Quantcast
Debate heats up on infrastructure – Metro US

Debate heats up on infrastructure

Two mayoral frontrunners in the upcoming municipal election continued to slug it out at a debate at Lansdowne Park Thursday.

While incumbent Larry O’Brien and his opponent, Jim Watson, share a stance on the LRT plan, that’s where the two part.

The city of Ottawa has a downtown congestion problem, said O’Brien “Bridges and roads are key.

“Going forward, I want to invest in the maintenance of roads and infrastructure,” he said. “I intend on getting the ring road back into the long-term plan of the city.”

O’Brien said he intends to detail out exactly what the requirements of a ring road would be during the next term of council.

“The future’s going to be different, but cars will never cease to be something individuals in a city this large need,” he said.

While O’Brien talked about a ring road, Watson said his focus was public transit.

“I’m not going to play to the audience,” he said. “I’m going to be up front with you and tell you my priority is transit, because it’s for the public good.

“I think people have to hear the straight goods from politicians.”