Coalition calls for light rail rethink

Copyright, Ottawa Sun, (published Tues, Jun13, 2006)

Ottawa business, environmental and community groups want city council to get it right before it spends hundreds of millions of dollars on light rail transit.

They also want councillors and the mayor to hold off on making any decision on LRT until after November's election.

Yesterday, they launched the "Get It Right" group consisting of 12 Ottawa organizations that are banding together to urge council to delay the north-south LRT line.

The groups say they aren't against an expanded O-Train line but want to make sure Ottawa taxpayers aren't railroaded into paying for something they don't really need or want.

TIME CRUNCH

Hume Rogers, one of the founders of the Albert Slater Coalition and general manager of the Capital Hill Hotel and Suites, says with the city ready to unveil the final design and all costs related to the project tomorrow, the public won't have enough time to comment on the project.

"Two weeks is not a reasonable amount of time to debate the biggest project in the city's history," said Rogers.

Council is scheduled to make its final decision July 14.

The group is also concerned the construction on the project might be interrupted because the city hasn't received all the regulatory approvals it needs.

The group will begin an aggressive, two-week advertising campaign asking for the project to be delayed and for residents to lobby their councillors to make it an election issue.

Gerry Lepage, president of the Bank St. BIA, says the LRT plan needs more thought.

Lepage also says the timing for public debate is all wrong.

"We are looking at a time when we are thinking about barbecuing, going to the cottage and vacations. We're not thinking about an O-Train," he said.