The Confederation line is apparently going to take 25 minutes to go 12.5 km from Tunney's to Blair.
The Trillium line takes about 16 minutes to go 8km from Bayview to Greenboro.

This is an average of 30 km/h.  Seems awfully slow.  hhhWhy?

Maybe it's the higher number of stops.  If you check the OC Transpo website schedule, it'll take 2 minutes between every station, except between Rideau and UOttawa, where it'll take 3 minutes.

The Montreal Metro’s average speed is 40km/h. Keep in mind though that it is rubber tire based so it is able to accelerate quicker and brake faster than steel wheel rail. 

For comparison, the Toronto Subway average speed is between 28-32km/h depending on the line.

Top speeds will be higher than the average which takes into account stopping, accelerating and braking.

The Ottawa system is no better or worse than the other major systems in general for speed.

 

Average speed.  The average speed of cars on city streets is less than 20 km/h in rush hour, and even less downtown, so the LRT will be noticeably quicker.

"But, I drive at 50 km/h" you say. Yes, you do, when you're not:

- stopped at a red light or stop sign

- slowing for a stop

- accelerating away from a stop

- turning a corner from one street to another.

Even on trips in the city that include the Queensway, it is rare to see average speeds much over 50 km/h, unless your trip starts and ends right at a Queensway on-ramp or off-ramp.  Our car's dash includes an average trip speed indicator - having started a trip in central Nepean, I have to be past innes or even Boundary Road heading eastbound before the average trip speed gets up to 70 km/h, even with doing 110-115 on the Queensway portion of the trip.  If I drive from home to Tunney's Pasture, using surface streets, my average trip speed will be 25 km/h in light traffic times, as little as 15 km/h in rush hour.

Surface street speeds are slow, on average.