RTG refuses to tell taxpayers how they'll finish LRT

The consortium building Ottawa's $2.1-billion light-rail system is refusing to publicly release its plan forfinishing the project, andMayor Jim Watson doesn't support the desire ofa number ofcouncillorsto speak directly toRideau Transit Group (RTG)officials about it.

The bombshell news earlier this week that RTGwon't meetits Nov. 2 deadline for handing the system over to the citystunned some councillors, including transit chair Coun. Stephen Blais, who demanded to know why they weren't told earlier.

Just a few weeks prior, council wassent a memo from the city's rail office that raised no red flags.

Councillorsfound out aboutthe delaythe second one this yearat the finance and economicdevelopment committee, viaOC Transpoboss John Manconi.

Noone from RTG was there to answer questions, and Manconi wasn't able to answer questions about whether council and the public cantrustRTG about the state of the project.

RTGholding back letter

RTG led by international corporations SNC Lavalin and Dragados told cityrail officials last week that it could only meet the Nov. 2 deadline if it didn't meet certaincontract requirements, andManconitold councillorshe rejected that proposal.

Thenlast Friday,RTG sent a letter to the cityoutlining a new plan to completeLRTby Nov. 30. On Monday, reporters asked to see that letter, andManconiandcity solicitorRick O'Connoragreed.

However, under the contract, the city needed RTG's permission to release the letter.

RTG has refused.

"We asked RTG if we could disclose the letter and they advised that this is confidential information and cannot be released under the terms of the project agreement," O'Connor wrote in an email.

It's unclear what about the multi-billion-dollar plan, footed by taxpayers,is confidential. Councillorshave also not seen the letter.

Multiple requests toRTGremain unacknowledged. CBChas filed an access-to-information request for the document.

Watson not calling RTG to council

The mayor saidthe city signs thousands of contracts withprivate consortiums, and that while they're not on the samescale as LRT, it's staff who areaccountable to council, not RTG.

"We don't have paving contractors, bridge builders coming and appearing before committee and council," Watson told reporters after this week's council meeting."The recognized, proper approach from a systems and management point of view is for contractors to report to senior staff."

But councillors have saidthey're almost always able to speak withcontractors working on projects in theirwards.

Few councillorsappear to have ever been in a meeting with an RTGstaffer present.

Mayoral challenger Clive Doucetsaid in a statement earlier this week that he would make all information about the LRT deal public, including tunnel and stationdesigns, and expropriation details.

"Transparency will be a hallmark of my administration," he said.