By Mohammed Adam, Ottawa Citizen, January 23, 2020
Under orders from the federal government, the National Capital Commission is currently “refreshing” an abandoned 2013 plan to build a new bridge in the capital. The review is expected to be completed early this year. At the same time, the government has charged the NCC with developing an integrated, sustainable transportation plan for the capital that includes LRT, buses, cars and cycling. The NCC is in the process of hiring a consultant to complete that plan by the spring of 2021.
It is difficult to understand why the NCC has been given these conflicting assignments. The government is right to demand a comprehensive, sustainable interprovincial transportation plan for the capital. Such a blueprint is long overdue. But the Liberals can’t in the same breath consider building a new bridge to carry mainly cars. Forget the bridge.
(...)But the time for new bridges is gone. This is not the same as Montreal’s Champlain bridge, which is on a busy provincial highway. It’s surprising that a government committed to battling climate change, would want a new bridge in the capital to carry more cars and create more pollution.
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/adam-ncc-should-forget-about-a-new-ottawa-river-bridge