Environmental Project Report

EPR Cover

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ACRONYMS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1. Project Description
1.1.1. LRT Alignments and Stations
1.1.2. Maintenance and Storage Facility
1.2. Purpose of the Project
1.3. Study Background
1.3.1. Prior Planning Work
1.4. Relationship with Other Studies, Projects and Future Undertakings
1.4.1. The Transportation Master Plan
1.4.2. Western Corridor LRT
1.4.3. O-Train Corridor LRT Conversion
1.4.4. Interprovincial Transit Strategy
1.4.5. Hospital Link/Cumberland Transitway Connection
1.5 Report Organization

2.0 STUDY PROCESS AND EA REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Ontario Environmental Assessment Act
2.1.1 Transit EAs
2.1.1.1 Project Planning Phase
2.1.1.2 Transit Project Assessment Phase
2.2 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
2.2.1 Federal Contacts – Responsible Authority and other Federal Authorities
2.3 Coordinated Environmental Assessment Phase

3.0 PROJECT NEED AND JUSTIFICATION

3.1 Overview of Current Situation
3.2 Policy Direction
3.3 Prior Planning Work
3.3.1 Transportation Master Plan
3.4 Ridership on the DOTT Line
3.5 Benefits of the DOTT Line

4.0 CONSULTATION PROGRAM

4.1 The Consultation Approach
4.1.1 Project Website
4.1.2 Notices
4.1.3 Public Open Houses
4.1.4 Transit Committee and City Council Meetings
4.1.5 Consultation Groups
4.1.6 Agency Consultation Group
4.1.7 Business Consultation Group
4.1.8 Public Consultation Group
4.1.9 First Nations
4.1.10 Other Stakeholders
4.2 Pre-Notice of Commencement (Project Planning Phase) Consultation
4.2.1 Meeting #1 of the Consultation Groups
4.2.2 Meeting #2 of the Consultation Groups
4.2.3 Meeting #3 of the Consultation Groups
4.2.4 Meeting #4 of the Consultation Groups
4.2.5 Additional Meeting of the Business Consultation Group
4.2.6 Public Open House #1 and Presentation
4.2.7 Transit Committee and City Council Meetings on the Recommended Alignment and Station Design Concepts
4.2.8 Joint Consultation Group Meeting on Maintenance and Storage Facility
4.2.9 Public Open House 32
4.2.10 Meeting #5 of the Consultation Groups
4.2.11 Public Open House #3 and Presentation
4.2.12 Transit Committee and City Council Meetings on Transit Technology
4.2.13 Transit Committee and City Council Meetings on the Recommended Plan (Functional Design)
4.2.14 Other Pre-Notice of Commencement Consultation Activities Undertaken
4.2.15 Key Issues Arising during Pre-Notice of Commencement Consultation
4.3 Post Notice of Commencement Consultation
4.3.1 Notice of Study Commencement
4.3.2 Meeting #6 of the Consultation Groups
4.3.3 Public Open House #4
4.3.4 First Nations
4.3.5 Government of Ontario
4.3.6 Government of Canada
4.3.7 Meetings With Other Stakeholders
4.4 Consultation on the Draft Environmental Project Report
4.5 Post-Notice of Completion Consultation

5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

5.1 Study Area Location and Boundaries
5.1.1 Physical Boundaries
5.1.2 Temporal Boundaries
5.2 Social Environment
5.2.1 Transportation Network
5.2.1.1 Existing Transit Services
5.2.1.1.1 Rapid Transit Network
5.2.1.1.2 Local Transit Network
5.2.1.1.3 Société de transport de L’Outaouais (STO) Transit Services
5.2.1.1.4 Regional/Inter-city Bus Services
5.2.1.1.5 Accessible Transit
5.2.1.1.6 Peak Period Transit Conditions
5.2.1.2 Road Network
5.2.1.2.1 Roadway Characteristics
5.2.1.2.2 Peak Period Traffic Conditions
5.2.1.2.3 Future Traffic Volume Projections
5.2.1.2.4 Community Neighbourhood Traffic Considerations
5.2.1.3 Pedestrian/Cycling Network
5.2.1.3.1 Pedestrian Network
5.2.1.3.2 Cycling Network
5.2.1.4 Railways
5.2.1.5 Navigable Waterways
5.2.2 Land Use Environment
5.2.2.1 Federal Land Use Policy
5.2.2.2 Provincial Land Use Policy
5.2.2.3 Municipal Land Use Policy
5.2.2.4 Existing Land Uses
5.2.2.4.1 Land Ownership
5.2.2.5 Vacant/Redevelopment
5.2.2.6 Downtown Office Market Overview
5.2.2.7 Downtown Retail Market Overview
5.2.2.8 Downtown Residential Market Overview
5.2.3 Social/Cultural Environment
5.2.3.1 Archaeology/Heritage Resources
5.2.3.1.1 Archaeological Resources and Potential
5.2.3.1.2 Heritage Potential
5.2.3.2 Cultural Landscapes
5.2.3.3 Character Areas
5.2.3.4 Aesthetics / Vistas and Views
5.2.3.5 Streetscaping
5.2.4 Municipal Services and Utilities
5.2.4.1 Watermains
5.2.4.2 Sewers
5.2.4.3 Natural Gas
5.2.4.4 Hydro One and Ottawa Hydro
5.2.4.5 Telecommunications
5.2.4.6 Other Utilities
5.2.5 Drainage and Stormwater Management
5.2.6 Structures
5.2.7 Noise, Air Quality and Vibration
5.2.7.1 Noise
5.2.7.2 Air Quality
5.2.7.3 Vibration
5.2.8 Environmental Contamination
5.3 Natural Environment
5.3.1 Physical Environment
5.3.1.1 Geotechnical Overview
5.3.2 Biological Environment
5.3.2.1 Vegetation
5.3.2.2 Wildlife
5.4 Consultation on the Environmental Setting

6.0 TRANSIT TECHNOLOGY

6.1 Background
6.2 Key Discriminators
6.3 Passenger Volumes and Predicted Ridership
6.4 The Preferred Technology
6.5 Consultation on Transit Technology

7.0 PROJECT GOALS, PLANNING OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN CRITERIA

7.1 Transportation Master Plan Vision
7.2 Goal of the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel Project
7.3 The Need for Guidance
7.3.1 Planning Objectives and Design Criteria

8.0 ALTERNATIVE TRANSIT ALIGNMENTS, STATION DESIGN CONCEPTS AND MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE FACILITY SITES

8.1 Overview of the LRT Design Segments
8.2 Evaluation Process for Alternatives Within Design Segments
8.2.1 Evaluation Criteria
8.2.2 Evaluation Methodology
8.3 Evaluation of Alternative LRT Alignments and Station Design Concepts
8.3.1 Tunney’s Pasture
8.3.2 Bayview
8.3.3 LeBreton
8.3.4 Downtown LRT Tunnel
8.3.4.1 Single Tunnels Under Parallel Streets
8.3.4.2 Single or Twin Tunnels Under One Street
8.3.4.3 Single or Twin Tunnels Under Downtown
8.3.4.4 Downtown Station Locations
8.3.4.5 Downtown Station Platform Configurations
8.3.5 Laurier-Lees (East Portal)
8.3.6 Hurdman Station
8.3.7 Train (VIA Rail) Station
8.3.8 St. Laurent
8.3.9 Cyrville
8.3.10 Blair
8.4 Alternative Maintenance and Storage Facility Candidate Sites
8.4.1 Bayview (North and South)
8.4.2 Hurdman (North)
8.4.3 Hurdman (South)
8.4.4 Tremblay
8.4.5 St. Laurent Bus Depot
8.4.6 Industrial/St. Laurent – Innes/St. Laurent
8.4.7 Algoma
8.4.8 Aviation Parkway
8.4.9 Pineview
8.4.10 Eastern Parkway
8.5 Evaluation Process for Maintenance and Storage Facility Candidate Sites
8.5.1 Evaluation Criteria
8.5.2 Evaluation Methodology
8.6 Evaluation of Maintenance and Storage Facility Candidate Sites
8.6.1 Refinement of Preferred Site
8.7 Consultation on the Alternative Alignments, Station Design Concepts and Maintenance and Storage Facility Sites
8.7.1 Alternative Alignments and Station Design Concepts
8.7.2 Alternative Maintenance and Storage Facility Sites

9.0 THE RECOMMENDED PLAN

9.1 Overview of the Recommended Plan
9.1.1 LRT Alignment
9.1.1.1 West Transitway Conversion
9.1.1.2 Downtown Transit Tunnel
9.1.1.3 East Transitway Conversion
9.1.1.4 Horizontal and Vertical Alignment Parameters
9.1.1.5 Refinements to the Alignment
9.1.2 Ancillary Features
9.1.2.1 Special Trackwork
9.1.2.2 Electrical Substations
9.1.2.3 Life Safety
9.1.2.4 Public Art
9.1.3 Stations and Runningway Segments
9.1.3.1 Overview of Station Elements
9.1.3.2 Overview of Runningway Elements
9.1.3.3 Recommended Designs
9.2 Project Implementation
9.2.1 Planning/Pre-construction
9.2.2 Construction
9.2.2.1 Construction Staging
9.2.3 Operation
9.2.3.1 Light Rail Operation
9.3 Project Costs
9.3.1 Cost Estimate
9.4 Consultation on the Recommended Plan

Alignment Plates: 9-1 to 9-6, 9-7 to 9-11, 9-12 to 9-17, 9-18 to 9-23

Station Plans

Maintenance and Storage Facility Plans

Ancillary Features

10.0 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, SIGNIFICANCE AND MITIGATION

10.1 Assessment Approach
10.2 Project Benefits
10.2.1 Demonstration of Project Benefits
10.2.2 Calculation of Economic Benefits
10.3 Impact Assessment Results, Mitigation, Significance and Residual Effects
10.4 Cumulative Effects
10.5 Accidents and Malfunctions
10.6 Municipal, Provincial, Federal or Other Approvals or Permits
10.6.1 Modifying the Recommended Plan
10.6.2 CEAA Determination
10.7 Future Commitments

EPR Appendices Cover

LIST OF APPENDICES

A. Public Consultation Report

Pages
1-37, 38-42, 43-49, 50-56, 57-78, 79-84, 85-100, 101-124, 125-144, 145-165, 166-223, 224-265, 266-338, 339-344, 345-347, 348-354, 355-378

Project Plan

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