6. SEGREGATED CYCLING FACILITY

INFRASTRUCTURE CYCLABLE SÉPARÉE

Committee Recommendations

That Council approve the following:

1. That the planned public consultation component of the segregated cycling lane pilot project be broadened with the immediate formation of a Public Advisory Committee to review staff options, and that this PAC include:

· Community Association representatives

· Cycling Community representatives

· BIA representatives

· residents at large

· representative(s) of a religious institution;

2. That any go-forward plan for a segregated cycling facility in Somerset Ward allow for 4 (four) public meetings within the geographic areas of:

· Canal to Elgin

· Elgin to Bank

· Bank to Bronson

· Bronson to Preston

3. That should a pilot be installed and maintained over 2 (two) years, that funding be identified in the second year for detailed planning, urban design and construction so that if the pilot is planned to continue into a 3^rd year, it can be installed permanently.

4. That in addition to the 2008 motion, staff be directed to evaluate other corridors city-wide for consideration of an on-street segregated cycling facility.

5. That Scott Street, Carling Avenue and Island Park Drive be included in the city-wide evaluation for on-street segregated cycling facilities.

Recommandations du comité

Que le Conseil approuve ce qui suit :

1. Que la consultation publique prévue dans le cadre du projet pilote d’infrastructure cyclable séparée soit élargie par la formation immédiate d’un comité consultatif public qui examinera les propositions du personnel, et que ce comité soit formé :

· de représentants d’associations communautaires;

· de représentants de la communauté cycliste;

· de représentants des ZAC;

· de résidents;

· d’un ou de plusieurs représentants d’une institution religieuse;

2. Que tout plan d’infrastructure cyclable séparée dans le quartier Somerset que l’on souhaiterait mettre en œuvre prévoie quatre (4) assemblées publiques dans les zones géographiques suivantes :

· de Canal à Elgin;

· de Elgin à Bank;

· de Bank à Bronson;

· de Bronson à Preston;

3. Que si un projet pilote est implanté et maintenu pendant deux (2) ans, le financement pour la planification approfondie, l’esthétique urbaine et la construction soit établi à la deuxième année afin que, si jamais le projet continuait pendant une troisième année, il puisse être implanté de façon permanente.

4. Qu’en plus de la motion qui date de 2008, on demande au personnel d’évaluer d’autres couloirs à l’échelle de la ville où l’on pourrait implanter des infrastructures cyclables séparées dans la rue.

5. Que la rue Scott, l’avenue Carling et la promenade Island Park soient comprises dans l’évaluation à l’échelle de la ville de la possibilité d’implanter des infrastructures cyclables séparées dans la rue.

Documentation

1. Transportation Committee report dated 14 April 2010 (ACS2010-CCS-TRC-0012)

Report to / Rapport au:

Transportation Committee

Comité des transports

And Council / et au conseil

14 April 2010 / le 14 avril 2010

Submitted by / Soumis par : Rosemary Nelson, Standing Committee Coordinator /

Coordonnatrice des comités permanents, City Clerk’s Branch/Direction du greffe

Contact/Personne-ressource: Rosemary Nelson, Standing Committee Coordinator /

Coordonnatrice des comités permanents,

City Clerk’s Branch/Direction du greffe

580-2424, Ext. / poste : 21624, Rosemary.Nelson@ottawa.ca

City Wide/à l'échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2010-CCS-TRC-0012

SUBJECT: SEGREGATED CYCLING FACILITY

OBJET: INFRASTRUCTURE CYCLABLE SÉPARÉE

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Transportation Committee recommend that Council approve the following:

· Community Association representatives

· Cycling Community representatives

· BIA representatives

· residents at large

· representative(s) of a religious institution;

2. That any go-forward plan for a segregated cycling facility in Somerset Ward allow for 4 (four) public meetings within the geographic areas of:

· Canal to Elgin

· Elgin to Bank

· Bank to Bronson

· Bronson to Preston

4. That in addition to the 2008 motion, staff be directed to evaluate other corridors city-wide for consideration of an on-street segregated cycling facility.

5. That Scott Street, Carling Avenue and Island Park Drive be included in the city-wide evaluation for on-street segregated cycling facilities.

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des transports recommande au Conseil d'approuver ce qui suit :

· de représentants d’associations communautaires;

· de représentants de la communauté cycliste;

· de représentants des ZAC;

· de résidents;

· d’un ou de plusieurs représentants d’une institution religieuse;

· de Canal à Elgin;

· de Elgin à Bank;

· de Bank à Bronson;

· de Bronson à Preston;

BACKGROUND

At the Transportation Committee meeting of April 7, 2010, the Committee suspended the rules in order to consider a Motion from Councillor Holmes. A copy of the full Motion is contained in the extract of Draft Minute appended as Document 1 to this report.

DISCUSSION

The City of Ottawa promotes cycling as a safe and healthy commuting and travel choice. On 9 July 2008, Council approved the recommendations of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and the Transportation Committee with regards to the Ottawa Cycling Plan (ACS2008-PWS-TRF-0004 refers). Recommendation 5 of the Transportation Committee states:

5. Approve that east-west routes (e.g. Gladstone from Preston to Elgin) be evaluated for the feasibility of an on-street dedicated cycling lane separated from regular traffic by a median and a first pilot project be suggested.

Staff have undertaken an initial review of options for a pilot project, but there is a requirement for the public, BIAs and cycling groups to be involved in any discussion.

CONSULTATION

Planning and Growth Management

Staff agrees with the report recommendations. If approved by Council, staff will revise the work plan and undertake the required consultation and report back to Committee in Summer 2010.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal/risk management impediments to the implementation of this Report’s recommendations.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Financial/budget implications will be identified once staff revises the work plan and reports back to Committee in the summer of 2010.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Extract of Minute, 7 April 2010

DISPOSITION

Staff in Planning and Growth Management to undertake the recommendations of Council.

Document 1

SEGREGATED CYCLING FACILITY

CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE

The Committee received a submission dated 7 April 2010 from Tom Trottier, Past President of Citizens for Safe Cycling, in support of segregated bike lanes. A copy of his e-mail is held on file.

Chair McRae recognized that this additional item was being brought forward by Councillor Holmes and that Councillor Leadman had agreed to put it forward as Councillor Holmes was not a member of the Committee. The councillor gave a brief overview of her Motion which sought to amend a previously approved recommendation by Council for a pilot for segregated bicycle lanes to:

· broaden the public consultation component of the pilot to include a Public Advisory Committee

· establish a budget at the end of the second year of the pilot, to ensure that, if successful, the permanent installation would be of an aesthetically pleasing urban design

· having a city-wide evaluation of other corridors that might support a segregated cycling facility be investigated, in addition to the “Gladstone from Preston to Elgin” area identified in the originally approved Council motion in 2008

She felt that if there are more, safer, wider-ranging cycling facilities in the city, there will be more cycling activity all around, leading to Ottawa having as many cyclists on the road as motorists. She recognized the enormous demand for safe cycling infrastructure and that cycling facilities shared with buses or other vehicles are not safe and is one of the reasons why there are so few cyclists using those shared lanes.

When asked if staff had any concerns about the Motion, Vivi Chi, Manager of Transportation Planning advised that this would complement what work staff had already begun on this pilot, but acknowledged that there would be more effort involved. When asked by Councillor Legendre if the additional public consultation be sought would delay the project she did not believe it would. She further noted that it was staff’s intention to bring some recommendations to Committee this summer, with the hopes of implementing a pilot later in the year. If approved, this Motion would add some time to that process and she was uncertain as to whether they could report back later in the summer. She offered that the pilot may be ready by September, but it was originally intended to begin this summer. The councilor was concerned about the danger of getting it wrong, by continually delaying the project.

Councillor Leadman explained that she was initially concerned about the delay but knowing the elements Councillor Holmes if facing with the business community, et cetera, she wanted the pilot to be a success and there is a need to get positive feedback. There is a need for a ‘buy in’ from the business sector and the public. She spoke briefly to the various aspects of the resolution before the Committee.

Alayne McGregor explained that she had serious concerns about segregated bicycle lanes and the challenges she faces when having to use these. She agreed it was important to have public consultation to see whether those lanes would be acceptable to the public in those areas of the city. She did not believe they would be supported. She noted that the Motion does not speak to how the pilot will be determined to be successful or not. The proposal to pilot these types of cycling lanes on Gladstone, Somerset and Scott was of great concern to her as these are the roads she uses the most and as previously stated, she has grave concerns about using segregated lanes as a cyclist. She did not believe segregated bike lanes would encourage more cycling in the city.

Gabriel Durocher, Cycle Vision Ottawa spoke in support of the Motion before the Committee. He was pleased to see there will be a further possibility for expansion of segregated lanes. He noted that his organization appeals to mainstream cyclists and was concerned about the comments made that these lanes are not safe for cyclists. He maintained they would increase safety as well as increase the level of cycling in Ottawa.

Councillor Legendre requested a recorded vote on the first Motion.

Moved by C. Leadman

WHEREAS the City of Ottawa promotes cycling as a safe and healthy commuting and travel choice;

AND WHEREAS Council has directed staff to examine options for an east/west segregated cycling facility;

AND WHEREAS staff have undertaken an initial review of options for a pilot project;

AND WHEREAS the public, BIAs and cycling groups need to be involved in any discussion;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the planned public consultation component of the segregated cycling lane pilot project be broadened with the immediate formation of a Public Advisory Committee to review staff options, and that this PAC include:

· Community Association representatives

· Cycling Community representatives

· BIA representatives

· residents at large

· representative(s) of a religious institution;

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that any go-forward plan for a segregated cycling facility in Somerset Ward allow for 4 (four) public meetings within the geographic areas of:

· Canal to Elgin

· Elgin to Bank

· Bank to Bronson

· Bronson to Preston

AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that should a pilot be installed and maintained over 2 (two) years, that funding be identified in the second year for detailed planning, urban design and construction so that if the pilot is planned to continue into a 3^rd year, it can be installed permanently.

CARRIED

YEAS (6): R. Bloess, M. Wilkinson, G. Bédard, C. Doucet, C. Leadman, M. McRae

NAYS (1): J. Legendre

Moved by C. Leadman

WHEREAS staff are constrained by the narrow parameters as suggested by Council’s motion “Approve that east-west routes (e.g. Gladstone from Preston to Elgin) be evaluated for the feasibility of an on-street dedicated cycling lane separated from regular traffic by a median and a first pilot project be suggested."

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that in addition to the 2008 motion above, staff be directed to evaluate other corridors city-wide for consideration of an on-street segregated cycling facility.

CARRIED

Moved by C. Leadman

That Scott Street, Carling Avenue and Island Park Drive be included in the city-wide evaluation for on-street segregated cycling facilities.

CARRIED