Background
The City is in
the process of reviewing and consolidating bylaws of the former municipalities.
This includes the Parking and Traffic By Law Consolidation.
A
The cycling
component of the By Law is quite important but not very substantial - references
to cycling are made in about 6 pages of the ByLaw, plus there are schedules to
exempt cyclists from global sidewalk cycling and boulevard restrictions. The By Law defines the regulations
for Reserved
Bicycle Lanes and that is currently the only section specific to cycling
facilities in the By Law. Another
section regulates the use and operation of bicycles on highways.
Contact (for
background only)
Robin Bennett
Robin.Bennett@City.ottawa.on.ca
Mobility &
Area Traffic Management Division
Safety and
Traffic Studies Branch, TUPW
Tel: 560-2424 extension 13174
FILE NOTE:EXTRACTS RELATED TO
CYCLING ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THIS FILE: INCLUDES SOME GENERAL PROVISIONS AND
ALL SECTIONS REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO CYCLING. SCHEDULES ARE NOT INCLUDED.
THE
REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF OTTAWA‑CARLETON
BY‑LAW
NO. 1 OF 1996
A by‑law
regulating traffic and parking on highways.
The Council of The
Regional Municipality of Ottawa‑Carleton
enacts as follows:
DEFINITIONS
AND INTERPRETATION
DEFINITIONS
1. In
this By‑law:
1. "area municipality"
means the municipality or corporation of the Township of Cumberland, the City
of Gloucester, the Township of Goulbourn, the City of Kanata, the City of
Nepean, the Township of Osgoode, the City of Ottawa, the Township of Rideau,
the Village of Rockcliffe Park, the City of Vanier, or the Township of West
Carleton.
2. "authorized vehicle" means,
(a) a vehicle owned or operated by the
Ottawa‑Carleton Regional Transit
Commission;
(b) a vehicle owned or operated by the
Regional Municipality, or the Corporation, provided that the vehicle is
performing a service related to the operation of a reserved bus lane or a
transit only facility;
(c) a vehicle owned or operated by a public
utility provided that the vehicle is carrying out its respective utility
service on a utility located on a reserved bus lane or a transit only facility;
(d) any vehicle authorized by the
Environment and Transportation Commissioner; and
(e) any vehicle that falls within the
definition of an emergency vehicle as defined in the Highway Traffic Act.
3.
"bicycle"
includes a tricycle and unicycle but does not include a motor‑assisted
bicycle.
4. "boulevard" means all
the parts of the highway save and
except any roadway, shoulder or sidewalk and
(a) "central boulevard"
means that part of the highway lying between the travelled portions of a
divided highway and include
channelizing islands;
(b) "outer boulevard" means that part of the
highway lying between any sidewalk and
the travelled portion of the highway or the near edge of the shoulder where
such exists;
4.
(c) "inner boulevard" means
that part of the highway lying between the property line and the edge of the
sidewalk nearest to the property line and where there is no sidewalk, it means
that part of the highway lying between the property line and the travelled
portion of the highway or the edge of the shoulder, where such exists, furthest
from the travelled portion of the highway.
26. "motor assisted bicycle"
means a bicycle,
(a) that is fitted with pedals which are
operable at all times to propel the bicycle,
(b) that weighs not more than fifty‑five
(55) kilograms,
(c) that has no hand or foot operated clutch
or gearbox driven by the motor and transferring power to the driven wheel,
(d) that has an attached motor driven by
electricity or having a piston displacement of not more than fifty (50) cubic
centimetres, and
(e) that does not have sufficient power to
enable the bicycle to attain a speed greater than fifty (50) kilometres per
hour on level ground within a distance of two (2) kilometres from a standing
start.
28. "motor vehicle" includes
an automobile, motorcycle, motor assisted bicycle unless otherwise indicated in
the Highway Traffic Act, and any other vehicle propelled or driven
otherwise than by muscular power, but does not include a streetcar, or other
motor vehicles running only upon rails, or a motorized snow vehicle, traction
engine, farm tractor, self‑propelled implement of husbandry or road‑building
machine within the meaning of the Highway Traffic Act.
48. "roadway" means that
part of the highway that is improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular
traffic, but does not include the shoulder, and, where a highway includes two
or more separate roadways, the term "roadway" refers to any
one roadway separately and not to all of the roadways collectively.
49. "roadway, laned" means a
highway which has been divided into separate lanes for vehicular traffic which
lanes are indicated by lines or other markings on the surface of the roadway or
in any other manner.
50. "shoulder" means that
part of the highway immediately adjacent to the travelled portion of the
roadway and having a surface which has been improved for the use of vehicles
with asphalt, concrete or gravel.
RESERVED BICYCLE
LANES
Establishment ‑ Schedule
"XVIIIA"
41A. (1) Despite the provisions of paragraphs
72(1)(a) and 72(2)(a), the lanes set out in column 3 of Schedule
"XVIIIA" on the highway set out in column 1 of said Schedule
"XVIIIA" between the limits set out in column 2 of said Schedule
"XVIIIA" are hereby established as Reserved Bicycle Lanes for
bicycles travelling in the direction indicated in column 5 of said Schedule
"XVIIIA" during the times or days set out in column 4 of the said
Schedule "XVIIIA".
Regulation of Use
(2) When authorized signs have been erected,
no person shall:
(a) drive or permit to be driven any
vehicle, other than a bicycle, on any lane or part of lane established as a
Reserved Bicycle Lane under subsection (1) hereof; or
(b) stop
or permit to remain stopped any vehicle, other than a bicycle, on any lane or
part of lane established as a Reserved Bicycle Lane under subsection (1)
hereof.
Exemption
(3) Subsection
(2) hereof shall not apply to prevent:
(a) a vehicle
making a right‑hand turn, or a left‑hand turn from a one‑way
highway, provided the vehicle does not
enter the Reserved Bicycle Lane at a point farther from the point of making the
right‑hand turn or left‑hand turn than the distance set out in
column 6 of Schedule "XVIIIA" opposite such Reserved Bicycle Lane;
(b) the driver of a taxicab, operating under
a valid taxi license, from stopping
for a period of not more than
Forty-Five (45) seconds for the purpose of and while in the process of
receiving or discharging passengers, provided that such taxicab shall not be
stopped in a lane set out in column 3 of Schedule "XVIIIA" during the
times or days set out in column 4 of the said Schedule "XVIIIA" in
such a manner as to interfere with the movement of a bicycle; or
(c) the stopping of a motor vehicle for the
purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging a physically
disabled person, provided that:
(i) such motor vehicle shall not be stopped
in a lane set out in column 3 of Schedule "XVIIIA" during the times
or days set out in column 4 of the said
Schedule "XVIIIA" in such a manner as to interfere with the movement
of a bicycle, and
(ii) such motor vehicle has a valid
physically disabled permit displayed upon its dashboard or on the sun visor in
accordance with the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act.
VEHICLES CROSSING
SIDEWALKS,
BOULEVARDS AND
CURBS
Vehicles on Sidewalks Prohibited
59. (1) No person shall drive a vehicle or ride
upon a skateboard or rollerskates on a sidewalk except for the purpose of
directly crossing the sidewalk.
Curb and Sidewalk Depressions
(2) No person shall drive a
vehicle over a raised curb or sidewalk
except at a place where there is a ramp, rolled curb or depressed curb.
Vehicles on
Boulevards Prohibited
(3) No person shall drive a
vehicle on a boulevard except for the purpose of directly crossing a boulevard
at a driveway or other designated vehicular crossing.
Exemptions
(4) Subsections (1), (2) and (3)
hereof shall not apply to wheelchairs, baby carriages, tricycles, childrens'
wagons or handcarts used for vending.
Bicycles on Sidewalks Permitted ‑
Schedule "XXIVA"
(5) Subsection (1) hereof shall
not apply to prevent the driving of bicycles on the sidewalks indicated in
column 2 of Schedule "XXIVA" on the highway set out in column 1 of
said Schedule "XXIVA" between the limits set out in column 3 of said
Schedule "XXIVA" in the direction set out in column 4 of said
Schedule "XXIVA".
Bicycles to Yield
(6) Despite the provisions of
subsection (5) hereof, a person driving a bicycle on a sidewalk shall yield the
right‑of‑way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal
before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.
Pedestrian Obligation
(7) Nothing in this section shall
relieve the pedestrian from the obligation of taking all due care to avoid an
accident.
Bicycles on Outer or Inner
Boulevards
Permitted ‑ Schedule
"XXIVB"
(8) Subsection (3) hereof shall
not apply to prevent the driving of
bicycles on the boulevard indicated in Column 2 of Schedule "XXIVB"
on the highway set out in Column 1 of said Schedule "XXIVB" between
the limits set out in Column 3 of said Schedule "XXIVB" in the
direction set out in Column 4 of said Schedule "XXIVB".
Bicycles to Yield
(9) Despite subsection (8) hereof, a person
driving a bicycle on a boulevard shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian
and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.
BICYCLES
BICYCLES
72. (1) A person driving a bicycle upon a
roadway shall:
(a) drive as near the right‑hand side
of the roadway as practicable, except where the lane nearest the right‑hand
side of the roadway is a Reserved Bus Lane, and
(b) exercise due care when passing a parked,
stopped or standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.
(2) A person driving a bicycle upon a
highway designated for one‑way traffic shall:
(a) drive
as near the right‑hand or left‑hand side of the roadway as practicable except where the
lane nearest the right‑hand side of the roadway is a Reserved Bus Lane,
and
(b) exercise due care when passing a parked,
stopped or standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.
(3) No person driving a bicycle upon a
highway shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the rider
from keeping both hands on the handle bars.
(4) No person driving a bicycle upon a
highway shall remove his or her feet from the pedals while the bicycle is in
motion.
(5) No person shall place a bicycle upon a
highway except in such a manner as to cause the least possible obstruction to
pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
BICYCLES, MOTOR ASSISTED
BICYCLES AND ANIMALS PROHIBITED ‑
Schedule
"XXVIII"
73. When
authorized signs have been erected, no person shall ride or cause to be ridden
or use a bicycle, motor assisted bicycle or animal on any highway or part of
the highway as set out in column 1 of Schedule "XXVIII" between the
limits set out in column 2 of the said Schedule "XXVIII".
PART
XII
APPLICATION AND ADMINISTRATION
ENFORCEMENT
83. (1) This by‑law shall be enforced by the
Chief of Police and the Municipal By-Law Enforcement Officers of the area
municipality in which the Regional road is situated.
(2) The Chief of Police and the Municipal
By-Law Enforcement Officers are exempt from complying with the provisions of
this by‑law while actively engaged in its enforcement or the parts
thereof that they have been appointed to enforce when no suitable parking is
available.
(3) This by-law shall be deemed to be the
by-law of the area municipality in which the Regional road is situated for the
purpose of collecting and retaining the fines levied for convictions respecting
parking infractions pursuant to the Parking Infractions Statute Law
Amendment Act.
APPLICATION OF BY‑LAW
84. This by‑law
applies to all highways under the jurisdiction of the Regional Municipality.
BY‑LAW
SUBJECT TO THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT
86. The
provisions of this by‑law are subject to the provisions of the Highway
Traffic Act.
SCHEDULES ADOPTED
87. The
Schedules referred to in this by‑law shall form part of this by‑law and each entry in a column
of such a Schedule shall be read in conjunction with the entry or entries
across therefrom, and not otherwise.
Ottawa
Cycling Advisory Committee
Submitted
by Chair B. Delmage
October 2001
15: committee meeting: approve workplan,
establish subcommittees
23: OBC Annual General Meeting
26: CfSC Annual General Meeting (OCAC members
welcome)
31: final 2002 committee workplan and budget
submission due
November 2001
- start subcommittees
12: Bruce Timmermans Awards
13: meeting of advisory committee (vice) chairs
19: committee meeting
-
discuss cycling related budgets
21: OCAC workplan debated by T&T Committee
29: advisory committee members event
December 2001
- city budget consultations start
17:
committee meeting
January 2002
- city budget consultations
17: committee meeting
February 2002
- Council approves budget
20: committee meeting
March 2002
20: committee meeting
April 2002
- establish selection committee for new members
17: committee meeting
May 2002
- Terms of 1-year members expire
15: committee meeting
June 2002
19: committee meeting
July 2002
17: committee meeting
August 2002
21: committee meeting
September 2002
18: committee meeting
October 2002
16: committee meeting
November 2002
20: committee meeting
December 2002
18: committee meeting