CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

CARRIED

The Acting Commissioner introduced a video which was produced by CBC Television on a series of traffic safety issues and the steps the Region has taken to make their roads safer.

With respect to the recent safety problems on Cedarview Road, D. Brousseau advised that in view of the fact the Ministry has failed to take any action to correct these problems, staff installed flashing beacons and an "S-curve ahead sign" to alert motorists to the curve in the road. Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen recognized staff’s involvement in this issue and appreciated them keeping the community informed.

Councillor Meilleur noted that accidents continue to occur on Highway 17 and recognized that improvements must be made to make this road safer.

That the Transportation Committee receive this presentation for information.

Following an illustration of the traditional route for the major parades in the Region and a highlight of the major points in the report, the Acting Commissioner, Doug Brousseau, indicated that staff had informed the St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers they could no longer use their traditional route because Council would not permit it under its new policy. A compromise was reached and they selected Bank Street as the new parade route, ending at Lansdowne Park, an opportune dispersal point. It was noted that this event is almost as big as the Help Santa Toy Parade. Mr. Brousseau believed that parades are a legitimate use of a Regional road, but in light of the direction to staff by Council to review parade routes, the issue before committee is whether or not to allow the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to use Bank Street.

The By-laws Administrator, Stu Marshall, advised committee that staff had just received a compromise for another parade route. While this proposal compromises the existing policy somewhat, staff were prepared to accept it. Representatives from the Bank, Somerset, Byward Market and Rideau BIA’s, parade organizers, police and staff met just prior to this meeting and agreed to a new route for the parade. Beginning at St. Patrick’s Church on Lyon Street, the parade would continue south to Somerset, west to Bank, north to Laurier, east to Elgin, then south on Elgin to the Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Lansdowne Park. He admitted it is a longer route, but the parade organizers seem to be satisfied. This proposal conflicts with the current policy in that doubles back on itself, effectively preventing the cross streets from being opened up to traffic once the parade passes. However, if staff work with the police on this particular aspect, he believed they would be able to solve that problem. All parades should have at least one crossing point, but given the length of this proposed route, he suggested there be at least two, but these could be accomplished under strict police supervision. In addition, the NCC charges a fee for the use of its roads and the parade organizers would be asked to pay $1500 to use the Driveway and parade organizers have asked that the Region cover this unforeseen cost.

In an effort to avoid this cost, Councillor Cantin suggested the parade remain on Elgin Street until it reaches Pretoria Avenue, then travel west towards Bank Street and south to Lansdowne Park. Councillor Davis thought a logical option would be to maintain the existing route, but have it turn west onto Wellington Street rather than east on Rideau Street. She believed the parade could be diffused quite easily on that stretch of roadway. D. Brousseau cautioned against designing a parade route at committee and suggested that if Elgin Street is a chosen route, staff should at least consult the merchants on that street.

Roy Isaacs, St. Patrick’s Day Parade stated that parades should be on routes where there are people and he did not believe this would be the case on a Saturday morning on Wellington Street. He believed the proposal arrived at today offers a compromise and provides an appropriate dispersal point where people could be invited in for lunch. He acknowledged this route was suggested in order to avoid controversy with merchants in the Glebe and with the Region’s policy and while it presents some minor difficulties, he believed they would be able to handle it. He acknowledged that the parade would take a maximum of two hours and the roads would not have to closed for much longer than that. He hoped committee would make a decision on a route today, because they need to proceed to get the appropriate permits and to prepare to advertise the event. In closing, he asked that they be given an opportunity to provide input into whatever final route is determined through staff’s review of the policy.

The Committee Chair recalled a time when a parade went down Elgin and the Driveway and during that time, both those roads were closed and traffic could not move for several hours. Therefore, if this compromise route brings the parade down Elgin, she stated the Driveway should not be closed at the same time. While he did not see the need to close both, the Acting Commissioner advised that he had not had an opportunity to thoroughly review this proposal, but he believed the Driveway could remain open until the parade reaches the Pretoria Bridge. The Committee Chair noted that major parades require access points for residents and questioned whether staff have considered having crossings at various streets, with appropriate police supervision and whether or not the parade organizers have the money to pay for the police to enforce that route. Mr. Isaacs indicated that they could afford it if there were not too many locations where they would need to station police officers. S. Marshall advised that in the past, there has been at least one controlled-access point and staff had notified area residents in advance that they should use that route during the parade.

Councillor Cantin proposed that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade be allowed to use Bank Street for this years event. He indicated that this is a large parade and did not think it would be fair to displace the problem from one street to another. He recognized that many merchants and restaurant owners in the Glebe would welcome the parade because of the business it generates, although he recognized the difficulty it may cause for the local grocery store. However, the merchants could advertise in advance so people are encouraged to shop before or after the parade. He noted that Bank Street has been the traditional parade route and agreed that Lansdowne Park is a logical location to disperse a parade.

Councillor Legendre believed the committee should respond to the proposal in terms of how it compromises the existing policy, not which route it will follow. Therefore, instead of stipulating a specific route, he opined that committee give the parade organizers some indication of how flexible the Region is willing to be and to comply with the parameters of a parade route as suggested by the parade organizers. The Committee Chair reminded the councillor that the parade organizers want committee to make a decision today.

Gerry LePage, Bank Street Promenade spoke in favour of parades on Bank Street north of the Queensway because of the economic benefit to the area. He noted there were many fast-food restaurants along this stretch of Bank and a survey of the BIA’s membership after every parade reveals an increase of between 30 and 50% in sales. He noted Bank Street has been a historical parade route since the early 1900’s and asked that they not be taken off Bank Street between Gladstone and Wellington because it is important to the merchants. He agreed that a large event of this type can always be improved upon logistically, but that does necessarily mean moving the route around to a degree that compromises the integrity of the event.

Councillor Doucet inquired what the mix of retail vs fast food outlets was on the northern portion of Bank Street and Mr. LePage indicated there is an average of 65 restaurants to 35 retail outlets. The councillor questioned whether the delegation had discussed this issue with the owner of the grocery store at Bank and Somerset and how they felt about parades. Mr. LePage advised the owner never responded to any of the surveys circulated by the BIA, but was confident that if there had been any concerns, he would have heard from that business. The councillor explained that Bank Street south of the Queensway does not have the same mix of stores and is predominately retail and these businesses suffer enormously during parades, although bars and restaurants do very well. He inquired how retail and grocery stores manage during those events and Mr. LePage informed committee that the BIA has approximately 20 planned promotions every year, the majority of which are targeted at traditional retail and therefore, the merchants do not complain about lost business during parades because they recognize the need for an equilibrium between those events and the accruement of benefits derived through the business improvement area.

Jim McKeen, owner, LOEB Glebe stated that parades negatively affect his business but had not come forward sooner with his concerns because of the community-oriented spirit of such events. He did believe, however, that there was a need to limit the number of parades permitted on Regional roads, especially since they have become more weekend- orientated. He explained that the Glebe is highly residential in nature and while the same may be said for Ottawa centre, the Glebe is more compacted because they are surrounded by physical barriers such as the Queensway and it is therefore more difficult for residents to move within the community. When there is a parade, there is an east/west split and no one can get across Bank Street, so their customers leave the area or just do not bother to come in that day. While he and other merchants also love parades, they did not want them down Bank Street all the time and he was very much concerned that this is what the existing policy allows. He maintained the community of Ottawa-Carleton must share this responsibility and not single out one or two communities which parade routes pass through. He was agreeable to having one or two parades pass through the Glebe on Bank Street each year.

Councillor Byrne understood the concerns the delegation raised with respect to the potential flood of parades occurring in the downtown, but believed the request from the St. Patrick’s Day parade organizers would be an exception to the policy and acknowledged the fact that staff will be reporting back in the spring on that policy, following public consultation.

It was questioned how many parades are held in the downtown core each year and staff advised there are three parades that used that route: the Easter Seals Parade, the Help Santa Toy Parade and the Fête Caribe Parade. They all end at Lansdowne Park.

Marc Bordeleau, Glebe Business Group spoke to the issue of the current policy and while he was pleased to have an opportunity to review that document, he was concerned that a request had come forward for a parade before that review is complete. He acknowledged that while these events do increase sales, it is for the minority of businesses those increases occur and in fact, 66% of the merchants on Bank Street in the Glebe consider parades a serious problem. He noted that a lot of people who come to watch parades are from outside the core and they soon leave the downtown once the parade is finished. He believed the Glebe is similar to the downtown in that it too relies heavily on Saturdays to conduct business and therefore cannot afford to sacrifice those days. He noted that the current policy prohibits parades during peak hours Monday to Friday, which coincidentally is their peak shopping time. He added that parking metres are capped first thing in the morning and not uncapped until the parade is finished, consequently removing much of the on-street parking for customers. He urged committee to approve the staff recommendation and not to use Bank Street as the default route for parades.

In response to the latter comment, staff advised that it is only the three major parades that require a temporary ban on parking on one side of Bank Street.

Councillor Cantin inquired whether he would oppose letting a couple of the major parades use Bank Street each year. Mr. Bordeleau preferred not to have to decide today on whether or not to allow some of the parades on Bank Street, because he understood that merchants were being given an opportunity to review and comment on the current policy.

Councillor Legendre proposed the following:

Peggy Ducharme, Rideau Street Business Improvement Area advised that she was speaking without having had an opportunity to speak to her Board of Directors about this most recent proposal. Although she had only recently received the staff report for comment, she was in support of the compromise reached prior to the meeting, but also suggested consideration be given to allowing the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to use Bank Street this year. She believed that in light of the fact the policy review is scheduled to be completed within the next few months, she did not feel it was unreasonable to request the merchants in the Glebe to tolerate one more parade for the time being. She also asked committee to support the existing policy and forego making any exception for the Glebe Merchants Association by breaking the existing policy which prohibits the crossing of the Canal at Rideau and Sussex. She acknowledged that this policy was implemented to avoid impeding traffic along this major east/west artery intersection and surrounding area. She also reminded committee that the Downtown Rideau business community and its public have been impeded by construction at this particular intersection for the past 18 months and that additional crossings there will certainly make the area impassable. She too shared the concern about the size and number of parades in the area because the Rideau Street area hosts a variety of protest marches throughout the year and these impede access to the area. She agreed there should be a fair balance of communities sharing parades.

Councillor Meilleur was concerned that the Rideau BIA had not been given advance notice about the report coming to committee and suggested that staff take into account that all local BIA’s should be advised of any issue that will have an impact on her area. Although she recognized that the report did not deal with the Rideau Street area, she felt that one of the proposals referred to ending up on Rideau and Dalhousie and that would have an impact on that area. Staff acknowledged the councillor’s request, but explained the difficulties they face with respect to determining who should be consulted.

Jantine Van Kregten, Byward Market BIA, reiterated the comments made by Councillor Meilleur and indicated the BIA had previously requested staff to include their organization on the distribution of any material that might have an impact on their area. She emphasized that the BIA was very clear in its comments to staff about the Special Events Policy approved last February, that Rideau/Sussex/Mackenzie not be considered part of the route for major parades because of the impact to traffic in the area.

In consideration of Councillor Cantin’s Motion, Councillor Doucet stated that with the exception of the portion of Bank north of the Queensway, no one wants parades on that street and he did not believe it was fair to keep using the same street again and again. He believed it was unfortunate that major parades are no longer permitted to travel down Rideau Street as they had in the past, especially since that would be a perfect dispersal area for the St. Patrick’s Day parade because of the proliferation of bars and restaurants in that end of town. He acknowledged that paraders have a right to use the Regional roads, but opined that committee must determine how to redistribute the burden so it is shared with other areas. He asked that Councillor Cantin withdraw his Motion and, failing that, committee members should be encouraged to vote against it.

Councillor Cantin stated he would not withdraw the Motion because he felt this organization was very frustrated about what is going on and that their time is limited. He recalled that committee has made similar exceptions in the past, to allow for situations such as this.

Councillor Byrne supported the Motion, because she recognized that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade had been caught in the middle of the existing policy and a review of that policy. There was some concern the parade organizers would be severely penalized if it had to select another route, especially given the timeframe, but she believed that a decision in favour of the parade using Bank Street would not set a precedent, but simply address an anomaly.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen agreed that one street should not be burdened by having all the parades and she indicated she would take that into account when staff bring forward the policy for review. In a closing statement, she stated people living in the suburban areas must be encouraged to come downtown more to keep it alive.

In considering the compromise as previously presented, Councillor Davis did not think the parade organizers had the time to wait until the NCC made its decision with respect to allowing them to use the Driveway. She was very sympathetic to the concerns expressed by Glebe merchants and was disappointed a parade route could not be agreed to that would keep both BIA’s happy. She was optimistic about finding a solution whereby parade routes are rotated, so that each year the parade follows a different course.

Councillor Meilleur understood the concerns of the Glebe merchants and agreed with their comments about how they can negatively impact business. However, by opening this type of discussion with the business community, she believed committee will come to an agreeable solution and everyone will share the impact of those parades.

The Committee Chair hoped that out of the policy discussion there will be an ability to disperse those parades on different routes, but at some point the parade has to decide which is the best route for them. She recognized that this situation is a short-term problem that needs to be solved so the parade can get organized. She felt that staff may have to consider the Easter Seals parade and what route they should be permitted to use, if the policy report does not come forward in the early spring as is anticipated.

Councillor Kreling agreed there was a compromise that needs to be found but unlike the previous speaker, he believed it is the Region who should determine a parade route, in consultation with the organizers. He maintained that ultimately, the committee makes decisions that may not satisfy everyone, but he was confident that granting this request to use Bank Street would not set a precedent for future requests.

Moved by R. Cantin

(C. Doucet dissented)

Subsequently, the Motion originally proposed by Councillor Legendre was not voted upon.

The Acting Commissioner stated that following the St. Patrick’s Day Parades, no parades will be permitted to use Bank Street, until committee and Council reconsiders its policy.

3. DONATION STATIONS

- Director, Mobility Services and Corporate Fleet Services report dated 15 Dec 98

In a short video presentation, the committee witnessed how donation stations operate and the dangers they pose to both participants and motorists. The Acting Commissioner indicated that the current policy stipulates that:

In conjunction with the above, the following regulations (italicized) are proposed for inclusion in the policy:

In addition, he advised that committee must also consider the following issues. With respect to charitable vs non-profit organizations, Mr. Brousseau advised there has been a significant increase in the number of permits issued for donation stations. How fire departments should be considered must also be taken into consideration, because in the past, most fire departments have not requested a permit; they have requested exemption from the policy because they do it in a safe and controlled manner and dress properly to ensure they are visible to motorists. Finally, committee must consider whether to treat rural areas differently from urban areas.

Councillor Cantin stated that the only time these organizations collect money for different events is during peak periods and could therefore not support the proposal to restrict these events during those times. He stated that this type of fund-raising is a benefit to the community and agreed that some limits should be set. He was particularly concerned about having young teens on the road because of the dangers and opined that if there are adults involved in the event, it should function well.

Councillor Davis stated that prohibiting them from entering the roadway will preclude her community because it does not have medians from which to collect from. The councillor could not support a policy that would not allow her community to collect funds and questioned whether there have been any injuries as a result of such events. D. Brousseau was not aware of any, but even that fact would not cause him to change his position on the matter because he believed the potential for injury was certainly there. The councillor questioned whether there would be some liability for the Region if it were silent on this particular aspect and people got hurt on the road as a direct result of the donation station. The Solicitor, Ernest McArthur, advised there was, adding that staff recommend against it because of the dangers and he agreed it was a risky endeavour to be on the Region collecting money. The councillor inquired how many cases of negligence the Region is charged with each year and the Solicitor indicated there are dozens of claims submitted, most of which are related to property damage, but there are a lot of personal injury claims as well.

Councillor Byrne believed this is one of the most inherently dangerous practices people can do, regardless of the benefits to a particular organization. In light of staff’s opposition to this practice because of the obvious dangers, she questioned whether the Region could be found negligent for the simple fact they may issue a permit for the event to occur. The Solicitor advised that the test of negligence will be how the Region has addressed this issue i.e. has it done all it possibly can to prevent this danger from arising and preventing accidents from happening. He opined that if committee fairly addresses the issue and comes up with conditions, then if there is an accident the Region will not be liable. The councillor suggested conducting donation stations at shopping centres and the Acting Commissioner advised the groups want to be where there is the most activity. He agreed they can hold the event on private property, but it would be up to the shopping centre administration to allow it. The councillor questioned whether the local municipalities give permits for these events on their roads and was advised by Sgt. Kirkland of the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police that the City of Ottawa has been approached and they have not done so; however, the municipality does not have busy streets because they are mostly Regional roads which are selected as preferred sites.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen proposed that the Region prohibit donation/toll collections on Regional roads.

Councillor Meilleur believed that when a road is very busy, traffic generally moves slower and is therefore less dangerous to have donation stations during that period. She referred specifically to the intersection of King Edward and Rideau and related how she had collected at that location recently. The Acting Commissioner advised that while traffic may be slower, there are multiple-laned roadways involved and this can be extremely dangerous to participants of these collection tolls.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen questioned how this activity is enforced and who lays charges if there are infringements to the current policy. Sgt. Kirkland indicated they are seen as moving violations and participants are advised it will be a strike against them. He went on to state however, that it is very difficult to enforce these events because many them involve minors and it is expensive to send an officer out there. He indicated it would cost approximately $500 in administration costs to collect a $25 fine from an individual. His greatest concern is where there is heavy traffic and multiple lanes, a sudden movement of a participant on the road could easily startle a driver and that distraction could cause them to hit the vehicle in front of them.

The question was raised about who was consulted with respect to this item and staff advised they notified the 30 groups that had asked for a permit; however, there are many organizations who run donation stations and who do not request a permit. When questioned whether permits were issued in a co-ordinated fashion i.e. with the local municipality and police, staff advised it depends on whether or not it involves a Regional road.

District Chief John Ingraham, Rideau Fire Department referred to the comments of his letter which had been incorporated into the staff report. He advised that the roads they use are generally at the end of town and the trucks use their warning lights, approved by the OPP, for use during donation station events. He has never had a problem in the past 12 years since he has been with the Fire Department and he felt restricting these events would have a dramatic effect on the charitable organizations for which they collect.

Simone Thibault, Director, Overbrook-Forbes Community Resource Centre spoke on behalf of their five francophone eastern community resource centres. She advised that each year, Radio Canada and Le Droit organize a guignolée for their five resource centres in the east. This event has been ongoing for the past three years and they select a particular intersection and collect money for the Christmas season to be distributed to needy families. It is held between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. in the morning. In 1998, they collected $38,000 overall and her agency alone collected over $6000 which is a third of their fund-raising target for the year. Increasing service demands create an even greater need for fund-raising dollars and their event is greatly advertised by the media to there is a lot of public awareness. She recognized the Department’s concerns and indicated they are open to alternatives. She advised that the STO in Hull help them in their campaign, but when they approached OC Transpo to use major transit stations as a location to collect money, their policy would not permit them to do that. She recommended that they be allowed to pursue their current activities and that they work together with staff to make it more safe for participants and to ensure they can be successful in their fund-raising efforts.

Councillor Legendre echoed those comments, adding that people even go out of way to get their money to them. He agreed it is a growing activity which has garnered a lot of public awareness and he felt it would be a shame to hinder their efforts. He recognized that OC Transpo stations would be a safe location and suggested staff discuss this option with their counterparts at OC Transpo. He was also very interested in finding out how STO is involved and how successful they have been.

Councillor Cantin proposed that participants be required to be at least five feet tall to enable motorists to see them.

Councillor Davis indicated there have not been problems associated with community groups such as the Community Before Cars Coalition collecting on roads and she saw it as a great opportunity for the community to be involved in the process. She believed the policy will penalize those groups who have not created any problems in the past and suggested the option of having an age restriction for participants. She suggested the option of a legal waiver stipulating that the person must be responsible for the organization, et cetera, which is nothing less than what the Region requires of parade organizers.

In response to her query about an age limit, the Solicitor suggested the Region might be able to impose a restriction; however, he did not recommend issuing a waiver for individual participants because he did not think it was administratively feasible. The councillor therefore questioned whether the organization could sign a waiver, which stipulate guidelines and parameters. The Solicitor was similarly sceptical about that proposal because it would be difficult for staff to ensure that that person is the one in charge and that they will properly supervise and instruct the participants. The councillor suggested an amendment to the Motion proposed by Councillor Cantin to ensure the participants are 18 years of age and the councillor agreed to the amendment.

S. Marshall indicated that every person who is issued a permit does sign a waiver form and in theory, they assume responsibility for all participants. If safety is still an issue, one alternative the committee may wish to consider is that the organization take out insurance as is done for major parades. Councillor Davis believed that would prohibit a lot of groups that could not afford to pay for that coverage.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen understood fully the need for fund-raising in the community; however entering the roadway should be prohibited based on the safety implications. She was very concerned about the number of permits being issued and the additional administration required to monitor, licence and enforce the events. She agreed that non-profit organizations should be supported in their pursuit of fund-raising, but not by entering the road.

Councillor Meilleur emphasized the success of the guignolée and agreed it is done by mature people who are aware of the safety risks and collect accordingly. However, not permitting the event to occur during the peak hours will be detrimental to their campaign because that is when the traffic is moving slowest and is therefore safer. She believed there is a compromise that can be reached and committee should look at putting in some regulations that are acceptable and safer.

Councillor Bellemare agreed that donation stations are an effective fund-raising method and did not support condemning worthwhile charities for trying to raise money. However, the reality is that this particular venue for raising money is an added nuisance on the Regional road and serious liability concerns have been raised which should not be minimalized. He stated there are other ways to raise funds that are much safer and which can be just as effective given the level of support which is clearly indicated by the results of those organizations. He did not believe the Region should be condoning an activity that is clearly unsafe, especially when it is responsible for ensuring the safety of people on those roads.

Moved by M. McGoldrick-Larsen

LOST

YEAS: M. Bellemare, W. Byrne, M. McGoldrick-Larsen....3

NAYS: R. Cantin, L. Davis, C. Doucet, D. Holmes, H. Kreling, M. Meilleur....7

After realizing it would be extremely difficult to enforce a regulation that participants be five feet tall, Councillor Cantin agreed to withdraw that reference from his Motion.

Moved by R. Cantin

That participants be over the age of 18 years.

CARRIED

(M. McGoldrick-Larsen

dissented)

Councillor Legendre proposed the following:

The Acting Commissioner suggested this was an OC Transpo issue and the Committee Chair suggested the Motion be amended so that any recommendations come back to the Transit Services Committee instead of this committee. Councillor Legendre concurred. D. Brousseau assured committee that staff would be involved with OC Transpo in this regard.

Moved by J. Legendre

CARRIED

The committee proceeded to vote on the individual regulations proposed by staff as follows:

In consideration of the proposed regulation that "objects such as traffic cones or barricades designed to direct traffic are not permitted", some committee members felt the use of traffic cones provides a visual warning to motorists that something is ahead on the road. Sgt. Kirkland did not believe this was permissible under the Highway Traffic Act and did not want someone tripping over a cone and falling into the path of a vehicle. The committee agreed to divide the statement for purposes of voting.

LOST

YEAS: M. Bellemare, W. Byrne, R. Cantin, H. Kreling,

M. McGoldrick-Larsen....5

NAYS: L. Davis, C. Doucet, D. Holmes, J. Legendre, M. Meilleur....5

CARRIED

In consideration of the proposed regulation that "an intersection with 20 or more reportable collisions is not eligible for use as a donation station site", staff advised that examples of those intersections would include Rideau and King Edward, Robertson and Eagleson, King Edward and St. Patrick and Merivale and Hunt Club. The Acting Commissioner indicated that staff selected the number 20 as an arbitrary amount and suggested the committee could determine what amount it wished to pose as the limit.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen wanted clarification that as traffic becomes more congested, the list of restricted intersections will change from year to year and accordingly, so will the permits. Staff confirmed this fact.

Coming back to the issues still to be resolved, the Acting Commissioner asked whether committee wished to extend permits to non-profit organizations or restrict them to charitable organizations or groups raising funds for charities, as recommended in the report. Given the proliferation of non-profit organizations in the Region, committee members were generally in favour of staff’s recommendation. Councillor Legendre moved that committee approve the regulation as outlined in the report and the following Motion was proposed as an amendment:

Moved by L. Davis

That community associations be added to the list of acceptable groups allowed permits on Regional roads.

LOST

YEAS: L. Davis, C. Doucet, D. Holmes....3

NAYS: M. Bellemare, W. Byrne, R. Cantin, H. Kreling, J. Legendre,

M. McGoldrick-Larsen, M. Meilleur....7

Committee subsequently approved the proposed regulation to restrict permits to charitable organizations or groups raising funds for registered charities, as presented in the report.

With respect to whether or not fire departments should be exempted from the regulations, it was suggested that in light of the above amendments, this is no longer an issue and fire departments should be exempted. The committee then considered the issue of whether to treat the rural area differently from urban areas because they do not have medians. In view of the fact the committee agreed to allow participants on the roadway, this too was no longer an issue.

Taking into consideration the committee’s decision to allow these types of events during peak periods, the Acting Commissioner questioned whether they should not be permitted to collect when it is dark. To address this concern, Councillor Kreling proposed the following:

Moved by H. Kreling

That events should occur during daylight hours.

CARRIED

(R. Cantin dissented)

INQUIRIES

The Committee agreed to consider the following inquiry from Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen at the beginning of the meeting:

Access/Egress at Tim Horton’s on Fallowfield

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen indicated that until the median is constructed on Fallowfield Road in front of the Tim Horton’s just west of Woodroffe Avenue, staff erected left-turn prohibition signs for both it and the Petro Canada site, which is adjacent to the other site. She explained that these turn restrictions have had an adverse affect on that business and suggested the prohibition be restricted to peak hours only.

The Acting Commissioner, Doug Brousseau, advised that in consultation with the ward councillor, staff erected the signs at both sites to prevent collisions by left-turning vehicles. He added that left-turning movements into the Petro Canada station were unacceptable even before Tim Horton’s opened and staff believe the latter business has a greater potential for front and rear-end collisions. The median, which will be constructed in the spring, will prevent motorists from making those movements and they will have to access/egress via the Petro Canada Station at Woodroffe Avenue; an agreement between the two businesses provides access across each other’s properties. It was his opinion that this is a safety issue and would not recommend the turning prohibition be changed. When questioned the time of day that collisions have occurred at this access, he advised there have been a total of 31 reported collisions, with two occurring during off-peak hours.

Councillor Cantin wondered how many more collisions will occur as a result of motorists disobeying the turn restrictions and while D. Brousseau agreed the signs are being ignored, he stated that for the benefit of motorists who do obey the sign, the restrictions should be maintained full-time. The councillor thought it would be interesting to see that when turn movements are prohibited at a time when it is more dangerous, would people have a tendency to observe them more at those peak hours than when there is less traffic.

Councillor Legendre found it ironic that the access/egress through the Petro Canada site is actually closer to the intersection than the access/egress point at Tim Horton’s and questioned why the former would be safer. D. Brousseau advised there are not as many lanes to cross when exiting onto Woodroffe because the vehicle would only have to cross one lane of traffic before they are in the left-turn lane. The councillor questioned whether U-turns will be prohibited at the median when it is constructed and was advised that the length of that facility should be enough to deter that movement, but it could also be signed as a prohibited movement.

In view of the fact the intersection is operating at or close to capacity, Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen expressed concern about the conflicting movements the current situation poses, coupled with the turning movements at the intersection, particularly southbound onto Woodroffe from Fallowfield. She believed that motorists waiting to turn left from the Petro Canada site may not be able to see those vehicles coming because there may be vehicles queued in the left-turn lane on Woodroffe. She opined that in an attempt to make a safer environment on Fallowfield, it has created a worse situation on Woodroffe and believed that restricting the left-turns during peak hours would alleviate to a certain degree those concerns.

Councillor Byrne questioned whether the same situation will exist once the median is built and the Commissioner confirmed this fact, adding that if the signs were obeyed, they would achieve the same affect as a median. Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen interjected and explained that the park and ride lot will be constructed opposite this site and the parcel of land to the west of the Tim Horton’s site will be developed and there will be a requirement for traffic control signals as part of that site plan. Therefore, those lights will provide an opportunity for vehicles to turn left from that site in the future. Staff confirmed that the median will be in place well before that development occurs. Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen questioned whether or not the Region could install the signals earlier, should the developer come forward with a plan of development. The Planning and Development Approvals Commissioner confirmed that if the site is of such a scale that signals are warranted, signals would be required as a condition of development; if the developer were to request approval for those signals imminently, staff would respond to that proposal. The councillor felt that with the park and ride lot to the north, there will be great interest in developing that site imminently. She proposed that the no left-turn restrictions on Fallowfield Road at Tim Horton’s and the Petro Canada station be during peak hours only and that staff monitor this area and report back in the spring.

Thomas O’Kane, Tim Horton’s referred to his letter dated 6 January 1999 which had been distributed by Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen. He echoed many of the comments raised by the councillor and agreed it would be a safer approach to limit the turn restrictions to the peak periods only.

Given the amount of time the committee had discussed this item, the Committee Chair reminded members that they had agreed at the beginning of the term to raise Inquiries at the beginning of each meeting and while some may be of a substantial nature and require a lengthy debate, it would be the committee’s prerogative to discuss that process at the end of the meeting today.

On a point of order, Councillor Bellemare believed this inquiry was being treated almost as if it was an additional agenda item and not how an inquiry was meant to be, which is to solicit information from staff. He believed that if the ward councillor was seeking a particular action on this item, it should have brought forward as a Councillor’s Item on the agenda. The Solicitor advised that an Inquiry can be dealt with in two ways: the committee can request staff to report back, or turn it into a full agenda item and the procedure by-law provides for that. It was his opinion that the decision taken by committee at the outset of this meeting to consider this item therefore turned the item into a full agenda item for consideration by committee, with the resulting decision to rise to Council.

Councillor Bellemare proposed that the matter be referred to staff for a report at the next meeting.

In response, Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen reminded members that this is in fact old business because the report to approve the roadway modifications at the Tim Horton’s was dealt with by committee and council last year and in consultation with staff, she decided it would be appropriate for the committee to consider her request as an Inquiry because of the imminent nature of the situation. She believed that given the amount of time already given to this item today, if the committee does not deal with it now, it will have to be revisited in the future and this may not be the best use of the committee’s time.

Councillor Meilleur did not feel the committee had all the necessary information to consider this matter now and did want an inquiry to be a way of ‘fast-tracking’ an issue that could have consequences. However, in view of the fact the committee has received a deputation from a member of the public, she was somewhat willing to proceed with the matter at this time.

Councillor Kreling could not support referral because he believed the McGoldrick-Larsen Motion provides a direction to monitor the situation and staff can report back on what has happened in a few months time.

Councillor Byrne did not see the urgency to deal with this item now and was inclined to refer the matter to staff and have it come back as an agenda item. As a regular item on an agenda, it would then provide an opportunity for other members of the public to speak to the committee.

Moved by M. Bellemare

That this item be referred to staff for a report to be brought forward at the next Transportation Committee meeting.

LOST

YEAS: M. Bellemare, W. Byrne....2

NAYS: R. Cantin, L. Davis, C. Doucet, D. Holmes, H. Kreling, J. Legendre,

M. McGoldrick-Larsen, M. Meilleur....8

With respect to the main Motion, Councillor Legendre supported the restriction of the left turns during the peak periods, but only at the Tim Horton’s access/egress because the Petro Canada access was too close to the intersection and he suggested the locations be divided for voting purposes.

Moved by M. McGoldrick-Larsen

That Transportation Committee recommend Council approve that the no left turn restrictions on Fallowfield Road at Tim Horton’s be during peak hours only and that staff monitor this area and report back in the spring.

CARRIED

YEAS: M. Bellemare, R. Cantin, L. Davis, C. Doucet, D. Holmes, H. Kreling,

J. Legendre, M. McGoldrick-Larsen, M. Meilleur....9

NAYS: W. Byrne....1

Moved by M. McGoldrick-Larsen

That Transportation Committee recommend Council approve that the no left turn restrictions on Fallowfield Road at the Petro Canada station be during peak hours only and that staff monitor this area and report back in the spring.

LOST

YEAS: M. Bellemare, M. McGoldrick-Larsen....2

NAYS: W. Byrne, R. Cantin, L. Davis, C. Doucet, D. Holmes, H. Kreling,

J. Legendre, M. Meilleur....8

Highway 174 - Bus Lane

Councillor Kreling questioned why the westbound bus lane on Regional Road 174 in the vicinity of Blair Road was closed. Staff agreed to investigate this situation and the councillor asked that this be done as soon as possible since these lanes are very important to the transit system.

Bus-only Lanes - Enforcement

Councillor Cantin suggested there be more enforcement of bus-only lanes, particularly those through Vanier on Montreal Road, because buses are delayed when private vehicles are parked in the lane. The Committee Chair suggested staff report back on this particular issue because it would involve the police.

Outstanding Inquiry

Councillor Davis asked about the status of an inquiry she raised last January, explaining the process by which a transportation-related request from the community is responded to and at which point the ward councillor is involved. She was anxious to see the staff response so that committee could examine the various points of interaction the public has with the Department and how they are best served. The Acting Commissioner indicated he would investigate and report back.