City committee approves LRT fast-track plan

Ottawa's city finance committee has approved a plan to fast-track completion of the proposed light rail transit to spring 2018, though financial details are not expected to be released until July.

The city's Finance and Economic Development Committee approved a plan Thursday to accelerate the project by one year. The LRT was originally slated to be up and running in 2019.

Some councillors had been urging the city to move up the completion date of the $2.1 billion project to 2017, to coincide with the country's 150th anniversary.

The city's LRT project team says under the new plan, people may be able to tour stations and see the trains in 2017.

The plan also calls for the purchase of 43 private properties along the route of the line, though city staff would not finalize details of those planned purchases until after afull financial update is released in July.

Councillor Diane Deans said she would await July's financial details before giving her support to the plan.

"I think there's going to be some pretty surprised people around here in July when we actually see how we are financially," said Deans. "My question is: Is it affordable and is it designed to budget?"

"We're very focused to the bottom line financially as we have to be... [but] do we compromise quality and how much compromising quality will occur?"

The 12.5 kilometre rail line LRT project includes calls a 3.2-kilometre tunnel to run between LeBreton Flats and the University of Ottawa campus, with four underground stops.