Raise the Hammer

Ottawa will, not has, will, let go up to 571 staff, not just bus drivers, in 2018 when the Confederation Line opens because the start of LRT service will make up to 150 buses surplus to our present needs. Which was the purpose of the LRT system because our transit system is drowning in a BRT hell that, requires an ever growing number of buses to carry a growing number of passengers (one of the problems with BRT) and has increased our operating costs to the point that we can no longer afford to keep growing our bus fleet. As an urban transit area of 900,000 people Ottawa has to maintain a current fleet of 980 buses (19th largest in North America), this is down from almost 1100 buses in 2009. The problem is that, with our current BRT system and the enormous passenger levels the Transitway Network has to carry, we really need a fleet of 1200-1300 buses to cover the Transitway and increase service to non Transitway bus routes. The people of Ottawa don't want to pay for that! On top of this there is just no room to add those extra buses unless, a truly massive BRT tunnel (more than twice the width of an LRT tunnel and requiring passenger platforms considerably longer than our planned 120 metre long LRT tunnel station platforms) as well as equally large and expensive concurrent upgrades to many existing surface BRT stations. None of this lowering the operating cost of all those extra buses.

Our first phase of electric LRT will replace 150 buses with 15 ,2 car trains at peak hour service, with ample room for much greater numbers in the future. Each train will carry up to 600 people (300 per LRV) and be 97-98 metres long (48.5-49 metres long per LRV). The advantage of modern LRV's is that they can be expanded by adding new sections at your own maintenance facility (modular upgrades), including the Bombardier Flexity Units Hamilton is expected to get. Yours can be expanded from 30 metre long 5 section LRV's to 7 section, 42 metre long LRV's. Each of Ottawa's individual Alstom LRV's can be expanded by adding a 5th section increasing each car to almost 60 metres long and a capacity of 375 passengers each(the current LRV's will have 4 sections and be 48-49 metres long).