City council approves transportation master plan to 2031

Ottawa city council unanimously approved the latest version of the city's transportation master plan on Tuesday. The plan governs all transportation initiatives until 2031.

The plan is valued at $4 billion, of which the largest component is $3 billion dedicated to constructing the second stage of the light rail network. That extension includes 35 kilometres of new track and 19 new stations, from Bayshore Shopping Centre through to Tunney's Pasture until Blair Road in east Ottawa.

In the south, the city plans to extend O-Trainservice from Greenboroto Bowesville.

• LRT from Bayshore to Orleans part of city's transit plan

Mayor Jim Watson said he wanted a strong consensus to the transportation master plan in order to move forward byseekingfunding from the federal and provincial governments for the $3 billion LRT project. The city is asking each for a contribution of $1 billion.

"It really is on par with what we think the citizens of Ottawa deserve," said Watson. "We represent three per cent of the country and [what we're asking]the federal government for is about two per cent.

"So we think we're in the ballpark of being reasonable and not being greedy and asking for toomuch."