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Ottawa
– This morning at 8:27, Mark Malick stepped off the O-Train at Bayview
Station to find out he was the five-millionth passenger to ride the
O-Train. The designation means Mr. Malick will receive free transit
service for one year. Mayor Bob Chiarelli presented the prize, amid a
party atmosphere complete with strolling musicians. Staff served free
coffee and handed out commemorative travel mugs to Mr. Malick and all the
other lucky commuters who also got off at Bayview Station with him,
including George Plunkett, the operator of the O-Train.
Mark Malick, an Eyedu Solutions
employee, uses the O-Train regularly to travel from his home in South
Gloucester to get to work on Sparks Street. “The O-Train is fantastic,
it’s smooth, it’s great”, says Mr. Malick.
“The O-Train is an efficient,
economical way to transport large numbers of people across the city. Eight
to ten thousand people enjoy riding the O-Train every day, and these
numbers are continuing to grow,” said Mayor Chiarelli. “Light rail in
Ottawa is a resounding success and with funding assistance from federal
and provincial governments, I look forward to sharing additional
milestones with residents, like the expansion of the North-South light
rail corridor which we expect to begin constructing next year.”
The O-Train, which began operation October 15,
2001, has already racked up several notable achievements, including the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Sustainable Communities Award,
The Canadian Urban Transit Association’s Corporate Innovation Award, and
the American Public Works Association’s Project of the Year Award. The
O-Train is a key element in helping Ottawa reduce road congestion, lower
greenhouse gas emissions, and maintain its place as one of Canada’s
greener cities.
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