Riders feeling 'abandoned' as Ottawa enters 4th week with no return date for LRT

Frustrations are at an all-time highamongcity councillors, transit advocates and riders as Ottawa enters its fourth week without light rail transit and without any sense of when service will return.

Dozens protestedin front of City Hall on Tuesday, demanding accountability for the LRT. The Confederation Line hasn't been in service since itcame off the rails on Sept. 19.It is thesecond derailment insix weeks.

Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) initially said itexpected the train would be out of service for at least a week. The very next day,that answerchanged to an estimated three weeks.

There has been no update from the city since on when service will resume. In an email, rail construction director Michael Morgan brought up the resumption plan that will be checked by independent experts and said council will get updates as soon as they're available.

"People feel like they've been a bit abandoned,they've been a bit betrayed, I think, by their city representatives because there just isn't any official word from city council about what's going on," saidKariGlynes Elliott, board member with advocacy groupOttawa Transit Riders.

Glynes Elliott said people continue tostrugglewith the R1 buses, which were put in place as a temporary replacement to the LRT. Many people have complained of the service's unreliability and overcrowdingonbuses.

Riders have been voicing their "stress and unhappiness and concernabout what lies in the future", she said.

'Little transparency' says councillor

Coun. Shawn Menardsaid the lack ofinformationon when LRT service will return is "emblematic of this term of council."

"We've seen a lack of communication on this issue repeatedly,partly because of the contract that we signed, a public-private partnership which has afforded little transparency, but also it's the leadership of the city," Menard said.

• Here's how long the Ottawa LRT has been off the rails
• No answer from Ottawa city officials on when LRT will run again

A city council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, where it's expectedtwo motions on the LRT will be voted on. They will includecalls for a public inquiry and a report on what it would take for the city to be able towalk away from its maintenance contract with RTM.

Menard said he isn't expecting an update on the return oftrainservice.

"We're not seeing accountability in the city for the situation that's transpired," he said.

A transit commission meeting is also scheduled for next week. Menard said he's hopeful there'll besome answers then.