1. Rapid Transit Environmental Assessments – Response to 27 June 2007 Motion of Council

Évaluations environnementales du transport en commun rapide – réponse à la motion du Conseil adoptée le 27 juin 2007

ACS2007-PTE-POL-0048 CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE

That the Joint Transportation and Transit Committee recommend Council authorize staff to proceed with the following recommendations:

1. a) Suspend consideration of the middle portion of the East-West Corridor (Orleans-Walkley-Kanata) LRT Environmental Assessment (EA), pending the Transportation Master Plan update revisiting the need for east-west transit movements that by-pass the downtown, and

b) Re-scope the existing EA assignment and complete EAs for:

i West Transitway – Terry Fox to Fernbank, and Eagleson to Kanata North.

ii Cumberland Transitway Connection – Navan Road to Blair Station.

2. Cancel the initiation of the Rideau-Montreal Corridor LRT EA study.

3. Cancel the initiation of the Carling Avenue Corridor LRT EA study.

4. Defer the initiation of the Interprovincial Transit Integration – Core Area EA until after Council approves the downtown rapid transit network.

5. Proceed with the detailed Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel EA upon Council approval of a downtown rapid transit network.

6. Undertake a feasibility/Value Engineering study to determine the most cost-effective solution for the Woodroffe to Pinecrest section of the West Transitway Extension, and then amend the approved EA as appropriate.

CARRIED as amended by the following:

a) Whereas the Community Design Plan (CDP) for the 310-acreCFB Rockcliffesite is already well advanced and will in all likelihood resume early in 2008; and,

Whereas current planning estimates for the CFB Rockcliffe site call for a complete village (business, retail and residential units accomodating 12-15,000 people) which integrates well into the surrounding community; and,

Whereas the successful integration of what can only be described as the largest urban infill project anywhere in Ottawa will depend crucially on the best and most current transportation planning information available; and’

Whereas staff had recognized the benefit of coordinating this EA with the CDP;

Be It Resolved that recommendation no. 2 be amended to read that the Rideau-Montreal Corridor LRT EA resume immediately using the firm already identified through a competitive process and the previously committed funds set aside for the purpose.

b) Whereas the Carling Corridor is a logical east-west light rail connection for the City of Ottawa because of its width, direct access and number of people served under any possible master plan;

Be It Resolved the initiation of the Carling Avenue Corridor LRT Environmental Assessment Study be deferred until the completion of the updated Transportation Master Plan.

c) That recommendation no. 4 of the Rapid Transit Environmental Assessments report be replaced with the following: “That the City of Ottawa immediately agree to restart the Ottawa, Gatineau, National Capital Commission Interprovincial Transit Integration Study in order that studies undertaken with respect to planning for transit in central Ottawa take into account input from the other agencies in a timely fashion and to ensure that Ottawa’s plan, when finalized, is co-ordinated with those of the other agencies.

d) WHEREAS the most serious bottleneck of our current Transit system is well-known; it is the downtown; and,

WHEREAS staff have acknowledged that there is no more capacity for additional buses on the surface and even the current situation is causing our system to suffer on-time performance problems;

BE IT RESOLVED that recommendation no. 5 be amended to direct staff to proceed with the detailed Downtown Ottawa Transit LRT (Electric) Tunnel; and that the Downtown Coalition be a stakeholder group and as such be a working member of the Technical Advisory Committee and the Public Advisory Committee for the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel Environmental Assessment; and similarly be involved in the Downtown Rapid Transit Network Study.

e) That Recommendation no. 6 of the Rapid Transit Environmental Assessments report be amended to read as follows: Undertake a feasibility/Value Engineering study by 31 December 2007, to an upset value of $75,000, to determine the most co-effective solution for the Woodroffe to Pinecrest section of the West Transitway Extension, and then amend the approved EA as appropriate, with any modification of the EA commencing immediately after the study is approved by Committee and Council with a completion time frame of 6-12 months.”

2. Near-Term Transportation Investment Options

Options d’investissement à court terme dans les transports

ACS2007-PTE-POL-0050 CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE

That the Joint Transportation and Transit Committee recommend Council:

1. Approve the list of transit projects (Table 1) as priorities for implementation in the near future.

2. Direct staff to enter into discussions with the Federal and Provincial agencies to negotiate funding for these priority projects and report back to Committee on the status of these negotiations and funding availability and financial implications.

CARRIED as amended by the following:

a) That the Committee receive the report from Urbandale and direct staff to report back to the Committee by October 2007 on the appropriateness of the corridors, recommendations on modifications of the corridors including expansion to Kanata and across the Strandherd Bridge to Barrhaven, and a timetable to undertake any additional or modifications of studies to implement such a network.

b) That the list of projects in Table 1 of the report on Near-Term Transit Investment Options be modified as follows:

i) Fund the Transitway from Bayshore to Moodie drive

ii) Fund the Transitway from Woodroffe to Bayshore as soon as the EA is finalized as per the recommendation in the Rapid Transit Environmental Assessment report is completed

iii) That the following proposed City-Wide Transit projects be recommended to Council for approval:

· Smart Card - $ 15 Million

· New Bus Garage - $ 60 Million

· Transit Fleet Acquisition (2009) - $ 46 Million

And, under the Central Area / Inside the Greenbelt,

Central Area Station Improvements - $ 5 Million

iv) That Federal and Provincial infrastructure funding be sought for the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge and related roadwork

v) That prior to approving any of the other projects in Table 1, the Committee receive the staff report on the Urbandale proposal.

c) Be It Resolved that Recommendation no.2 be amended to clarify that the funding sought from senior governments be identified as transit-specific funding or road network-specific funding, and specify the sharing that is assumed for any transportation components that are intended to serve both modes.

NOTICE OF MOTION (FOR CONSIDERATION AT SUBSEQUENT TRANSIT COMMITTEE MEETING)

AVIS DE MOTION (POUR ÉTUDE LORS D’UNE RÉUNION ULTÉRIEURE DU COMITÉ DU TRANSPORT EN COMMUN)

Councillor / ConseillER J. LEGENDRE

That the City approach the City of Gatineau with a view of establishing a joint decision making body of elected officials to deal with integration issues of the interprovincial transit services.

NOTICE OF MOTION (FOR CONSIDERATION AT SUBSEQUENT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING)

AVIS DE MOTION (POUR ÉTUDE LORS D’UNE RÉUNION ULTÉRIEURE DU COMITÉ DES TRANSPORTS)

Councillor / ConseillÈre m. wilkinson

Whereas the Mayor’s Task Force has recommended that completion of Terry Fox Drive be an immediate action; and

Whereas the staff report indicates that the first two lanes of Terry Fox are to provide access to new developments and timing is dependant on development needs; and

Whereas Terry Fox Drive will not provide access to any of the future developments that are to occur in Kanata North as it is a very limited access, arterial road; and

Whereas there is an urgent need for a second access from the Kanata North Business Park to the Queensway, due to heavy traffic on March Road, which can only be provided by Terry Fox Drive; and

Whereas, for emergency reasons, it is important to have a second access to the Kanata North Business Park and the Morgan’s Grant/Briarbrook communities which are largely completed now; and

Whereas Terry Fox Drive is also needed for improved access to the site for the Kanata North Recreation complex and for improved transit services; and

Whereas EAs, including an update have been done for this road; and

Whereas this is a DC road so the impact on property taxes is minimal;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the Transportation Committee approve the construction of at least the first two lanes of Terry Fox Drive from its present terminus at Kanata Avenue to Flamborough as a 2008 project.

NOTICE OF MOTION (FOR CONSIDERATION AT SUBSEQUENT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND TRANSIT COMMITTEE MEETINGS)

AVIS DE MOTION (POUR ÉTUDE LORS DES RÉUNIONS ULTÉRIEURES DU COMITÉ DES TRANSPORTS ET DU COMITÉ DU TRANSPORT EN COMMUN)

Councillor / ConseillER C. DOUCET

Be it resolved that the Transportation Committee and the Transit Committee consider a professional development trip to Eugene/Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington to study road, pedestrian and transit projects, programs and policies.