Ottawa's new council faces landfill decision after transit gains

OTTAWA · Ottawa's newly re-elected city council will confront a major decision on how to use a $95 million landfill site it purchased last term, a challenge that was seldom discussed during the municipal election. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe returns for a second term with a more ambitious four-year plan, leading a veteran council where 17 members received over 60 percent of the vote in their wards and two were acclaimed. The council's immediate task will be ensuring Premier Doug Ford follows through on a promise to upload the capital and maintenance costs of the LRT, a move expected to save the city $85 million annually. That funding shift, Sutcliffe's largest first-term accomplishment, is designed to eliminate OC Transpo's chronic deficit and help pay for lower transit fares and improved service.

The provincial upload means Ottawa will receive the same kind of transit financial support already given to Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and Hamilton. OC Transpo will continue to operate the LRT, collect fare revenue, hire drivers and set schedules as it does now. Transit reliability has improved, with O-Train Line 1 achieving 98.3 percent reliability for the 12 months ending last May. The city's expanded bus fleet added 124 electric buses this year and expects 175 more in 2027, while new express routes were added this fall.

Fares are set to drop under Sutcliffe's plan to cut adult monthly passes to $95, a reduction of about $43. The landfill decision presents a more complex long-term problem. Last term, council voted to spend $95 million to buy an approved landfill site near Carlsbad Springs as space at the city-owned Trail Road site fills up fast. The tough choice will be determining the new site's use, whether for a traditional landfill, incineration, or some newer technology. This expensive decision will shape city garbage disposal for decades. On other fronts, the Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment remains a controversy for some, but the deal is signed and construction is under way. The council starts with strong public support and has proven itself capable of dealing with complex issues.

With files from Yahoo News and Ottawa Citizen