Ontario government slates $1.2 billion for Ottawa LRT
March 28, 2019
Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Transportation Jeff Yurek, announced on March 22 that the Ontario government will provide Ottawa with a maximum of $1.208 billion to build the Ottawa Stage 2 Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.
The Ottawa Stage 2 LRT project will be capable of reaching a future capacity of up to 24,000 passengers per hour each way during peak periods.
“I am very appreciative,” says Mayor Jim Watson. “Stage 2 will extend our LRT network to communities farther east, west and south. It will bring 77 per cent of Ottawa residents within five kilometres of fast, efficient, clean and reliable rail service.”
The Stage 2 LRT project will add 44 kilometres of new rail and 24 new stations, and consist of three light rail extensions:
- Confederation Line east to Trim Road
- Confederation Line west to Moodie Drive and southwest to Algonquin College
- Trillium Line south to Limebank Road, with a spur to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
“The Ontario government is a strong supporter of public transit,” said Yurek. “The Ottawa Stage 2 LRT construction project will transform the way residents and commuters travel within the City of Ottawa. The new LRT will shorten commute times, and help people get to work, school or appointments quickly and conveniently.”
According to the official press release, the Trillium Line south extension is scheduled for completion in 2022, and the Confederation Line east and west extensions are scheduled for completion in 2024 and 2025, respectively. It is estimated that Stage 2 will create jobs and investment by generating a projected 27,000 person-years of employment and an economic impact of $5.6 billion.
The project is expected to reduce Ottawa’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 110,000 tonnes by 2048.