Save Our Greenspace

Ottawa Communities Fighting to Preserve Our Greenspace / Updates on the LRT Project

May 18, 2006

Letter to council

Dear Mr. Mayor and Councillors,

As you deliberate on the site recommendation for the LRT maintenance
yard, please ask the following questions...

Safety:

Choosing to put the maintenance facility at the end of a runway is
asking for trouble. Electrified overhead lines increase the chance of
fires and loss of life to passengers and LRT maintenance staff should
a plane make impact. The entire LRT line would be put out of
commission.

Remember the over-run at the Toronto Airport? It happens. Does the
city want to take on that risk? Can the facility even be insured?

Ridership:

Why wasn't there consideration given to the E-W line, since the
facility would have to service trains on that line as well? Why
wasn't the incremental deadhead cost for the E-W line included in
staff's analysis?

Why is a 3-5 minute service interval being used to calculate
operational cost and determine where to locate the facility, when a
10-15 minute interval would be more appropriate? How was the 3-5
minute interval arrived at? Calgary gets along fine with a 15 minute
interval for their LRT. Want to reduce cost? Reduce the service
interval.

Contamination of Walkley: It's minor, according to the current owners,
CPRail. Cleanup would be minimal.

Contamination at Bowesville: Requires special water mains to shield
from a toxic plume flowing in a West-East direction just north of the
site. This 4C site was not part of the EA and would need to have that
done before building could start.

Answers to these questions will further point to Walkley as being the
true winner of the site selection process.

Sincerely,

Ron Rancourt
N-S PWG member for Windsor Park Village

819-934-1905 (days)
613-521-1272 (home)