Ottawa commuters spend an average of 84 minutes a day commuting to and from work. This is only 12 minutes fewer than Torontonians, who live in a city that is three times the size of our own. The Capital Region Rail plan unveiled by my campaign is the solution to cut commute times, reduce traffic on Highway 417, open up our city for business and improve everyone’s quality of life.

With a growing population that is spread out over a vast territory, our city needs an efficient transportation plan. Like Toronto, our public transit infrastructure should be designed with a tiered system that includes bus routes within our communities, a light-rail system and a regional rail, similar to the GoTrain, for long-distance commuters.

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I’ve heard the incumbent mayor claim that my proposal would counter efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Common sense and extensive research will confirm that the fuel required to run a train will do much less damage to the quality of our air than thousands of cars stuck idling in 417 traffic jams.

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Despite the introduction of a mandatory student bus pass for roughly 65,000 postsecondary students, transit ridership has declined over the last eight years. Transit riders generally agree that bus stations are inconveniently located, that buses don’t always show up on time, that transit fares are too expensive, and that commute times remain long. It’s clear that Ottawa is missing the mark on the transit front, losing opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to capitalize on the economic benefits of efficiently connecting people to jobs and business opportunities across our city.

Transit riders generally agree that bus stations are inconveniently located, that buses don’t always show up on time, that transit fares are too expensive, and that commute times remain long.

The $20-million O-train was one of the cheapest urban rail projects in North America, because it used existing tracks. With a minimal investment to revitalize the existing rail infrastructure in Ottawa, to renovate the Prince of Wales Bridge, and to build a few stations along the rail line, we can move people across our city for a fraction of what the LRT cost. With the participation of neighbouring municipalities, we can even get people who are outside the borders of our city directly to the heart of Ottawa. Imagine the economic benefits of connecting every resident of the greater Ottawa-Gatineau metropolitan area to more jobs, more housing options and more business opportunities in our city.

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When cities approach the 1.5 million population mark, they introduce a Regional Rail system. It was the case in 1967 when Toronto launched the GoTrain. Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary have their equivalent too. As the Ottawa-Gatineau metropolitan region grows closer to that mark, the time has come to think about how we can efficiently move more people across our city.

Imagine a Capital Region Rail that can take you from Kanata North to a new hockey arena next to a full-service transit station at Bayview. Imagine leaving your government job in Gatineau, and making it back to Barrhaven on time for dinner. I could ask you to imagine 1,000 more scenarios that leave you with more time to do the things you enjoy most, but this op-ed has a 600-word limit. I’m inviting you to let the dream of a more livable Ottawa become your reality.

In this election, the ballot question is about your future. Our campaign wants to see Ottawa achieve its highest potential. Despite recent LRT delays, my Capital Region Rail plan will complement and enhance existing transit infrastructure, and all three stages of the LRT. On Oct, 22, join me and let’s get Ottawa moving again.

Clive Doucet is a mayoral candidate, author and former four-term Ottawa city councillor. Find out more about his campaign at https://www.cliveformayor.ca/ Twitter: @CliveDoucet