Closing the MacKenzie King Bridge for light rail transit will lead to gridlock the likes of which the city has never seen, says the leader of a group of 24 downtown businesses that is urging city council to be prudent.

Capital Hill Hotel and Suites general manager Hume Rogers is warning anyone who will listen that turning the bridge into a train terminal where they will stop, switch tracks and return will cause havoc. Although his organization would like to see a tunnel underneath Albert and Slater streets, or a sharp reduction of bus service to make way for the O-Train, his most impassioned plea is simply for Mayor Bob Chiarelli and city council to put the brakes on and take the time to look at all the angles before steaming ahead.

Mr. Rogers pointed to two studies – one completed by his own consultant and another commissioned by the city – that illustrate his concern. Between 500 to 700 cars per hour roll across the bridge during the afternoon rush hour, he said. "Of that total, 250 cars per hour turn onto Wellington Street in one direction or the other and another 250 vehicles per hour line up to turn at Sussex and Rideau. It's already almost impossible."

While he sees a number of options, a tunnel appears to be the logical way to go. It frees the downtown streets and it will be built eventually anyway.

"City staff has said that a tunnel will be needed by 2020," Mr. Rogers said. "This will be finished by 2009, so it will be only 11 years before we have to do it all over again. Why not just do it once?"

"My feeling is this has taken on its own momentum," he said. "The entire process is like a snowball rolling downhill. It's getting out of control."

Downtown businesses are worried that cars sharing the street with busses sharing the street with a commuter train, pedestrians and parking will lead to empty cash registers as shoppers either abandon the core as quickly as possible after work or don't venture there at all thanks to extreme congestion.

"It's been rushed through and that's mind boggling. They haven't heard all the options," he complained. "No one has sat back and taken into mind all the implications. No one has said 'Wait a minute, guys, is this the best way of doing this?'"

City councilor Alex Culllen couldn't agree more. "Look, we can only do this once so we have to do it properly. Why lay down track on Slater when we're going to have to tunnel in 10 to 15 years? If it turns out that the tunnel is the best way to go, then we should get the funds for it and act."

Coun. Culllen argues that a tunnel would not only free traffic, but would also delight transit users and merchants. "We're the third coldest capital in the world with hardly any underground shopping. If you look at Montreal and Toronto, their underground is thriving. Besides, 500 cars will need to be accommodated if we close the bridge. I don't see how that could happen."

Mr. Rogers also wants council to look at the transport models of Montreal and Toronto, where the strategy was to work inside out rather than the opposite.

"Most cities, when looking at a transport system, work from the downtown out to the suburbs. Here, we work from the outside in rather than looking after our downtown first."

They're not the only ones hoping the train slows down. The Bank Street Business Improvement Association has said the city should delay constructing a commuter rail link along the Albert-Slater street corridor, while it explores the possibility of using the current transitway with new environmentally-friendly buses.

The association has delved deeply into U.S.-based research and has found that commuter rail there has failed to show significant increases in transit users.

Gerry Lepage, executive director of the association, told the OBJ recently the rail project should be delayed at least a year. He also says the project is moving too quickly and further study is necessary.

The issue was supposed to have been reviewed at last Wednesday's council meeting, but was delayed.

By Scott Taylor

scott.taylor@transcontinental.ca