Persistent failures in leadership, partnership and communication negatively impacted Ottawa LRT
A report issued by the Ottawa LRT Public Inquiry, the provincially appointed entity tasked with evaluating the challenges with the Ottawa LRT project, has determined “persistent failures” in several areas led to “egregious violations of the public trust” that ultimately manifested in substandard and unreliable service.
The Inquiry Commissioner Justice William Hourigan says both the city of Ottawa and Rideau Transit Group (RTG), the consortium that built the first stage of the light-rail project, lost sight of the public interest, and the inquiry’s mandate was to determine what happened, why and ensure the issues are not repeated in the future.
The final report from the inquiry names several reasons to “why” the challenges arose and includes 103 recommendations for how to fix the ongoing issues with the line and ensure they do not reoccur on other major infrastructure projects.
The commissioner found several reasons behind the delivery of the unreliable light-rail line, including:
- The city chose unproven technology for the trains that strained the limits of what an LRT system could do.
- RTG did not coordinate the work of its sub-contractors and failed to ensure the integration of the various systems and components.
- An adversarial relationship developed between the city and RTG.
- The city rushed the LRT system into service before it was ready.
- RTG and its subcontractors did not provide adequate maintenance.
“It was unconscionable that RTG and its main sub-contractor knowingly gave the city inaccurate information about when they would finish building the LRT,” said Commissioner Hourigan.
He also found that Ottawa City Council was not told the testing criteria for the LRT was lowered to allow it to pass its final testing phase.
“This conduct irreparably compromised the legal oversight ability of council and raises serious concerns about whether the city of Ottawa can properly complete significant infrastructure projects,” added Commissioner Hourigan.
Among the more than 100 recommendations made to fix remaining issues with the line and mitigate future projects from experiencing similar issues was that an independent monitor keep Ottawa City Council or the Transit Commission informed about on-going corrective measures. Additionally, Commissioner Hourigan said the public-private partnership (P3) model of delivery should be examined and assessed to see if it is the best option for future projects.
“It is essential that governments do not start projects with the mindset there is only one acceptable delivery model. Instead, I recommend that government agencies procuring large and complex infrastructure projects critically analyze the full range of delivery model options using objective criteria appropriate to the project’s circumstances and the public procurer’s various priorities,” Commissioner Hourigan included in the report.
Other recommendations include:
- Collaboration and the public interest should be at the heart of the relationship between the public entity and private-sector partners.
- Systems integration must be prioritized from the design phase through to construction and manufacturing.
- Safety requirements should be designed and built in from the outset, to avoid expensive, retroactive changes. An independent safety auditor should be engaged early in the construction of complex infrastructure projects.
- Reliability and safety issues must be honestly identified and communicated to project partners and the public. The province should give legal protection to whistleblowers who bring forward concerns about major infrastructure projects.
- Trial testing requirements should be detailed in the relevant contracts and used as the basis for any performance scoring.
- There should be timely and proper responses to problems related to maintenance and operations by all parties once they arise. The safety and needs of the public should be prioritized.
- Prior to public opening, there should be an extensive running of the entire system under conditions designed to mirror those of public service.
“More than three years after opening, some of the LRT’s problems still have not been fixed. While relations between the city and RTG have improved, both need to do more work to ensure the public interest is at the core of everything they do,” Commissioner Hourigan said.
Reactions from Ottawa and RTG
He noted he shared the “frustration and disappointment of so many Ottawa residents” in the project and laid out three steps the city will take to implement the recommendations and begin to fix ongoing issues with the rail service. Mayor Sutcliffe’s three-point plan includes directing city staff to develop an action plan to implement key recommendations, ensure there is increased monitoring and appropriate oversight of the system and ensure transparency and regular reporting about construction and maintenance is shared with both the city council and the city’s finance and economic development committee. He said these updates will include timely updates on system performance, testing and modifications to safety and reliability criteria.
When asked about how he plans to build back trust in Ottawa citizens, Mayor Sutcliffe returned to the foundational promise of the Ottawa LRT project: Quality service.
“It’s all going to come down to the service people receive, and that’s what’s going to restore their confidence,” Mayor Sutcliffe said. “I’m hopeful if we adopt these recommendations and deliver a better service for people they will use the train more often.”
RTG said it looks forward to working with the mayor, city council and city staff to address the issues raised in the report.
“We acknowledge that all parties, including RTG and its subcontractors, have work to do to restore the public’s confidence in the city’s light-rail system. That work starts with a renewed commitment to working together on a path forward in the spirit of partnership required of all of us,” the consortium included in a statement. “We have listened, engaged in and taken this process seriously. We know Ottawa’s LRT is important to the community – connecting people to their friends, families, jobs and activities. We would like to reiterate our commitment to continue to improve the safety and reliability of Ottawa’s LRT, for the benefit of Ottawans.”
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
