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Free parking for thousands of municipal officials could end under the proposed directions of a new transportation master plan.
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As all three levels of government combine to spend billions on Ottawa’s O-Train network, the city believes it has a responsibility to get its employees to use sustainable transportation, rather than their cars.
The City recently launched a new round of public consultations on the next transportation master plan, this time with a draft policy available for public review . Almost 70 recommendations on the policy direction of the transport master plan can be found in the document.
City staff looked into the demands of a transportation network that they hope will rely more on sustainable modes of transportation, while taking into account the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have. could have on the road network.
For example, a policy in the draft document suggests accommodating deliveries using off-street spaces, given the competition for curb space.
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The draft document also recommends “a temporary or seasonal reallocation of streets for place-building activities”, recognizing a growing interest in using roads for things like restaurant terraces or to make more room for pedestrians and cyclists.
One of the most important research that will inform the next transportation master plan is an origin-destination survey scheduled for 2022. The work, which was delayed during the pandemic, will help transportation planners understand how people move around the world. region and inform a 2024 capital plan.
The next transport master plan should meet the objectives set out in the new official plan approved by city council in October. One of the “big changes†in the official plan is to ensure that the majority of trips for everyone in the city are made by sustainable transportation.
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A draft transport master plan policy offers an idea to help achieve this goal.
Under the title “Encouraging Sustainable Travel Options for City of Ottawa Employeesâ€, the document says the City wants to “lead by exampleâ€. He cites projects that have installed secure parking infrastructure for bicycles, such as a fenced area for bicycles outside the town hall.
“The City will also set up paid parking for its employees, taking into account and in the event of support for market rates,†the document indicates. “This will help cover the costs of providing and maintaining the City’s parking lots and will also encourage the use of sustainable modes. “
He adds: “Exceptions can be made for employees whose work schedules do not correspond to public transport. “
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Only one building currently requires municipal staff to make payments for parking.
“Right now, City Hall is the only place where City of Ottawa employees pay parking, â€according to Scott Caldwell, the area manager in charge of parking.
The Mary Pitt Center and Ben Franklin Place in the Centrepointe sector are the other major administrative centers of the municipal administration and both have large surface parking lots. Nearby Algonquin College will have a light rail station when the Stage 2 extension is completed in 2025.
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