Milestones
On May 25th ,2011 Council approved the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (OLRT) Schedule Acceleration and Procurement Option Selection Report. Among its recommendations, this report detailed how the project could be delivered one full year sooner than originally planned.
On July 14th, 2011 the OLRT Implementation Report was approved by Council. This report presented results of Preliminary Engineering work to date, establishing an improved project plan that will control costs and improve the ridership experience.
On October 21st, 2011 the City completed OLRT's Request-for-Qualifications (RFQ) phase and shortlisted the following three world-class consortia to participate in the Request-for-Proposal (RFP) phase:
- Ottawa Transit Partners, led by Vinci Concessions (www.vinci-concessions.com)
- Rideau Transit Group, led by ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc. (www.grupoacs.com)
- Rideau Transit Partners, led by Bouygues Travaux Publics S.A. (www.bouygues-construction.com)
On October 27, 2011 the Request-for-Proposal (RFP) was released. This phase tasks the shortlisted consortia with the preparation of detailed OLRT project designs, as part of their procurement submissions, and proceeds for 9 months.
A New Alignment
The revised tunnel design can be constructed 24 meters closer to the surface than the original functional design allowed. This provides numerous benefits, including:
- Shorter Travelling Distances – The time to travel from the station’s street access to its platform has been reduced from two minutes to under a minute. The overall feel of the system will be far less “subterranean”;
- Better Building Connections – The shallower tunnel allows the downtown stations to link into existing basements and shopping concourses (for example, the concourse between towers at Place de Ville). It is now also easier to provide access to the transit system from within major buildings in the core without exposure to the elements;
- Better Accessibility – The reduced depth of the downtown stations and better integration with existing buildings will make public transit more comfortable and easier to access, particularly for those with mobility challenges, such as individuals in wheel chairs or with walkers;
- Reduced Cost – The reduced depth of the downtown stations translates into significant project savings for the City and more certain risk transfer to achieve a fixed price contract;
- The Improved Customer Experience – Shorter travelling distances, better building connections and greater accessibility all serve to improve the overall experience for light rail customers.
These improvements came as a result of City Council direction to re-evaluate the previous project assumptions. By conducting extensive preliminary engineering, a superior and less costly option was found.
This means that the Ottawa Light Rail Transit project can be delivered for $1.74 billion in 2009 dollars or $2.1 billion in inflation adjusted dollars. The City Treasurer has reaffirmed that this amount remains affordable for City, in her report Long Range Financial Plan – Transit.
Innovation in Action
The Mayor and his Council colleagues have high expectations for the LRT project, including a desire to see private-sector innovation deliver expedited results and increased budget savings during construction.
