Report
to/Rapport au :
Transit Commission
Commission du transport en commun
22 February 2012 / le
22 février 2012
Submitted
by/Soumis par :
John Manconi, General Manager/Directeur général
Transit Services/Services du transport en commun
613-842-3636 x2111, John.Manconi@ottawa.ca
Contact
Person/Personne ressource : Pat
Scrimgeour, Manager, Transit Service Design
Transit Services/Service de transports en commun
(613) 842-3636, ext. 2205
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Ref N°: ACS2012-ICS-TRA-0003 |
SUBJECT:
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FEASIBILITY
STUDY OF O-TRAIN EXTENSION TO LEITRIM AND RIVERSIDE SOUTH |
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OBJET :
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ÉTUDE DE FAISABILITÉ DU PROLONGEMENT DE L’O-TRAIN JUSQU’À LEITRIM ET
RIVERSIDE-SUD |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Transit Commission:
1.
Receive this
report on the feasibility of extending the O-Train service south of Greenboro Station to Leitrim and Riverside South.
2.
Direct staff to prepare a strategy for the development of
the corridor between Bayview and Barrhaven,
to be presented as part of the Transportation Master Plan update and associated
priority planning reports.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que la Commission du
transport en commun:
1.
reçoive le présent rapport portant sur la faisabilité
d’un prolongement éventuel du service de l’O-Train au sud de la station Greenboro;
2. demande au personnel de
mettre en place une stratégie visant à aménager un couloir entre Bayview et Barrhaven qui sera
présentée dans le cadre d’une mise à jour du Plan directeur des transports et
des rapports connexes sur la planification des priorités.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At its meeting of June 22, 2011,
Council approved work to increase the frequency of O-Train service from 15
minutes to 8 minutes. This project is now underway and will be completed in
2014. At the same time, the Commission
directed staff to report on the feasibility of extending the O-Train corridor further
south toward Leitrim and Riverside South.
It is technically feasible to
extend O-Train service to a station at Bowesville
Road in Riverside South with intermediate stations at South Keys and Leitrim.
To do so would cost approximately $76 million; but no funding has been
allocated for construction in this corridor until the years after 2031 in the
City’s Long Range Financial Plan for Transit. An extension would be used for approximately
3.6 million one-way trips by customers each year, of which 725,000 would be completely
new customer-trips on the transit system and 2.8 million would be customer-trips
that would otherwise be made using bus service.
It is not feasible to extend service using O-Train technology further west within Riverside South than Bowesville Road unless major changes were made to the approved land use plans.
In addition to this possible extension,
there exist other opportunities to make enhancements to the O-Train service. However, as the expanded O-Train service is expected to be operating at capacity
during the years of light rail construction, staff recommend
that no enhancement to the line be made until after the Tunney’s Pasture–Blair light
rail line opens.
Staff also recommend that an assessment
of the value of all possible enhancement opportunities, including the value of building
additional stations along the line, be conducted before a decision is made on
the extension of the line to Riverside South, and that this assessment be
presented as part of the Transportation
Master Plan (TMP) update and associated priority planning scheduled for 2014.
If this work concludes that
enhancements in the Bayview–Barrhaven corridor would
be valuable, and if a review of the long-range
financial plans allocates earlier funding to this corridor, then there is
sufficient time following potential decisions in 2014-15 to carry out any work
required. At the same time, staff will design and build the elements of the
approved capacity expansion of the O-Train line so as not to preclude any of
the extension or enhancement opportunities identified within this report.
RÉSUMÉ
Lors
de sa réunion du 22 juin 2011, le Conseil a approuvé les travaux visant à
augmenter la fréquence de service de l’O-Train pour passer de toutes les 15 minutes
à toutes les 8 minutes. Ces travaux sont à présent entamés et seront
terminés en 2014. Parallèlement à l’exécution de ces derniers, la Commission a
demandé au personnel de produire un rapport de faisabilité sur le prolongement
du couloir de l’O-Train davantage au sud, vers Leitrim et Riverside-Sud.
Du
point de vue technique, ce prolongement est faisable jusqu’à une station située
sur le chemin Bowesville dans le quartier
Riverside-Sud, en passant par des stations dites intermédiaires à South Keys et Leitrim. Ce projet coûterait environ 76 M$. Or,
dans le Plan financier à long terme du transport en commun, la Ville n’a
attribué aucun financement pour des travaux de construction dans ce couloir
jusqu’après 2031. Un prolongement à cet endroit permettrait aux utilisateurs de
transport en commun d’effectuer environ 3,6 millions de trajets simples chaque
année, parmi lesquels 725 000 seraient des trajets d’une nouvelle
clientèle du réseau et 2,8 millions seraient des trajets qui autrement
auraient été effectués par service d’autobus.
Prolonger le service de transport en commun à
l’aide de la technologie de l’O-Train plus loin à l’ouest que le chemin Bowesville dans le quartier de Riverside-Sud n’est pas
faisable, à moins d’apporter des modifications majeures aux plans approuvés
d’utilisation des terres.
En plus de cette possibilité de prolongement, d’autres
occasions se présentent pour améliorer le service de l’O-Train. Toutefois,
comme on s’attend à ce que le prolongement de service de l’O‑Train
fonctionne à pleine capacité pendant les années de construction du train léger,
le personnel recommande qu’aucune amélioration à la ligne ne soit apportée tant
que la ligne du train léger Tunney’s Pasture–Blair ne soit pas ouverte.
Le personnel recommande également qu’une
évaluation de la valeur de toutes les possibilités d’amélioration, y compris la
valeur de construire d’autres stations le long de la ligne, soit menée avant
qu’une décision ne soit prise sur le prolongement de la ligne jusqu’à Riverside-Sud.
Il conseille, de plus, que cette évaluation soit présentée dans le cadre de la
mise à jour du Plan directeur des transports et de la planification connexe des
priorités prévues pour 2014. Si ces travaux permettent de
conclure qu’il serait profitable de procéder à des améliorations au couloir Bayview–Barrhaven et si, à la
suite d’un examen des plans financiers à long terme, on détermine qu’il est
possible d’allouer plus tôt des fonds à ce couloir, alors il y aura
suffisamment de temps après les décisions éventuelles en 2014 et 2015 pour
effectuer les travaux requis, s’il y a lieu. En parallèle, le personnel
travaillera sur la conception et la réalisation des travaux approuvés
d’augmentation de la capacité de la ligne de l’O-Train pour ne pas faire obstacle aux
possibilités de prolongement ou d’amélioration identifiées dans le présent
rapport.
BACKGROUND
The O-Train has operated successfully since its introduction as a pilot project
on October 15, 2001. The Bombardier Talent diesel-powered trains operate seven
days a week in an eight-kilometre corridor between Greenboro
Station and Bayview Station. Today, the O-Train is
one of the City’s most important public transit links, especially for customers
traveling north and south and to Carleton University. The O-Train pilot
project’s initial ridership target was 5,100 to 6,400 customer trips per day,
operating with 20 minute headways; actual ridership, operating with 15 minute
headways, has now reached more than 12,000 customer trips per day. Growing
demand, along with the opportunity to accommodate customers during the years of
light rail construction, provided a strong rationale for increasing the
frequency and capacity of the O-Train service.
At its meeting of June 22, 2011,
Council approved work to increase the frequency of O-Train service from 15
minutes to eight minutes. This project will cost approximately $59 million and
will be complete in 2014.
Work on this project has begun. Six new Coradia Lint train-sets have been ordered from Alstom. Manufacturing will begin soon and the trains will be ready for service in 2014. In 2012, design is set to begin for the construction of two new passing sidings on the line, near Gladstone Avenue and near Brookfield Road. The project also includes improvements to the five existing stations along the line, with construction scheduled for the summer of 2013.
As part of the approval of the expansion
project, at its meeting of May 18, 2011, the Commission also directed staff to develop
a feasibility report for the incremental expansion of the O-Train from Greenboro Station to Leitrim and Riverside South, using the
light rail rapid transit corridor. This report responds to that direction.
DISCUSSION
Possible Extension to Riverside South
An extension of O-Train service to Bowesville
Station in Riverside South, with intermediate stations at
South Keys and Leitrim, is technically feasible. It would have total capital costs
of approximately $76 million. No funding for work in this corridor is currently
budgeted until the second period
(i.e., beyond 2031) of the Long Range Financial Plan for Transit.
Engineering Implications
The future Bowesville
Station, planned and approved as part of the environmental assessment for the future
north-south light rail line, is
located approximately 8 km south of Greenboro
Station. Extending the O-Train line to Bowesville
Station would use the existing rail corridor to a point just south of Leitrim
Station and would then follow the approved alignment of the future light rail
line west from there to Bowesville Road.
Railway track is in place between Greenboro Station and a point just north of Leitrim Road, but this track is very old and would need to be replaced and upgraded to continuous welded rail. West of Leitrim Station, an entirely new railway line would be built.
An extension from Greenboro Station to Bowesville Station would have three stations, three passing sidings, and three new grade-separations from major roads.
New platforms would be built at South Keys Station, adjoining the existing Transitway station there, and at Leitrim Station, adjacent to the existing park and ride lot and bus loop there. A new station would be built at Bowesville Road, where buses from other areas of Riverside South would connect with the O-Train.
New sidings, where trains in opposite directions meet and pass each other, would be required near Greenboro Station, near Lester Road, and between Leitrim Station and Bowesville Road.
Grade separation of the O-Train line from roads is required to conform to current Transport Canada operating rules that prohibit trains such as the Talent and the Coradia Lint from crossing public roads at level crossings. An extension to Bowesville Road would use the existing grade separation of the rail corridor over Hunt Club Road, and new grade separations would be required to carry the O-Train line under Lester Road, Leitrim Road, and Bowesville Road.
A total of seven trains would be required in service to
provide the 8-minute service between Bayview Station
and Bowesville Station, and there would need to be a
fleet of nine trains to support this. If the extension were to be built in the
next several years, then it would be possible to meet this need by retaining
the current three Bombardier Talent train-sets, but, as documented later in
this report, no funding is available in the current decade, and in addition
staff recommend that no extension should be made before the Tunney’s Pasture–Blair
light rail line opens in 2018.
The new Osgoode multi-use pathway has been constructed along the rail corridor south from Leitrim Road, and an extension of the O-Train line would likely require relocation of this pathway within the existing right-of-way.
Regulatory Implications
Any expansion to the O-Train will require additional planning, regulatory and environmental assessment approvals.
While the provincial individual EA completed for the north-south electric light rail project provides a baseline, extension of the existing O-Train was not contemplated as an interim step, and the different impacts the use of this technology will have on the environment (primarily noise, vibration, air quality and safety) will need to be assessed. Also, the approved EA did not anticipate the need for road-rail grade separations. For these reasons, an extension of the line would require the completion of the appropriate process to satisfy provincial requirements.
An extension would also require a federal EA to address impacts to federal land required to construct necessary road-rail grade separations at Lester Road, Leitrim Road and Bowesville Road. Also, extension of the line west from the existing rail corridor to Bowesville Road would require additional federal property. Finally, any request for federal funding to construct an expansion or extension of the O-Train line would be an additional trigger for a federal EA.
Canadian Transportation Agency approval would be needed to construct and operate a new line of railway beyond where the alignment leaves the existing rail corridor. A Notice of Railway Works and applicable documentation would need to be submitted to Transport Canada prior to the work commencing.
The cost of the required environmental assessments and
approvals is included in the cost estimates.
Ridership Implications
Extension of existing O-Train service to Riverside South would provide rail service to the emerging Riverside South community. This community is currently served by OC Transpo Route 99, which runs between Riverview Station in Riverside South and Greenboro Station, with direct service to downtown Ottawa via the Southeast Transitway during peak periods.
With the possible extension of O-Train service, customers
from Riverside South would be served by one or more local bus routes through
the community, connecting to Bowesville Station,
where they would transfer to trains. Customers in future
residential and commercial areas near the station could walk or bike to the
trains. If a park and ride lot were also built, some customers could also choose
to drive, park there, and board the O-Train. The current section of Route 99
between Bowesville Road and Greenboro
Station would be removed, replaced by the O-Train service.
Customers from Findlay Creek and other communities in
Leitrim would be able to use Route 144 to connect with the O-Train at Leitrim
Station, could walk or bike to the station, or could drive and use the existing
park and ride lot there. This lot currently has 292 spaces, with an
ultimate capacity of approximately 1200 spaces.
Depending on their destinations, most customers would
make an additional transfer at South Keys/Greenboro Stations
or at Bayview Station. Customers heading for downtown
or for Tunney’s Pasture would transfer to frequent light rail trains at Bayview Station. Customers heading to points along the
Southeast Transitway would transfer to frequent buses
at South Keys/Greenboro Stations. Customers heading
to Carleton University would have direct service on the O-Train. Customers
heading to other locations would walk or transfer to the many connecting bus
routes at stations along the line.
Travel times to most destinations would be shorter with
the O-Train in place than with Leitrim and Riverside South continuing to be
served by buses.
Based on a preliminary analysis following
the City’s standard transportation modelling methods, an extension to Riverside South would be used for approximately 11,300 one-way trips by customers each
day (3.6 million per year), made up of 2,300 customer-trips (725,000 per year)
new to the transit system and 9,000 customer-trips (2.8 million per year) that
would otherwise use bus service.
Capital Cost Implications
Infrastructure requirements needed to support this expansion scenario
include:
·
Approximately 8 km of new single railway track and
supporting infrastructure;
·
New train platforms at South Keys Station and at
Leitrim Station;
·
A new station at Bowesville
Road;
·
Three new passing sidings near Greenboro
Station, near Lester Road, and between
Leitrim Station and Bowesville Station;
·
Signalling/train control system changes, and;
·
Three new grade separations, at Lester Road,
Leitrim Road, and Bowesville Road.
The engineering and construction costs for the extension to Riverside South are estimated at approximately $70 million, including studies, environmental assessments, consultation, and contingency. (Of this amount, approximately $64 million is to build facilities that could also be used for a future electric light rail operation. Approximately $6 million related to track switches, train control, and station platforms for the O-Train would not be applicable to the future electric light rail line.) In addition to this amount, an extension would require either retaining the three existing Talent trains, foregoing approximately $6 million from their sale, or a purchase of three new trains at an approximate cost of $14 million. Assuming the continued use of the Talent trains, the total estimated capital costs are approximately $76 million.
An extension of the O-Train to Riverside South would reduce the number of buses required in the OC Transpo fleet by 12, as the O-Train would replace bus service that would otherwise operate between Bowesville Station and Hurdman Station. The purchase price of these buses would be approximately $10 million. Considering this as a capital cost savings reduces the estimated net capital cost of the O-Train extension to $66 million.
It would also be possible to build the park and ride lot approved in the north-south electric light rail environmental assessment for Bowesville Station, but the funding that would be required for such work has not been included in the figures presented in this report. This study also does not consider the costs of improving road access to the Bowesville Station site, as it is assumed that they will be part of the continuing development of Riverside South.
No funding for work in this corridor is currently
budgeted until the second period
(i.e., beyond 2031) of the approved Long Range Financial Plan for Transit.
Operating Cost Implications
An extension of O-Train service to Bowesville
Station would have an operating cost of approximately $7 million per year. This
figure includes operators’ wages, fuel costs, train maintenance, track
maintenance, and train control.
Extending O-Train service would reduce bus operating costs by approximately
$3 million per year, based on the service levels that will be required in 2021.
These savings come from no longer requiring bus service connecting Bowesville Station and Leitrim Station with Greenboro Station.
As documented earlier, the extension would attract approximately
725,000 new customers a year to the transit system. These customers would bring
in approximately $1 million in new fare revenue.
Thus, the net operating cost of an O-Train extension to serve Leitrim
and Riverside South would be approximately $3 million per year.
Other Options Examined
Staff also examined three other options related to this extension.
Alternate Option 1 – Extension only to Leitrim Station
It is also technically feasible to extend the O-Train line to Leitrim Station, one station short of Riverside South. This shorter extension would have a lower cost to build, but would not directly reach Riverside South and therefore would not attract as many customers to the transit system.
An extension to Leitrim Road would cost approximately $53 million, instead of $76 million, as only 5.5 km of new track, two new station platforms, two new passing sidings, and two new grade-separations would be required, and as only six trains would be in service, requiring a fleet of eight trains. An extension to Leitrim Road would also have fewer regulatory and approval requirements as less federal land would be required and as there would not be a new line of railway built off the existing rail corridor.
With an extension of O-Train service to Leitrim Station,
customers from Riverside South and Findlay Creek communities would be served by
local bus routes to Leitrim Station, where they would transfer to trains. Customers
would also have the option to walk or drive to Leitrim Station. The current
section of Route 99 between Leitrim Station and Greenboro
Station would be removed.
Travel times to downtown would be approximately the same as they are expected to be with Route 99 connecting with the light rail line at Hurdman Station. Travel times to Gatineau, Tunney’s Pasture, and Carleton University would be shorter, but not as short as they would be with an extension to Bowesville. Because of the reduced connectivity and the longer travel times in comparison with an extension to Bowesville, this option would have lower ridership. An extension to Leitrim Station would be used for approximately 10,500 customer-trips each day (3.3 million per year), made up of 2,000 customer-trips (630,000 per year) new to the transit system and 8,500 customer-trips (2.7 million per year) that would otherwise use bus service.
Alternate Option 2 – Extension to Riverside South Town Centre
Staff reviewed the feasibility of an
extension of the O-Train line further west than Bowesville
Road to the Riverside South Town Centre. An extension of diesel O-Train service
into Riverside South would require major changes to the approved land use
plans, and thus is not currently feasible.
West of Bowesville Road, the planned light rail rapid transit corridor is highly integrated into the planned Riverside South community, with multiple at-grade roadway crossings, closely-spaced light rail stations, and semi-exclusive light rail operations in the median of the east-west spine street in the town centre.
Extension of rapid transit service using diesel O-Train technology would require a larger infrastructure footprint due to the wider width of the vehicles and higher station platform height when compared to electric light rail. Also the approved operating procedures of diesel O-Train technology do not allow for the line to cross roads at level crossings, and seven road-rail grade separations would be required instead. The width of the right-of-way that has been set aside for the future electric light rail line is not sufficient to allow for these needs.
Use of O-Train technology would also have increased noise and vibration and greater effects on air quality.
Alternate
Option 3 – Station at Lester Road
It is technically feasible but not
recommended to build a station at Lester Road, midway between the potential
South Keys and Leitrim Stations.
While Lester Road would be the nearest
potential station location to the airport, the CE Centre, and the residential
developments near Albion Road and Lester Road, it is not within walking
distance of any of these destinations. Connecting bus service would be required
to serve any of these destinations, which are already served by bus routes
connecting with South Keys/Greenboro Stations. There
would be no substantial travel time advantage for customers travelling to or
from these locations if a station were in place at Lester Road.
Building a station at Lester Road would
add approximately $500,000 to the capital costs outlined in this report, plus
the costs of building access to the station.
Issues and Opportunities
The approved capacity expansion of the
current O-Train line between Bayview and Greenboro has two purposes – to continue to accommodate
ridership growth on the O-Train service, particularly to and from Carleton
University, and to provide an attractive alternative service for customers who
would otherwise be delayed during light rail construction by the detours
between Hurdman and downtown. Any southerly extension
of the O-Train line, or any other enhancement, would attract more customers to
the service, which would reduce the capacity available for these two
fundamental purposes, and would introduce a high risk of overcrowding on both
the O-Train and the bus service between Hurdman
Station and downtown.
Much of the capacity needed to
accommodate diverting customers during the years of light rail construction
will be available after the Tunney’s Pasture–Blair light rail line opens,
currently scheduled for 2018, and a southerly extension would then be possible
without causing overcrowding. As such, it is recommended that no southerly
extension or other major enhancement be made until after the Tunney’s Pasture–Blair light
rail line opens.
In addition, a number of other issues
and opportunities should be looked at before any further investments or
decisions to the line are made, including:
·
Additional Station
Locations:
It may be feasible, and, in the years beyond 2018 desirable, to add stations at
Gladstone Avenue or at Walkley Road to improve mobility for nearby residents
and workers.
·
Barrhaven–Riverside South Rapid Transit Corridor: The Barrhaven–Riverside South Rapid Transit Planning and Environmental
Assessment Study will be carried out in 2012, with Council consideration in 2013.
Its purpose is to review the impacts of the decision in the 2008 TMP to
designate the section of the transit corridor between Riverside South Town
Centre and Barrhaven Town Centre as a Transitway rather than a light rail line. The findings from
this report on the feasibility and impediments to future O-Train expansion will
be inputs to the EA study.
·
Airport Link: The Ottawa
Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority (OMCIAA) will be planning for
the long-term development of the airport, the airport terminal, and the airport
lands through 2012 and into 2013. Staff will engage the airport authority in
evaluating alternative transit connection opportunities.
The Long Range Financial Plan for
Transit presented to Council on July 14, 2011, is based on the conversion of
the O-Train line from diesel technology to a double-tracked electric light rail
line and the extension to Riverside South Town Centre in the years from 2030 to
2034. Consideration of any major investment which alters the current plan should
be informed by a comparison of the value and benefits of all of the City’s
transportation projects and should be part of the broader Transportation Master
Plan considerations.
It is recommended that the Commission direct staff to prepare a strategy for the development of the entire
rapid transit corridor between Bayview Station and Barrhaven Town Centre as part of the TMP update and
associated priority planning scheduled for 2014. The findings of
this report and the evaluation of the other opportunities and issues described
above would guide this strategy. If that work concludes that enhancements in
the Bayview–Barrhaven corridor would be valuable and
if a review of the long-range financial plans allocates earlier funding to this
corridor, then there is sufficient time following a potential decision in
2014-15 to carry out any work required. Estimated capital costs are based in
2012 dollars and the project infrastructure requirements as outlined within the
report.
Staff will design and build the approved
capacity expansion of the O-Train line so as not to preclude any of the
extension or enhancement opportunities identified above.
Conclusions
An extension to Riverside South with stations at South Keys, Leitrim and Bowesville Road would cost approximately $76 million. A total of seven trains would be required in service to provide the 8 minute service, and the City would need to own a fleet of nine trains to support this. An extension to Riverside South would be used by approximately 3.6 million customer-trips each year, made up of 725,000 customer-trips new to the transit system and 2.8 customer-trips that would otherwise use bus service.
A shorter extension, to Leitrim Road, would have a lower cost to build but would not directly serve Riverside South, and would have lower ridership.
An extension of the O-Train west of Bowesville Road to Riverside South Town Centre is not
technically feasible without major changes to the approved land use plans.
A station at Lester Road is not
recommended.
No funding for work in this corridor is currently
budgeted until the second period
(i.e., beyond 2031) of the approved Long Range Financial Plan for Transit.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
Any expansion to the O-Train would require regulatory and environmental assessment approvals. There are no environmental implications which would result directly from the recommendations in this report.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
Transit services from Riverside South and Leitrim are used by residents of the rural parts of the City as well as by urban residents. Any improvement to transit service, such as an extension of the O-Train, would reduce travel time for both rural and urban residents.
CONSULTATION
Staff met with representatives of Urbandale, representing the Riverside South Development Corporation, and briefed them on the contents and direction of the report.
Further consultation will be carried out as part of the normal course of developing the refresh of the Transportation Master Plan.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)
Comment from Councillor Desroches:
I strongly support the extension of rapid transit service to Riverside South as soon as possible. I believe that the possible extension of the O-Train to a station at Bowesville Road could be a good interim step, because it could be implemented at a lower cost, and at a sooner date, than the planned electric light rail line. I agree that the planning for the refresh of the TMP in 2014 is a good opportunity to evaluate all of the elements that need to be considered, including the Barrhaven-Riverside South Rapid Transit Corridor Study and the opening of the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge, and also that the TMP is a good occasion for Council to decide on its priorities for how to fund phased improvements to the rapid transit network.
Comment from Councillor Deans:
This report provides valuable information on the
different options of extending the O-Train rapid transit service to areas south
of Greenboro Station.
I support improved transit service to points south of Greenboro, including Leitrim, Riverside South, the airport,
and the CE Centre, which are key economic/employment hubs in the city.
The report demonstrates that it is feasible to extend the
existing O-Train south to Bowesville at a cost that
would not be prohibitive, taking into consideration the eventual planned
conversion to electric light rail.
Expanding the O-Train would provide improved connectivity to the
airport, the trade show centre, the Rideau-Carleton Raceway and Slots and the
future Central Canada Exhibition lands.
It would reduce the impact on roadways from the growth in the
residential areas of Leitrim and Riverside South, both areas that are not
served by a bus Transitway. This report is a valuable tool for the
discussion of the refresh of the Transportation Master Plan slated for 2013, to
be completed in 2014.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal impediments to implementing the recommendations in this report.
RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
Risk management implications are discussed in the report.
CITY STRATEGIC PLAN
Preparing a strategy for the complete development of the corridor
between Bayview Station and Barrhaven
Town Centre directly and indirectly supports the following objectives of the
Transportation Master Plan and Council’s strategic objectives:
TM1. Ensure sustainable transit services
TM3. Provide infrastructure to support mobility
choices.
FS1. Align strategic priorities to Council’s tax
and user fee targets
TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The extension of O-Train service to Bowesville Station in Riverside South, if it were built at this time, would require a significant advancement of capital infrastructure investment of approximately $76 million. This figure includes the retention of three existing Talent train-sets, foregoing approximately $6 million from their sale. Additional capital costs for restoring the Talent train-sets to working order may be required if the project were deferred to a later date and the train-sets were stored for several years. Finally, 12 articulated buses would not need to be replaced when they are retired, saving approximately $10 million in capital requirements at that time.
Given the already high level of capital investment planned for Transit within the current decade, Finance supports the recommendation put forward that these scenarios be considered within the context of the upcoming Transportation Master Plan review. That review will include an update to the financial model for transit within the affordability parameters established under the Transit Long Range Financial Plan report of 2011.
ACCESSIBILITY IMPLICATIONS
All transit, vehicles, facilities, and operations implemented as a result of the strategy for the development of the corridor would comply with the relevant federal, provincial and municipal accessibility standards, codes, and guidelines.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Map of O-Train line with possible extension to Riverside South
Document 2 Summary of Findings
DISPOSITION
Following the approval of the recommendations outlined within this
report, staff will prepare a
strategy for the complete development of the corridor between Bayview and Barrhaven, and
present it as part of the TMP update and associated priority planning scheduled
for 2014.
Staff will also proceed to design and build the facilities for the approved expanded O-Train service in such a way to be compatible with a possible extension and the possible addition of stations at Gladstone and Walkley.
MAP OF O-TRAIN LINE WITH
POSSIBLE EXTENSION TO RIVERSIDE SOUTH DOCUMENT 1
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS DOCUMENT 2
|
Characteristics |
Extension from Greenboro to Riverside South (Bowesville) |
|
New sidings |
Near Greenboro Station Near Lester Road Between Leitrim and Bowesville Stations |
|
New track and supporting infrastructure |
8.0 km of single track |
|
New platforms |
South Keys Leitrim |
|
New station |
Bowesville (Riverside South) |
|
New grade separations |
Lester Road Leitrim Road Bowesville Road |
|
Active train-sets required |
7 |
|
Spare train-sets required |
2 |
|
Total fleet size required |
9 |
|
Yard expansion required (beyond approved 2014 expansion) |
No |
|
Interval between trains |
8 minutes |
|
Complies with existing operating rules |
Yes |
|
Impacts to Riverside South CDP |
None |
|
Well suited to DMU technology |
Yes |
|
Provincial EA requirements |
Yes |
|
Federal EA requirements |
Yes |
|
Weekday ridership on extension
(2021) |
11,300 |
|
Annual ridership on extension
(2021) |
3,600,000 |
|
New transit trips per year |
725,000 |
|
Estimated Total Capital Costs |
$76 million |