Report to/Rapport au :

 

Transportation Committee

Comité des transports

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

25 April 2012 / le 25 avril 2012

 

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe, Planning and Infrastructure / Urbanisme et Infrastructure

 

Contact Person/Personne-ressource : Vivi Chi, Manager/Gestionnaire, Transportation Planning/Planification des transports, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance

(613) 580-2424 x21877, vivi.chi@ottawa.ca

 

City Wide/à l'échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2012-PAI-PGM-0016

 

 

SUBJECT:

 

TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM) STRATEGY

OBJET :

 

STRATÉGIE DE GESTION DE LA DEMANDE EN TRANSPORT (gdt)

 
 
REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That Transportation Committee recommend Council approve the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategy, including the proposed three-year action plan, as detailed in Document 1.

 

 

Recommandation du rapport

Que le Comité des transports recommande au Conseil d’approuver la stratégie de gestion de la demande en transport (GDT), y compris  le plan d’action triennal proposé, décrit dans le document 1.

 

 

Executive Summary

Assumptions and Analysis:

 

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) initiatives encourage individuals to reduce the number of trips they make, to choose transit, non-driving alternatives, or shared vehicle trips more often, to travel outside peak periods, and to reduce the length of their trips. The following TDM Strategy describes how the City will continue working to influence the travel decisions of people in Ottawa by encouraging the use of more sustainable transportation solutions consistent with the City’s long-term goals.

 

There is also a strong economic rationale to support the implementation of TDM measures.  Recognizing the economic benefits and modeled on best practices such as WORKshift Calgary - a regional initiative to promote, educate, and accelerate the adoption of telecommuting in the business community - the City will be offering tools, resources, and information to help area employers effectively implement telework or telecommute programs for their employees. The City will also reach out to major employers and institutions such as the federal government, local universities and colleges to assess opportunities to explore flexible work hour provisions as well as scheduling as a means of helping to flatten peak commute periods. The TDM Strategy is being brought forward for approval as a Strategic Initiative identified in the City’s Strategic Plan for 2011-2014. It also responds directly to the recommendation of the Transportation Master Plan that the City develop a comprehensive TDM Strategy, and it addresses the strategic directions from the Official Plan. The recommendations of the TDM Strategy will be implemented over the next three years (2012 to 2014).

 

The significant and lasting change in how people travel will arise out of an increased focus on transit, cycling and walking as comparatively better modes of transport than car travel. Through infrastructure and service improvements to the City’s public transit system, cycling network, and pedestrian facilities, the City continues to provide more of the physical or “hard” elements that enable and facilitate sustainable transport. The TDM Strategy outlines the complementary “soft” measures that support these physical elements, that maximize the benefits of such capital investments, and that encourage people to use them. When properly planned and implemented, “hard” capital projects and “soft” TDM measures complement one another to yield a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

The TDM Strategy presents a strategic framework based on four long-term goals, as well as a three-year action plan made up of nine actions into which existing and future recommended TDM initiatives are grouped. The action plan recognizes the various opportunities for synergy with internal and external stakeholders, and respects anticipated staffing and resource constraints. A performance measurement framework to evaluate the effectiveness of the TDM program over time is also presented.

 

For example, in the short term, TDM initiatives will have increasing prominence in the City’s activities, given the recent approval of the Ottawa on the Move capital program, and with it, the advancement over the next three years of many important infrastructure renewal projects that were not scheduled for more than a decade.  While Ottawa on the Move will have its own TDM strategy, the measures and action plan outlined in this general city-wide strategy will support and strengthen these initiatives.

 

The TDM Strategy is consistent with best practices in other Canadian communities recognized as leaders in managing transportation demand, and will solidify Ottawa’s position among municipalities on the leading edge of TDM.

 

Financial Implications:

 

The TDM Strategy spending plan, outlined in Document 1, aligns with the funding requirements identified in the Term of Council Priorities, as well as existing and forecasted TDM Strategy funds.  Funding in 2012 is available in the 2012 TDM account (906422). Future years’ capital requirements, as recommended under the Term of Council Priorities, will be included in the 2013 and 2014 draft budget submissions.

 

Public Consultation/Input:

 

The development of the TDM Strategy involved consultation with the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee, the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee, and the Environmental Advisory Committee. Staff presented background information and preliminary recommendations to each Committee, and received input at the Committee meetings and in subsequent correspondence. The feedback from the Advisory Committees generally consisted of a variety of suggested actions to include in the TDM Strategy, several of which have been incorporated into the three-year action plan. A number of the suggestions were outside the scope of the TDM Strategy, and will therefore be considered through other City programs as appropriate (e.g. Cycling Facilities Program and Pedestrian Facilities Program).

 

 

Résumé

Hypothèses et analyse

 

Les projets de gestion de la demande en transport (GDT) encouragent les gens à réduire le nombre de leurs déplacements, à choisir le transport en commun, le co-voiturage ou tout autre moyen de transport sans voiture, à se déplacer en dehors des périodes de pointe et à réduire la longueur de leurs déplacements. La stratégie de GDT qui suit décrit comment la Ville compte poursuivre ses efforts pour influer sur les choix des gens à Ottawa en ce qui concerne leurs déplacements, et ce, en faisant la promotion de solutions de transport durables qui soient compatibles avec les buts à long terme de la Ville.

 

Il existe également d’importants motifs économiques pour appuyer la mise en œuvre des mesures de GDT. En reconnaissant les avantages économiques et en se fondant sur les pratiques exemplaires, comme celle de WORKshift Calgary, une initiative régionale visant à promouvoir et à accélérer l’adoption du télétravail dans la communauté d’affaires et à en informer les parties intéressées, la Ville offrira des outils, des ressources et des renseignements pour aider les employeurs de la région à mettre en œuvre efficacement des programmes de télétravail pour leurs employés. La Ville tendra également la main aux employeurs et institutions majeurs, comme le gouvernement fédéral, les universités et les collèges locaux pour évaluer les occasions d’explorer les heures de travail flexibles ainsi que l’établissement d’horaires comme moyen d’aider à atténuer les périodes de pointe dans le transport en commun. La stratégie de GDT a été soumise au processus d’approbation comme une initiative stratégique cernée dans le Plan stratégique de la Ville pour 2011-2014. Elle répond également directement à la recommandation du Plan directeur des transports voulant que la Ville élabore une stratégie de GDT exhaustive, et elle respecte les orientations stratégiques tirées du Plan officiel. Les recommandations de la stratégie de GDT seront mises en œuvre au cours des trois prochaines années (de 2012 à 2014). 

 

Pour modifier les habitudes de déplacement des gens de façon significative et durable, il sera nécessaire de mettre davantage l’accent sur les avantages du transport en commun, de la bicyclette et de la marche par rapport à l’automobile. En apportant des améliorations au réseau de transport en commun, au réseau de pistes cyclables et aux installations piétonnières, que ce soit sur le plan de l’infrastructure ou des services, la Ville continue d’offrir davantage d’éléments matériels ou concrets qui favorisent le transport durable. La stratégie de GDT fait état des mesures complémentaires plus abstraites qui appuient ces éléments matériels, maximisent les avantages de telles dépenses en immobilisations et encouragent les gens à les utiliser. Lorsqu’ils sont planifiés et mis en œuvre de façon adéquate, les projets d’immobilisations concrets et les mesures de GDT plus abstraites se complètent et forment un tout plus grand que la somme des parties.

 

La stratégie de GDT offre un cadre stratégique fondé sur quatre objectifs à long terme ainsi qu’un plan d’action triennal composé de neuf mesures regroupant les projets de GDT recommandés, qu’ils soient actuels ou futurs. Le plan d’action tient compte des différentes possibilités de synergie entre les intervenants internes comme externes et respecte les contraintes prévues quant aux ressources et à la dotation en personnel. Il contient également un cadre d’évaluation du rendement qui servira à évaluer l’efficacité du programme de GDT au fil du temps.

 

Par exemple, à court terme, les initiatives en GDT auront une importance accrue dans les activités de la Ville, en raison de la récente approbation du programme d’immobilisation de la Ville, Ottawa, on se déplace, et avec elle, l’avancement au cours des trois prochaines années d’importants et nombreux projets de renouvellement de l’infrastructure qui n’étaient pas prévus à l’horaire avant plus d’une décennie. Même si Ottawa, on se déplace aura sa propre stratégie de GDT, les mesures et le plan d’action décrits dans cette stratégie générale à l’échelle de la Ville appuieront et renforceront ces initiatives.

 

La stratégie de GDT va dans le sens des pratiques exemplaires d’autres collectivités canadiennes reconnues comme chefs de file en gestion de la demande en transport et confirmera la place d’Ottawa parmi les municipalités à la fine pointe de la GDT.

 

Répercussions financières

 

Le plan de dépenses relatif à la stratégie de GDT, exposé dans le document 1, répond aux critères de financement énoncés dans les priorités établies pour le mandat du Conseil, et tient compte également des crédits actuels et prévus pour la stratégie de GDT. Le financement pour l’année 2012 a été affecté au poste budgétaire GDT 2012 (906422) et le financement additionnel d’immobilisation a été affecté annuellement aux priorités du mandat actuel du Conseil jusqu’en 2014. Les besoins futurs en immobilisation, tels qu’ils sont recommandés au sein des priorités du mandat du Conseil, seront inclus dans les ébauches budgétaires de 2013 et 2014.

 

Consultation publique et commentaires

 

L’élaboration de la stratégie de GDT a donné lieu à la consultation du Comité consultatif sur les piétons et le transport en commun, du Comité consultatif sur les routes et le cyclisme et du Comité consultatif sur l’environnement. Le personnel a fourni des renseignements généraux et des recommandations préliminaires à chacun des comités et a reçu des commentaires lors des réunions des comités ainsi qu’au cours de communications ultérieures. La rétroaction des comités consultatifs consistait généralement en un éventail de mesures que l’on suggérait d’intégrer dans la stratégie de GDT; plusieurs d’entre elles ont d’ailleurs été intégrées dans le plan d’action triennal. Un certain nombre de suggestions dépassaient la portée de la stratégie de GDT et seront donc considérées dans le cadre d’autres programmes de la Ville, selon le cas (p. ex. le Programme d’infrastructures cyclables et le Programme d’installations piétonnières).

 

 

Background

Transportation demand management (TDM) initiatives encourage individuals to reduce the number of trips they make, to choose more often non-driving alternatives, to travel outside peak periods, and to reduce the length of their trips. A key goal of TDM is to minimize peak hour automobile travel and reduce the need for new or wider roads. TDM measures make alternatives to driving more attractive, build a positive public attitude towards those alternatives, and provide information and incentives that encourage responsible travel behaviours. An effective TDM program helps reduce the automobile dependence of Ottawa residents, preserve individual access to opportunity, reduce congestion and pollution and maintain community liveability.

 

For over a decade, the City has been involved in planning and implementing TDM initiatives. Based primarily on Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan policies and recommendations, the City has led or supported a wide variety of TDM initiatives including TDM-supportive planning practices; education and promotion; and complementary initiatives to encourage transit, cycling, walking and carpooling. However this has taken place in the absence of a formal, comprehensive strategy that addresses the need to prioritize initiatives, guide implementation, facilitate interdepartmental coordination, and measure performance. The adoption of this formal TDM Strategy will address these needs and maximize the effectiveness of the City’s TDM program.

 

Transportation Master Plan

 

The 2008 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) references the need for TDM approaches in two of the 12 elements of its Transportation Vision, and the TDM Strategy directly addresses the key principles of both.

 

Element 1: Reduce automobile dependence

Key principles: Give priority to public transit in meeting future growth in travel demand; make walking and cycling more attractive than driving for short trips; motivate sustainable travel choices through education, promotion, incentives and disincentives; and encourage shorter trips and travel alternatives like telework.

Element 2: Lead by example

Key principles: Minimize energy use and environmental impacts of City transportation facilities, fleets, operations and services; foster walking, cycling and transit use by employees and visitors to City facilities; and forge constructive partnerships with the private sector, institutions and community organizations.

 

The TMP also identifies eight strategic directions essential to achieving the vision, which includes “Managing transportation demand”. Within this category (Section 3.3 of the TMP), a number of leadership and outreach initiatives are identified, most notably that the City will “develop a comprehensive TDM Strategy… that will establish long-term objectives, priority short-term actions and a performance measurement framework”. This report presents a TDM Strategy that directly responds to this recommendation, and that reflects the other initiatives identified in this section of the TMP.

 

In its subsequent chapters, the TMP sets out a number of TDM-related policies on active transportation and public transit that are consistent with this TDM Strategy. It also identifies several TDM-related policies related to ridesharing, but this strategy focuses on other higher-priority short-term action opportunities (particularly given the TMP recommendation that the City develop a strategy specifically to address ridesharing).

 

Official Plan

 

The development of a formal TDM Strategy is supported by the Official Plan (OP), which identifies transportation demand management as a Strategic Direction. The OP states that the City will implement a comprehensive TDM program and also act as a role model by implementing measures that enhance its employees’ options for commuting and business travel. The TDM Strategy reflects the Strategic Direction identified in the OP and defines the individual actions that will move the city in the direction envisioned in the OP.

 

Term of Council Priorities

 

The TDM Strategy supports the strategic objectives associated with TM4 - Promote alternative mobility choices: Promote alternative mobility choices by emphasizing transit, cycling and walking as preferred ways of getting around the City; use education, promotion and incentives to encourage alternatives to driving, and provide information that encourages responsible travel. As well, it supports the City’s long term sustainability goals, most notably in terms of Connectivity and Mobility (goal: walking, cycling, and transit are residents’ first choices for transportation), but also in terms of Health and Quality of Life (goal: all residents enjoy a high quality of life and contribute to community well-being).

 

DISCUSSION

 

The TDM Strategy provides clear, formal direction for the City’s TDM program based on a set of overall goals that define success. The Strategy also includes a three-year action plan comprised of nine actions necessary to achieve the Strategy’s goals. For each action, the plan describes specific initiatives on a year-by-year basis, identifies supporting roles and responsibilities both within the City and externally, and defines indicators that will inform performance measurement for the program. Capital budget requirements, consistent with the Council-approved 2012 Budget and the Term of Council Priorities, are identified for the three-year action plan.

 

Based on the Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and City Strategic Plan, as well as best practices in other jurisdictions and historical experience in Ottawa, the Strategy identifies four overall goals for the City’s TDM program:

 

1.    Employee commuting and business travel: Lead by example by motivating more sustainable commuting and business travel by City employees.

2.    Communication and promotion: Use communication and promotion initiatives to remove barriers to more sustainable travel choices by individuals.

3.    Community partnerships: Establish strong partnerships to engage individuals in workplaces, schools and neighbourhoods, and to extend the City’s reach and leverage community resources.

4.    Internal linkages: Integrate TDM principles into a wide range of related City initiatives.

 

Based on the four goals, the Strategy outlines a three-year plan consisting of nine actions:

 

·         Action 1A – Improve and Promote Employee Travel Options

·         Action 2A – Develop a Strategic Communication Framework

·         Action 2B – Provide Travel Tools and Information

·         Action 2C – Conduct Events and Recognize Success

·         Action 3A – Engage Workplaces

·         Action 3B – Engage Schools

·         Action 3C – Engage Neighbourhoods

·         Action 4A – Enhance Community Services

·         Action 4B – Support Other City Initiatives

 

Within each action, specific TDM measures are identified for implementation on a year-by-year basis (refer to Document 1). The action plan confirms and recommends improvements to existing TDM initiatives, and proposes new initiatives where feasible given staff resource and budget availability.

 

In particular, the Strategy identifies how TDM staff will work with other City departments and branches to maximize the effectiveness of the TDM program. A key aspect in the development of the Strategy was consultation with other City departments and branches that are leading initiatives to influence the travel choices of people in Ottawa. While few of these initiatives by others are currently labeled as “TDM initiatives”, they are relevant to the Strategy because they influence travel behaviours and are also opportunities for collaboration. The action plan identifies the roles and responsibilities of other stakeholders in supporting the various actions that will be led by TDM staff, as well as the initiatives being led by others that TDM staff will in turn support. While the Strategy does not identify each and every initiative and program throughout the City, those with the most significance to the goals of the TDM Strategy are included.

 

Also addressed in the Strategy is performance measurement. Each action has associated performance indicators that, when considered aggregately, will give the City a sense of the overall impact of the TDM program. Performance indicators will be tracked over time, to first establish baseline conditions and then to monitor subsequent progress. Effective performance measurement will allow TDM staff to confirm the effectiveness of the program’s various initiatives, and to make adjustments where appropriate.

 

In developing the TDM Strategy, it was recognized that significant and lasting change in how people travel in the future will arise out of an increased focus on transit, cycling and walking as comparatively better modes of transport than car travel. Through infrastructure and service improvements to the city’s public transit system, cycling network, and pedestrian facilities, the City continues to provide more of the physical or “hard” elements that enable and facilitate sustainable transport. In the current term of Council, this most notably includes Light Rail Transit implementation, the Ottawa on the Move infrastructure program, as well as the annual Road Renewal, Cycling Facilities and Pedestrian Facilities programs. The TDM Strategy outlines the complementary “soft” measures that support these physical elements, that maximize the benefits of such capital investments, and that encourage people to use them. These measures are primarily educational and promotional initiatives, incentives and disincentives, and other measures that change the social or economic factors that influence peoples’ travel choices. When properly planned and implemented, capital infrastructure projects and TDM measures complement one another to yield a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Leading up to the implementation of the City’s Ottawa Light Rail Transit (OLRT) project, TDM staff will develop and implement a number of initiatives that could be capitalized upon by the Rail Implementation Office (RIO) as part of the strategy for managing transportation demand both during and after LRT construction. Work has been done to take lessons learned from other national and international experiences that set out practical measures for implementation aligned with the City’s TDM program.  

Specifically, the TDM Strategy’s employer engagement program will enable the development of tools and resources of city-wide relevance that could be applied in a targeted manner by the RIO in an efficient and coordinated fashion.

 

The TDM Strategy includes a three-year action plan with associated staff resource and capital budget requirements for implementation. Funding in 2012 is available in the 2012 TDM account (906422).  Budget forecasts for 2013 and 2014 have been assumed based on the approved 2012 Budget forecast. Over the next three years, the TDM action plan will be adjusted as necessary to reflect any deviations from the budget forecast.

 

Also, the TDM Strategy is designed to capitalize on the existing and planned initiatives by other departments and branches that influence the travel choices of people in Ottawa. These other initiatives support the goals of the TDM Strategy, complement the actions that will be led by TDM staff, and represent opportunities for collaboration. This Strategy does not propose any new actions by other departments or branches.

 

Future Opportunities

 

Ottawa on the Move

 

The City of Ottawa is in the midst of a remarkable transformation. As its population approaches a million, Ottawa’s infrastructure, particularly its transit system, needs to grow to meet this new reality. The cornerstone of the transformation is Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit (OLRT) project which, by traversing the downtown through a tunnel, unlocks current capacity constraints and allows the ridership growth needed to achieve desired modal splits. 

 

At the same time, Budget 2012 announced Ottawa on the Move (OOTM), an ambitious capital works program that advances dozens of integrated road and sewer, and bridge renewal projects along with new investments in cycling facilities to be completed before the related segments of the Transitway are converted for the City’s light rail project.  Under OOTM, infrastructure renewal projects not scheduled for more than a decade will be completed over the next three years to ensure the City can provide maximum capacity to buses, cars and cyclists along key transportation corridors during light rail construction. This initiative, combined with construction impacts related to the light rail project, will challenge mobility throughout the City, and preparations to maximize network availability and provide access to transportation alternatives during these extended construction periods is a priority. 

 

More than simply a capital works program, OOTM encompasses important communication and TDM components.  The TDM campaign, in particular, will be aimed at promoting alternative travel choices during periods of significant construction disruption across the city by creating a single “one stop” web portal to provide information concerning TDM  tools and programs as well as promoting sustainable commuting options for residents and potential workshift opportunities for employers and employees alike. As well, the Ottawa on the Move program will also serve to promote Traffic System Management tools by integrating links to real-time information on travel conditions, transit schedules, and mobility options as well as offering specific project-based information related to the construction program.

 

In addition, a major focus of this campaign will be on reducing demand as a first priority by creating partnerships with the federal institutions, businesses and members of the academic community as there is a strong economic rationale to support the implementation of TDM measures.  Recent research has shown that 40% of jobs in Canada are teleworkable, offering multiple benefits for employers and employees alike. Benefits for employers include:

 

·         Increasing employee productivity by up to 40%

·         Decreasing operating expenditures

·         Increasing competitiveness for attracting and retaining talent

·         Bolstering corporate image as an environmental steward

·         Diminishing business disruption in the case of a regional emergency

 

While employees experience benefits such as:

 

·         Enhanced productivity- both at work and at home

·         Financial savings: gas, vehicle, parking, dry cleaning etc.

·         Increased quality of time doing the things you love

·         Improved health and well-being

·         Reduced stress and increased flexibility

 

Research has also determined that Canadian commuters could save an average of 9 work days/year by working at home just twice a week.  Similar to WORKshift Calgary, a regional initiative to promote, educate, and accelerate the adoption of telecommuting in the business community, the City will be offering tools, resources, and information to help area employers effectively implement telework or telecommute programs for their employees.

 

The overall TDM Strategy will support Ottawa on the Move by establishing a city-wide TDM program as the foundation upon which complementary and supplementary initiatives can be built. It will establish policies, practices and tools that can be utilized as part of the Ottawa on the Move program for managing travel demand during the construction of the OLRT and other capital works. In addition, TDM staff will support Ottawa on the Move in an advisory and facilitating role as TDM measures related to capital works are planned and implemented.

 

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Transportation demand management is a city-wide issue that affects urban, suburban and rural residents. While some of the goals and actions of the TDM Strategy apply to rural residents, lands, services and businesses, they do not have any significant implications that are exclusively rural in nature.

 

CONSULTATION

The approach to consultation in developing the TDM Strategy had three primary components: exploratory interviews, Technical Advisory Committee, and Advisory Committees.

 

1)    Exploratory interviews

 

As an initial step in the project, exploratory fact-finding interviews were conducted with staff and/or management of the various City departments and branches that share common interests and represented potential partners in developing the TDM Strategy, including:

 

·         Community and Social Services (Community Development and Funding)

·         Community Sustainability (Environmental Sustainability)

·         Corporate Communications (Client Relations)

·         OC Transpo (Marketing and Strategic Development)

·         Ottawa Public Health (Health Promotion and Disease Prevention)

·         Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services (Community Programs)

·         Planning and Growth Management (Development Review, Urban Services)

·         Public Works (Parking Operations, Maintenance and Development)

·         Public Works (Traffic Management and Operational Support)

·         Rail Implementation Office (Rail Planning)

 

The purpose of the interviews was to inform others about the development of the TDM Strategy, and to identify opportunities and barriers related to sustainable mobility from the perspective of the interviewees. Through the interviews, TDM staff gained an understanding of how other City programs influence travel choices, explored opportunities for synergy between different programs, and identified roles and responsibilities of other City departments and branches for integration into the TDM Strategy.

 

Finally, separate interviews were conducted with staff of the National Capital Commission and the City of Gatineau in order to consider complementary measures by these other government entities that were considered in developing the TDM Strategy.

 

2)    Technical Advisory Committee

 

Early in the project, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was created, consisting of staff representatives from the various City departments and branches with whom exploratory interviews were conducted.

 

The purpose of the TAC was to facilitate discussion about shared objectives related to TDM, ensure coordination between existing and planned initiatives by different City groups, and inform the development of the TDM Strategy based on those objectives and initiatives.  The TAC met three times in 2011: in May to be familiarized with the project, review work-to-date, and identify issues for discussion; in October to review and comment on preliminary recommendations; and in November to review and comment on final recommendations.

 

In addition to the formal meetings, members of the TAC also acted as a resource to staff developing the TDM Strategy, provided additional contacts for consultation beyond the TAC members, and reviewed the draft TDM Action Plan prior to finalization.

 

3)    Advisory Committees

 

In September and October 2011, staff presented background information and preliminary recommendations to the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee, and Environmental Advisory Committee in order to notify them of the project and obtain their feedback.  Input was received at the committee meetings, and also in subsequent correspondence. The feedback from the Committees was generally positive and supportive.

 

Comments by the Ward Councillors

Not applicable – City-Wide report.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal impediments in implementing the recommendation in this report.

 

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no risk implications.

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The TDM Strategy spending plan, outlined in Document 1, aligns with the funding requirements identified in the Term of Council Priorities, as well as existing and forecasted TDM Strategy funds.  Funding in 2012 is available in the 2012 TDM account (906422). Forecasted additional funds will be brought forward for Council consideration through the respective budget processes.

 

ACCESSIBILITY IMPACTS

The overall TDM Strategy does not have significant accessibility implications, although the promotion of alternatives to driving will benefit people who are unable to drive, which in many cases includes youths, seniors and people with disabilities.

 

Environmental Implications

The TDM Strategy will support the City’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by promoting more sustainable modes of transportation such as transit, cycling, walking and carpooling, as well as by encouraging trip reduction through teleworking and flexible work arrangements (e.g. compressed work weeks, flexible working hours, emergency ride home programs, etc.).

 

Technology Implications

The Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategy report refers to potential technical requirements and/or modifications including, mobile workforce solutions, web portals, systems integration, as well as the proposed use of social media tools.  Further discussion will be required in order to determine the level of impact the TDM Strategy will have on IT resources as well as assessing associated costs.  A detailed business case may need to be evaluated through the City of Ottawa’s Portfolio Value Management process for IT investments, in advance of any planned implementation.  ITS cannot commit to the potential work identified in this report at this time, however ITS will work with Planning and Growth Management during the development phase of the program to further determine potential needs.

 

TERM OF COUNCIL PRIORITIES

The 2011-2014 City Strategic Plan identifies a number of Strategic Initiatives that support the City’s long-term sustainability goals and represent priority initiatives for the current term of Council. The TDM Strategy is identified as Strategic Initiative 16 under the oversight of Transportation Committee.

 

One of the eight Strategic Priorities identified in the Strategic Plan is “Transportation and Mobility,” defined as meeting the “current and future transportation and mobility needs of residents, visitors and enterprises by improving transit and by emphasizing choice and accessibility of multiple types of transportation including the development of a Light Rail Transit system.”  This priority is further translated into four executable strategic objectives which include:

 

·         TM1 – Ensure sustainable transit services: Offer reliable travel options at the lowest possible cost and in a financially and operationally sustainable way.

·         TM2 – Maximize density in and around transit stations: Plan well-designed, compact neighbourhoods where residents can live, work, shop and play close by, complete daily activities easily, access viable transit, and support local businesses.

·         TM3 – Provide infrastructure to support mobility choices: Improve residents’ mobility choices by supporting initiatives related to routes, rapid transit, walking, and cycling.

·         TM4 – Promote alternative mobility choices: Promote alternative mobility choices by emphasizing transit, cycling and walking as preferred ways of getting around the City. Use education, promotion and incentives to encourage alternatives to driving, and provide information that encourages responsible travel.

 

As mentioned, the TDM Strategy directly addresses objective TM4, and complements other City initiatives related to objectives TM1, TM2 and TM3. It also directly or indirectly supports a number of other Strategic Priorities and associated Strategic Objectives, most notably EP2, EP3, ES3, HC1, SE1 and SE2.

 

The TDM Strategy also supports the City’s long-term sustainability goals for Connectivity and Mobility, Climate Change, Health and Quality of Life, and Economic Prosperity.

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

DOCUMENT 1          Transportation Demand Management Strategy (Issued separately and held on file with the City Clerk)

 

DISPOSITION

Upon Council’s approval of the TDM Strategy, staff of the Planning and Growth Management Department will implement and monitor the Strategy’s action plan.