Media Releases

Complete Streets for People, NOT just Cars

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] Council chamber at Ottawa City Hall. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

A Main Street built for cars or for all people? That’s the question before Ottawa city council. The “Complete Street” proposal for Main Street will be voted on by Ottawa city council this July 17, 2013. Call or write your councillor. Let them know that you want streets for people, not just cars.

Annual Report 2012

Laurier Avenue Bike Lanes Come One Step Closer to Being Permanent

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] Green cycling lanes in Ottawa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Councillors on the Transportation Committee discussed and ultimately passed a motion (ITEM 2) that would make the segregated bike lanes a permanent feature of LAURIER AVENUE WEST on July 5th, 2013.

There were many documented improvements in the area as a result of the segregated lanes’ trial period. City staff made a presentation which noted a huge increase (up 300-500%) in bike traffic on Laurier Avenue, a decrease in cycling-related collisions, and an increase in space between cyclists and motorists. The City’s study also revealed that the number of cars on Laurier Avenue West has decreased while the amount of car traffic on surrounding streets has remained unchanged. This observation suggests that more people are in fact choosing to bike to work. These conclusions lent credibility to the idea that implementing bike lanes does not lead to more congestion because more people opt to ride their bike.

A Success for Complete Streets!

Aging infrastructure has created a need for the redevelopment of Main Street. The City of Ottawa conducted a study on possible development options and recommended the Transportation Committee approve an Option 5 which would implement a Complete Street design on July 5. This design would reduce the amount of vehicle lanes (from four down to two, plus turning lanes), create protected bays for parking, and implement an elevated and paved cycle track. This option would provide the best improvements to the pedestrian and cycling environment on the street, as well as improve the on-street parking and would enhance transit ridership. City staff hope to invest in additional cycling networks thereafter which would connect the road to the future LRT station at Lees. This recommendation by the City is a great opportunity to implement Complete Streets and enhance the cycling network in the city. Councillors on the Transportation Committee had to vote in favour of Option 5 (Item 1) to pass the City’s recommendation along to Council, and subsequently move forward with the implementation of this project. However, Councillors had a difficult time agreeing that this design plan is the best option for redeveloping Main Street.

Team Orleans

Petition Volunteers Wanted - Ecology Ottawa is looking for motivated and passionate volunteers to help Team Orleans, a groundbreaking project focused on promoting environmentalism in Ottawa’s largest suburb.

Specifically, the volunteer responsibility involves accompanying Team Orleans on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays to go out into the neighbourhoods within Orleans and petition.

Ecology Ottawa Community Network

We are building neighbourhood teams for local environmental action across the city. We need leaders to initiate teams and members to be part of their local team. This is one way you can meet your neighbours and make a difference on your own street.

Check it out here.

Transit Accessibility For All

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="123"] PRESTO card image (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

The Transit Commission met on July 3rd to receive updates on the PRESTO card and also to discuss the naming and design of the future LRT trains. While discussing aesthetics and design of the transit cars, Councillor Wilkinson inquired as to whether there would be space for bikes, wheelchairs, and strollers on the new trains. City staff clarified that yes, there are going to be multi-use areas by every door. Councillor Egli asked a similar question, only more focussed on wheelchairs and scooters and was also reassured that the trains will be fully accessible. Councillor Wilkinson and Councillor Egli receive a Thumbs Up for ensuring that the transit is friendly and accessible for all users.

Ottawa's Transit Fares From a Global Perspective

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] A westbound #97 bus near Lincoln Fields Station (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Due to a motion passed by the Transportation Committee and City Council in November of 2012, OCTranspo fares increased yet again on July 1, 2013. Ottawa’s ever increasing fares have led to the city’s decline as a sustainable city in comparison with other world cities and Canadian capitals; Ottawa’s cash fares are among the most expensive in the country as are the UPasses utilized by university students. High costs of transit makes transit less appealing and more challenging. It is likely some people will opt to drive over taking transit if they believe it is cheaper to do so. Affordable transit is integral to creating a sustainable and healthy environment for a city’s population as it will decrease private automobile use and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, some cities around the world are experimenting with free public transit to really drive up ridership.

Council Watch Monthly Digest - June 2013

Transportation Committee (June 5): This meeting was well attended by public delegations who wished to speak to the proposed route for the interprovincial bridge, a highly controversial topic. Some of the Councillors on the Committee made some very strong, positive remarks promoting sustainability in the city, in light of the bridge discussion. Disappointingly, Councillors approved patio encroachments on the Elgin Street sidewalk, without amending the motion to ensure pedestrian safety. The meeting ended with a surprising motion from Councillor Hubley to petition the Ministry of Transportation to erect non signalized pedestrian crossings at various locations to improve pedestrian safety.

A Tar Sands Pipeline in the City of Ottawa?

The Ottawa Citizen released a map today showing the proposed route that 850,000 barrels a day of tar sands oil would take through the City of Ottawa if TransCanada Corp gets its way. You can see the map of the proposed pipeline route here.

The plan is to retrofit a natural gas pipeline into a pipeline that will carry crude oil from Alberta’s tar sands to the East Coast of Canada and they want to run the pipeline through the south end of Ottawa and across the Rideau River.

A false dichotomy: Heritage vs cyclists

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] National Gallery of Canada. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

The Planning Committee on June 25th carried a motion to save and relocate two historic buildings (previously on the path to demolition) at 273, 275-79 Sussex Drive, as they make way for a redesigned road that is to include wider footpaths and dedicated bike lanes. The road is due for a 1.2km upgrade of the sewer and utility lines between the National Gallery of Canada and King Edward Avenue and thus the City is taking this opportunity to widen the road from four lanes to six, with two of them being dedicated to cyclists.

Whilst Ecology Ottawa is always happy to hear that the City is acting to complete the cycling network and creating more complete streets for cyclists and pedestrians, it is sad that in this case cyclists were pitted against heritage conservationists. As Liz Bernstein, Vice- President of the Lowertown Community Association stated, ‘this is a false dichotomy.’ According to the City, the road needs to be realigned and straightened in order to provide safe cycling lanes, which dictates the removal of the houses. However, this isn’t a heritage versus cycling issue. In fact, there is a third player that the City seems to be conveniently ignoring; the car. The road could be a five or four lane road instead of a six, with less lanes for cars, thus eliminating the need to move the houses and still providing for a more complete street. Nethertheless, the City rejected all proposals that didn’t include four lanes for cars, due to the piece of road being between the two major links to Gatineau. And so, because of an unwillingness to compromise the ability of people to commute by private automobile, the issue becomes a choice between cycling and heritage. It is not acceptable that cyclists, pedestrians and heritage are a second priority, whilst cars are the first priority. We hope the City remembers this as we move forward to make Ottawa a more vibrant, sustainable, and healthy city.

The decision to relocate the buildings was ratified by City Council on June 26th.

Further information:

Ottawa Sun

The elephant in the room

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] English: Ottawa City Hall Français : Hôtel de ville d'Ottawa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Intensification is a touchy subject. The packed room full of people at the Planning Committee meeting on June 25th can attest to that. Ecology Ottawa understands residents’ concerns with intensification and is happy that Councillors responded to their concerns with sincerity, as often developers seem to hold all the power. We would like to encourage our fellow residents of Ottawa to support appropriate and sustainable intensification in our neighbourhoods, as a compact and complete city will benefit us all. We also encourage developers to approach intensification in an appropriate way that respects the established communities and accommodates their concerns. Furthermore, we encourage our city councillors to continue to display leadership on this issue.