Alternative plans to Stage 3

[Rick Mayson Durrett]

I don’t really think a Central Line would render Trillium Line obsolete. People connecting out to Tunneys and then eventually to the West end would likely still connect through Bayview. But it would also take some pressure off Bayview so that maybe the line could be extended over to Gatineau. At the moment the city is poo pooing the idea of using the POW bridge because capacity at Bayview is not there. 

[Rick Mayson Durrett]

Interesting proposal by someone on Reddit showing the possible system by 2040

[Antoine]

As part of the Stage 2-3 extension, I figured this could be a way of transferring at Lyon with some new at-grade tram stops. What do you think? How would car traffic be affected?

[Shane]

Definitely at-grade could be an option (and I feel much more likely than an underground STO connection and route).

The turns especially from Wellington onto Lyon south would probably be an area that would need alot of work. Although the trams could cut into the left most lane to do a wider right turn onto Lyon but would have an even bigger impact on traffic (and potential collisions) when passing through.

Clearly an issue for the engineers to sort out. Even the buses don't make this right turn from the right most lanes, and almost always take the left lane to do it. Those that do go via the right lane inevitably end up crossing into the left.... long story short, a tram or streetcar or anything on the surface here would need or end up making use of both lanes in the turn to the right. Same for all the rest of the turns being 90 degrees and tight. Definitely do-able however, but by cutting off alot of cars and risking collisions, unless priority lights lets the tram through before car movement.

[Herlsone]

At grade in downtown is most likely the least attractive idea to come from this.  We (Ottawa and Ontario) just spent 500,000,000 on a tunnel to get transit off the streets. And Now Gatineau (and apparently more of those nameless "staff" people in Ottawa) thinks this is a good idea.  The answer is no. No to 2 separate systems, no to clogging streets with a zillion slow trams during rush hour. No no no.  Yes to a zillion other options.

[Antoine]

That's a good point, I have a bad feeling they'll extend tram tracks down Wellington, Slater and Albert to avoid sharp turns, essentially kicking down the street traffic bucket down the road, until they have a 2050 budget to build a tram tunnel...

I wonder if they'll have an open session for Ottawa citizens to provide their input soon.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Antoine

[Antoine]

For the tunnel option, I would think something like this could be convenient. What are your thoughts?

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Antoine

[J.OT13]

Foundations of the St-Andrew Tower could be problematic. The tunnel section near the Supreme Court and Archives would undoubtedly raise security issues (real or perceived). 

If the tunnel option is chosen, I imagine it will probably end at Lyon, for budgetary and/or technical reasons.

In any case, a loop isn't necessary because the STO can purchase trams with double ended cabs, similar to ION in Kitchener-Waterloo (or, Ottawa's Spirit).

[Shane]

3 hours ago, Antoine said:

For the tunnel option, I would think something like this could be convenient. What are your thoughts?

 

I believe the current plan by Gatineau is to go underneath Sparks Street and have stops at Lyon and terminate at Parliament. Trains would then reverse out and begin the return trip. Alternatively, it could be constructed with tail tracks like in Montreal, and the train could then advance out of the station after the final stop into the tail tracks, then reverse back into the station while switching to the westbound track. But the path as depicted in your image above would never get built. As @J.OT13 mentions, the Supreme Court, the Archives, and the Justice Building are too close or right above... the security risk alone would prevent that from happening. I'm still on the fence for even the Spark Street option being allowed by the Federal Government, but we will see. I do want to see cost estimates first though to see if this is something that can even be afforded and then built. One step at a time...