Why do we need a Pathmaker?

In short, it's a time of great challenge and great opportunity. 

As advocates, we know that all decision-makers - whether they are passionate about cycling or more reticent to implement changes to the status quo - must respond to their constituents if they hope to keep their jobs. It's our task to mobilize and help organize the residents of Ottawa who care about the environment, so that decision-makers can hear from this passionate sub-section of the electorate when making decisions.

Doing this takes people power - not only the power of a mobilized constituency who care about the environment, but the power of paid staff who understand the issues and can work to organize the community around a positive environmental vision.

Individual donations are the most effective way to make this happen. They are critical to the success of any advocacy organization because they allow us to remain completely independent and responsive to the needs of the concerned, environmentally-conscious public.

Why focus on streets?

Bad transportation choices can constrain a city’s options and lead to long term problems. The more we design sprawling car-centric communities, the more we make transit unaffordable and walking or cycling unsafe. Because people are more reticent to use active transportation when the options at their disposal are dangerous or inconvenient, congestion levels continue to rise as people stick to their cars. New roads and new lanes are touted as a possible solution to the congestion, but if these are designed primarily for cars, they can worsen the problem they were intended to solve. The new roads are quickly filled up by cars and other modes of transit continue to be inaccessible. In the end, we’re stuck with more cars and more demand for car infrastructure than when we started.

The Active City is about forging a new path forward. It’s about working with what Ottawa already has – a city-wide network of bike paths, a robust transit system, and strong communities with access to amenities and greenspace – and pushing for lasting improvements to our city. It’s about revitalizing our communities by making them safer and more practical for people of all ages to live and play in. It’s about giving people the freedom to choose transportation options that nourish their physical and mental health while enhancing the vibrancy of community life. And it’s about simultaneously taking action on the issues of climate change, pollution and greenspace protection through a positive and concrete changes.

Political context

The City of Ottawa is also in the midst of building a comprehensive light rail transit (LRT) network which would dramatically scale up the city’s public transportation capacity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buses and cars. Phase 1 of the plan, scheduled for completion in 2018, is currently under construction. Phase 2 would extend LRT to the western, eastern and southern ends of the city by 2023. While it looks like LRT is going ahead, there are lingering questions about ensuring adequate cycling and pedestrian connectivity at the new LRT stations popping up all across the city. We recently discovered that the City essentially forgot to add bike lanes to the new Booth Street station - a critical link to and from LeBreton Flats, Zibi, and Gatineau. We must ensure that similar mistakes are avoided as the city rolls out its new transit network. More broadly, we must monitor the City and press it to make good on its promises to promote transit-oriented development through planning that prioritizes cycling and pedestrian access in the vicinity of transit stations.

The City has also committed to two plans which could make active transportation safer and more convenient. The Cycling Infrastructure Plan and the Pedestrian Infrastructure Plan could have a transformative impact on the city and leave a lasting legacy for current and future generations. However, their funding is currently spread out and delayed over 15 years. Additional funding could accelerate investments in infrastructure such as bike lanes, walkways, signage, pedestrian bridges and transit integration measures. There is evidence that the federal government could help out with funding in this area, but we need leadership from City Hall - a list of shovel-ready projects along with seed funding - if we hope to take advantage of this funding opportunity.

Our accomplishments

• succeeded in pushing the City of Ottawa to adopt a strong Complete Streets Policy and a strong Complete Streets Implementation Framework
• participated in and supported Jane's Walks throughout the city
• participated in and supported street audits focused on sustainable urban design in neighbourhoods across the city, with partners ranging from the Council on Aging to the Heart & Stroke Foundation to local community associations
• hosted former New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for a public speech to an audience of 1,300 people
• hosted former Vancouver Deputy Mayor Andrea Reimer for a public speech at City Hall

 What's next?