$1 Billion Lost In Commanda Bridge Conversion
The Commanda Bridge looks like a wonderful place to go for a walk on a gentle day in August.
In January, less so. Many of us have stood again the elements at Bayview station as a prevailing west wind roars all the way down the Ottawa River from Kanata in winter. Nothing in the way except a bit of a snow drift on the ice.
So for much of the winter, it will be little used.
But worse than the harsh climate in the middle of the Ottawa River is the opportunity cost … about $1 billion.
The revamped current bridge costs slightly less than the $40-million estimate city staff said it would cost to convert the former Prince of Wales Bridge to a light-rail commuter route. That figure was to be shared by many levels of government.
In this way, thousands of people a day could enjoy the bridge in a green mode to get to work each day of the year. With the current configuration, some people get to use the bridge in good weather, which is probably less than a quarter of the year give or take a heat emergency, a smoke alert, heavy rain, thunderstorms, a cold emergency, freezing rain, high winds, snow and a tornado now and then.
Of course, all this is predicated on the train working which is a bit of leap these days. And building the Bayview hub between the Confederation and Trillium lines out that it could handle the crowds transferring from the bridge train which, of course, the city didn’t do. One more piece of LRT incompetence the scale of which wobbles the mind.
But here’s one more mistake to add to the Mt. Everest of blunders on light rail.
A span across the Ottawa River goes for about $1 billion these days. The Commanda Bridge was already built. Yes, $1 billion squandered on a bike way to keep the cycling lobby happy.
They are high maintenance those bike types. And yappy and oh so self-righteous.
Ken Gray
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Ah, but you neglect the fact that there is no LRT on the Gatineau side and they have no intention of bouiding any. The Gatineau folks made the smart decision and installed BRT running busses into neighbourhoods to pick up pasengers and give them no-transfer rides to work. What a agreat idea! I wonder where they got it!
Ken… the Gatineau tram project is a huge mistake in its current alignment . It’s a bigger boondoggle than the LRT. What we need is some official recognition of the already expropriated corridor owned mostly by the MTQ and a little by the NCC which would essentially include a bridge over the Ottawa at Kanata North . A bridge in the West could allow Gatineau residents access to the LRT without having to spend billions ripping up current infrastructure
Gord:
I was unaware that people were physically incapable of transferring from a bus to a train. That must be all the problems caused at Tunney’s Pasture.
cheers
kgray
Lee:
Remember that the river up there is navigable so it must be one honkin’ big bridge.
Forty mil to get across the river? Chicken feed.
But a Kanata bridge is a good idea with the city moving west.
cheers
kgray
Sure 1 billion opportunity cost….but how much was needed to add car lanes?
Probably too much in the wrong place
A new bridge is require either in Kanata or at the end of the Aviation Parkway…we already know its going to the Parkway…eventually.
And you thought Catherine McKenney’s proposal for bicycle infrastructure was expensive?
Ken, The city paid $10million for the Prince of Wales (it’s name at the time) bridge. This was typical city FUBAR decision. The bridge owner had a bridge that they couldn’t sell and was a MASSIVE liability. The city boffins could have got it for a dollar…literally. There was no way a vehicle was going to cross the bridge to or from the Quebec side. As Gord Hunter pointed out, Gatineau picked buses. The neighbourhood at the end of the bridge was going to fight anything that brought vehicles thru their neighbourhood. I do have a question. Did Gatineau contribute ANYTHING to the refurbishment of the William Commanda bridge?
And really Ken, the bike lobby being powerful! Please. The Ottawa bike lobby is in your mind only. Development is a lobby. Cycling infrastructure happens (badly, like everything) in Ottawa because the city pitches itself as green and caring. It’s a false look but better than wasteful and incompetent.
Ian:
there is a formal bike lobby at https://bikeottawa.ca/
They are very well organized.
cheers
kgray