City Makes Ridiculous Demands On LRT Uploading

 

This is one of the most ludicrous motions I have ever seen appear out of Ottawa City Hall.

The demands of the city are completely out of control concerning the uploading of Ottawa’s troubled light rail to the province. The motion and comments come from Kanata North Councillor Cathy Curry’s newsletter.

Remember that the province, if and when it assumes control of light rail through the agency Metrolinx (as per a commitment from Ontario Premier Doug Ford), is paying the hundreds of millions of dollar of bills that the city would have had to pay.

This pie-in-the-sky motion demands that, despite the province paying the freight, it cannot have control over service delivery or hiring, that any savings from LRT debt-servicing be re-invested into OC Transpo and that the province and the city partner in the planning of LRT to Barrhaven, Kanata and Stittsville.

Why would anyone enter into a deal where you pay the bills but lose all the benefits of ownership? Ford would be foolish to enter into any such agreement.

Then a comment from Curry says this Stage 3 was to be funded by the province and federal government. There’s no agreement on this … only a statement from former mayor Jim Watson that it had to be funded by the upper tiers of government. Who was Watson to dictate on how upper tiers should spend their money given the debt and spending stupidity at his municipal government … a process that has carried on into the Sutcliffe administration. Traditionally, funding is split three ways, not two.

Unless the city throws some money into Stage 3, the province and federal government won’t remotely agree to help fund the suburban extensions. Of course, the city doesn’t have any money … except for Tewin and Lansdowne. Why not put that money into something useful such as Stage 3 LRT.

The city won’t do that.

So Stage 3 is a non-starter.

Ken Gray

 

This from Curry:

—

I am often asked whether the plan to extend the LRT to Kanata and Stittsville will ever happen. Well, I don’t have a crystal ball, but like anything in life, big plans start with small steps. Last week, Councillor Gower (Chair of the Transit Committee) put forward a motion regarding transit long-range planning and the last part of the motion included this “therefore” clause. Note section g.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and the City Manager enter into negotiations with the Province of Ontario regarding the upload of LRT, and that the following principles be foundational to those discussions and inform a future Agreement with the Province: 

a. that a deal must be fair to Ottawa taxpayers and consistent with precedent deals reached in other Ontario municipalities; 

b. that the governance structure of Metrolinx includes appropriate mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency for Ottawa residents; 

c. that Metrolinx has a significant presence and adequate resources in Ottawa to meet its commitments to the City of Ottawa and OC Transpo; 

d. that OC Transpo maintain local control over service delivery and hiring of personnel;

e. that any savings from reduced debt-servicing and maintenance costs be re-invested into OC Transpo; 

f. that the value of Transit Oriented Development opportunities available along the LRT corridors be identified, assessed and factored into valuations; 

g. that the Province consult and collaborate with the City of Ottawa and OC Transpo on the planning, design, procurement, construction, delivery and operation of Stage 3 LRT to Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven; 

This was important. As you may know, LRT stage 3 was to be funded with 50% provincial funding and 50% federal funding. With the Premier’s promise to upload the LRT, now is the time to start thinking about stage 3.

—

This newsletter excerpt from Curry is courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours.

 

For You:

Why Does Sutcliffe Want LRT Control? MULVIHILL

Don’t Do It, Doug Ford: PATTON

Toronto LRT Woes Related To Ottawa Fiasco

LRT Track Replacement Is Routine Fix: RTM

 

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