Ottawa - The City’s Transit Committee today approved the Recommended Plan for the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) Planning and Environmental Assessment Study.

On September 12, 2007, Council directed staff to initiate a Planning and Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for the DOTT project with a view towards providing sustainable transit service in the downtown area for generations and reinforcing the city-wide goal of 30 per cent of peak hour commuters using the transit system.

“The release of this report represents the culmination of over three years of careful analysis, public consultation and Council vision,” said Mayor Larry O’Brien. “I am very excited that we have reached this critical milestone in putting ourselves on the path to transit sustainability.”

The report recommends that Transit Committee and Council approve:

• the functional design for the LRT corridor and the Maintenance and Storage Facility;

• that staff initiate the formal, expedited EA process using the functional design to define the undertaking and file the Environmental Project Report with the Ministry of the Environment;

• that following ministerial approval of the EA, and provided that project funding is available, that staff be directed to initiate the property acquisition process;

• that staff be directed to initiate the preliminary design and the procurement management process; and,

• that staff undertake an urban design study and a transportation study for the downtown that takes into account pedestrian, cycling facilities, and residual transit service for post-DOTT implementation.

“This significant investment in public transit is essential to the long-term competitiveness and liveability of the city,” said Transit Committee Chair Councillor Alex Cullen. “This decision by Transit Committee will help assure our partners that we are ready to take the next steps required to push forward our transit plan.”

With Transit Committee’s endorsement of the DOTT project’s functional design, the matter will now be considered by Council on January 13, 2010.

Council approval will initiate the Province of Ontario’s expedited Environmental Assessment process for transit projects that could see ministerial approval by May 2010. In addition, approval of the capital budget will allow critical preliminary engineering and property acquisition work to be initiated to ensure that the project is ready to move forward as soon as funds become available.

The staff report can be found on the City of Ottawa’s website at ottawa.ca.