Quote:
A new track on rail
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
For years, the light-rail issue operated in a vacuum.
Debate after debate occurred in committee at Ottawa City Hall but the public didn't care. When the citizenry finally became interested during the last election, long after the original north-south project had passed council, people did so with very little knowledge of the plan or its alternatives. The result was the plan was struck down by a new council so Ottawa was left with an even more dated transit system.
Credit where credit is due. Councillors Christine Leadman and Clive Doucet have generated interest in an alternative rail plan. They packed the Gladstone Theatre to unveil the plan and got a large response from the media. That's good for the debate, choice and democracy.
The plan raises some interesting points. It suggests an environmental assessment to choose between the Ottawa River Parkway and Carling Avenue for the main east-west line. Not a bad idea.
And it suggests starting rail sooner than the staff plan suggests. It's hard to argue with that as well. The Leadman-Doucet plan has generated interest. Good on those two councillors.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2008
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The above was an Ottawa Citizen editorial today.
We will see today whether the Transit Committee takes the Doucet-Leadman plan at all seriously. I have my doubts and I think that will be too bad.
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