Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee

Comité consultatif sur les piétons

et le transport en commun

Minutes 2 / ProcÈs-verbal 2

Thursday, 17 February 2011, 7:00 p.m.

Le jeudi 17 février 2011 à 19 h

Richmond Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West

Salle Richmond, 110, avenue Laurier Ouest

Present / Présents : M. Ircha (Chair / Président), R. Eade (Vice-Chair/Vice-président), M. Back, M. Bottomley, B. Geiger, M. Haddad, A. Keklikian, T. Krawchenko, R. MacLean, B. Malleck, K. Moore, H. Nguyen

Absent / Absents : S. Ménard, N. Chakravorty, J. Sugar

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
DÉCLARATIONS D’INTÉRÊT

Member H. Nguyen declared an interest on Item 5. Member Nguyen did not participate in the discussion of these items.

Confirmation of minutes

RATIFICATION DU PROCÈS-VERBAL

Minutes 1 – Thursday, 20 January 2011

Procès-verbal 1 – le jeudi 20 janvier 2011

CONFIRMED

ITEMS OF BUSINESS

POINTS À L’ORDRE DU JOUR

1. ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR

ÉLECTION DU PRÉSIDENT(E) ET DU VICE-PRÉSIDENT(E)

The Coordinator called for nominations from the floor for Vice-Chair.

Moved by H. Nguyen

That Richard Eade be elected as Vice Chair for the 2011 term.

Member Eade accepted the nomination. No other nominations were received.

The Coordinator declared nominations closed.

The Coordinator declared Richard Eade as Vice-Chair.

PRESENTATIONS

pRESENTATIONS

2. School Travel Planning Project – Ottawa

Planification du transport scolaire – Ottawa

Wallace Beaton, Coordinator, School Travel Planning, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, Green Communities Canada, spoke to a PowerPoint slide presentation, which served to provide members with an overview of “School Travel Planning – Ottawa Pilot Project.” A copy of this presentation is held on file with the City Clerk and Solicitor’s office pursuant to the City of Ottawa Records Retention and Disposition By-law.

Following the presentation, members addressed the following issues and concerns:

· Possible reasons for the declining trend of students who walk to school

· How was this study conducted? How was the target group formed?

· What is the average number of those who walk to school, versus those who are driven or use public transportation?

· Will there be any follow up surveys conducted and when will information be available on the success of the pilot program?

Upon request Mr. Beaton provided members with links to the following websites for further information regarding Green Communities Active & Safe Routes to School: http://www.saferoutestoschool.ca , Child and Youth Friendly Land Use and Transport Planning Guidelines: www.kidsonthemove.ca and the Ontario Communities Walk On initiative: www.canadawalks.ca/project_walkon.asp .

Moved by M. Back

The Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee supports the initiative of the School Travel Planning Project in encouraging students to walk to school. The contribution the project receives from the City Budget is essential to ensure results from their proposals and we strongly endorse this contribution.

CARRIED

Action: Committee coordinator to prepare a memo and forward the motion passed by PTAC to the coordinator of the Transportation Committee for circulation to the committee’s members.

3. sub-committee presentation: Making Ottawa more pedestrian Friendly

PRÉSENTATION DU SOUS-COMITÉ : RENDRE OTTAWA plus conviviale pour les PIÉtons

Member Tamara Krawchenko and Member Margaret Back spoke to a PowerPoint slide presentation, entitled “Walking and the Cultural City”, which served to illustrate how other cities have been able to achieve pedestrian friendliness on their city streets. A copy of this presentation is held on file with the City Clerk and Solicitor’s office pursuant to the City of Ottawa Records Retention and Disposition By-law.

Following the presentation members commented on the following:

· Pedestrians need incentive, therefore they require places to walk to

· The City needs to take more of an interest in their sidewalks (i.e. Street signs, parking metres and bike racks blocking sidewalks)

· Urban design planning needs to be taken into account when planning streets and sidewalks

· City needs to have the ability to regulate public space

Wallace Beaton, Green Communities Canada, resident, stated that currently in Ottawa, cyclists are organized, with organized voices, which there are none for pedestrians. He felt this lack of representation attributes to the disconnect between the policies and the pedestrian plans, as well as the lack of money and resources needed.

Speaking as a resident, he indicated that Ottawa is a unique City for it actually has a pedestrian plan. He suggested that this is a better starting point then having nothing at all.

Moved by T. Krawchenko

WHEREAS the Transportation Committee’s 2011 budget does not allocate sufficient funding toward the implementation of the Pedestrian Plan;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee recommend that the Pedestrian Plan have adequate funding to ensure its effective implementation.

CARRIED

Action: Committee coordinator to prepare a memo and forward the motion passed by PTAC to the coordinator of the Transportation Committee for circulation to the committee’s members.

UPDATES/mISES À JOUR

4. 2011 CITY BUDGET – DISCUSSION

BUDGET DE 2011 DE LA VILLE – DISCUSSION

Chair Ircha asked members to provide items which they would like him to address in the presentation he will be making to the Transit Commission on the Transit portion of the 2011 City Budget. Members discussed matters pertaining to various issues within the budget, which the chair endeavoured to raise in his presentation to the Transit Commission.

Action: Chair to incorporate members concerns into the presentation that he will be making to the Transit Commission on February 24, 2011.

5. UPDATE: Public Open House: Bank Street CDP

MISE À JOUR : SÉANCE PORTES OUVERTES : PCC DE LA RUE BANK

Before considering this item, Member Nguyen informed the committee that she had a conflict of interest with this item and therefore would not be participating in the discussion.

Member Haddad indicated he had attended the first open house for the proposed Bank Street Community Design Plan. He remarked that there was not much to report at this time, other than they are proposing to intensify the mixed-use of the development. He noted the next meeting will be held in June and a draft proposal will be going forward in the fall of 2011.

Action: Member Haddad to acquire the presentations given at the open house and circulate to PTAC members, enabling them to provide feedback on what is currently being proposed.

6. SUB-COMMITTEE UPDATES

MISES À JOUR DES SOUS-COMITÉS

No updates were provided at this time.

7. FORWARD AGENDA

POINTS À L’ORDRE DU JOUR DES PROCHAINES RÉUNIONS

OTHER BUSINESS

AUTRES QUESTIONS

Chair Ircha indicated that he had circulated to all members a draft letter to the Chair of the Interim Transit Commission requesting that they follow up with the Ministry of Transportation on the possibility of reintroducing photo radar. With the members endorsement he advised he would send the approved letter Councillor Wilkinson, the Chair of the Interim Transit Commission.

Speaking to a letter that was submitted to the Mayor by members of various advisory committee members regarding “Refund Income Tax Credit”, the chair asked members if this was an item that the committee addressed in the past. Members indicated that this was not an item that was discussed at committee.

ADJOURNMENT

LEVÉE DE LA SÉANCE

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

Original signed by Original signed by

J. Collins M. Ircha

Committee Coordinator Chair