The city of Ottawa has launched the second phase of its LRT program with approval of a Cdn $492-million payment to the Rideau Transit Group (RTG), which is still building the first phase of the P3 project. The payment will buy new cars, expand a planned maintenance and storage facility, and provide communications equipment for east and west extensions of the Confederation Line, the Cdn $1.7-billion P3 which RTG is expected to open in 2018. The price is better than the price the city paid in the original procurement, staff said. About Cdn $350 million of the Cdn $492 million will pay for 38 additional Alstom Citadis light rail cars.