City won't hire STV for LRT safety review after all

The City of Ottawa has reversed its choice of firm to run an independent safety review of thelight rail system after criticism over that firm'sinvolvement in its planning.

STV was brought in for the reviewafter atrain derailed Sept. 19 as it entered Tremblaystation.

The city said STV provided preliminary engineering support that was used to inform cost estimates, staging and development of specifications for the Confederation Line. It was not responsible for its design, said the city manager.

"They're coming back to make a determination on work that they were supposed to oversee in the first place," said Coun. Catherine McKenneyin response.

• Outside expert chosen to review LRT's eventual return to service
• Critics question independence of LRT return-to-service review

City manager Steve Kanellakos said in a Tuesday memo there would have been measures to make sure STV's work was not biased, but he has to consider the optics.

"While the objectivity and expertise of STV is not in question in any way, I also recognize that public trust related to all aspects of the Confederation Line 1 is low right now, and I do not want any perception challenges to get in the way of residents' confidence in the findings," he wrote.

He said he reached out to STV Monday to update them and they accepted his decision. A search for a new firm for the review is underway.

WATCH | A city councillor on the perception of bias:

Independent analysis needed for Confederation Line fix, councillor says

3 years ago

Duration 1:06

Coun. Catherine McKenney says residents want an unbiased review of the problems with the Confederation Line. The City of Ottawa reversed a decision to hire STV for the review because the firm was involved in planning the construction of the line.

The Confederation Line is closed and there's no firm date for it to reopen.

Tuesday's news comes a day after botha TSB letter suggested the city improve detection equipment following an August LRT derailment and news the city had hiredRene Amilcar as its new transit general manager.