Jenna Jessop
"If we want more people to walk, bike and roll, we need to make sure they can actually get where they are going safely. Ottawa has made commitments to active transportation, but building individual pieces of infrastructure is not enough if those pieces do not connect.
I would focus on closing the gaps in our existing network, particularly where a bike lane or pathway suddenly ends and leaves someone navigating a busy road or unsafe intersection. Those gaps can be the difference between someone feeling comfortable biking to work, school, a local business or a transit station and deciding to drive instead. People are not going to choose cycling for everyday trips if they do not feel safe doing it.
That also means looking carefully at intersections and crossings, where people walking, biking or using mobility devices can be particularly vulnerable. I want us to prioritize connections that allow people to complete an entire trip safely, rather than looking at individual stretches of infrastructure in isolation.
We also need to make active transportation more practical year-round. I would like to see Ottawa look at expanding winter maintenance of important pathways and connections, particularly those that provide access to transit, schools and other community destinations.
Ultimately, meeting our sustainable transportation commitments is not just about how many kilometres of infrastructure we build. It is about whether people can actually use that network to get where they need to go and feel safe doing it."
David Purchase
"I would measure whether we’re actually getting more people walking, biking and rolling, not how many kilometres of infrastructure we built. There’s a big difference.
The City already has plans for new sidewalks, pathways and cycling projects. The City has approved a list of projects for the next phase. I’m not interested in spending that money and then calling it a success because the project is finished. I want to know if more people actually use it and whether it made the trip safer or easier.
Those results should matter when we decide what gets funded next. If something is working and more people are using it, build on it. If it isn’t, find out why. Maybe the route doesn’t connect properly, people don’t feel safe using it, or it isn’t being maintained well enough. Fix the problem before spending more money doing the same thing somewhere else.
The City has already set a goal of getting at least half of trips onto sustainable transportation by 2046. We should be showing residents whether we’re actually getting there, including what’s happening in suburban communities like Orléans. If the numbers aren’t moving, then what we’re doing isn’t working and we need to change it."
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Response in French Provided by the Candidate
"Ottawa investit déjà beaucoup d’argent dans les trottoirs, les sentiers et les infrastructures cyclables. Ce que je veux savoir, c’est si ça change vraiment la façon dont les gens se déplacent. Est-ce qu’on voit réellement plus de gens marcher, prendre leur vélo ou utiliser d’autres moyens pour se déplacer? Pour moi, c’est ça le résultat qui compte.
Quand un projet est terminé, on devrait regarder ce qui se passe après. Si les gens l’utilisent et qu’on voit une différence, continuons dans cette direction. Mais si les chiffres ne bougent pas, il faut comprendre pourquoi avant de refaire la même chose ailleurs. Le problème peut être un lien qui ne fonctionne pas, un endroit où les gens ne se sentent pas en sécurité ou simplement un trajet qui n’est pas bien entretenu.
Je veux que ces résultats comptent quand le temps vient de décider où on investit ensuite. Je ne veux pas qu’on mesure notre succès simplement en disant qu’on a construit un certain nombre de kilomètres de pistes ou de sentiers.
La Ville vise déjà au moins 50 % des déplacements par des modes de transport durables d’ici 2046. Alors montrons aux résidents si on avance réellement vers cet objectif, particulièrement dans les secteurs de banlieue comme Orléans. Si ça fonctionne, on continue. Si ça ne fonctionne pas, on change notre façon de faire."