NCC steers clear of picking location for 6th interprovincial span

The National Capital Commission (NCC) is steering clear of recommending a location for a sixth interprovincial crossing, at least for now.

Instead, the NCC told its board Thursday that it will look for governmentdirection before it wades further into thecontroversial issue.

In its 2019 budget, the federal government asked the NCC to refresh its technical studies onthe project. The directivecame as a surprise to many whothought the idea of another span between Ottawa and Gatineau was dead in the water.

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The NCCupdated eight technical studies as directed, but said it wasn't tasked with choosing any onelocation. The technical studies dorank the Lower Duck site slightly higher than the Kettle Island site, whichproved controversial when it emerged as top choice in 2013.

The Lower Duck site would requireless land and attract more traffic away from other bridges, according to the studies.

"A billion-dollar bridge is not a priority for us. There's very little support amongst elected officials on the Ottawa side for a bridge," said Mayor Jim Watson, is a non-voting member of the NCCboard.

"We're dealing with significant challenges in public transit funding and alternative modes of transportation. Those dollars could be better invested and better spent."

The NCC will now embark on along-term plan to improve transportation between the two cities. The plan will take into accounttravel patterns andthe impact of COVID-19, including the possibility that more people in the region will be working from home in the future.

LeBreton sale on pause

Plans to sell a parcel of land besidePimisistation on LeBreton Flats for redevelopment are"on pause" because of COVID-19, Katie Paris, the NCC's director of the LeBreton project, told the board.

Paris said theNCCis waiting for the real estate market and development industry to stabilize.

"New office development is a major wild card,"Paris said.

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Acoalition of community associations, environmental groups and affordable housing advocates wants the NCC to sign a legal agreement to ensure affordable housing, local hiring and social services when the area is finally developed.

The NCC said it plans tocreatea publicadvisory group to tackle issues such as housing affordability and environmental sustainability.

"We think the public advisory group is the right approach, given the role of the NCC," CEO Tobi Nussbaum told reporters. "We want this [advisory group] to be a forum for the long term."

STO shows off tram plan

Gatineau's transit agency also showed theboard its plans for a tram that could one day crossGatineau Park and travel into downtown Ottawa.

The Socit de transport de l'Outaouais(STO) said once the tram crosses the Ottawa River via the Portage Bridge, it could either tunnel under Sparks Street or run along Wellington Streetin front of Parliament Hill. The STO isconducting a survey to gauge which option the public prefers.

• Gatineau wants to run light rail over Portage Bridge

NCC board members called better transportation links between the two cities"long overdue."

"It's surprising, as someone who doesn't live in Ottawa, how unintegrated the [Ottawa and Gatineau] transit systems are," said Michael Foderick, anNCC board member and lawyer fromToronto.