Does the capital region need a regional transportation authority?

On Monday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced construction of the express rail link between Union Station in downtown Toronto and Canada's busiest airport. The link will be completed in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. Last year the estimated price tag for the 23.3-kilometer line was $300-million, but no recent numbers has been provided for the project.

Throughout all my years of living in Toronto the Ontario Government invested heavily in the provincial capital, especially when it came to transit infrastructure and attractions. Ontario Place, the ROM, and the Ontario Science Centre were amazing childhood attractions of which I have great memories of family outtings and school trips.

GO Transit is a service that many Torontonians may take for granted, but it continues to link Toronto with the whole region. In most circles of urban thinking people are trying to get motorists out of their cars and onto public transit. It's commonplace for people to drive their cars 5-10 minutes to their closest GO Transit station and take the train and bus into downtown. That's not possible in the National Capital Region.

The Government of Ontario is at it again with the Union Station-Pearson Aiport link.

Meanwhile in the National Capital Region a company called Mobility Ottawa Outaouais: Systems and Enterprises Inc., or MOOSE, is trying to get inter-provincial commuter rail going in our neck of the woods. Although they're not asking for money from municipalities they will seek provincial or federal money to help pay for maintenance costs. MOOSE has spoken to a number of mayors in the region but we haven't heard anything from the mayor of Ottawa. I would love to see the mayor of Ottawa, not necessarily Jim Watson but whoever the office holder is at the time, take some leadership in the region even if it's just initiating dialogue on key regional issues.

Although I love the fact that an entrepreneur is taking the initiative to provide this service, where's the vision from higher levels of government? There are some areas where I want governments to do less and there are others where I want governments to do more, and transit infrastructure is one of them. Perhaps this is a Thomas Ahearn situtation where an entrepreneur will spearhead the thing and eventually some level of government will come on board. Hopefully they won't poo poo on the whole thing like they did to Thomas Ahearn's baby.

My first writing pieces for CityMayors.com

This month I started writing for CityMayors.com, a news site focusing on cities, mainly urban and municipal issues.  The site is operated by the City Mayors Foundation- an international think thank based in the UK and Germany which "is made up of professionals who work together to promote strong and prosperous cities as well as good local government."

As Canada Correspondent with CityMayors.com I'll be covering urban and municipal issues in Ottawa and Canada.  I'm thankful that I now have a greater platform on which to share my love for cities.

Below you'll find links to my first two articles.  The first one is a feature about high speed rail in Canada and the second is a news piece about Ottawa City Council expenditures.  Please visit the CityMayors.com website regularly for new pieces about Canadian cities.  I will also post the links to this blog.  Thanks.

Kevin Bourne

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com 

  

Canada slow to build high speed rail routes

http://www.citymayors.com/transport/canada-high-speed-rail.html

Ottawa's mayor and councillors publish monthly expenditure data

http://www.citymayors.com/news/metronews_americas.html

Does Ottawa need a NAC-OCC pedestrian bridge?

Today I stumbled onto an OBJ article from earlier this year about the Ottawa Convention Centre.  What struck me as interesting was not the article but a comment from a reader named Les Gagne who suggested that there was a need for a heated pedestrian bridge connecting the National Arts Centre and the new Ottawa Convention Centre.  He ended his comment with, "Think Big Ottawa".  I like that kind of language, so I started thinking about it.

I'm not sure if Les Gagne literally meant a bridge from the NAC to the OCC, but I'm imagining a bridge from Le Café on the NAC side to the new waterfront plaza on the OCC side.  The NAC has rare waterfront commercial space where you can actually get something to eat or drink.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, it's somewhat hidden from the general public.  

With such a crossing Le Café immediately becomes accessible to people on the east side of the canal whether they're attending an event at the convention centre, staying at the Westin, or hanging out in the waterfront plaza.  The space around Le Café would become an extension of the waterfront plaza.  Such a bridge may even lead to the construction of a similar plaza on the NAC property.  The connection would also allow the two facilties to tag team on events if need be, including the Genie or Juno Awards where the NAC could play host and the OCC could be used for fan experience events.

This bridge would also get a lot of action once the public square at the Rideau-Sussex intersection is complete by 2017.  I would like to see this bridge included in the plans for what will be Ottawa's most happening intersection.  It would do wonders for the area.

Les Gagne, whoever you are, two thumbs up for your great idea.  Ottawa indeed has some thinkers.

For your viewing pleasure here are some pics of some great pedestrian bridges.  At this point we can only dream.

Kevin Bourne

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com