MEMO

Overview

This Information Bulletin has been prepared to provide a common understanding of the Draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for the East-West Corridor Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project: Environmental Assessment. It includes information on the proposed project and the Draft ToR which sets out a framework that will guide the preparation of the Environmental Assessment (EA).

Project Background

The proposed East-West Corridor LRT Project

was developed at a strategic level through the Rapid Transit Expansion Study (RTES), 2003. Following on from RTES, the Ottawa Rapid Transit Expansion Program (ORTEP) Implementation Strategy identified the immediate undertaking of the planning work for the North-South and East-West LRT projects as critical to meet the implementation timeframe for light rail projects.

In the spring of 2004, the Statement of Work for the East-West Corridor LRT Project: Environmental Assessment (EA) Study was approved by the City's Transportation Committee.

This Study will examine a range of alternatives, identify both construction and operational impacts on all aspects of the environment and bring forward a recommended plan detailing mitigation measures, costs, and all approvals required to proceed with implementation as opportunities present themselves. The Study will be conducted in accordance with both Provincial and Federal Environmental Assessment Act requirements. The first step in the assessment process is the development of a ToR which requires Ministry of the Environment (MOE) approval.

Study Area

The proposed East-West Corridor LRT Project is approximately 47 km long, spanning from Orléans to Kanata. The rapid transit corridor would provide improved east-west transit connectivity bypassing the downtown. It also presents a unique opportunity to influence developments within the growth areas of Kanata and Orléans as well as inside the Greenbelt.

The study area is characterized as a corridor encompassing both sides of the existing rail corridor. In the east end, the band is narrower as the alignment has been defined by earlier studies. Along most of the corridor, it is wide enough to consider potential parallel corridors such as arterial roads and hydro corridors. In Kanata, the study area widens out to consider several route options, which will be evaluated to determine which best serves the existing and future growth.

Schedule

The proposed schedule for the EA Study (including legislated review periods) is as follows:

! Submit Terms of Reference to MOE in January 2005.

! Anticipated MOE approval of the ToR by April 2005 (12 weeks after submission). This includes a 30-day public and agency review and allows for review and approval by MOE .

! Submit completed EA Report to MOE by May 2006, including documentation of all public consultation and all relevant transportation and environmental planning studies undertaken during the course of the study.

! MOE approval is anticipated by December 2006. This is based on legislation providing up to 30 weeks for review and approval.

Terms of Reference

The ToR is a document which sets out a framework to guide the preparation of an Individual EA. The City of Ottawa must submit the ToR to the Ministry of the Environment for approval. The approved ToR is the first statutory decision by the MOE in the EA planning and approval process. The ToR describes:

! The Proposed Project Purpose

! Environmental Assessment Work Plan

! Environmental Assessment Consultation Plan

! Additional Approvals Required

Purpose of the Undertaking

The preliminary rationale for the undertaking is twofold:

! Help to satisfy the study area transportation demand and to achieve the City wide transit modal split target of 30% (i.e., solving the problem); and

! To protect land for the transit facility in advance of major development (i.e., opportunity to establish and plan for appropriate development densities and create transit-oriented developments (TODs) around the facility and stations).

Environmental Assessment Work Plan

The EA Work Plan includes the following major activities:

Purpose/Need: This activity will be undertaken to document the purpose and rationale for the undertaking. A Ridership Study will be completed as part of this activity.

Existing Conditions: Existing biological, physical, economic, social and technical environmental conditions will be documented as a baseline against which to assess and evaluate the potential effects of the alternatives on the environment.

Alternatives: Alternatives to the undertaking (do nothing, widen roads, rapid transit, combinations of road and transit) and alternatives ways to carry out the undertaking (technologies, corridors, station locations, infrastructure) will be identified and evaluated.

Assessment & Evaluation: Various assessment and evaluations methods will be developed and used to select the preferred alternative.

Environmental Assessment Consultation Plan

Consultation will include two invited Consultation Groups and Public Participation at Open Houses at key points during the study.

Public Consultation Group (PCG): formed to enable the community and interest groups to provide direct input into the study. It includes representatives from City Wards adjacent to the corridor, interest groups, and representatives from several City advisory committees.

Agency Consultation Group (ACG): formed to address the full range of technical issues and to comment on special studies as well as applicable procedures and legislation and policies. The ACG includes representatives from all levels of government.

Three Open Houses are planned for the Study:

! EA Open House #1 (Spring 2005)

! EA Open House #2 (Fall 2005)

! EA Open House #3 (Spring 2006)

City’s Website: Information on the EA will be available on the City’s website www.ottawa.ca/lrt

Additional Approvals

Additional approvals may be required beyond the Federal and Provincial Environmental Assessment Acts. The City of Ottawa is committed to obtaining the necessary approvals at the appropriate time in the implementation phase. The agencies responsible for issuing approvals will be consulted during the EA to address their interests and approval requirements.

Next Steps

Following this Open House, the Study Team will:

! Incorporate your comments into the draft ToR.

! Present the revised ToR to Transportation Committee and Council.

! Incorporate Committee and Council comments into the Final ToR.

! Submit the Final ToR to MOE for approval.

The MOE approved ToR will provide the framework for completing the Individual Environmental Assessment. When reviewing the EA, the MOE will ensure that the EA followed the process as set out in the ToR.

Before you leave tonight, please complete the Comment-Questionnaire and place it in the designated box, or mail or fax it to us by December 17, 2004.

Questions or Comments

If you have any questions or comments

about the study, please contact:

Mona Abouhenidy, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Planning and Growth Management Department

City of Ottawa

110 Laurier Avenue West, 4^th Floor

Telephone: 580‑2424, ext. 26936

Fax: 580-2578

E-mail: mona.abouhenidy@ottawa.ca

Prepared by Delcan Corporation

Terms of Reference Public Open House

November/December 2004

COMMENT-QUESTIONNAIRE

The City of Ottawa would appreciate your responses to the following questions as well as any comments you wish to make about the information presented at this Open House. Please take a few moments to complete our Comment-Questionnaire. You may leave it in the designated box when you leave tonight’s Open House, or send it to the address listed below by 17 December 2004. All information gathered in the Comment-Questionnaire will become part of the public record and used for the purpose of conducting this study.

About You

Where do you live? (Street name)

What specific interest do you have in this study?

Study Process

Do you have comments on the Study Process (Federal, Provincial or Harmonized) for conducting the Environmental Assessment?

What in your view, are the primary issues to be addressed in the Environmental Assessment?

Terms of Reference

Do you have specific comments on the Draft Terms of Reference as they relate to the following subject headings?

Existing Conditions

Alternative Solutions

Alternative Designs

Assessment and Evaluation

Public Consultation

If you wish, please provide:

Name: Representing (if applicable):______________________

Address:

Postal Code: _________________________________________

email: _________________________________________

Thank you for your participation

If you wish to provide us with more detailed comments, send written submissions, by 17 December 2004 to:

Mona Abouhenidy, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Planning and Growth Management Department

City of Ottawa

110 Laurier Avenue West, 4^th Floor

Tel: 613-580-2424 ext. 26936

Fax: 613-580-2578

E-mail: mona.abouhenidy@ottawa.ca

Excerpts from

East-West Corridor LRT Project Environmental Assessment Report to/Rapport au:

Transportation Committee

Comité des transports

26 March 2004 / le 26 mars 2004

Statement of Work

4.0 MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

The ToR shall identify the issues to be examined during the course of this study. Some of the major issues to be addressed include, but not limited to:

Staging and Technology

Implementing a project of this magnitude would likely necessitate a staged implementation approach. Accordingly, the EA study shall examine a range of options, and recommend a preferred staging strategy based upon a range of criteria including ridership generation potential, likely development potential along the corridor, compatibility and integration with land use, environmental considerations, logical sequence and ease of implementation, costs, and funding availability.

Although Council has already approved the RTES long range recommendation for twin-track electric LRT, this EA study will examine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of single-track alternatives. The EA will also examine the option of using the DMU vehicles currently in use on the North-South corridor, with additional vehicles.

Grade Separation Requirements

The ultimate East-West Corridor, as envisaged in RTES, crosses the VIA rail line, the North-South LRT Corridor, Rideau River, Southeast Transitway, Southwest Transitway, West Transitway, twice Highway 417, and numerous arterial roads. Requirements for grade separation with these facilities will be addressed. Existing structures will be examined to determine whether there are any impacts (keep as is, modify, or replace).

Coordination with existing freight/passenger rail Traffic

Transcontinental freights were re-routed away from the Beachburg Subdivision to Toronto in 1995 and as such freight traffic is minimal. Also, this route passes over 1.1 kilometers of track between Wass and Federal Junction that is also used by heavy VIA trains.

The option of co-locating the LRT operation on existing freight tracks versus operating in the same right-of-way but on separate tracks will be examined. For the “same track” option, the issue of coordinating the schedules of the LRT and VIA Rail (on the Smith Falls Subdivision) and freight (on the Beachburg Subdivision) will be investigated and verified with Transport Canada regulations on the shared use.

Integration with other modes

The provision of strategically located and appropriately sized Park and Ride facilities is key to providing high quality rapid transit service, and achieving the expected ridership within this corridor. This study will examine and recommend the preferred location and size of Park and Ride lots, as well as access requirements. The recommended plan will incorporate functional designs and cost estimates for these facilities.

The Study will also examine the integration with other transit services. Of particular importance are the integration with the North-South LRT, Southwest Transitway, the Southeast Transitway and West Transitway at Hwy 417. The recommended plan will incorporate functional design and cost estimate for stations and transfer facilities.

The TMP identified a future multi-use pathway following the proposed LRT Corridor from Woodroffe Avenue to Rideau River to Highway 417 East. The Study will examine how these two facilities are interfaced.

Urban Environment Integration

The possible introduction of surface running LRT through Kanata North and possibly in other areas will have a significant impact on the surrounding environment. This study will determine a preferred alignment, and address a host of issues including, but not limited to urban design, access to adjacent land uses, station locations, integration with the pedestrian environment, including safety and access considerations, effect on cycling, noise and vibration.

Operation and Maintenance Requirements

A considerable amount of supporting infrastructure is required to provide for the operation of the proposed LRT system. Amongst the major components required, this study will:

· identify LRT vehicle maintenance and storage facility requirements, and address the environmental impacts of its connection to the system;

· identify and cost electrical supply requirements and facilities, as necessary, including all substations and property requirements;

· identify and cost all communications, control and signalling requirements, including central control facility location and requirements.

Serving Extensive Employment Market

A chain of extensive employment areas currently exists along this LRT corridor. It extends from Orleans Industrial Park, Sheffield Industrial Park, Hawthorne-Stevenage Business Park, Ottawa South Business Park, South Walkley - Albion Industrial Park, across the Rideau River through the Colonnade business park and on to both the Bells Corners and Kanata North Business Parks. It is anticipated that employment in this area will roughly double from today’s level of about 40,000 jobs to about 70,000 by 2021. Given the importance of serving this market, the Study will examine corridors alignment that best serve these areas including stations, integration with surrounding buildings, and pedestrian accesses.

Public Consultation Group

East-West Corridor Light Rail Transit (LRT) Environmental Assessment

Proponent

· City of Ottawa

City Ward Representatives (maximum of two per ward as recommended by Ward Councilors)

· Cumberland, Ward 19

· Innes, Ward 2

· Beacon Hill – Cyrville, Ward 11

· Gloucester – Southgate, Ward 10

· Alta Vista, Ward 18

· River, Ward 16

· Capital, Ward 17

· Bell-South Nepean, Ward 3

· Knoxdale – Merivale, Ward 9

· Baseline, Ward 8

· Bay, Ward 7

· Kanata, Ward 4

City Advisory Committee Representatives

· Environmental Advisory Committee

· Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee

· Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee

· Accessibility Advisory Committee

· Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee

· Local Architectural Conservation Authority Committee

· Arts, Heritage and Culture Advisory Committee

· Ottawa Youth Cabinet

Other Interest Groups

· Federation of Citizens Association

· Transport 2000

· Disabled and Proud

Role and Responsibility of the PCG Working Members

The PCG members will:

· Represent the interests and values of residents, land owners/users and interest groups in their individual wards and City as a whole;

· Attend all PCG meetings to ensure consistent two-way communication throughout the study;

· Review information provided by the Study Team in advance of each PCG meeting;

· Provide feedback on information provided and comment on ideas and issues raised at meetings;

· Work towards a consensus to allow the City to achieve project milestones.

The input from the PCG, other consultation groups and the general public will be reviewed after each Public Open House and, where appropriate, adjustments will be made to the study findings.

All comments received will become part of the public record for the Study.

Administration

The City of Ottawa’s Project Manager will chair the PCG meetings and be responsible for the following administrative duties:

· Ensure adequate notification to members of upcoming meetings

· Prepare meeting agendas and circulate materials for review;

· Distribute (by e-mail) all meeting notes following each meeting.

The Study Team recognizes that tight study timelines limit the time for review and comment on study materials and as such endeavors to provide as much review time as practical. Accordingly, study materials and progress reports will be provided to the PCG members throughout the study as they become available, and best efforts will be made to provide all relevant study materials within two weeks prior to each PCG meeting.

Agency Consultation Group

East-West Corridor Light Rail Transit (LRT) Environmental Assessment

Proponent

· City of Ottawa

Federal

· National Capital Commission

· Transport Canada

· Health Canada

· Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

· Infrastructure Canada

· Parks Canada

· Public Works and Government Services Canada (Investment Management Directorate)

· Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

· Environment Canada

· Fisheries and Oceans

Provincial

· Ministry of Culture

· Ministry of the Environment

· Ministry of Natural Resources

· Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal

· Ministry of Transportation

Regional

· Rideau Valley Conservation Authority

· Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority

· South Nation Conservation Authority

Other

· Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce

· Canadian National Railway

· Ottawa Central Railway

· VIA Rail

City of Ottawa

· Public Works and Services (including OC Transpo)

· Planning and Growth Management

· Corporate Services

· Community and Protective Services

· Ottawa Police

Role and Responsibility of the ACG Working Members

The ACG members will:

· Represent the interests of their department and agencies;

· Attend all ACG meetings to ensure consistent two-way communication throughout the study;

· Identify planning and design issues early in the study so that they may be addressed in a timely manner;

· Review information provided by the Study Team in advance of each ACG meeting;

· Disseminate this information within their departments and agencies;

· Provide feedback on information provided and comment on ideas and issues raised at meetings;

· Work towards a consensus to allow the City to achieve project milestones.

The input from the ACG, other consultation groups and the general public will be reviewed after each Public Open House and, where appropriate, adjustments will be made to the study findings.

All comments received will become part of the public record for the Study.

Administration

The City of Ottawa’s Project Manager will chair the ACG meetings and be responsible for the following administrative duties:

Ensure adequate notification to members of upcoming meetings

Prepare meeting agendas and circulate materials for review;

Distribute (by e-mail) all meeting notes following each meeting.

The Study Team recognizes that tight study timelines limit the time for review and comment on study materials and as such endeavors to provide as much review time as practical. Accordingly, study materials and progress reports will be provided to the ACG members throughout the study as they become available, and best efforts will be made to provide all relevant study materials within two weeks prior to each ACG meeting.

Introduction

Study Process

Work Plan

Closing