Confederation Line East Light Rail Transit (LRT) Extension

On 26 November 2013, Council approved the 2013 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) that identifies the Stage 2 proposal to extend the Light Rail Confederation Line further east to Orléans, known as the Eastern Light Rail Transit (LRT). The Eastern LRT project limits extend from Blair Station to Trim Road. The City has initiated the Planning and Environmental Assessment (EA) study in accordance with the Province of Ontario's Transit Projects Assessment Process (O. Reg. 231/08). The Transit Projects Assessment Process (TPAP) requires consideration of alternative designs, public and agency consultation, an assessment of potential environmental impacts and identification of measures to mitigate impacts. As part of the TPAP, an Environmental Project Report will be prepared and will be available for public review.

The Statement of Work for this Planning and EA study was approved at Transportation Committee on 5 February 2014 and is available at the following link: Statement of Work

The 2013 TMP envisions locating the Eastern LRT along the Ottawa Road 174 (OR174) road corridor. Within this corridor, a multi-jurisdictional Municipal Class EA Study is currently underway on a proposed widening of the OR174, extending to County Road 17 (CR17) from Highway 417/Split to the limits of Clarence-Rockland in the United Counties of Prescott Russell (Prescott-Russell). As the OR174/CR17 EA study crosses two municipal jurisdictions, it is being carried out jointly between the City and Prescott Russell with provincial funding. More information on this study is available at ottawa.ca/hwy174and17study.

With the LRT and road widening sharing the same corridor, a coordinated approach to both EA studies is required to ensure an optimal solution that fully utilizes the OR174 road corridor is achieved, while minimizing overall construction costs. The primary study limits are illustrated below.

The TPAP is being conducted in parallel with the existing OR174/CR17 EA study to coordinate information sharing, technical design work, and stakeholder consultation activities. Members of the public, agencies and other interested persons are encouraged to participate actively in the project by attending consultation opportunities or contacting staff directly with information, comments or questions. Some initial planning and pre-consultation on the proposed Eastern LRT was undertaken in the existing OR174/CR17 EA study.

The co-ordinated study will seek to:

• Continue the existing OR174/CR17 EA process to examine possible road widening of this corridor.
• Consider LRT alignments and design alternatives for an eastward LRT extension from Blair Station, as well as potential interactions with the OR174.
• Maintain common stakeholder engagement and studies, while meeting TPAP and Class EA requirements.

Combined Open Houses will provide information relevant to both EA studies, and will give interested stakeholders an opportunity to learn about the study and comment on any aspect of the coordinated studies. Notification for the Open Houses will be provided in local newspaper notices, through emails to the study mailing list, and through website postings.

The study schedule is as follows:

Study Schedule

Interested persons can provide comments as part of the EA and TPAP processes. Any comments received will be collected under the Environmental Assessment Act and, with the exception of personal information, will become part of the public record. For further information on this project, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact:

Angela Taylor, P.Eng.
Senior Project Engineer
Transportation Planning
City of Ottawa
613-580-2424, ext. 1520
E-mail:  ottawa.ca/planning

At the Open House, residents will be presented with preferred options for the Confederation Line East extension alignment (in the median) and for the road widening east of Trim Road (along Highway 174)

LRT East/Highway 174 Project Highlights:

Stage 2's Confederation Line East Extension will:

• Add 10 kilometres of rail and four new stations to the City's overall transit network. A potential extension to Trim Road that would add more stations and 3.5 kilometres is also being considered as part of the Environmental Assessment study.
• Bring 95 per cent of all Orléans, Blackburn Hamlet and Beacon Hill residents within five kilometres of rail.
• Provide new and direct access to more comfortable, reliable and efficient transit for residents near Orléans Boulevard and Montreal Road.
• Create opportunities to improve bus service connections through transit priority projects on Orléans and Jeanne d'Arc Boulevards to better link residents to the main rail line.
• Provide a more efficient rapid transit transfer point in Orléans for Clarence-Rockland Transit.
• Connect to existing Park and Ride facilities at Place d'Orléans and eventually to Trim Road.
• Offer a cost-effective alignment that minimizes community impacts and land requirements while maintaining excellent connectivity to surrounding communities.
• Connect to adjacent communities through existing and proposed multi-use pathways.
• Further improve transit service to major mixed-use centres at Blair and at Orléans Town Centre, major employment areas at Canotek Park and at Taylor Creek, numerous residential communities, as well as to other destinations including the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex-Orléans, La Cité Collégiale, and Place D'Orléans Shopping Centre.
• Integrate with the Highway 174 widening environmental assessment to achieve better design outcomes, ensure efficiencies of scale, and maximize benefits both to the community and to the environment.

The Highway 174 widening will:

• Provide additional capacity to serve the predominant flow of traffic and avoid adding infrastructure to undeveloped natural areas.
• Integrate designs that are appropriate for the surrounding communities, including median barriers to improve safety, and east of Trim Road, paved shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists, and intersections designed to manage speed.
• Provide significant quality of life enhancements in Cumberland Village, including reduced speeds, improved pedestrian and cycling facilities, enhanced river access, additional lighting and gateway features to the Nation's Capital.
• Allow for the consideration of HOV lane designations.

The Project

The City of Ottawa is developing a plan to extend and expand the City's existing Light Rail Transit network. Specifically the plan includes extending the future Confederation Line farther east from Blair Station to an interim terminal at Place d'Orléans station and, ultimately, to Trim Road.

The plan includes options to service the community of Orléans and adjacent lands. New stations will be located at Montreal Road, Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard, Orléans Boulevard and the terminal station at Place d'Orléans. Additional stations will ultimately be constructed at Brisebois Cresent/Mockingbird Drive (Orléans Town Centre), Tenth Line Road and the terminus of the line at Trim Road.

The Process

Planning efforts have been completed and the City is now formalizing the environmental assessment component in accordance with 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 to document the study process, a description of the planned project, its anticipated environmental impacts, as well as the project's consultation program.

Consultation

Members of the public, agencies and other interested persons are invited to review the work completed to-date, including previous consultation efforts and reports presented to City Council on this project during the planning phase. In winter-spring 2016, the draft EPR will be made available for public review and notification will be issued.

If you would like to be added to our project mailing list, have project-related questions, or have any accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact:

Angela Taylor, P.Eng.
Senior Project Engineer
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West, 4th Floor
Ottawa ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 613-580-2424 ext. 15210
Fax: 613-580-2578
E-mail: Angela.Taylor@ottawa.ca

Under 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 files for this matter and will be released, if requested, to any person.

Notice first published on 26 November 2015.

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

Environmental Project Report - Confederation Line East Extension (Blair Station to Trim Road)

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 east from Blair Station to an interim terminal at Place d'Orléans station and, ultimately, to Trim Road.

The plan includes options to service the community of Orleans and adjacent lands. New stations will be located at Montreal Road, Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard, Orléans Boulevard and the terminal station at Place d'Orléans. Additional stations will ultimately be constructed at Brisebois Crescent/Mockingbird Drive (Orleans Town Centre), east of Tenth Line Road and the terminus of the line at Trim Road. Preliminary engineering review has resulted in design refinements to the alignment between Blair Station and Montreal Road Station. These changes have no additional environmental impact, reduce implementation costs, and have been incorporated into the Environmental Project Report.

Impacts to private property are not anticipated as the preferred alternative for the East LRT alignment is entirely within the right-of-way of HWY 174.

The Process

The environmental impact of this transit project was assessed and an Environmental Project Report (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 East LRT Extension project will be available for a 30-day public review period starting March 24, 2016 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
City Hall Information Desk
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1P 1J1

Carleton University
MacOdrum Library
1125 Colonel By Drive Ottawa ON K1S 5B6

University of Ottawa
Morisset Library
65 University Private
Ottawa ON K1N 6N5

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

North Gloucester Branch
2036 Ogilvie Rd.
Ottawa ON K1J 7N8

Orléans Branch
1705 Orléans Boulevard
Ottawa ON K1C 4W2

Cumberland Branch
1599 Tenth Line Rd.
Ottawa ON K1E 3E8

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 April 25, 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: Dorothy Moszynski, 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, Angela Taylor, at the following coordinates:

Angela Taylor, P.Eng.
Senior Project Engineer
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West, 4th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 613-580-2424 ext. 15210
Fax: 613-580-2578
E-mail: Angela.Taylor@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 March 24, 2016