Gatineau LRT
The Gatineau LRT is a planned 26 km light rail system proposed by the Ville de Gatineau to be located in Gatineau, Quebec as well as Ottawa, Ontario.[1] The system will be operated by Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), Gatineau's public transportation service. The system is planned to begin operation in 2028.[2][3] Preliminary estimates put the cost of the project at $2.1 billion CAD, though this estimate does not include the Ottawa portion.[1] The Ville de Gatineau looking to the Quebec provincial government to fund 60 percent of the project and for the Canadian federal government to fund 40 percent of the project, though neither have yet committed to funding the project.[1]
Overview | |
---|---|
Owner | Ville de Gatineau |
Locale | Gatineau, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario |
Transit type | Light rail |
Operation | |
Operation will start | 2028 (planned) |
Operator(s) | STO |
Gatineau proposals
All tram
The tram would feature two lines and termini on Boulevard des Allumettières: one intersecting with Chemin Eardley in the Aylmer district, and another with Chemin Vanier in the Plateau district. An interchange station at Alexandre-Taché and Saint-Raymond would allow riders to switch between the Aylmer and Plateau lines.
Aylmer trams from Eardley would travel east on des Allumettières until reaching Wilfrid-Lavigne, then south until reaching Rue Principale, then eastbound on Chemin Alymer before reaching the interchange. Plateau trams from Vanier would travel north until reaching Boulevard du Plateau, then travel east until the road finishes at Saint-Raymond, then southbound before reaching the interchange.
The main tram service in Gatineau would run from Boulevard Alexandre-Taché, where it would reach the existing Saint-Dominique park and ride and Taché-UQO Rapibus station, to Rue Laurier. The main line would either serve as the eastern portion of one of the district lines, or operate separately as a third line.
Plateau LRT
Plateau service from the all tram situation would be maintained until the Saint-Raymond and du Plateau intersection. From there, eastbound service would continue on des Allumettières and serve the Montcalm Rapibus station, then continue on des Allumettières until reaching Boulevard Maisonneuve, near the Canadian Museum of History. Trams would then travel southbound on Maisonneuve before reaching Portage Bridge for the Ottawa segment. Service in Aylmer would be limited to Boulevard des Allumettières, with trains travelling from Chemin Vanier to the line's sole terminus on Chemin Eardley. This scenario does not require an interchange in Gatineau. Bus rapid transit would provide service on Wilfrid-Lavigne and from Rue Principale to Rue Laurier, including the Taché-UQO Rapibus station.
Aylmer LRT
Aylmer service and main service from the all tram situation would be entirely maintained, while Plateau service from the Plateau LRT situation would be entirely replaced with bus rapid transit.
Ottawa proposal
The eastern terminus of the system would be in Ottawa near Lyon Station, allowing riders to connect with the Confederation Line, with alternative plans having it terminate further east in Ottawa.[1] The system would cross the river over the Portage Bridge.[1] Although early plans called for the LRT to travel across the Prince of Wales Bridge and the Alexandra Bridge, the Portage Bridge was later identified as the best crossing for the LRT by a study conducted for STO by engineering firm WSP Global.[4] An analysis showed that connecting the system to Ottawa across the Prince of Wales Bridge would have overwhelmed Bayview Station, its originally planned terminus.[5] The Ottawa section is planned to run along Wellington Street or through a tunnel beneath Sparks Street.[1]
References
- Chianello, Joanne (May 15, 2020). "Gatineau wants to run light rail over Portage Bridge". CBC News. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- "STO confirms Gatineau will get light rail". CBC News. January 31, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- "Gatineau reveals $2.1B LRT plan, eyes 2028 launch". CBC News. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- "Portage Bridge best choice for main transit link, STO says". CBC News. May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- Willing, Jon (September 25, 2019). "Prince of Wales Bridge will never be used as a rail link, mayors say". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.