Clive Doucet’s Public Transportation Announcement Expert Market, a U.K. based business solution company found that Ottawa commuters spend an average of 84 minutes a day getting to work and school. Our campaign is proposing a transportation plan that will reduce commute times in our City, and offer convenient and affordable options to get to the four corners of the Ottawa-Gatineau Metropolitan Area. Our Public Transportation Plan has three pillars: • Capital Region Rail • Transit Affordability • Increasing our ridership for a more efficient transit system Capital Region Rail Many growing cities approaching the 1.5 million population mark introduce a regional rail service. Toronto did it in 1967 with the Go Train system. As the Ottawa-Gatineau Metropolitan Area surpasses the 1.2 million mark, it’s time to introduce a Regional Rail system that gets our city moving and connects Kanata, Barrhaven, Kanata North, Stittsville, Bells Corners, Richmond, Navan, Vars, Merivale, Kinburn, Fitzroy, Limoges, Smiths Falls and Gatineau. By leveraging rail lines that already exist in the National Capital Region, this is a cost-effective solution to get 20,000 cars off the 417, reduce our carbon footprint, open our city for business, and connect the four cor- ners of the National Capital Region. This plan will integrate itself with our present OC Transpo system. *This is a concept of Capital Region Rail, based on existing rail infrastructure. Capital Region Rail Our Capital Region Rail system will be implemented in three phases over four years. The key to realizing this is the restoration and renovation of the Prince of Wales bridge. The key to delivering a new regional rail service is fixing the rail line near Bayview Station and re-opening the Prince of Wales bridge. These are keystone connections which must be repaired so that full service trains can use them. Phase 1: Restoring the Prince of Wales Bridge and Related Infrastructure • Renovating the Prince of Wales bridge and adding dedicated pedestrian and cyclist pathways. This phase will be completed in thirteen months: one month for the Request for Proposal Process (RFP), twelve months for the renovation and required construction to add a pedestrian and cyclist pathways. Phase 2: Restoring Train Service to the Prince of Wales Bridge • Launch a three-month RFP process for the work required to revitalize the rail system in the region, and dedicate eighteen months for the necessary construction to restore train service on the Prince of Wales Bridge. Phase 3: Getting Ottawa Moving • Getting the Capital Region Rail Service running from Kanata North, Bells Corners and Stittsville in the west, Barrhaven, Richmond and Smiths Falls in the south, Vars, Navan, and Limoges in the east, and Gatineau in the North. We expect the Capital Regional Rail to be fully operational by 2022. Transit Affordability We know that increasing bus fares are preventing the full growth of our transit system. We are committing to reducing, not increasing, bus fares annually. We will ensure students, seniors and those in need have access to affordable transit passes. Our plan includes: • No-charge service for elders • A more affordable low-income bus pass • Expand the student universal bus pass program to part-time students • Allow students to use their universal bus pass whether or not they are studying in the summer months Increasing Our Ridership for a More Efficient Transit System • To favour ridership growth, we will maximize the resources at our disposal to cut commute times and improve our city-wide transit service delivery. • While the current mayor plans to firesale 178 hybrid buses, we will retain these buses and maintain current community service lines. • We will introduce a 12-seat compact bus pilot project in the suburbs with service lines to the Capital Region Rail. Clive Doucet Clive Doucet is a passionate urbanist, author, and athlete. His life is all about cities: how they work; what people need from them; and how to make them better. As a four-term Ottawa city councillor, Clive was the leading advocate of a city-wide light rail system and co-founder of Ottawa’s O-Train. He brought to city council a strong voice for creating a more sustainable and livable city. He’s an author of memoirs, novels, and poetry. His book on cities, Urban Meltdown: Cities, Climate Change, and Politics as Usual was shortlisted for the Shaughnessey Cohen Award for political writing. Clive played football for Carleton U, rowed for the Toronto Blues, and played rugby for the Ottawa Ospreys..