“For four wheels, two wheels or big wheels.” That’s the hope for downtown roads according to Ottawa city planner Nelson Edwards.
Once the LRT and bus lanes are underground, main streets will be freer for other types of vehicles. But is it right to replace the armies of buses that now crowd downtown roads with more cars and trucks?
The Downtown Moves plan wants to make the centre of Ottawa a more walkable and liveable place. City planners want more bike lanes and less street parking, as well as bigger sidewalks and patios along streets like Albert and Slater.
For anyone who has ever had to walk through the downtown area during rush hour, most would agree that a more pedestrian-friendly core and wider sidewalks will be a welcome change.
However, at the transportation committee meeting last week, many councillors raised issue with the plan, saying that these changes will make driving less convenient.
Driving in downtown Ottawa is already inconvenient; spending 20 minutes in traffic to get across the eight blocks from Bronson Avenue to Elgin Street is not how most people like to spend their time.
What Ottawa needs are alternatives to driving, whether it is LRT, biking or walking. But it is more than just a transportation issue. Getting rid of the large number of cars in the downtown area could go a long way to rejuvenating the drab business sector.
Wider sidewalks would mean more room for pedestrians and make stores and restaurants more accessible. Trees, sitting areas and a decrease in traffic would go a long way to encourage people to linger, shop and eat.
Of course, as councillors mentioned at the transportation committee, changes like these don’t come without a large price tag.
As the fourth most populated city in Canada, Ottawa’s public transportation infrastructure lags behind the rest. In cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, light rail transit and subways shuttle people from the suburbs to the downtown core every day.
Vancouver in particular has greatly expanded its LRT system, building over 70 km of track since 1985 and creating Canada’s first airport link. Twenty years on, its Skytrain now has the eighth highest weekday ridership in North America, according to American Public Transit Association’s Ridership Reports Statistics.
Investments like these are worth the money, even if the effects are not seen right away.
With the arrival of the LRT system in Ottawa, hopefully the city will move in the same direction. People can leave the cars at home, and reduce the congestion and pollution on streets and highways.
While city council’s transportation committee voted unanimously in favour of the Downtown Moves plan last week, the support and funding for the ambitious project are still needed from city council.
The plan will mean big changes for Ottawa residents used to a dreary downtown core, but the heart of Ottawa needs a kick-start and that won’t happen without a big shock.