By Cynthia Cheponis
A Centretown activist group is on a mission to rid downtown of automobiles through the promotion of alternative forms of transportation.
Critical Mass, an organization made up mostly of cyclists, recently held a ride through downtown.
Starting at Confederation Park, around 15 riders spent an hour blocking traffic lanes in an attempt to demonstrate the viability of leaving cars at home.
Julien Lamarche, a promoter for Critical Mass, believes cars and trucks are inherently destructive.
He says the congestion and pollution caused by the automobile and the way they serve to isolate people are some of the biggest problems facing modern society.
The group normally leaves Confederation Park around 6 p.m. Lamarche hopes that by riding through the streets during the evening rush when congestion is the worst, cyclists will show there are alternatives to driving.
“We’re out there in traffic so we’re not just preaching to the converted. There are a lot of people we have to get out of their cars,” says Lamarche, referring primarily to the commuters who clog the downtown core during morning and evening rush hours.
But Somerset ward Coun. Elisabeth Arnold says her constituents aren’t as concerned with downtown congestion as the members of Critical Mass.
“I get a lot of complaints about speeding and cut through traffic, but the only place I can see a lot of new congestion is Bronson, largely due to the Hunt Club ramp,” says Arnold.
She points out that so far Ottawa is immune from the around-the-clock congestion found in larger cities, but decreasing the number of people regularly using cars should be a priority.
Arnold hopes the city’s light-rail pilot project will increase the number of people using public transportation.
The city’s Web site suggests using cars less frequently, carpooling, and working from home to reduce congestion.
Arnold says city council has enacted new pro-cycling and pro-pedestrian measures to prevent worsening congestion both in Centretown and in other parts of the city where it is a bigger problem.
“We have to balance the need of access and the need of a liveable community,” says Arnold.
People working downtown seem to agree with the desirability of driving less.
However, they also agree with Arnold that congestion isn’t a real problem.
Heather Alyea works at the corner of Metcalfe and Queen streets and walks to work everyday.
She says the only time the roads seem clogged is when the weather is poor.
Suzanne Dumas, who takes the bus to her office on Laurier Avenue, agrees.
“I think Queensway congestion is bad, but not in the downtown area itself.”