PCs, Liberals both vow to hand control of Ottawa's LRT to Metrolinx

The Ontario government would transfer responsibility for Ottawa's light rail system to provincial agency Metrolinx, according to campaign promises made by Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford and Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie on Tuesday.

"With the threat of President Trump's tariffs continuing to loom over Ontario, it's never been more important to invest in our economy, support taxpayers and keep costs down for hard-working families. That's why if elected, a PC government will upload the Ottawa LRT," Ford said at a campaign stop at a window installation company in Ottawa.  

"Doing so will free up significant funds and capital," he said. "This will be more important than ever as the LRT project completes Stage 2 and begins Stage 3 expansion into more communities across the region."

Ahead of Ford's announcement, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie also vowed to lift responsibility for the LRT from the city.

"As Premier, Team Bonnie will upload the Ottawa LRT to ensure reliable, affordable transit for the city of Ottawa," her campaign said in a statement.

Sutcliffe welcomes announcement

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe welcomed Ford's announcement as "a big win for Ottawa."

"I've made the case that Ottawa deserves to be treated like other Ontario cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, and Brampton," he posted on social media. 

"I'm very glad that Premier Ford agrees."Uploading Ottawa's light rail system to the province will align Ottawa with other Ontario cities, Sutcliffe said, improving its finances while allowing OC Transpo to focus on improving its service. 

Sutcliffe has been arguing for months that the capital has gotten a raw deal when it comes to provincial subsidies for transit. Not only did the city incur steep costs to build light rail, but it's also facing a structural deficit as it tries to fund OC Transpo's day-to-day operations.

Metrolinx has not always been forthcoming with information for Toronto city council, and Sutcliffe acknowledged the importance of transparency and accountability if the Crown agency becomes deeply involved in Ottawa transit.

But he also pointed to the difficulties a small player like Ottawa can encounter trying to work with global companies.

"This is the kind of infrastructure that belongs with an organization like a provincial agency rather than with a small municipal government," Sutcliffe told reporters.

'We're going to take the burden off of Ottawa'

Ford suggested that Metrolinx taking responsibility for the LRT would free up "about $4 billion" over 30 years for Ottawa to "invest in other priorities."

Ford made the announcement flanked by the mayor and several city councillors who had paused a meeting of Ottawa's finance and corporate services committee at city hall to hear the news in person.

"We're going to take the burden off of Ottawa," Ford said in response to a question from CBC about whether Metrolinx would assume responsibility for all of OC Transo's debts and lawsuits, as well as its assets.

"The number 1 anchor around their neck is the cost of this LRT," said Ford.

Prabmeet Sarkaria, the PC candidate for Brampton South and transportation minister, said OC Transpo would ideally still operate the LRT, while Metrolink would bring expertise and take the cost burden off the city.

"So it's a win-win for everybody," Sarkaria said.

In the Toronto area, the provincial Crown agency is responsible for the construction of several rail lines being built within city boundaries.

The City of Ottawa started construction on its LRT system before those major projects got approval in the GTA, Sutcliffe has pointed out. At the time, each level of government took on one-third of the cost, leaving Ottawa responsible for more debt that it has had to finance over many years. 

$7B worth of LRT projects

In total, Ottawa has embarked on some $7 billion in light rail construction projects over two stages. It opened its $2.1-billion trunk line in 2019, which then saw two derailments and other significant setbacks from cracked wheels to downed wires. 

The relationship with contractor Rideau Transit Group has also been rocky, and a damning public inquiry exposed serious problems with the project.

The southernmost extension of Stage 2 opened in January. All told, construction and long-term maintenance for lines 2 and 4 were pegged at about $1.6 billion when the contract was signed in 2019.

The larger, more expensive extensions east to Orléans and west to Moodie Drive and Algonquin College have yet to open. They are being built by the consortium Kiewit-Eurovia-VINCI and will also involve a long-term maintenance contract with Rideau Transit Maintenance. 

It's unclear if Metrolinx would take over that maintenance contract, the rest of the construction costs or debt servicing. 

PC party officials said there's currently no timeline for uploading Ottawa's LRT, and said more conversations and due diligence would need to take place.

While Ottawa's LRT has been plagued by delays and cost overruns, Metrolinx has faced similar challenges in Toronto. 

Construction began on the the 19-kilometre Eglington Crosstown light rapid transitway in 2011. It was originally budgeted at about $9.1 billion and was set to open in 2020. Costs have since ballooned to at least $12.8 billion, according to documents from 2022.

The long-delayed line is not expected to open before mid-2025.

Funding disparity between cities

OC Transpo has been struggling with a $120-million hole in its budget due to transit operations.

In September 2024, the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario laid out how provincial transit subsidies were distributed among Ontario residents.

The provincial watchdog estimated the average resident in the Toronto region received $196.49 in provincial subsidies  for running transit, while Ottawa received just $31.91 per person.

• Transit funding gap widens between Ottawa and Toronto

When it comes to subsidies through provincial agencies Metrolinx or Ontario Northland, the GTA received an average of $124.98 per person, 14 times more than Ottawa's $8.88 per person.

Coun. Glen Gower, who chairs Ottawa's transit committee, was among the councillors who attended Ford's announcement and stopped to offer reporters a comment before rushing back to city hall.

"This this is like the moon landing for city council, the enormity of the dollars that are involved," he said. "It's really, really important."