Transportation Committee Should Choose Complete Streets Approach for Main Street

Last week, Transportation Committee discussed the redesign of Main Street. After a five our marathon meeting, the vote was 6 in favour - 4 against the proposal.

Below is the letter that went to the Transportation Committee:

In the next few years, Ottawa’s Main Street in Old Ottawa East is scheduled to be dug up to replace aging infrastructure. We would like the city to take the opportunity to bring Main Street into the 21st century by deciding on the complete street proposal (#5). In other words, the street should be designed to take all modes of transport into consideration.

In real life, this means that proper sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure will become part of the streetscape.
Citizens for Safe Cycling, Ottawa’s cycling advocacy group for 29 years, believes that this is the right thing to do for the following reasons:

1. Ottawa’s 20/20 Growth Management Strategy describes a focus on Walking, Cycling and Transit. We quote: “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”.

2. The Ottawa Transportation Master Plan refers in many different places to improving road safety, providing high-quality services and facilities for walking, cycling and transit, maximizing access to community services and facilities by walking, cycling and transit to name but a few lines.

3. Main Street is an important connector for cyclists from Alta Vista, an older neighbourhood that is within cycling distance from many downtown destinations such as employment, festivals and the Byward Market; it is also an important connection to the canal pathways.

4. The Laurier Segregated Bike Lane pilot has proven that emergency response times and accident numbers have not changed. With creative planning, no parking was lost, on the contrary, more car parking was added. There is no serious worry about parking loss by the citizens in Old Ottawa East anyway. Businesses are on board as the temporary parking will be replaced with 24 hour parking.

5. Bike counters across the city show that better bike facilities attract more cyclists, exactly the goals of the Growth Management Strategy and the Transportation Master Plan.

6. A Main Street that is not dominated by a commuter route will be an attractive neighbourhood for new developments where people can shop, work and play within a walking and cycling distance from home without needing a car for short distances.

Accommodating an ever-increasing number of cars is a vicious circle that needs to be broken in order to really change the way we want to build our city. According to Stats Canada, Ottawa is ranking 3rd in bike modal share in commuter trips (2.4%) now after Victoria and Kelowna but well ahead of well-known Canadian cycling cities such as Montreal and Vancouver.

We are on the right track. Therefore, we strongly suggest the Transportation Committee to consider a complete street approach for Main Street, Ottawa. This is not about repaving a street; it is about a vision for the next 40 years, a vision in which a street is a place for everyone, not just for the hurried car commuter who passes through.