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1.0 Introduction 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Environmental Project Report assesses the effects of the proposed Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) project on the social, physical and natural environments. The City of Ottawa, as proponent, has prepared this Environmental Project Report in accordance with the Province of Ontario’s Transit Project Assessment Process (Regulation 231/08 under the Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act). This section provides the background and overview of the study including location and rationale for the proposed project, relationship of the proposed project to other transportation-related studies and an outline of the entire report contents. Sections Include: 1.1 Project Description 1.2 Purpose of the Project 1.3 Study Background 1.4 Relationship with Other Studies, Projects and Future Undertakings 1.5 Report Organization 1-1 1.1 Project Description and vehicles to service these lines, as well as bus rapid transit electric light rail transit from Tunney's Pasture Station to Blair Ottawa's Transportation Master Plan (TMP) contains a vision technology and additional bus lanes. Figure 1-1 illustrates the Station along the Transitway and through a tunnel underneath for transit to be developed by 2031. In the first phase, the City planned rapid transit network for the City of Ottawa, out to the the downtown core. of Ottawa will invest in 40 km of new light rail transit (LRT) year 2031. The cornerstone and first phase of this plan is to run Figure 1-1: TMP Rapid Transit Network 1-2 The Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT): Tunney’s The most important feature of the project involves construction this segment of the City’s rapid transit network to the year 2031 Pasture to Blair Station via a Downtown LRT Tunnel, will see of a new LRT tunnel to replace the existing on-street BRT and beyond. the conversion of part of the current rapid transit system (The operation which uses reserved bus lanes in the Albert and Slater Transitway) serving the City of Ottawa from Bus Rapid Transit Street corridors. The tunnel will allow for improved transit Figure 1-2 illustrates the proposed LRT alignment, station (BRT) to electric Light Rail Transit (LRT) technology. operations by separating transit from other traffic, and provide locations and Maintenance and Storage Facility site. increased transit capacity needed to meet forecasted ridership on Figure 1-2: Study Area and Major Project Features 1-3 1.1.1 LRT Alignment and Stations A detailed description of the planned Maintenance and Storage downtown, such as a tunnel. In the late 1980s a study was The DOTT project is comprised of approximately 12.5 km of Facility is contained in Section 9.0 of this report. undertaken to examine the feasibility of grade separating the new electrified light rail transit, between Tunney's Pasture and Transitway through the Central Area linking the existing Blair Stations, primarily on the existing Transitway corridor. 1.2 Purpose of the Project East/Southeast and West/Southwest Transitways. The study Thirteen (13) LRT stations are planned along this route, The purpose of the project is to improve Ottawa’s existing rapid examined both above and below-ground alternatives as well as including four (4) underground stations serving downtown and transit network by implementing the first priority project alternative alignments and station configurations in the Central the University of Ottawa in a new 3.2 km long LRT tunnel. identified in the City’s TMP. This will provide needed rapid Area. Regional Council decided to continue with further transit capacity through the downtown area to alleviate existing extension of the bus Transitway as the first priority, leaving the The LRT tunnel will run from east of the existing LeBreton bus congestion issues and accommodate forecasted population expensive grade separation of the downtown section until it was Station across the downtown core area until it reaches the area and employment growth to the year 2031 and beyond. The required. Planning for Ottawa’s BRT system also recognized around the Rideau Centre shopping mall. It will then curve conversion of the existing BRT corridor to LRT technology and the likelihood of the eventual need to convert from BRT to LRT south easterly and reach grade at the eastern portal, located the construction of a LRT tunnel under the downtown will bring technology. As such, many elements of the existing Transitway north of the existing Lees Station. East and west of the a faster, more efficient, and environmentally-friendly transit have been designed and constructed to allow future conversion downtown tunnel the existing Transitway will be converted system to Ottawa. to LRT technology, as is currently contemplated. from bus rapid transit to light rail transit technology. Conversion of the existing Transitway represents approximately The existing Bus Rapid Transit service through downtown 1.3.1 Prior Planning Work 9 km of the total 12.5 km length of the alignment. accommodates over 10,000 riders, per direction, during peak On 12 September 2007, Ottawa City Council directed staff to hours. Currently, this transit service is limited to approximately initiate a Planning and Environmental Assessment (EA) study 1-4 A more detailed description of the planned LRT alignment and 180 buses an hour per direction as the on-street BRT operation for the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT). This stations is contained in Section 9.0 of this report. in the downtown is limited by the capacity of the signalized decision was based in large part on findings of the Mayor’s Task intersections along the corridor. These intersections must satisfy Force on Transportation, which was formed in 2007 to re-examine 1.1.2 Maintenance and Storage Facility competing demand for buses, traffic, pedestrians and cyclists the City’s public-transit needs and priorities and make recommendations for immediate, short, medium and long-term To support operation of the line, a Maintenance and Storage travelling along and across the corridor. Increasingly, development of an integrated rapid-transit plan for the City. A Facility will be required to: house the new light rail vehicles downtown Ottawa’s transit system is plagued by delays due to downtown transit tunnel was central to the Task Force’s plan, (LRVs) which will run on the line; maintain the LRVs running general traffic conflicts, accidents, inclement weather and special with the recommendation that the City move forward with its on the line, and on future extensions to the City’s LRT network, events. The unreliability of transit downtown ripples through construction as a priority. and; provide maintenance, signalling, communication and the system, causing dissatisfaction as riders are unable to control facilities needed for safe operation of the line and the accurately determine their travel time in advance. Effectively, Subsequently, the Statement of Work for the transit tunnel City’s entire LRT network. the existing rapid transit system has reached its capacity through study was approved at a joint City of Ottawa Transportation the downtown to serve neighbourhoods within the Greenbelt and Transit Committee meeting on 21 November 2007, which The site of the Maintenance and Storage Facility is located and surrounding communities. The system will no longer be identified the scope of the study and the level of effort to immediately south of the proposed LRT alignment, in the able to expand service to meet projected demand beyond 2018. undertake the work. The DOTT Planning and Environmental vicinity of the existing OC Transpo St. Laurent bus maintenance 1.3 Study Background Study was initiated in June 2008. The timing of a downtown and garage complex. A connecting track under Belfast Road and tunnel option was discussed in the context of the TMP and the VIA Rail corridor will be required to link the Maintenance Transit capacity in downtown Ottawa has been a topic of strategic rapid transit network development (See Section 3.0). It and Storage Facility with the DOTT line. discussion for many years. Even during the initial planning for was acknowledged that an electrified light rail transit tunnel was Ottawa’s BRT system in the mid-1970s, the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton suggested the eventual need an important component in addressing transit service for a grade separated rapid transit facility through the improvements required now and in the future. Originally, the DOTT study area spanned from Bayview Station project (the Transit Project). The DOTT study is the City’s first network identified in the TMP is the construction of a tunnel through the downtown core, between Wellington Street and project to follow the expedited maximum six-month across downtown Ottawa, which is needed to provide additional Laurier Avenue West, to King Edward Avenue (and Environmental Assessment process for transit projects. Ontario rapid transit capacity for the year 2018 and beyond. Conversion encompassed Lowertown West and the By-ward Market areas), Regulation 231/08 allows proponents to build on past planning of the existing Transitway between Tunney's Pasture and Blair and extended southerly to include Hurdman Station and the decisions (outlined above and discussed further in Section 3.0) to Station from bus to rail technology and construction of the VIA Rail Station. On 19 November 2008 the Joint advance a transit project through an Environmental tunnel is identified as a priority project of the TMP. Transportation and Transit Committee, during its deliberation Assessment. of the draft 2008 TMP, approved a staff recommendation to 1.4.2 Western LRT Corridor extend the study limits to include Tunney’s Pasture Station in During the “project planning phase”, consultation undertaken The TMP update identifies future conversion of the existing the west and Blair Station in the east. This would align the on the study involved over 200 stakeholder groups, including BRT corridor to LRT west and southwest from the DOTT scope of the Study with the light rail transit portion of Phase 1, community organizations, property owners and businesses terminus of Tunney’s Pasture Station to Baseline Station.
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