves into a bidding process that will keep them out of the train decision until the last minute, and then their choices will be somewhat limited.

A bid selection committee composed of the mayor, two councillors and senior staff will determine which bid offers the best overall value after expert committees have verified that the bids deliver what the city is asking for and the financial numbers add up. The selection committee also has the power to ask the preferred bidder to reduce the scope of its bid to get within the city's budget.

The final decision will be made by the whole council. They can add or subtract from the scope of the bid, city manager Kent Kirkpatrick says, but only within limits. For example, the city's agreement with the federal and provincial governments specifies the rail line must have double track.

Councillors can even choose design elements from the losing bids that they want the winner to incorporate. They can walk away from the whole project, too, if they think it doesn't offer enough value for the money. What they can't do is choose a winner other than the one the selection committee selected. That's big lawsuit time.

Councillors have asked staff to come back with more information at the next council meeting. Kirkpatrick says he hopes to release some of the bid details before a selection is made, so councillors and the public can get a feel for what is being proposed.

The session at which councillors revealed how little they know about the largest construction project in the city's history could have been avoided if staff had realized the politicians and the public want to be kept up to date. It should be obvious that a flow of information is necessary, but the rail project doesn't even have so much as a single communications person to help in getting the facts out.

In the absence of information, there are a lot of dire rumours.

The most popular one is that the rail bids will either come in way over the city's $725-million budget, or balloon later with taxpayers on the hook.

Staff say the $725-million project cost is a limit. There just isn't any more money. If the cost is to go higher, councillors will have to find something else they don't want to do. Each of the consortiums is spending about $5 million on its bid and no one has pulled out yet. That's seen as a good sign the companies are going to be able to give the city what it wants within its budget.

If the construction cost does rise, that will be the train builder's problem, Kirkpatrick says. The deal the city will sign is for a fixed price. Cost overruns must be covered by the builder.

While many councillors don't seem to realize it, the process they approved will, in the end, give them the limited control they want. Even when the issue finally comes to them in June, it wouldn't be too late to decide the north-south train gives too little bang for too many bucks, but most councillors haven't been able to figure that out yet. Don't count on them ever understanding it.

Contact Randall Denley at 596-3756 or by e-mail, rdenley@thecitizen.canwest.com

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

CFRA Poll (AM 580)

Do you want the City Auditor to report independently and publicly financial implications for developers who own vacant land along the North-South route of the Light Rail train?

Yes. This route design raises serious questions 88%
No. This route is designed to provide incentive for future development on the southest side of the Rideau River 11.1%

Total Votes: 1397

Light-rail officials seek to allay council's concerns
Councillors order review of documents to see which can be made public

Jake Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Thursday, February 09, 2006

Officials overseeing Ottawa's north/south light-rail project tried to allay concerns of city councillors yesterday during an information session on the progress of the bidding process.

The session was added to yesterday's city council meeting to address councillors' concerns about the amount of information being given to them and the public, and to correct inaccurate rumours surrounding the $750-million project -- such as the rumour the extension to Barrhaven was being axed. It's still on the table, city manager Kent Kirkpatrick said.

It is a crucial time in the project as the environmental assessment nears completion and bid deadlines approach for three competing groups, but staff and consultants insist that everything is proceeding properly.

"Any deviation from the principle and the process, I would be reporting," said Howard Grant, a consultant hired to make sure the bidding process is done properly.

Mr. Grant said that there must be confidentiality in order to ensure the bidders aren't stealing ideas from each other, but that any councillor can see details of the bids or any other aspect of the project upon signing a confidentiality agreement.

Part of the problem, Mr. Grant said, is the process being followed on the project.

Usually design aspects of a project are approved and made public with groups then bidding on the contract. The process council approved for this project rolls these two stages together, and also includes what kind of trains will run on the system, in order to save time and money.

This means three key aspects of the plan are subjected to bidding process secrecy, and it has resulted in several councillors feeling shut out and nervous.

"I feel like I'm blindfolded," said Councillor Diane Deans. "I don't even know what questions to ask."

Councillor Diane Holmes, among others, agreed.

"It like a totally closed shop that I have little access to, and I'm feeling uncomfortable with this," she said. "I want to see as much public presentation as possible on as much of what can be made public as possible."

Council ordered the light-rail project team to make a list of reports and documents the team has and for the materials to be reviewed to see if they can be made public.

If they can't, staff must state the reason. Councillors and staff are also working on plans to get regular updates throughout the rest of the project, which is scheduled to start construction this summer and be running by 2009.

Coun. Maria McRae said she hasn't felt a need to find out more information yet because it's too early in the process. She wants to see the final plans and the costs when it's time to make a decision. "I've had no difficulty getting answers to questions and information when I need it," she said. "I'm confident things are moving ahead and there will be sufficient opportunity for council to have its say when the time is right."

Mr. Kirkpatrick assured councillors that the preferred bid is selected, which will be done by a panel that includes two councillors and the mayor, final approval rests with council.

"The process is performing very well to date," Mr. Kirkpatrick said. "Council will have an opportunity to review and make changes before anything is done."

The design aspects of the bids, where the route will go and how it will be built, are due in mid-February. The cost estimates are due at the end of the month. After this, the bids will be examined to see if they conform with what the city wants. If they do, they will go to the selection panel, which will choose the preferred bid. After that, the bid goes to committee and council.

Coun. Gord Hunter said it would be negligent to not try and get council involved in the decision-making at an earlier stage. He said at the next council meeting he intends to bring a motion demanding that happen. "The way it is now, council comes in at the end of the process when everything is all but done. That's way too late in the process," he said.

"All the horses are out of the barn before council gets to decide if we are going to close the door."

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Lack of clarity on LRT process divides council

Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Mon, Feb 6, 2006 12:00 AM EST

The foggy secrecy surrounding city hall's light rapid transit project has exposed a fractured and divided city council, with some councillors defending the process and others openly condemning it.

The $725-million project, weeks away from a contract application deadline for bidding consortia, has been under fire recently by residents unhappy with what they say has been a lack of public consultation by the city. And now, some councillors have joined the rising chorus of concerned voices demanding more openness from city officials.

"I think it started out as a consensus driven process," said Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans. "When it started out there was an air of confidence that this would be a consensus-driven process.

"Fast forward to today, and I would tell you my view is that it's no longer a consensus-driven process. It's a time-driven process that has a veil of secrecy overarching it."

It's a process that's proved effective as a strip of sandpaper with the general public. A recent online poll reflected over 90 per cent of almost 2,000 respondents are unsatisfied about the city's enforced secrecy amid rumours the project could top $1 billion when all is said and done.

At issue are a host of concerns involving everything from the placement of stations and maintenance yards in green space, to the trains' method of propulsion (electric versus diesel), to a tunnel through the downtown core and rumours of escalating costs. Just last week, Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder suggested tacking a $30 million extension on the north-south line to the Barrhaven town centre.

And in all cases, say the city's critics, their suggestions and concerns have been completely railroaded.

"They keep saying this is the biggest infusion of federal dollars into a single project in Ottawa history," said David Jeanes, rail expert and president of lobby group Transport 2000. "And yet nobody really knows exactly what they're doing and why it needs to be so secret."

And secret it is – Ms. Deans says a confidentiality agreement binding council to silence, generated by the city's LRT office and fairness commissioner Howard Grant, has circulated among councillors. The agreement, swearing all who sign into silence "without limit in time," gives the right to peruse countless thousands of pages of consultants' reports and RFP stipulations surrounding the project.

"The people that have signed it, the mayor and the other councillors that have signed it, cannot disclose any information about this project," she said, naming Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume, Goulbourn Coun. Janet Stavinga, and Mayor Bob Chiarelli as having signed the document. "Not now, not after the award of the contract, and not in the foreseeable future."

Bay Ward Coun. Alex Cullen said it is normal in any business negotiation for there to be a blackout period. This allows each bidding consortium time to evaluate the city's contract criteria while respecting each other's corporate secrets.

"There are very, very strict rules to ensure integrity and ensure the process is fair, but the secrecy element leads to the notion that something is being kept from the public," Cullen explained. "But you cannot run a competitive process where everyone gets to look over your shoulder and sees what you're doing. It's just sound business practice. However, once the RFP process is done and there's a winning bid, then we come right back into transparency and openness and all that."

Mr. Cullen said once a contract is awarded details of everything, from who won the bid, to how it was won, to the elements that went into it and everything that led to a winner being declared will be made public.

Trouble is, that won't be until at least next April. Critics like Mr. Jeanes and Ms. Deans want details now. Not corporate details, they say – just facts about what the city's committing to, how much they're willing to pay, and how long it's going to take. Mr. Jeanes has already been involved in lengthy consultations with the city and says he's left bewildered by decisions like the city presenting its own custom-designed train specifications to bidders, instead of the other way around.

"When most people go shopping for cars, they go and look to see what the dealers have," he said, adding that the city also requested customized stations he thinks could cost almost $3 million apiece as opposed to the current half-million dollar O-Train stations.

"But here the city decided up front that it was going to describe the ideal vehicle that it would want, and of course that potentially results in a very expensive vehicle because its customized to the city's requirements."

It is assertions like this that have Ms. Deans and other councillors steamed, although bureaucrats at city hall maintain the project is full steam ahead. Rejean Chartrand, the city's go-to guy on LRT, says the city received a thumbs-up environmental assessment from the province last month and is emphatic there's been more than enough public consultation on the matter.

"As you recall, we had a very exhaustive consultation process over the summer, and I think it's fair to say that the great majority of businesspeople are comfortable with the direction that the city took," he said.

But Ms. Deans said she's not satisfied, and neither are her constituents. "There are consultants' reports that have formed the rationale (for the project)," she said. "Why can't I see those? Why can't the public see those? I want the details.

"I want to see what they're using to make decisions, because ultimately the buck stops with council."

Even Mr. Cullen concedes the project has been pushed to the edge of accepted business norms, and sooner or later council's going to have to be publicly updated on the project's proceedings.

"The concern we have is that right now we're in a bit of a... well, we need an update," he said. "We need to be told, given progress reports, told how we're doing in accomplishing our goals. And that's coming.

"We've hit a period of time where there's more rumour than facts, and we do need to be kept up to speed.”

By Jim Donnelly

jim.donnelly@transcontinental.ca

http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/285348029120187.php

City hides the truth about light rail

Randall Denley, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Saturday February 4th, 2006

City councillor Diane Deans was frustrated this week when she sought more information on the city's light-rail project and was told she'd have to sign an oath of secrecy before staff would reveal it to her.

It's reasonable to keep some details confidential during the bidding process, but Deans is right on the larger point. Neither councilors nor the public know nearly enough about this enormously costly project.

That's not a result of secrecy so much as it is staff who are overly eager to get it built and councillors who haven't been diligent in asking the obvious questions. No doubt there is a lot of information in the boxcar load of reports staff have asked councillors to rubber stamp over the past few years, but major issues remain unaddressed.

Deans wanted to find out exactly what city staff are asking three competing consortiums to build. Her concern level went up when she discovered quite late in the process that the maintenance yard for the new trains will be in a greenspace area not far from homes.

Councillors were told what the new north-south line would consist of in theory, but there has clearly been some give and take over the last few months as staff and the bidders revise the plan. What will we really get in the end?

Unfortunately, we won't find out until the deal is all but done. A report describing the recommended bidder will go to city committee and council in June. Construction is supposed to begin in August. That doesn't exactly leave a lot of time for public scrutiny.

All three groups are being asked to meet the same specification, so the issue will be decided on price, including the cost of the associated long term maintenance contract. All that will be left for councillors to mull over is what the city manager in charge of the project calls 'look and feel' issues. That would include things like station design and street-level design where the train passes through the downtown core.

One could actually argue that it's not productive to involve city councilors in the details, but what is inexcusable is their failure to address the big issues associated with the transit expansion.

Let's start with the east-west line. This 47-kilometer line will cost something more than $1 billion. And yet it will do little or nothing to aid the daily commuter crawl from Kanata and Orleans to downtown. The line will pass south of Orleans and Blackburn Hamlet, then intersect the north-south line somewhere between Greenboro and Walkley stations before heading towards Bells Corners and its terminus in Kanata. Rail will serve either the Corel Centre and southern kanata or head north to the Kanata North Business Park. In effect, it's a new transportation corridor to carry people east-west around the downtown.

An additional 23 kilometers of track will allow trains to travel from Bells Corners along Carling, where they will meet the north-south line. An eastern spur will run along Rideau Street and Montreal Road, connecting with the east-west line.

With inflation these next two phases of the rail plan will conservatively top $2 billion. How much impact will they really have on transit ridership? The city keeps telling us that its big transit expansion plan will let it hit a goal of 30 percent of peak ridership.

That's not even close to true. according to the city's own ridership study. It says the end effect of all the city's transit expansion, including light-rail, will be to increase the public transit share of the peak commute from 17% today to 21 % by 2021. Without rail and transitway expansions, transit's share would actually erode, so the transit spending spree will help, but its effect is being greatly oversold. Why can't the city just tell us the truth?

The city has also never properly explained how transit will ultimately work as it passes through the downtown core. The city's official plan estimates the total transit demand downtown will be nearly 2.5 times larger by 2021. The city imagines the number of jobs downtown will increase by 50 percent to 120,000. About half of the people working downtown now take transit, but the city thinks it will be 80% by 2021. And yet the streets that will carry buses and trains will be near capacity when the north-south light rail starts. Where is all the rest of it supposed to go?

Let's finish with the point that really should have been discussed first. The premise underlying the big transit expansion is that there will be a large population increase, many more people will work downtown and traffic congestion will be horrifying without a huge expenditure on public transit.

There are just a few problems with that. I'm a skeptic on the big population expansion, but let's say it happens. Rather than spend gigantic sums to get everyone downtown, wouldn't it make more sense to rely on teleworking and disperse office jobs to the suburbs, to shorten the commute? Even if we really did all need to go downtown, it's difficult to imagine how the transit expansion will be affordable.

The city's scenario for population growth and transit demand imagines a problem and then begins to solve it a t great expense, but no one has the remotest idea of where the rest of the money will come from for the rail solution. The city certainly can't afford it.

If the basic underlying questions had been properly answered, maybe people wouldn't be so concerned about the details now.

Contact RANDALL DENLEY at 596-3756 or by e-mail, rdenley@thecitizen.canwest.com

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Harder calls for extended light-rail line
Barrhaven councillor pushes for $30-million change to plan

Patrick Dare, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Nepean Councillor Jan Harder, who has built her political career on cutting spending at city hall, says the city should spend $30 million more on its commuter-rail project to properly serve Barrhaven residents.

Ms. Harder says the city should change its design of the north-south rail line to add a 2.5-kilometre leg.

This would take passengers not just to a station at Woodroffe Avenue and Strandherd Drive, which is the current plan, but also farther west to the Barrhaven town centre at Strandherd and Greenbank Road.

The Barrhaven town centre station was in the original $600-million plan, unveiled in 2004 with equal $200-million contributions by the federal, provincial and city governments.

But when more detailed planning was done, costs increased, and the final link to the town centre was dropped from the first phase of the project.

In the current plan, the city leaves links to the town centre and to the Ottawa Airport for a second stage of development, when more money is available. The city also hopes to be able to run commuter trains across the Ottawa River to Gatineau.

Ms. Harder, who represents Barrhaven, says delaying the extra Nepean link would be a big mistake.

She says Barrhaven -- the fastest growing community in the city -- has the lowest rate of public transit use in the city. Simply building the rail line over the Rideau River isn't good enough because it won't put enough Barrhaven people close to the service, she says.

David Jeanes, the president of Transport 2000, agrees that the current plan for the commuter rail line courts the risk of running "trains with nobody on them," at least during non-rush hour times, because the service won't run close enough to the majority of residents.

The north-south commuter line will run from the Rideau Centre west to Bayview Station, then south along the corridor where the current O-Train operates, then down through Riverside South in Gloucester.

The twin-track electric system is to cross the Rideau River on a new six-lane bridge that connects Earl Armstrong Road in Gloucester with Strandherd Drive in Nepean.

Eventually, when the area is completely developed, traffic would be heavy enough that the train would get its own bridge. The current plan, for Phase 1 of the project, includes a park-and-ride at the Woodroffe-Strandherd station with 800 spaces.

The city manager in charge of the rail project, Rejean Chartrand, said an extra leg can fairly easily be added to the project.

The city will have no problem with right-of-way along Strandherd and the terrain is generally flat. Adding a station there will encourage more development in the area. If city council adds the link to the project, the additional work can be negotiated with the consortium that is picked this spring to do the project.

The trouble with adding more track in Nepean is purely a question of cost: $30 million for construction and another train car or two.

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative MP for Nepean-Carleton, who lives in Barrhaven, said yesterday he is becoming concerned about informal reports of tens of millions of dollars in additional costs being attached to the commuter-rail project.

He said the federal government's commitment of $200 million for Ottawa's rail line was "very generous," and "that's what the federal government intends to deliver."

He said the federal government expected the rail project to be built for $600 million. "Now it's up to Bob (Chiarelli) and the team to keep the costs in line," said Mr. Poilievre.

Treasury Board is expected to approve the transfer of $200 million in July or August, once the final price and the winning consortium for the project have been set. So far the project is on schedule. If it stays on time, people could be riding the train by 2009.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Light-rail gets rough ride along the route
S.Gloucester residents oppose installation of maintenance yard in area's coveted greenspace

Alexandra Zabjek

The Ottawa Citizen

Saturday, January 21, 2006

South Gloucester residents opposed to having a railway yard in their area are staging a last-minute effort to block Ottawa's plans to build a maintenance facility for light-rail trains in a area greenspace.

Peter Hillier, a 12-year resident of Emerald Woods, a community west of Albion Road, is upset that city staff have pinpointed a swathe of land sandwiched between his community and the Airport Parkway, as the preferred location for the railway yard.

The other leading option for the project is Walkley Yard, now used to service the O-Trains.

The greenspace off the parkway is a popular recreation spot, said Mr. Hillier, who regularly uses the trails with his family. A railway yard that would service, clean and store 21 trains each day from the north-south light-rail transit line, along with the facility's access road, would disrupt the community, he said.

"It's a valuable project," Mr. Hillier said. "But it's not a valuable use of space when it negatively impacts the environment and when it negatively impacts the quality of life of residents."

In December, Councillor Diane Deans organized a packed information meeting for area residents, many of whom said they were only hearing about the city's plans for the first time

Dubbed the Lester Road site, the area in dispute is officially zoned for institutional use --it is meant to support government -- but no one guessed the property might be used for industrial purposes, said Ms. Deans, who also favours the Walkley site.

"Intuitively, if you have a choice between an existing yard and a greenspace, all of it leads to the Walkley site," said Ms. Deans.

City staff -- who this month received environmental approval from the provincial government for the Walkley site, the Lester Road site and a third site, which lies south of the airport -- disagree.

The Walkley site would cost millions of dollars to develop, said Rejean Chartrand, the city's director of economic development and strategic projects, since the city does not own the property and because it does not lie directly on the north-south rail line. The estimated cost for the whole rail project is between $650 million and $750 million.

Mr. Chartrand also said that since the north-south train line will cut through the disputed greenspace, the community will already be losing much of its access.

The city's transportation committee will review the proposed locations for the railway yard at the end of March, and city staff have until that time to seek more community feedback on the issue.

Mr. Hillier, however, feels that city staff have already made a decision.

"If your out is the process, that's not responsible planning.

"At our best effort, we can try to convince the transportation committee to opt for the common sense approach, to re-use a brown field, versus interrupting and undermining a set of communities and a greenspace."

Mr. Chartrand said the rail project will still be on track for construction to begin this summer, even if the transportation committee rejects the recommendation of the Lester Road site for the future railway yard.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

Coalition of public transit supporters wants city to abandon 'Cadillac' plan for something simpler

Patrick Dare
Ottawa Citizen

While the Green party's election platform is unquestionably pro-environment, one city Green candidate, David Chernushenko, thinks Ottawa's commuter rail project should be shelved, given the way it's designed.

Yesterday, Mr. Chernushenko, the Ottawa Centre candidate and deputy leader of the Green party, joined with the president of Transport 2000 and a community group to call for a rethink of Ottawa's biggest municipal project.

Mr. Chernushenko said the commuter-rail project is becoming a "Cadillac" public ransit system, with estimated costs already soaring from $600 million to $725 million for a north-south electric train service.

To build this system from the Rideau Centre to Riverside South and South Nepean, city officials are determined to get rock cuts done and double tracks laid, he said.

These are hugely expensive things to do and often involve giving up greenspace, all to serve thinly populated parts of the city.

As well, the full system proposed by the city for north-south service won't be running until 2009 at the earliest, and an east-west line several years later.

"This is not the smartest route to go", said Mr. Chernushenko.

Instead, he and Transport 2000 president David Jeanes said the city should undertake smaller transit projects that can be linked. For instance, the O-Train should be expanded across the Prince of Wales Bridge to Gatineau to relieve the capital region's bridge congestion.

Diesel commuter trains could be run in outlying neighbourhoods, while electric trains could run downtown, said Mr. Jeans.

While an all-electric system is touted as the clean-air way to go, Mr. Chernushenko and Mr. Jeanes said modern diesel technology would be better for the environment than adding a big new load to the power grid, possibly causing Ontario's power managers to hold off on closing a coal-fired electricity plant.

"It's just not worth it", said Mr. Jeanes, who also has concerns about the location of the train stop in South Nepean and the lack of a link to the Ottawa International Airport.

Mr. Jeanes said the O-Train's diesel cars have proved to be impressively reliable and ran on time during last month's snowstorm when OC Transpo's big buses were spinning their wheels, jackknifing and wrapping around utility poles.

He said diesel commuter train lines can, in some cases, be built in a couple of years.

The City of Ottawa has picked firms qualified to build the north-south rail service. The city will soon get their proposals and the successful consortium of companies is to be selected in the spring.

For the north-south rail service, the federal government is kicking in $200 million and the provincial government an equal amount, while the city is on the hook for the rest.

Councillor Alex Cullen said that while the city wants to build a proper commuter-rail system, concerns about escalating costs could halt the proposed project and lead to changes along the lines suggested by Mr. Jeanes and Mr. Chernushenko.

Councillor Diane Deans also said she is increasingly worried about the commuter rail project because of its encroachment on greenspace and the secrecy surrounding the design planning and awarding of work. She said she's even had trouble getting project documents form managers in the rail project office at City Hall.

"Council has t take back the decision-making on this," said Ms. Deans.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

LRT debate finds fresh fuel with provincial report

By Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Mon, Jan 16, 2006 12:00 AM EST

The results of the province's environmental assessment of Ottawa's north-south light rail proposal have left a conspicuous trail of overjoyed public officials and furious residents in their path.

"We've received last week from the province their initial review and assessment of the EA," beamed City of Ottawa director of economic development and strategic projects Réjean Chartrand. "And that initial assessment fully supports the city's direction on every aspect of the light rail program.

"We need to move forward and this really gives the city great confidence to move ahead, because the approval of the EA process is a significant milestone," he continued, adding that residents are free to debate the results with the city until Feb. 3.

And debate they will. Just days after the provincial report was received and released by the city, a closed-door meeting with Coun. Dianne Deans and the Emerald Woods Community Association convened to discuss the land usage involved within the north-south corridor.

At issue was the recommendation to use green space along the Airport Parkway and between Emerald Woods in South Gloucester as a site for the for the North-South LRT's maintenance yard, as opposed to brownfield sites at the Walkley rail yard or Leitrim.

"The Greenboro rail yard has been offered at a price, but city staff prefer the green space because the city owns it," said Peter Hillier, a resident who attended the meeting. This, according to the city, makes the usage more cost-effective, but residents argue it makes sense to run it though existing rail yard facilities at Walkley.

"The residents aren't so happy with it," he went on. "This was supposed to be a strategy meeting between the residents and Counc. Deans, to determine the way forward in influencing the decision to use the Walkley site instead of interrupting a greenspace and residential community."

Instead, he said, it was made clear to residents that the decision has already been made by the city.

The proposal up for assessment was reviewed under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and includes 31-kilometre of twin-track, access to 34 stops and stations, four new park and ride lots, and 17 electric substations to power the trains.

City officials say proposals between three main bidders for the LRT project – expected to cost around $725 million – are to be received by the end of February with a contract tendering not long after. Construction is set to begin this coming August, and Coun. Peter Hume, a member of the project's contract selection committee, says it's right on track.

"The light is at the end of the train tunnel, so to speak," he said. "We're still moving along, and nothing has caused us to deviate from our schedule."

Just which company scores the city contract is premised entirely on what is called "performance specifications," which means essentially the city has told them the requirements of what they need completed. Now, all the companies need to do is come up with a pass/fail proposal.

City officials say they're also developing the legal agreements required for any contracts in a parallel process – essentially pre-negotiating the contractual agreements concurrently with the bidding stage to save time.

Mr. Chartrand, too, is insistent the project will go ahead as planned now that it's gotten a provincial green light and positive EA. "We had a very exhaustive consultation process over the summer," he said. "And I think it's fair to say that the great majority of businesspeople are comfortable with the direction that the city took."

Mr. Hillier and his fellow residents, however, aren't impressed. "No one is suggesting that the LRT isn't a good idea," he said. "It is a good idea. However, the north south route only serves one community, really, and that's the Riverside South.

"And you have communities in between that are being negatively impacted."

© The Ottawa Business Journal 2006

Chernushenko favours smarter approach to investing federal money in Ottawa's light rail transit project

Ottawa Centre Green Party candidate David Chernushenko is criticising the City of Ottawa's existing plan for light rail transit (LRT), calling instead for a smarter approach that will deliver a better result at a lower cost and with less environmental impact. The federal and provincial governments have pledged $200 million each toward the first phase of the project, with the city contributing the balance of the projected $725 million cost.

Says Chernushenko, "The expansion of the O-Train is the right thing to do. The Green Party supports federal investment in public transit and other initiatives that help build vibrant and healthy communities. But why do we need to build a high cost all-electric system that will take at least 15 years to fully implement, which will only further strain to Ontario's overtaxed hydro grid?"

"I believe in the reduce-reuse-recycle philosophy for sustainable municipal infrastructure. Ottawa's existing rail lines could quickly be deployed with the same proven diesel LRT technology used in the O-Train pilot project. We could get more people out of their cars and riding the trains faster, and at a much lower cost to taxpayers. In fact, had this incremental approach been taken following the launch of the pilot project, we would today be enjoying a service running from Gatineau across the Prince of Wales Bridge down to a new "park-and-ride" at Leitrim Road, and a starter system going east and west -- all at a fraction of the cost of the currently planned north-south route, which will not be operational until 2009 at the earliest."

Adds Chernushenko, "As the MP for Ottawa Centre I would fight to ensure taxpayers get the very best value for their transit investment. Residents deserve a system that can be deployed rapidly to communities inside and outside the city, and which is fully capable of incremental expansion and integration with electric LRT as part of a long term solution."

Media Release, Green Party