Document 2
Ottawa Police CPTED Evaluation
Report
to/Rapport au :
Comité des transports
Submitted by/Soumis par : Councillor/Conseillère Georges Bédard
Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier / Quartier 12 Rideau-Vanier
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Councillor/Conseiler
Georges Bédard
(613) 580-2482, georges.bedard@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
BUS
SHELTERS IN FRONT OF RIDEAU CENTRE– NEED REPLACEMENT TO OPEN CONCEPT DESIGN |
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OBJET : |
NÉCESSITÉ DU REMPLACEMENT DES ABRIBUS EN FACE DU CENTRE RIDEAU PAR UN CONCEPT
D’AMÉNAGEMENT OUVERT |
That the Transportation Committee direct OC Transpo replace their bus shelters, in front of 50 Rideau Street (Rideau Centre) and 73 Rideau Street (The Bay), respectively, with a new shelter design that utilizes a canopy, but leaves the sides open; and that the cost of removal be assumed by OC Transpo; and also direct the ‘Societé de Transport de l’Outaouais’ (STO) to remove or modify their shelter on the north side of Rideau Street between The Bay and Chapters accordingly.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des transports enjoigne OC Transpo
de remplacer les abribus qui se trouvent en face du 50 de la rue Rideau (Centre
Rideau) et du 73 de la rue Rideau (magasin La Baie) par un nouveau type
d’aménagement doté d’un toit mais ouvert sur les côtés; demande à OC Transpo
d’assumer le coût de l’enlèvement des abribus; enjoigne la Société de transport
de l’Outaouais (STO) d’enlever ou de modifier son abribus au nord de la rue
Rideau, entre le magasin La Baie et la librairie Chapters.
Currently
the bus shelters located on Rideau Street between Sussex and Nicholas Road have
become a haven for criminal activity, including drug dealing and using, loitering
and aggressive panhandling. The shelters are appealing to those looking to
partake in such illegal activities since the shelters don’t allow any clear
visibility to the sidewalks due to the encumbrance of the transit maps/posters
within them and the tinted glass. They also create a closed in space that
offers a confined hidden area in which to carry out illegal activities.
Rideau
Street is a major pedestrian and transportation artery servicing both OC
Transpo and STO bus routes and must support 250,000 visits to the immediate
area every week. The areas in and around the shelters are very congested
at any given time of day. Unfortunately, the transit customers that the
bus shelters were installed to service rarely utilize them out of safety
concerns even in inclement weather. The Rideau Centre and the Downtown Rideau
BIA have received many complaints over the years from customers, employees and
visitors (see Document 1) to Ottawa who feel intimidated and uncomfortable in
and around the shelters.
The Ottawa
Police, along with the Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Area (BIA) are in
strong support of this recommendation.
It is the view of the Ottawa Police and the
Downtown Rideau BIA that the four bus shelters (2 on the north and 2 on the
south side) of Rideau Street are creating a hazard to the safety and security
of the area (see Appendix B and C). The sidewalks behind the shelters are
narrow and closed in and are frequently occupied by drug dealers, vagrants and
panhandlers who interrupt the traffic flow or sit in the protected enclosures
and take up most of the space. The sight line visibility on the street is also
impeded by vending boxes and planters directly next to the shelters making it
impossible to see into the shelters.
On the north side of Rideau Street, there is a
concave area directly behind the bus shelter between The Bay Department Store
and McDonald’s Restaurant, which is a particularly popular area for individuals
to loiter and commit illegal acts as it is not easily visible from the street
therefore providing optimal concealment due to the obstruction of the bus
shelter. This is certainly not restricted to the concave area, as the
individuals who use the bus shelters as a meeting area and their place of
illegal activities frequently spill out onto the sidewalk and greatly impede
pedestrian flow in an already narrow walkway.
The south side has similar issues. These areas
have become a hangout for groups of loiterers who take up even more of the
limited sidewalk space and who sit on the sidewalk leaning against the shelters
with their legs stretched out into the public right of way.
The Downtown Rideau BIA approached
the Ottawa Police Service about hiring off-duty police officers to assist with
this, but the OPS turned down the request on the grounds that if this was
approved it would suggest that Ottawa policing is “based on the financial means
of the local business interests.”
The Ottawa Police and the Downtown Rideau BIA
have previously requested OC Transpo remove the shelters and replace them with
a design that will not offer concealment to any individuals who wish to partake
in illegal activities in the area. However, OC Transpo has not been willing to
replace the shelters, preferring to ignore the security issues in favour of
protecting clients against inclement weather.
The problem is best solved by compromising and
replacing the bus shelters with a new design that utilizes a canopy but leaves
the sides open. STO is willing to remove its shelters should Ottawa request
this.
The Downtown Rideau BIA and the Ottawa Police have discussed the matter with the Councillor and support the report’s recommendation.
OC Transpo will be responsible to cover the cost of replacing the shelters in question with a more open design.
Document 1 – Public Comments
Document 2 – Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design Police Report
Document 3 – Supporting Letter from Downtown
Rideau Business Improvement Area.
Document 4 – Image of Discussed Bus Shelters
DISPOSITION
That OC Transpo replace bus shelters as recommended.
Document 1
Public Comments
regarding Rideau Street and surrounding area
Below
are some Travel Reviews of Ottawa & Rideau/Market area that may be useful
as comments from tourism sources to include in the transportation committee
request to remove the shelters or substantiate our comments –they are from the
public --Source: IgoUgo, Virtual Tourist, Tripadvisor & other travel
related websites where people can write their reviews on a city and ask for
advice/suggestions etc.
§
Ottawa is generally a fairly safe city; the federal
presence within the capital makes the city heavily policed and patrolled.
However, it’s always best to be on the look out-just in case. The areas around
the Rideau Centre along Rideau St. at night are sometimes filled with bored
teens and wannabe drug dealers. Homeless people also are found along the area.
It’s usually best to ignore these crowds. If any unlikely trouble does happen,
contact the Ottawa Police Service or the Ontario Provincial Police. The RCMP
(the Mounties) also operate in Ottawa, but are involved more in federal law
enforcement. Always contact the local authorities first. I do find that the
bus stop area near the Rideau Center is sometimes a little sketchy and walking
down Rideau Street at night is not the best idea unless you are in a big group.
Watch out around 2 a.m. for drunken people, but otherwise, I feel damn safe
here! (I mean come on, the Prime Minister lives here!)
§
To say we were disappointed in Ottawa is an
understatement. First, we had to walk through some streets with some very
dodgy looking people (drunks, homeless, prostitutes, etc.), but we finally got
to the Byward Market. What is there to see? Nothing. It is just the old
market, now with some modern shops and street vendors. We ended up walking
across the bridge over the river to see the museum of Civilization, but it is
technically not in Ottawa anymore
§
Ottawa has a beautiful Canal that cuts the city in two
and turns into a skating rink in the winter. You can go skating, cross country
skiing, Canoeing or Paddling there. You can also go hiking in the Gatineau Park
you can smoke pot anywhere. You can get Pot from Rideau Street, usually.
§
There’s a bit problem with drug soliciting and
loitering right at the front door on Rideau street, there’s garbage all over
the place and is grossly overpriced! If you are dead set on shopping here,
enter the mall from the Mackenzie King Bridge entrance by Sears to avoid the
hassle and eye sores on Rideau Street.
§
The Rideau center is pretty good. It has all the
popular and "in" stores as well as something for the older people.
Inside the mall is excellent but they should do some work on the outside… all
sorts of garbage and homeless people is kinda scary because you get harassed by
them as you walk out.
§
Downtown can be scary at night, especially the Byward
market. There are homeless shelters in and around there, and like anywhere
else, a lot of “bad” people (and I’m not saying all homeless are bad) are
downtown. Try to stay in big groups, don’t go down dark alleys, stick to what
looks safe.
§
If you travel to Ottawa, and decide to shop in the
area of Rideau Street beware of many bums that are in the street. They can get
aggressive, so I recommend anyone to not go out and walk alone at night in the
street.
April 19, 2006
Transportation Committee
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West
RE: REQUEST
FOR REMOVAL OR REDESIGN OF TRANSIT SHELTERS ON RIDEAU STREET
Dear Committee:
Transit Shelters
This is a letter
of support for city staff’s recommendation to replace a total of four transit shelters
in two locations on Rideau Street between Nicholas Street and Sussex Drive
(Rideau Centre and The Bay). The Downtown Rideau BIA (DRBIA) is well
documented in supporting this recommendation based on on-going “environmental
design” concerns associated with crime at this area. These shelters are
in density locations, which is an inviting environment for criminal
activity. The obstructing existing design of these shelters encourages
this criminal activity, as they create a visible barrier from police and public
site lines for drug dealers to approach people and sell their products, as well
as a comfortable and weather protected area for drug users to wait for sellers
until they buy their product. The area is so obstructed in this area that
it also attracts vagrants to sleep, urinate and defecate, as well as “high”
people to hang out waiting to purchase their next “hit”. The DRBIA and
our members receive constant public complaints about the unsafe environment in
this area, as well as increasing concerns reported by businesses for safety
concerns of their employees walking in this area. Numerous safety
committees and Task Forces of the ward Councillor and DRBIA have repeatedly
identified that the removal or redesign of these shelters would improve the
safety situation immensely in this area.
Sincerely,
DOWNTOWN RIDEAU BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
Brian McQuaid
Chair
cc: Downtown
Rideau Board of Management
Peggy
DuCharme
Executive Director
DOWNTOWN RIDEAU--Ottawa's Arts & Theatre District
111A Rideau
Street, 2nd floor
Ottawa, ON, K1N 5X1
Canada
ph: 613-241-6211
fx: 613-241-8612
email: info@downtownrideau.com
website: www.downtownrideau.com
Document
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