A Horse, Of Course

In the spring of 2018, the first of Ottawa's shiny new LRT (Light Rail Transit) trains pulled into Tunney's Pasture. The system worked well enough for awhile, then it didn’t, then it did again. Then it derailed, literally and metaphorically. It’s been a long journey, and one of these days/months/years, skeptical commuters may get what they were promised, a properly operating light-rail system.

Consider this, though: the ‘long journey’ began in 1870.

 A Horse, Of Course

Ottawa's first 'LRT' launched in July of 1870. Passengers hopped on horse-drawn trolleys that wound down Sussex and along Sparks Street and Wellington Ave.

When electric streetcars appeared in the 1890s, they transformed the cityscape. By 1915, there were 44 miles of tracks embedded in city streets, running from Lansdowne to Rockcliffe to points west.

When electric streetcars appeared in the 1890s, they transformed the cityscape. By 1915, there were 44 miles of tracks embedded in city streets, running from Lansdowne to Rockcliffe to points west.

For decades, the streetcar was king. Buses- "jitneys" - not so much. In 1951, for instance, Ottawa had three bus routes- and seven streetcar lines. That changed, though, as costs of running buses plummeted in relation to the cost of streetcar upkeep and maintenance.

The Haze of Nostalgia

There is a certain haze of nostalgia for streetcars in Ottawa. Turns out, that 'haze' obscures the reality of the time. For all of the anticipation the accompanied the arrival of Ottawa’s LRT, the mood was decidedly different in the 1950s. Streetcars didn't fit with the vision of 'forward thinkers' of the time, including then-mayor Charlotte Whitton.

 In addition:

·      streetcars lost money as ridership sagged and costs increased

·      streetcars were seen as noisy, and not particularly safe

·      streetcars were slow: in 1956, the average streetcar speed through downtown was 10 kph

·      accidents (they were common) brought the whole route to a grinding halt

 Finally, in May of 1959, the last Ottawa streetcar made its run. Tracks and overhead wires were removed. That set the stage for a vague – and enduring – conspiracy theory to take root

 Conspiracy, Anyone?

To many people, it was obvious that 'big automobile' was behind the demise of streetcars. Car companies would buy and mothball entire streetcar systems, then sell cars and buses to the stranded masses. A minor conviction involving General Motors in the U.S. added fuel to the conspiracy fire.

Most research shows that the "conspiracy" was just a realistic look at economics. When maintenance and replacement cost were included, the cost of running a bus was about half the cost of running a streetcar.

 Forward to the Past

The tracks are back, and in another example of 'everything old is new again', a system similar to the overhead wires used by streetcars power the new LRT. That also means no direct pollutants spewing into the atmosphere, one of the social costs not factored into the original demise of streetcar lines.

Here’s  another: Ottawa’s LRT runs on its own right of way. LRT critics have pointed out that ‘surface street’ LRT systems, such as those in Calgary or Edmonton, are cheaper to construct. The same critics seem to forget that at-grade crossings kill people. Calgary Transit says 84 people have died at or near C-Train (LRT) stations since 1981. A third of those deaths were by suicide, but two-thirds were believed to be accidents.

It has been 154 years since commuters took to the rails in Ottawa. The dig continues, with rails pushing east, west, south and may even north, with a nascent system planned for Gatineau, Quebec. Over the next few years we will see just how useful the new system serves the National Capital, especially given the disruption of ‘normal’ commuting caused by the Covid pandemic.

There is good information about Ottawa's light-rail heritage both on-line and in print by writers such as Anthony Clegg and Bill McKeown. CBC Ottawa posted this account of the history of Ottawa streetcars in 2019.

 Tom New, LBN