Report to/Rapport au :
Comité des transports
and Council / et au Conseil
23 August 2010 / le 23 août 2010
Submitted by / Soumis par:
Conseiller / Councillor Jacques Legendre
Contact / Personne-ressource : Councillor J. Legendre
(613) 580-2483, Jacques.Legendre@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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MESURES POUR RENDRE LA VILLE PLUS CONVIVIALE POUR LES CYCLISTES - MOTION |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Transportation Committee recommend to Council the following:
1. That the City of Ottawa
undertake the establishment of a network of segregated lanes for cyclists
crossing the downtown core in both East-West and North-South directions, even
where such facilities require changes to existing parking or travel lanes.
2. That best practices be
deployed for marking, signage and signalization to ensure safety and to
accommodate cyclists at intersections with segregated lanes.
3. That the “Copenhagen
model” for segregated lanes, wherein parked cars protect the cycling lanes from
regular traffic rather than have the cycling lanes protect the parked vehicles,
be adopted as the standard in Ottawa on streets where cars, parked cars,
segregated lanes as well as sidewalks are proposed.
4. That Ottawa’s Official
Plan be implemented so as to reflect and respect the following guiding
principle and accompanying objective, to wit – “A
Green and Environmentally-Sensitive City - A
Focus on Walking, Cycling and Transit - Ottawa implements policies that favour walking, cycling and public
transit over the use of private motor vehicles, thereby facilitating the use of
modes of transportation that are socially accessible, environmentally healthy
and economically feasible.”
5. That Ottawa’s Official
Plan be amended to require that the design of new sub-divisions incorporate
cycle-friendly ‘short-cuts’ as part of the residential street and path network.
6. That
the design of all new rapid transit stations consider the best means of
accommodating the needs of cyclists who will be using the rapid transit system
for a portion of their journey.
7. That new roads and
re-construction projects with urban cross-sections include segregated cycling
facilities and budget for them accordingly.
8. That, in addition to the
cycling integration with road re-construction programs, an additional $5M be
allocated each year to stand-alone cycling projects to complete the missing
links in the network.
9. That Finance
re-categorize the Cycling Facilities Programme from Strategic Initiatives to
Growth.
10. That at the City’s
Transportation Master Plan and the Ottawa Cycling Plan be amended to reflect a
revised 8% modal share target for cycling within the Greenbelt, and 5% for the
city as a whole, to be achieved by 2021
(currently the target is set at 3% city-wide to be achieved by 2031).
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des transports
recommande au Conseil ce qui suit :
1. Que la Ville d’Ottawa
entreprenne l’établissement d’un réseau de voies cyclables réservées qui
traversent le centre-ville d’est en ouest et du nord au sud, même si de telles
infrastructures nécessitent d’apporter des changements aux voies de circulation
ou aux stationnements existants;
2. Que des pratiques
exemplaires seront suivies pour les marques sur la chaussée et la signalisation
afin d’assurer la sécurité des cyclistes aux intersections dotées de voies
réservées;
3. Que le « modèle de
Copenhague » pour les voies réservées, où les voitures garées protègent
les voies réservées aux cyclistes de la circulation automobile plutôt que le
contraire, soit adopté comme norme à Ottawa dans les rues où l’on propose qu’il
y ait des voitures, des voitures garées, des voies réservées et des trottoirs;
4. Que le Plan officiel
d’Ottawa soit mis en œuvre pour refléter et respecter le principe directeur
suivant et son objectif afférent, à savoir : « Une
ville verte et sensible à l’environnement Priorité à la marche à pied, au vélo et au transport en commun – Ottawa met en place des politiques favorisant
la marche, le cyclisme et le transport en commun par rapport à l’utilisation du
véhicule personnel, afin de promouvoir les modes de transport socialement
accessibles, sains sur le plan environnemental et réalisables
économiquement. »
5. Que le Plan officiel
d’Ottawa soit modifié pour exiger que la conception de nouveaux lotissements
intègre des « raccourcis » pour les cyclistes dans le réseau de rues
résidentielles et de sentiers;
6. Que
la conception de toutes les stations du nouveau réseau de transport en commun
rapide tienne compte des meilleurs moyens de satisfaire les besoins des
cyclistes qui utiliseront le réseau du transport en commun rapide pour une
partie de leur déplacement.
7. Que les nouvelles routes
et les projets de réfection d’intersections urbaines intègrent des
infrastructures cyclables réservées et un budget conséquent;
8. Qu’en plus d’intégrer
les vélos dans les programmes de réfection de routes, cinq millions de dollars
supplémentaires seront alloués annuellement pour des projets autonomes relatifs
au vélo visant à compléter le réseau;
9. Que le Service des
finances reclasse le Programme d’infrastructures cyclables des Initiatives
stratégiques à la Croissance;
10. Que le Plan directeur des
transports de la Ville et le Plan sur le cyclisme d’Ottawa soient modifiés pour
refléter l’objectif révisé de 8 % de répartition modale pour le vélo dans
la ceinture de verdure et de 5 % pour l’ensemble de la ville, et ce, d’ici
2021 (l’objectif actuel est de 3 % pour l’ensemble de la ville d’ici
2031).
BACKGROUND
On 23 August 2010, the Transportation Committee received the aforementioned Notice of Motion with respect to the above. A full copy of the Motion is attached as Document 1 to this report.
DISCUSSION
Cycling is one of the most useful means of
getting around a city. When properly
encouraged cycling:
- contributes significantly to
overall mobility;
- is one of the most affordable
means of transportation;
- is very respective of the environment;
- is part of a healthy lifestyle;
- is an activity in which people
of all ages may participate; and,
- is an activity in which a
significant number of residents of Ottawa already participate on a
recreational basis.
The Cycling Facilities Program is considered a
“Strategic Initiative” in the City’s annual budget and receives limited annual
funding. The infrastructure
which would enhance both the perception of safe-cycling and the reality of
safe-cycling is relatively
inexpensive. It has been demonstrated in
many cities in North America and Europe that
significant changes can be made in the modal share for cycling (in Ottawa this
currently stands at 2%) when appropriate infrastructure enhancing safety for
cyclists is made available along with a communication and education program
targeting all users of the public right-of-way.
CONSULTATION
Planning and Growth Management
Staff supports the motion which is in line with the City’s vision and directions of making cycling an attractive mode of transportation.
Staff will ensure that examining a network of segregated bike lanes in the downtown area will be included in the scope of the Mobility Overlay Study to be undertaken in 2011. It has to be recognized that providing segregated bike lanes will require allocating more space in the right-of way than the regular on-road cycling lanes. Maintenance costs will have to be examined.
Also, the implementation of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit (OLRT) project will remove a significant number of buses in the downtown offering a unique opportunity to repurpose the downtown to make it more cyclist and pedestrian friendly.
It is noted that the proposed city-wide cycling modal share target of 5% is much more aggressive than the target of 3% included in the Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan which took into account that the majority of expected growth to 2031 will be happening in the suburban communities. However, the aggressive target is achievable providing that additional funding is provided to the Cycling Facilities Program, cycling facilities maintenance and to Transportation Demand Management which builds a positive public attitude towards cycling and provides education and incentives that makes cycling more attractive.
Public Works
The Public Works Department approves, in principle, the report recommendations. There will be cost, design and operational impacts that will need to be assessed and addressed as the policy changes are implemented. The Department will work with the Planning and Growth Management Department as the policies, standards, etc. evolve.
Infrastructure Services
With reference to Recommendations 1, 3 and 7, the design and funding (both short and long term) requirements for road construction projects is guided by Council approved policies, such as the Ottawa Cycling Plan (OCP). If these recommendations are approved, the department would look to Planning and Growth Management (PGM) to update the OCP to reflect the new requirements so that it is clear on which roads the requirements for segregated lanes are to be applied, the right-of-way design guidelines that would apply and the funding implications. Assistance would also be required from PGM when dealing with specific projects where the provision of segregated cycling lanes would require lane reductions.
Rail Implementation Office
The preliminary engineering work for the OLRT project will address the following direction provided by City Council at their January 13, 2010 meeting:
Approve that the subsequent design phases of
the DOTT project include examining the possibility of including space for a
segregated off-road bi-directional cycling path along the south side of the LRT
alignment from Empress to Bayview;
Direct staff to evaluate options for
including a bike route overpass over the O-Train cut at Bayview as part of the
Bayview Station planning; and,
Direct staff to explore options to ensure
that there is room for the BikeWest project to safely pass the Tunney’s Pasture
Station on the south side between the station and Scott Street.
Specifically, in relation to Recommendation 6, preliminary engineering will address the need to accommodate the movement of cyclists around stations and parking/storage of bicycles at stations.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Funding for the additional $5M stand-alone cycling
projects will come from within the City’s tax-funded capital envelope; and
associated DCs. Projects will be brought
forward in the Draft Capital Budget, beginning in 2011.
Funding for other capital works that may result from
these initiatives will be brought forward at the appropriate time, as details
of the projects are identified, as part of the annual capital budget process
cycle.
Operating costs for maintenance works performed by Public Works resulting from capital works for these initiatives will be submitted as part of the annual budget process when the detailed projects are identified.
LEGAL / RISK MANAGEMENT
IMPLICATIONS
As road authority, the City has the legal authority to create cycling lanes, including segregated cycling lanes, within the roadways under its jurisdiction. In doing so, the City would be responsible for the maintenance of such lanes in accordance with the standards in the Municipal Act, 2001.
The Official Plan amendment proposed in Recommendation 5 would be subject to the amendment process for Official Plans prescribed in the Planning Act, including public consultation. It is noted that in accordance with the terms of reference approved by Council for its standing committees, the Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) is responsible for Official Plan amendments. As such, a referral of Recommendation 5 to PEC would be appropriate in order to ensure consistency with the Council-directed mandates of its standing committees.
Recommendation 8 proposes the allocation of an additional $5 Million to stand-alone cycling projects. Should the provisions of Section 275 of the Municipal Act, 2001 concerning restricted acts of Council (also known as the “lame duck” provisions) apply following Nomination Day on September 10th, Council will be precluded from approving this recommendation and Council may therefore wish to refer this recommendation to the 2011 Budget.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no rural implications.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – Notice of Motion, 23 August 2010
DISPOSITION
If approved by Council, staff will take the
appropriate action as directed.
Document 1
