As council's rubber stamp came down on the finalized bus rapid transit (BRT) routes, London's mayor declared the controversial project was absolutely happening in the city.
City politicians gave their final approval of the BRT lines on Tuesday, nixing the tunnel beneath Richmond Row, keeping the north corridor on Richmond, and splitting the east-west leg between King St. and Queens Ave. The routes had been debated at length on Monday night at the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting.
Council voted 7-5 to approve the at grade level crossing that replaces the 900-metre tunnel. Councillors Michael Van Holst, Mo Salih, Jesse Helmer, Phil Squire, and Stephen Turner were opposed. However several commented that their objection to the grade level crossing did not mean they supported the tunnel. Councillor Josh Morgan recused himself from the vote due to a conflict.
The loss of the tunnel brings the total cost of the BRT system down to $440-million, from its original $880-million price tag when it was pitched as a hybrid system that included light rail.
Councillor Helmer urged Londoners disappointed with the project's transformation to continue to offer their opinions to the city.
"I know it can be demoralizing, quite frankly, to have the project go from LRT/BRT hybrid... down to a BRT only with a tunnel, down to a BRT with no tunnel," said Helmer. "I just want to encourage everybody who wants to make transit the best it can be in the city of London to keep showing up to all the meetings, keep advocating in a respectful way, keep disagreeing with people in a respectful way so we can move the whole project forward and make it as best as we can."
City staff pulled their support for the tunnel last week after a detailed design saw the cost of the tunnel jump for $135-million to $220-million.
Also finalized on Tuesday were the routes North to Masonville mall through Western University, South of Wellington Rd to White Oaks Mall, East of Wellington to Fanshawe College, and West of Thames River to Oxford St./Wonderland Rd.
Mayor Matt Brown commended staff on their months of work developing the 24 km system of high-frequency buses that will bisect the city on L and 7-shaped corridors. He said the finalization of routes should put to rest any doubts about this project's future.
"What needs to be really clear to our entire community, is that today as we pass this motion BRT is happening in London," Said Brown. "Council has made a very critical decision in the decision making path, the business case can now move forward to the province, we can now participate in phase II of the funding source, and if people from our community or other communities were wondering is BRT coming to London - absolutely it is."
London's contribution to BRT is capped at $130-million, with the city looking to the provincial and federal government for the rest of the funding.
An updated business case and transit master plan will be presented to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting on July 24.