A lack of funds, personnel and a unified lobbying group are three factors leading Ottawa pedestrians down cracked and bumpy sidewalks, says Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes.
Holmes's critical observation comes after the March 8 budget allocated $150,000 for curb and sidewalk rehabilitation. “For a city of our size, this piddly amount is laughable,” she says.
The limited funds will be targeted at repairing the sidewalk on Pinhey Street, stretching from Armstrong Street to Scott Street.
According to Holmes, when comparing the funding allocated for major roadway budgets like the $55.5 million set aside to build the corridor linking Alta Vista Drive from the General Campus of the Ottawa Hospital to Riverside Drive, pedestrians are receiving little in comparison.
Mayor Jim Watson says the city would repair sidewalks concurrently with road construction.
But, due to the high cost of building roads, Holmes says this could leave residents waiting for their sidewalks to be fixed. “People are going to have to wait 50 to 100 years to get a cracked sidewalk fixed, which is absolutely ridiculous,” she added.
In most cases, recent work on sidewalks has been done as part of the federal stimulus plan. Under the plan, the cost for infrastructure work was divided among the three levels of government.
However, one of the main concerns of the pedestrian and transit advisory committee is money that was specifically earmarked to implement the city’s pedestrian plan isn’t in the budget, says committee chair Michael Ircha.
“Those kinds of monies don’t seem to be there and we have a plan that isn’t being implemented, or is being implemented on a piece-meal basis, but not necessarily as the overall plan.”
The Ottawa Pedestrian Plan was drafted in 2009 to identify and recommend changes in infrastructure, policies, and programs that would encourage people to walk more often.
Holmes questions the value of having a plan without a budget to back it.
“What is the use of having people come and work on the plan when there’s no money to operationalize it?” asked Holmes.
Another red flag for the committee is the lack of personnel currently working on pedestrian issues, says Ircha.
Previously, the city had two people working on the file, which has since been downgraded to one, he says. “We just don’t have enough staff in the planning part of it to layout and develop, or implement the plan. That is an issue,” says Ircha.
Holmes has also expressed concern about the lack of people working on the file. “Pedestrian issues have no political appeal, I guess.”
The councillor says the lack of interest on the city’s part can be explained by the absence of a unified body, or citizens group representing pedestrians.
Robert Dekker from the Centretown Citizens Community Association disagrees with Holmes’ calculation, saying the CCCA advocates on behalf of pedestrians and people with mobility issues.
Dekker says many improvements have been made to sidewalks, including repairs on Bank Street.
However, he adds, there continue to be areas that need work including, Metcalfe Street between Lisgar and Nepean streets, which require wider sidewalks. As well, on Nepean Street between Metcalfe and O’Connor Streets, Dekker says the sidewalks are “narrow, old and slope down.”
Aside from offering a means to get around, sidewalks are integral to a city’s well-being, says health promoter Janet Edwards from the Centretown Community Health Centre. Edwards says bad sidewalks can be a health hazard.
“Walking is an easy, affordable and accessible activity for most of us. Sidewalks without good lighting or with cracks or ledges or holes promote falls. Falls can have mild to serious results,” Edwards said in an email. Injuries related to falls, especially among the elderly, can include broken hips, twisted ankles, bruises and cuts, she added.
Despite the importance of sidewalks, Ircha says he realizes the city is doing the best it can for pedestrians under fiscal constraints. “Let’s not kid ourselves, there are big priorities in this town and this is only one of many.”