Ottawa’s transit failure wasn’t an accident
The chain of decisions did not begin with former mayor Jim Watson, though he bears significant responsibility for procurement and oversight failures. The first domino fell when Watson’s predecessor, Larry O’Brien, cancelled the original north–south Siemens light-rail project, scrapping years of engineering work, environmental approvals, and federal funding agreements.
Ottawa’s transit crisis isn’t bad luck. It’s the predictable result of flawed assumptions, diffused accountability, and decisions made without clear performance benchmarks. That reality is experienced by many riders waiting on freezing platforms.
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