Confederation Line West Light Rail Transit (LRT) Extension

On this page

Project overview

The Confederation Line West extension will see light rail transit (LRT) continue west from Tunney's Pasture to Bayshore and Baseline stations.

Confederation Line West Extension map [ PDF 6.583 MB ]

This extension will:

  • Add 13 kilometres of rail and 10 LRT stations to the City's overall transit network at Westboro, Dominion, Cleary, New Orchard, Lincoln Fields, Iris, Baseline, Queensview, Greenbank and Bayshore.
  • Provide comfortable, reliable, efficient LRT connections to:
    • Retail destinations including Westboro, Hintonburg/West Wellington, Pinecrest, and Lincoln Fields, College Square, and Bayshore shopping centres.
    • Greenspace including the Ottawa River pathways and the National Capital Commission's future Linear Waterfront Park, Westboro beach, Pinecrest Creek Corridor, etc.
    • Employment centres including Tunney's Pasture, Queensview Drive/Pinecrest, Morrison Drive, Baxter Road, and Centrepointe.
    • Educational institutions, community centres, and places of worship.
  • Provide new and direct access to LRT for residents in the Hintonburg, Island Park, Westboro, Laurentian, Woodroffe/Lincoln Heights, White Haven-Queensview Terrace North, Bayshore, Iris, Centrepointe, and Lincoln Heights communities.
  • Connect directly to the West Transitway to Kanata, and the Southwest Transitway to Barrhaven to facilitate the daily commute.
  • Provide opportunities to maximize cycling connections at stations and along the alignment.

Approved as part of the City's 2013 Transportation Master Plan, Stage 2 Light Rail is a package of three extensions that represent the next phase of rail rapid transit investment in Ottawa. By 2023, Stage 2 will add a total
of 30 kilometres of rail and 19 new stations to the O-Train system from Bayshore to Place d'Orléans, and south to Bowesville at Riverside South.

Notice of Commencement

Transit Project Assessment Process

The Project

The City of Ottawa is proposing to expand the City's Confederation Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) network, currently under construction, to the east, west and southwest regions of the City. The Western Extension of the Confederation Line Light Rail Transit includes extending the Confederation Line further west from Tunney's Pasture Station to Baseline and Bayshore Stations as well as a developing a Maintenance and Storage Facility in the Nepean-Woodroffe corridor, south of Norice Avenue. The purpose of this project is to provide a higher level of transit service to growing communities in the west and southwest of the city, a need identified in the City of Ottawa's 2013 Transportation Master Plan.

The Plan will:

  • Add 13 kilometres of rail and 10 LRT stations to the City's overall transit network at Westboro, Dominion, Cleary, New Orchard, Lincoln Fields, Iris, Baseline, Queensview, Pinecrest, and Bayshore.
  • Connect directly to the West Transitway and the Southwest Transitway to facilitate connections to the communities of Kanata and Barrhaven.

Study Map [ PDF 1.173 MB ]

The Process

Planning efforts have been completed and this project will be assessed according to the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) as prescribed in Ontario Regulation 231/08. As part of the TPAP, an Environmental Project Report (EPR) will be prepared by the proponent, the City of Ottawa, to document the study process, the environmental conditions, alternatives considered, the planned project, anticipated environmental impacts, appropriate mitigation and the project's consultation program.

During the Notice of Commencement phase of the environmental assessment, copies of the draft Environmental Project Report (EPR) will be available to provide interested parties time to review and provide feedback prior to the formal 30-day public review period following the posting of the Notice of Completion.

The draft EPR will be available in print at the locations below:

Executive Summary [ PDF 1.513 MB ]

City Hall Client Service Centre
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J1

Centrepointe Library (Nepean)
101 Centrepointe Dr.
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5K7

Carlingwood Library
281 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, Ontario K2A 3W4

Consultation

Interested persons are invited to review the work completed to-date during the planning phase including a study summary, previous consultation efforts and reports presented to City Council. 

Given the extent of prior consultation, and the availability of a draft Environmental Project Report (EPR) for public review, it is anticipated that the City will issue the Notice of Completion in early September 2016 (which is within the maximum 120-day period in the TPAP Regulation). Notification will be provided in advance of the formal 30-day public review period. Further information on the Transit Projects Assessment Process is available at: Ontario.ca/document/guide-environmental-assessment-requirements-transit-projects

To Submit Comments

If you have project-related questions or comments, or have any accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact the Project Manager on behalf of the proponent, the City of Ottawa:

Nelson Edwards
Senior Project Manager
Transportation Planning Branch - Environmental Assessment Unit
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West, 4th Floor
Ottawa ON K1P 1J1
613-580-2424 ext. 21290 Fax: 613-580-2578
Email: nelson.edwards@ottawa.ca

If you would like to be added to our project mailing list, please register on-line at ottawa.ca/esubscriptions.
Comments received will be collected under the Environmental Assessment Act and, with the exception of personal information, will become part of the public record as per the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).

Direct submissions to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Environmental Assessment Act. Unless otherwise stated in the submission, any personal information such as name, address, telephone number and property location included in a submission will become part of the public record for this matter and will be released, if requested, to any person.

Notice first published on 2 June 2016.

Notice of Completion of Transit Project Assessment Process

Confederation Line West Light Rail Transit Extension – City of Ottawa

The City of Ottawa has completed an Environmental Project Report (EPR) in accordance with Ontario Regulation 231/08 for the Western Extension of the Confederation Line Light Rail Transit Environmental Assessment study.

Western Extension of the Confederation Line LRT 

The Project

The City of Ottawa has developed a plan to extend and expand the City's existing Light Rail Transit Network. Specifically the plan includes extending the future Confederation Line further west from Tunney's Pasture Station to Bayshore and Baseline Stations, as well as a developing a Maintenance and Storage Facility in the Nepean-Woodroffe corridor, south of Norice Avenue.

The purpose of this project is to provide a higher level of transit service to growing communities in the west and southwest of the city, a need identified in the City of Ottawa's 2013 Transportation Master Plan. The Plan will add 13 kilometres of rail and 10 LRT stations to the City's overall transit network at Westboro, Dominion, Cleary, New Orchard, Lincoln Fields, Iris, Baseline, Queensview, Pinecrest, and Bayshore. The plan will also connect directly to the West Transitway and the Southwest Transitway to facilitate connections to the communities of Kanata and Barrhaven.

Preliminary engineering review has resulted in design refinements to the alignment along Richmond Road and Byron Linear Park, Lincoln Fields Station, Iris Station, and Bayshore Station. These changes have no significant additional environmental impact, reduce implementation costs, improve construction staging conditions, improve transit user experience, and have been incorporated into the EPR.

The Process

The environmental impact of this transit project was assessed and an EPR prepared according to the Transit Project Assessment Process as prescribed in Ontario Regulation 231/08, Transit Projects and Greater Toronto Transportation Authority Undertakings. The EPR documents the entire study process, including a description of the planned project, its anticipated environmental impacts, and the project's consultation program.

The EPR for the Confederation Line West LRT Extension will be available for a 30-day public review period starting September 29, 2016. Please note that the Draft EPR has been available for public review during the 120 day Notice of Commencement phase, which began on June 2, 2016. The final EPR is available at the locations noted below during their regular business hours.

Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change

Environmental Approvals Branch
135 St. Clair Avenue West, 1st Floor
Toronto ON M4V 1P5

Ottawa District Office
2430 Don Reid Drive
Ottawa ON K1H 1E1

City of Ottawa

Ottawa Public Library
Main Branch
120 Metcalfe St.
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5M2

Ottawa Public Library
Centrepointe Branch (Nepean)
101 Centrepointe Dr.
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5K7

Ottawa Public Library
Carlingwood Branch
281 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, Ontario K2A 3W4

Executive Summary [ PDF 1.297 MB ]

Interested persons are encouraged to review this document and provide comments by October 31, 2016 to the project contacts listed below.

There are circumstances where the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change has the authority to require further consideration of the transit project, or impose conditions on it. The Minister may require further consideration or impose conditions if he is of the opinion that:

  • the transit project may have a negative impact on a matter of provincial importance that relates to the natural environment or has cultural heritage value or interest; or,
  • the transit project may have a negative impact on a constitutionally protected Aboriginal or treaty right.

Before exercising the authority referred to above, the Minister is required to consider any written objections to the transit project that he or she may receive within 30 days after the Notice of Completion of the Environmental Project Report is first published.

If you have discussed your issues with the proponent and you object to the project, you can provide a written submission to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change no later than October 31, 2016 to the address provided below. All submissions must clearly indicate that an objection is being submitted and describe any negative impacts to matters of provincial importance (natural/cultural environment) or Aboriginal rights.

Attn: Gavin Battarino, Special Project Officer
Environmental Approvals Branch, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
135 St. Clair Avenue West, 1st Floor
Toronto ON M4V 1P5
General Inquiry: 416-314-8001
Toll Free: 800-461-6290
Fax: 416-314-8452
E-mail: EAABGen@ontario.ca

If not otherwise provided, a copy of the objection will be forwarded to the proponent by the ministry.
For further information on the proposed transit project or if you have any accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact the Project Manager, Nelson Edwards, at the following coordinates:

Nelson Edwards
Senior Project Engineer
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West, 4th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 613-580-2424 ext. 21290
Fax: 613-580-2578
Email: Nelson.Edwards@ottawa.ca

Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), personal information included in a submission to the City of Ottawa will not be disclosed to any third parties without having obtained the prior consent of the person to whom the information pertains, except when MFIPPA permits disclosure or other applicable law requires that the City disclose the personal information.

Direct submissions to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Environmental Assessment Act. Unless otherwise stated in the submission, any personal information such as name, address, telephone number and property location included in a submission will become part of the public record for this matter and will be released, if requested, to any person.

Notice first published on September 29, 2016

Maintenance and Storage Facility

Monday, September 21, 2015
5:30 to 8 p.m., Presentation at 6:30 p.m.
Ben Franklin Place, Council Chambers and Atrium
101 Centrepointe Drive

This Community Information Session will:

  • Present the rationale for choosing the Woodroffe Avenue location (Woodroffe Avenue near Norice Street location; also known as the Nepean Corridor) for a future Stage 2 Maintenance & Storage Facility (MSF).
  • Provide background on initial site layout and access, potential construction phasing and timing, as well as measures to address environmental and community impacts and concerns.
  • Have City staff and consulting engineers to respond to residents' queries about the site.

Open House Display Boards

1.Welcome [ PDF 1.555 MB ]
2.Background [ PDF 642 KB ]
3.Need for Additional MSF Capacity [ PDF 736 KB ]
4.MSF Components [ PDF 1.036 MB ]
5.MSF Site Selection [ PDF 1.047 MB ]
5b.MSF Site Selection [ PDF 855 KB ]
6.Community Impacts and Mitigation [ PDF 926 KB ]
7.Conceptual Design Overview [ PDF 2.491 MB ]
7b.Conceptual Design Overview [ PDF 1.172 MB ]
8.MSF Connecting Track [ PDF 864 KB ]
9.Next Steps [ PDF 973 KB ]

The area of open land adjacent to an existing rail corridor has been selected as one of two recommended locations to meet future Light Rail Transit Maintenance and Storage requirements as the Confederation Line system expands.

Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. If you require special accommodation, please call or e-mail the project lead below before the event.

For further information please contact:

Nelson Edwards
Senior Project Manager
Transportation Planning
110 Laurier Avenue West
613-580-2424, ext. 21290
Fax: 613-580-2570
E-mail: Nelson.Edwards@ottawa.ca

Stage 2 Light Rail Transit (LRT) Connectivity Public Consultations

Let's get connected!

As part of the LRT Stage 2 project – which extends the O-Train Confederation Line east and west, and Trillium Line farther south – The City of Ottawa has undertaken a Stage 2 Station Connectivity Study to ensure that community connections are preserved and enhanced along the expanded O-Train system. The study outlines a series of mobility enhancements, including bicycle facilities, multi-use pathways and crosswalks.

Study Area Map [ PDF 281 KB ]

We invite you to give us your feedback on the study at a series of public consultations being held from
7 to 9 p.m. at the following locations:

West Stations:

  • Queensview, Pinecrest and Bayshore – August 9, 2016 - All Saints Lutheran Church, 1061 Pinecrest Road
  • Iris and Baseline – August 10, 2016 – Algonquin College ACCE Building, 1385 Woodroffe Avenue, Room CA105, 1st floor

South Stations:

  • Walkley, Greenboro and South Keys – August 17, 2016 Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, 1265 Walkley Road
  • Leitrim and Bowesville – August 30, 2016 Rideauview Community Centre, 4310 Shoreline Drive

East Stations:

  • Montreal Road, Jeanne d'Arc, Orléans Blvd., Place d'Orléans and Trim -  August 29, 2016 - Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex-Orléans, 1490 Youville Drive

The public consultation will include:

  • Recommendations for connectivity planning and design based on existing City plans and context
  • Moderated break-out sessions to get input from the community on these recommendations

Ward Councillors and representatives from the City will be available to discuss the project and answer questions.

Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. If you require special accommodation, please email your request to the contact below.

For more information, please email stage2@ottawa.ca or contact:

Marc Magierowicz, Planner
LRT Stage 2 Project Office
180 Elgin Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 2K3
email: marc.magierowicz@ottawa.ca
613-580-2424 ext. 27820

Open House - April 29, 2015

Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Jean Pigott Place, City Hall
110 Laurier Avenue West
6 to 8:30 p.m.
Presentation at 7 p.m.

Open House displays:

Open House #4 Display Boards [ PDF 9.077 MB ]
Dominion Station to Tunney's Pasture Station [ PDF 2.160 MB ]
Baseline to Lincoln Fields Station [ PDF 3.462 MB ]
Bayshore to Lincoln Fields Station [ PDF 3.423 MB ]
West Portal to Dominion Station [ PDF 3.118 MB ]

The Confederation Line West extension is one of three environmental assessment studies currently underway as part of the Stage 2 rail (Ottawa.ca/stage2) package, the City's plan to add 19 new stations and 30 kilometres of rail farther east, west and south of the City.

The study is being undertaken in accordance with the transit project assessment process as prescribed in Ontario Regulation 231/08, Transit Projects.

Direct your comments and questions to the contact person below. 

For further information on this project, or to be added to our mailing list, visit the web site or contact:
Nelson Edwards
Senior Project Manager
Transportation Planning
110 Laurier Avenue West
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 21290
Fax: 613-580-2570
E-mail: Nelson.Edwards@ottawa.ca