Capital Ward 17 candidate Daniel Rogers responds to Karwacki’s Bank Street O-Train Comment
When Ward 13 Candidate Peter Karwacki recently stated “out of the urban core, people do not think much of the Glebe, or a rail line to serve them” it drew the ire of the Ottawa city core.
Capital Ward 17 candidate Daniel Rogers who lives and works in the Glebe has responded to Karwacki’s comment on the Bank Street O-Train Subway concept running from Billings Bridge Shopping Centre to Parliament Station.
“Unlike Ward 13 candidate Peter Karwacki’s comment I would never think to comment on a group of people where I don’t know everyone in the group. The group in this case being the people who live in Ottawa. Peter doesn’t know everyone in Ottawa.”
Candidate Rogers says a “Bank Street O-Train Subway through the Glebe would serve everyone else outside of the Glebe not only the Glebe. It’s not about people in the Glebe. It’s about people in all of Ottawa.”
“It’s about moving people through the core of Ottawa more effectively and efficiently which benefits Confederation Line 1 as well” says Daniel Rogers.
In a previous interview candidate Rogers stated the Bank Street O-Train “tunnel is the way to make it work plus it ensures we have minimal issues for riders in the rain and snow” and “traffic congestion is really becoming a serious issue. People are looking for Bank Street O-Train and it’s a great idea.”
Other voices have spoken out about Bank Street O-Train in recent years including the Councillor for Capital Ward 17 Shawn Menard who stated in a previous interview “we need an alternative form of efficient transportation along Bank Street in the core. It (the Bank Street O-Train Tunnel) would improve the congestion that can occur, emissions, and local economic development.”
Another Capital Ward 17 candidate Rebecca Bromwich recently responded to Karwacki’s comments where he stated “it’s destined to fail, 2/3 of Ottawa City Council will vote it down” with “I don’t think this is inevitable. If we have a Council that works together better, we can achieve much more.”
MPP Joel Harden who represents the downtown core has said in past interviews if the city is going to have an electric Bank Street O-Train Tunnel “I want to see it done in a proper and accountable way” and “the debate on Bank Street electric O-Train needs to continue - we need to deal with the climate emergency and rail transit, if done right, it can be part of the solution.”
Other voices from Ward 14 Somerset which encompasses part of Bank Street have spoken as well. Local candidate Brandon Russell who is an avid supporter of the Bank Street O-Train concept responded in a previous interview with “I’m disappointed in Peter’s comments, about urban-suburban focus. Urban Ottawa is in dire need of fresh ideas. As for his election predictions on how council will vote, if there is a magic 8 ball that can project election results I am unaware of, then Peter would be a great asset to this city and the entire scientific community. However, the Ottawa I know and love needs ideas; not magic.”
Neighboring River Ward Councillor Riley Brockington has stated in a previous interview “What we have now is completely dysfunctional, it’s a traffic disaster, Bank Street is gridlocked, public transit in large quantities can’t get to Lansdowne” says Councillor Riley Brockington from River Ward 16.
Councillor Brockington points out “we (city council) asked staff to review Bank Street options, we can’t get people to and from Lansdowne efficiently, maybe running an LRT down Bank Street is part of a solution, people don’t want to be tied up in traffic.”