No answer from Ottawa city officials on when LRT will run again
'No update at this time' says city spokesperson
As Ottawa transit riders endure a second week without access to the light rail system, city officials are no closer to providing a concrete answer for when service will resume.
When asked Monday when riders could reasonably expect to get back on the LRT, a spokesperson for the city told CBC there was "no update at this time."
The LRT has been out of service since a train derailed on Sept. 19 before entering Tremblay station. On that day, Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) CEO Mario Guerra told reporters the Confederation Line would likely remain out of service for at least a week. The very next day, that answer changed to an estimated three weeks.
Since then, there has been no confirmation of when a return to service for Ottawa's LRT is expected. RTM will need to satisfy an independent safety expert with its plan to resume operations before service can re-start.
- LRT fix could take 3 weeks after latest derailment
- LRT shut down again after 2nd train derailment since August
Rerouted buses leaving 'vulnerable folks' behind
In the meantime, as part of an ongoing effort to enhance the R1 service, OC Transpo created direct trips between downtown and Blair station during the morning and afternoon rush hours. All R1 buses will also bypass Cyrville station.
In total, 148 trips over 23 routes have been withdrawn to support the R1 service. Mathieu Fleury, city counsellor for Rideau-Vanier Ward, which includes Lowertown, Sandy Hill and Vanier said nearly half of those routes are within his ward and is looking to the city for answers.
The LRT is down again and the decisions to replace service has once again disproportionally affected our community. <br><br>Over 23 routes were cancelled as of Friday the 24th, with our community's trips totalling over 1/3 of all 148 cancelled trips in the city. Full list below: <a href="https://t.co/cgK8V5fl7G">pic.twitter.com/cgK8V5fl7G</a>
—@MathieuFleury"It basically exposes, from my perspective, the 'we're stealing from Paul to give to Peter here' in terms of service to transit," Fleury said.
Fleury said "ultimately we're leaving very vulnerable folks at bus stops" with many riders being newcomers, elderly people, essential workers and students who have "very few other options."
Following September's LRT derailment, Mayor Jim Watson recently announced a proposal for free transit for the month of December that will be voted on at the next council meeting — a move that advocates say isn't enough to make up for the ongoing problem with the system.
"We have to find ways of making the system run reliably and safely," said Transport Action Canada spokesperson David Jeanes.
"Shutting down the backbone of our transit system for three weeks or more is really unimaginable in any other city in the world," Jeanes said. "I can't imagine that the public will feel that a month of free transit is compensation for that."
