1. RESPONSE TO COMMENTS FROM THE DOWNTOWN RIDEAU BIA TO AGENDA ITEM #1, MARCH 21/07 RIDEAU STREET – SUSSEX DRIVE TO NICHOLAS STREET

RÉPONSE AUX COMMENTAIRES DE LA ZAC CENTRE-VILLE RIDEAU À LA QUESTION NO 1, 21 MARS 2007, RUE RIDEAU, DE LA PROMENADE SUSSEX À LA RUE NICHOLAS

Committee recommendation

That City Council receive this report for information.

Recommandation dU ComitÉ

Que le Conseil municipal prenne connaissance du présent rapport.

For the information of Council

The Committee approved the following directions to staff:

1. That staff provide Transit Committee a plan of action for providing weekend maintenance service for Rideau Street from Sussex Drive to Nicholas Street by the next Transit Committee meeting.

2. That a semi-annual (Fall and Spring) walkabouts be conducted to inspect the area of Rideau Street in order to identify and assign action by the City and area stakeholders that would include at the very least:

· Transit Services

· Real Property Asset Management

· Traffic and Parking Operations

· Planning Branch

· Surface Operations.

And that staff report back to Committee semi-annually on corrective actions.

Pour la gouverne du Conseil

Le Comité a approuvé les directives suivantes :

1. Que le personnel présente au Comité du transport en commun un plan d’action visant à fournir un service d’entretien en fin de semaine pour la rue Rideau, de la promenade Sussex à la rue Nicholas, d’ici à la prochaine réunion du Comité du transport en commun.

2. Que des visites semestrielles (à l’automne et au printemps) soient organisées en vue d’inspecter le secteur de la rue Rideau afin de déterminer et d’assigner les mesures que la Ville et les intervenants dudit secteur doivent prendre, notamment:

· La Direction des services de transport en commun

· La Direction de la gestion des biens immobiliers

· La Direction de la circulation et du stationnement

· La Direction de l’urbanisme

· Les Opérations de surface.

Et que le personnel fasse rapport chaque semestre au Comité quant aux mesures correctives.

Documentation

1. Standing Committee Coordinator, City Clerk’s branch report dated 28 August 2007 (ACS2007-CCS-TTC-0005).

Report to / Rapport au:

Transit Committee /

Comité du transport en commun

and Council / et au Conseil

28 August 2007 / le 28 août 2007

Submitted by / Soumis par: Anne-Marie Leung, Standing Committee Coordinator / Coordonnatrice des comités permanents

Contact/Personne-ressource: Anne-Marie Leung, Standing Committee Coordinator /

Coordonnatrice des comités permanents,

City Clerk’s Branch/Direction du greffe

580-2424, Ext. / poste : 21385, Anne-Marie.Leung@ottawa.ca

Ref. N°: ACS2007-CCS-TTC-0005

SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS FROM THE DOWNTOWN RIDEAU BIA TO AGENDA ITEM #1, MARCH 21/07 RIDEAU STREET – SUSSEX DRIVE TO NICHOLAS STREET

OBJET: RÉPONSE AUX COMMENTAIRES DE LA ZAC CENTRE-VILLE RIDEAU À LA QUESTION NO 1, 21 MARS 2007, RUE RIDEAU, DE LA PROMENADE SUSSEX À LA RUE NICHOLAS

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Transit Committee and City Council receive this report for information.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité du transport en commun et le Conseil municipal prennent connaissance du présent rapport.

BACKGROUND

The attached memo from the Deputy City Manager, Planning, Transit and the Environment Department, entitled “Response to comments from the Downtown Rideau BIA to agenda item #1, March 21/07 Rideau Street – Sussex Drive to Nicholas Street”, Ref. ACS2007-PTE- POL-0040-IPD, was originally issued as “Information Previously Distributed” and listed as such on the Transit Committee Agenda of 4 July 2007. At that time, the Committee deferred this item to its next meeting.

M E M O / N O T E D E S E R V I C E

To / Destinataire	To: Chair and Members of Transit Committee/ Président et membres du Comité du Transport en commun	File/N° de fichier: ACS2007-PTE- POL-0040-IPD
From / Expéditeur	From: Nancy Schepers Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe Planning, Transit and the Environment / Urbanisme, Transport en commun et Environnement	Contact Person/Personne ressource : Richard Kilstrom, Manager/Gestionnaire, Community Planning and Design/Aménagement et conception communautaire, Planning Branch/Direction de l’urbanisme (613) 580-2424 x22653, Richard.Kilstrom@ottawa.ca
Subject / Objet	Response to comments from the Downtown Rideau BIA to agenda item #1, March 21/07 Rideau Street – Sussex Drive to Nicholas Street/Réponse aux commentaires de la ZAC Centre-ville Rideau à la question n^o 1, 21 mars 2007, rue Rideau, de la promenade Sussex à la rue Nicholas	Date: June 25, 2007 Le 25 juin 2007

BACKGROUND

City Council passed the following motion on June 14, 2006 in response to a report from Councillor Bédard to Transportation Committee on June 7, 2006.

MOTION NO. 60/3

Moved by Councillor A. Cullen

Seconded by Councillor J. Stavinga

That the following replacement Motion be approved:

1. That staff be directed to take such appropriate interim actions to improve safety and security on the sidewalks at 50 and 73 Rideau Street, including the removal of planters by August 1, 2006;

2. That OC Transpo be directed to examine appropriate security measures for this area and to report to the Transportation Committee by October 2006, and;

3. That staff work with the local councillor, local stakeholders, the Ottawa Police Service and the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee on an urban design concept for this area of Rideau Street that accommodates transit users in a safe, secure environment, with an interim report on progress to the Transportation Committee by October 2006.

4. That the recommendations of the Ottawa Police Service Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) be referred to staff and appropriate advisory committees for report back on solutions to the issues raised in the CPTED by October 2006.

CARRIED

Following that direction staff undertook several measures to address the issues raised by Councillor Bédard with respect to the condition of Rideau Street between Sussex and Nicholas Street. An information report was submitted to Transit Committee on March 21, 2007 to advise on the progress staff has made in response to the June 14, 2006 motion of City Council.

At the March 21, 2007 of Transit Committee the Downtown Rideau BIA (DRBIA) submitted a list of comments concerning those items that they felt had not been resolved to their satisfaction. Transit Committee then passed the following motion:

That staff be directed to review the report tabled by the Rideau BIA dated 6 March 2007, and report back to Transit Committee by June 2007 after consultation with the BIA.

CARRIED

The following is the staff response to each of the points extracted from the BIA report:

Downtown Rideau BIA response to re commendation #1

“Not all obstruction and loitering elements have been removed or relocated to allow for ease of access to transit platforms and pedestrian movement along sidewalks in this study area. Equally, not all maintenance initiatives have maintained a required level of frequency to be effective.”

a.“Recommend removal or relocation of bicycle rack on the NE corner of Freiman Mall crosswalk at the Bay between the crosswalk and OC Transpo transit shelter.”

2. “Recommend removal or relocation of the vending boxes between Freiman Mall and OC Traspo shelters on north side of the street.”

3. “Recommend removal or relocation (designated secure to pavement location) of vending boxes between The Bay and Chapters at the STO transit stop on the north side of Rideau. Street furniture in this area seriously impedes and obstructs pedestrian movement due to transit riders using the sidewalk to wait for their buses because there is no transit platform in this high transit use location.”

Staff Response

Traffic and Parking Operations – Staff has no problem facilitating these relocations or removals (a., b., c. noted above). The vending boxes have already been relocated. Future discussions on additional relocations or removals will be undertaken.

4. “Waste receptacles should be secured to lampposts to avoid them form being moved in an obstructing way.”

5. “Adjacent businesses still reporting poor maintenance levels of the shelters and the negative impact this has on their business. Initial maintenance response appears to have lessened during the winter month. Winter poses additional concerns with snow banks between the shelters and property lines – further narrowing the pedestrian right-of-way and salt/slush splashing on the glass of shelters obstructing the visibility through them. Recommend developing a regular, frequency maintenance schedule in consultation with the DRBIA who can provide information on seasonality and high traffic demand usage resulting from promotional and tourism activity, etc. that would require increased maintenance levels.”

Staff Response

Real Property and Asset Management – The four shelters on Rideau Street are cleaned daily, Monday to Friday and are part of a regular route that is serviced by one employee on a dedicated basis. Cleaning generally occurs the same time each day, however, it can vary depending on the maintenance requirements of the shelters that are part of this route. Although there is no scheduled maintenance on weekends, staff is called in to deal with significant maintenance issues when required. Last fall, three of the shelters were completely repainted with the fourth being painted this spring.

6. “OC Transpo buses disembark riders in areas outside of the actual transit stop, which poses safety concerns to riders, as well as pedestrians and often in locations where street furniture obstructs rider’s ability to exit the bus safely.”

Staff Response

Transit Services - Safety is the number one priority for transit operations. Operators are responsible to ensure that passengers alight only where it is safe to do so. We have supervision on a regular basis on Rideau Street and, while we do not agree that safety of alighting passengers is a concern, we have issued a bulletin underlining the importance of ensuring that passengers alight only when it is safe to do so and particularly drawing attention to the stops on Rideau Street.

7. “Waste receptacle servicing was, and traditionally is severely cutback in winter months which contributes to the appearance of decay in this area that adds to a negative safety perception for the district.”

8. “Graffiti on the north OC Transpo transit shelters is a daily concern and often covers the entire glass. Increased removal is required.”

Staff Response

Real Property and Asset Management – Graffiti removal is done in accordance with the City’s Graffiti Management Strategy. The area where the four shelters on Rideau Street area located is considered a “Zero Tolerance “ zone, as defined in the strategy, therefore, graffiti is removed on a weekly basis. Hate/racist or offensive graffiti is removed within 24 hours of it being discovered and/or reported. Graffiti is removed from the four shelters on Rideau Street as part of the daily maintenance routine. On May 23^rd Council approved the Enhanced Graffiti Management Strategy, which will increase the frequency of graffiti removal pending approval during the 2008 budget deliberations. To assist with prompt removal of graffiti, the DRBIA is encouraged to call the request into Transit Information at 741-4390. The request will be brought to the attention of the appropriate staff resources and addressed accordingly.

9. “NOTE: The DRBIA also removes posters from lampposts three times a week.”

DRBIA response to recommendation #2

“The cooperation between security services (OC Transpo, Ottawa Police Service and DRBIA) has been greatly improved and the DRBIA encourages further cooperation in this area. Especially with sharing schedules to avoid duplication of resources and regular meetings to exchange information and develop recommendations to respond to challenges, as well as cooperatively target peak periods.”

Staff Response

Transit Services – The Transit Special Constables work in cooperation with Ottawa Police Service, crime stoppers, local school boards and community groups to safeguard transit customers, employees and property. The officers proactively patrol Rideau Street to promote public safety and jointly work with Ottawa Police Service on special projects in the area with the primary focus being the prevention of crime and offences.

1. “The DRBIA requests participation on the Rideau Street Zero Tolerance Committee.”

Staff Response

Planning Branch – The Zero Tolerance Committee is an internal staff committee that was organized to address issues related to the events of the summer 2006 around the pedestrian underpass at Colonel By Drive and Rideau Street.

2. “To assist OC Transpo’s route schedule timelines delivery, recommend increased pre-boarding verification at platforms in this area to expedite rider boarding and ease flow of pedestrian sidewalk traffic in platform areas. Also, to provide additional “authority” visibility on safety hot spots, further recommend increasing security during peak periods, especially afternoon peak on north side of Rideau.”

Staff Response

Transit Services - The Smartcard fare system currently under development would provide opportunities to speed up boarding times at busy stops and would certainly make operations on Rideau Street smoother. The funding for the smartcard system was approved in the 2007 capital budget and, if approvals are received for its implementation, it would be implemented in 2008 and 2009. We do not support the idea of prepaid zones on the platforms/sidewalks on Rideau Street, because of both inability to enforce and interference with pedestrian traffic.

In addition to existing Transit Security and Supervisory Staff, two additional Transit Fare Enforcement Officers are scheduled for September 2007 and six additional staff planned in 2008 to increase surveillance within the Rideau Street area.

3. “NOTE: Lighting improvements by the City and DRBIA were done in 2005 and not part of the zero-tolerance initiative.”

4. “The DRBIA supports the recommendation of installation of Closed Circuit Television cameras and has seen this used effectively in other communities – but only if it is connected to a LIVE reporting component to respond to crimes in progress, etc.”

5. “CPTED recommendations pertaining to pedestrian traffic flow have not been resolved through this process. Specifically, recommendations pertaining to transit shelter design, transit platform visual identification elements, removal of litter and cigarette butts, loitering areas (i.e. Between the north shelters and The Bay), ensure there is sufficient space to handle pedestrian flow (i.e. The STO transit stop on the sidewalk in front of The Bay), etc.”

Staff Response

Planning Branch – All of the matters noted above in 2 e. will be addressed as part of the Urban Design Study. We agree that the amount and quality of pedestrian space is critical to the proper function of the street. Given the complexity of activities within the section of Rideau Street from Sussex to Nicholas Street, the priority of functions will need to be assessed in order to determine the space requirements. The design of the transit shelters is a related matter that will also need to be resolved though the Urban Design study.

Real Property and Asset Management – The installation of Closed Circuit Television cameras would be live monitored by the Transit Security Control Centre resulting in any incidents being actively responded to as they develop rather than using recordings to respond to incidents after the fact.

DRBIA response to recommendation #3

“Stakeholder consultations missed a key stakeholder – The Bay. They are the location of the to key hot spots in this area – the STO transit stop between Chapters and Freiman Mall, and the OC Transpo transit stop between Freiman Mall and William Mall.”

1. “The DRBIA also requests the report consult with the City’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC), as this issue has a significant impact on adjacent businesses and is applicable to other business area throughout the city that accommodate significant transit volumes. It is important to share the positive lessons learned through this process with the greater community.”

Staff Response

Planning Branch – As with the other Advisory Committees that the DRBIA has requested to be included in the TAC for this project, we will also include the BAC. This will require the BAC to appoint a representative to attend the TAC meetings and report back on matters being discussed. Normally the information concerning this project would be circulated to all pertinent Advisory Committees by established internal lines of communication.

2. “The DRBIA has concerns with providing transit benches, based on past experience with loitering issues associated with benches in this area. Riders have numerous options to sit and/or window shop at nearby amenities while waiting for their bus as an option other that increasing the number of benches existing at the transit stop. Additionally, benches are contrary to all other recommendations to remove clutter form the street.”

Staff Response

Transit Services - The provision of seating for waiting passengers is an important aspect of the accessibility of the transit system. The benches at the Rideau Street stops are designed for people with mobility disabilities - they are relatively high and have backs and arms. The future requirement for seating will be raised by Transit Services staff in the Urban Design Study. Transit benches are consistently designed to discourage people from sleeping on them.

Planning Branch – The consideration of benches on Rideau Street for transit riders and others will be a consideration of the Urban Design Study. The study will attempt to balance the concern with loitering related to the provision of benches and the general objective to provide an accessible and comfortable environment for pedestrians. Benches, if properly designed and integrated into the streetscape, should not contribute to clutter.

3. “The DRBIA is a strong supporter of the majority of recommendations noted in #3. Especially the introduction of on-street parking in off-peak transit hours, which we believe will provide more eyes and ears on the street to discourage negative activity and improve safety. On street parking after 6:00 p.m. would be a very positive addition to the street that would also provide business customers with a convenience to attend evening cultural activities or transport goods and services not conducive to transit transport.”

Staff Response

Traffic and Parking Operations – There is no specific reference to the introduction of on-street parking in Recommendation 3 of the actual report. It is instead noted in Document 2 of the report as a bullet under Comments/Suggestions From Local Stakeholders. That said, the issue of on-street parking in this area of Rideau Street is being addressed in another report being prepared by the Ward Councillor. TPO Staff are reviewing the possibility of on-street parking and will be providing comments to the Ward Councillor for this consideration.

4. “We do not support heating the shelters. This was done during the Rideau Mall and proved to be extremely detrimental to the safety of the adjacent community. Heated transit shelters attracted large volumes of homeless people from nearby shelters and services that created a very unsafe situation that transit riders were too afraid to use. We note that homeless services have doubled in a 6 block radius of Rideau/Dalhousie in the last 7 years and are currently seeking the City adapt a decentralization policy to restrict further concentration of these services in our community.”

Staff Response

Transit Services - Passenger comfort is an important aspect of the transit system. Ways of providing a comfortable waiting environment for transit customers consistent with urban design objectives will need to be developed as part of the Urban Design Study.

5. “Missing from stakeholder comments is the DRBIA comments supporting removal of one, or redesign of the OC Transpo transit shelters east of Freiman Mall on the north side of Rideau (see attached letters from adjacent businesses), as well as the need to redesign The Bay’s alcoves in the same area.”

Staff Response

Planning Branch – The design and location of transit shelters will be a key consideration of the Rideau Street Urban Design Study that is now underway. Therefore, it is considered to be premature to introduce alterations to the existing shelters until alternatives have been thoroughly examined.

DRBIA response to recommendation #4

“The DRBIA disagrees with the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee (PTAC) and the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) (primarily regarding redesign or removal of the transit shelters) and remains in agreement with the CPTED report’s recommendations to remove clutter and obstruction in this area to improve safety. The DRBIA does however, agree with many of the other recommendations from the Committees.”

1. “Recommend a pilot to remove at a minimum, the easterly OC Transpo transit shelter’s walls in front of McDonald’s and the Buck Stop dollar store. The DRBIA monitored and photographed use of the shelters when OC Transpo made repairs to them summer of 2006. See attached photos showing that the “majority” of riders chose not to use the shelters – even during rainy periods. Additional consideration could be partial glass panel removal to at least open them up more and provide visibility to adjacent businesses, safety site lines, etc.”

Staff Response

Transit Services - The current shelters are relatively small in relation to the number of people waiting for buses at the stops on Rideau Street. The glass panels offer protection from the wind and the rain, which is particularly important in the winter months.

2. “Planters cause a security concern in that they have reached their lifecycle and can not longer accommodate ground growth – leaving them barren and decay in appearance. They are also a location to stash drugs for trafficking exchange, a place for litter and cigarette butts and an obstruction of pedestrian flow in high traffic volume locations. The DRBIA supports the removal of some planters in strategic location and remains supportive of “greenery” on the street to provide a soothing environment.”

Staff Response

Planning Branch – Some planters were removed from the street in 2006 at the request of the DRBIA. The planters were deemed necessary in the most recent streetscape design due to the shallow depth of underground utilities in that location. Therefore, without the use of raised planters it is unlikely that trees can be included in the design for Rideau Street. The deterioration of the raised planters indicates that a maintenance regimen will be an important aspect of any streetscape design that will result from the Urban Design Study.

3. “The DRBIA especially supports recommendations to consider rerouting of reducing some transit use off Rideau Street. Perhaps STO or underutilized or through routes. Ultimately, we support a spoke and wheel delivery system in the core that would eliminate the number of buses by transferring riders onto a line haul system rather than a route system. Perhaps Rideau Street could be considered for a future pilot to explore this option.”

Staff Response

Transit Services - Transit staff has looked for ways to remove service from Rideau Street but, because Mackenzie King Bridge is already at capacity and Rideau Centre and the Market areas are major attractors, this cannot be done without inconveniencing large numbers of transit riders and making transit service less attractive. STO staff has made some changes to their service to reduce the number of buses on Rideau Street in the PM peak by using Mackenzie and starting some trips west of Rideau Street. It should be noted that a hub and spoke network design would not reduce the number of buses operating via Rideau Street. There is no spare capacity on any routes that pass through the entire downtown core, neither STO nor OC Transpo. Reduction of the number of bus trips through Rideau Street would only be theoretically possible by rerouting to other streets, which is not recommended, or by building a rapid transit facility.

Original signed by

Nancy Schepers

:cwl