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9. pATHWAY NETWORK FOR CANADA'S CAPITAL REGION - 2006 STRATEGIC
rÉSEAU DE SENTIERS DE LA RÉGION DE LA CAPITALE DU CANADA - PLAN
STRATÉGIQUE DE 2006-commission de la capitale nationale et partenaires
municipaux |
Committee recommendation
That Council receive the report, Pathway
Network for Canada’s Capital Region: 2006 Strategic Plan, prepared by the
National Capital Commission in partnership with the City of Ottawa and the City
of Gatineau.
Recommandation du Comité
Que le Conseil prenne connaissance du rapport intitulé Réseau de sentiers de la région de la capitale du Canada - Plan stratégique de 2006, produit par la Commission de la capitale nationale de concert avec la Ville d'Ottawa et la Ville de Gatineau.
Documentation
1. A/Deputy City Manager's report
(Planning and Growth Management) report dated 4 October 2006
(ACS2006-PGM-POL-0070).
2. Copy of Pathway Network for Canada’s Capital Region: 2006 Strategic Action Plan previously was distributed to all Members of Council and is held on file with the City Clerk.
Report
to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
4 October 2006 / le 4 octobre 2006
Submitted by/Soumis par : John L. Moser, Acting Deputy City Manager/
Directeur municipal adjoint par intérim,
Planning and Growth Management / Urbanisme et
Gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne Ressource : Richard
Kilstrom, Manager / Gestionnaire, Community Planning and Design. Planning,
Environment and Infrastucture Policy / Politiques d'urbanisme, d'environnement
et d'infrastructure
(613) 580-2424, 13242 richard.kilstrom@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That Planning and Environment Committee
recommend that Council receive the report, Pathway Network for Canada’s Capital
Region: 2006 Strategic Plan, prepared by the National Capital Commission in
partnership with the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
recommande au Conseil de prendre connaissance du rapport intitulé Réseau de
sentiers de la région de la capitale du Canada - Plan stratégique de 2006,
produit par la Commission de la capitale nationale de concert avec la Ville
d'Ottawa et la Ville de Gatineau.
BACKGROUND
The National Capital Commission (NCC) in partnership with the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau has authored the report "Pathway Network for Canada’s Capital Region: 2006 Strategic Action Plan" with the purpose of coordinating the efforts of all parties when planning, designing and developing pathways in the National Capital Region. Continuity in the pathway network and coordination of pathway development is key to continued success and orderly expansion of the Pathway Network.
The 2006 Strategic Action Plan is an update to the NCC's 1994 study, "Integrated Network of Recreational Pathways for the National Capital Region". The original 1994 study was prepared with the participation of 12 area municipalities and the regional governments in the Ontario and Québec areas of the National Capital Region.
The 1994 Recreational Pathways Plan became a foundation for many cycling and pathway plans prepared by area municipalities, and for policies and land use planning schedules in the 1997 Region of Ottawa-Carleton Official Plan. This earlier work then became the foundation for policies and schedules in the 2003 Official Plan and the 2003 Transportation Master Plan.
Since the preparation of the first plan over 10 years ago, there are many issues that warrant an update:
· In general, the 1994 Recreational Pathways Plan has become dated. Many of the Plan's recommendations have been implemented, and a significant number of pathway segments identified in the 1994 plan have been constructed.
· The pathway and cycling plans prepared by the individual municipalities focused on their own communities, and connectivity across these former jurisdictions was not well resolved. The amalgamations of the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau have created new organizational structures that would benefit from updated guidance reflecting current strategic planning, design and operational performance standards.
· New urban growth areas have been identified and new community planning has occurred in areas beyond what was addressed in the original study (e.g. Riverside South and South Nepean Town Centre). The 1994 Recreational Pathways Plan does not provide sufficient detail to guide the City of Ottawa when considering pathways in community planning, subdivision agreements, park and open space planning, environmental assessments and sub-watershed planning, or on lands within the Greenbelt.
· Many planning documents have been completed since the original 1994 Recreational Pathways Plan. These plans identify pathways as an important planning element. They include: the City of Ottawa’s 2003 Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan, the draft 2005 Ottawa Cycling Plan, the draft 2005 North-South LRT Pathway Feasability Study, the 2006 Greenspace Master Plan, the 2006 Rural Pathways Plan, and the NCC’s 1996 Greenbelt Master Plan and 1999 Plan for Canada’s Capital.
The Pathway Network for Canada’s Capital Region: 2006 Strategic Action Plan addresses many of the above issues.
DISCUSSION
The 2006 Strategic Action Plan identifies various ways that the NCC, the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau can work together to implement a pathway network. This is of particular importance as the NCC focuses on constructing over 56 kilometres of pathways across key segments of federal land within the Greenbelt in an attempt to serve rapidly developing suburban communities. As a partner in the 2006 Strategic Action Plan, City staff will use the plan as a guide, along with the City’s own studies, to:
Characteristics
of the 2006 Strategic Action Plan:
This Plan emphasises the multi-use role of pathways. The term “recreational” has been removed as an adjective to describe the pathways since the pathways are used for more than recreational purposes. They also provide a safe and easy way to travel on foot or by bicycle to community destinations, shopping, schools and work.
The Plan places greater emphasis and priority on a sense of safety and orientation for pathway users by highlighting a range of approaches including: expanding the successful pathway patrol, enhancing way-finding signage and directional information on the pathways, and by promoting CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles.
The Plan more clearly identifies points of interest that are accessible from the network of pathways, regardless of municipal or federal ownership. Access to waterfronts, attractions and community destinations were key interests identified during the public consultation.
The Plan is much easier to read than previous pathway plans. It includes detailed mapping on colour air-photo base maps. The plan labels each pathway segment with a number, which is then cross-referenced with a table that identifies if the pathway is existing or proposed, as well as land ownership, phasing, potential partners, points of interests, issues and considerations.
The Plan illustrates how off-road pathways would integrate with the on-road cycling system, by showing the proposed on-road cycle routes in the Draft Ottawa Cycling Plan, and highlighting the connections, between the two.
The Plan recommends design, layout and maintenance standards, as well as the land use context and the type of users. The plan identifies three thematic area rings: Capital Core, Urban/Suburban, and Regional/Rural, and highlights the characteristics, qualities, and user amenities and experiences that the pathways should have for each of these thematic rings.
The majority of recommended standards are updates and refinements to those proposed in the 1994 Recreational Pathways Plan. City staff provided extensive input so that the recommendations would be consistent with the current norms and practices of the City.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
Pathways provide an alternative non-motorised means to travel to community destinations and to points of interest within the City. The Greenspace Master Plan identifies pathways as one of the key building blocks for the City of Ottawa Greenspace Network.
The Pathway Network for Canada’s Capital Region, 2006 Strategic Plan provides a strategic environmental assessment of the proposed pathway network, and outlines a framework to identify environmental issues to be addressed as part of pathway planning, design and management.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
The 2006 Strategic Action Plan does not provide detailed direction for the location of pathways in Villages or the rural area. The 2006 Strategic Action Plan focuses on the urban area, the Greenbelt and immediately adjacent lands. It was agreed by the study team that the draft Rural Pathways Plan, prepared for the Manotick Community Association, provided a greater level of detail for that area and would be the primary pathway reference.
CONSULTATION
The NCC undertook extensive consultation. As partners in the project and its consultation, the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau identified interested groups, advisory committees and public agencies to be included in notification and mailing lists, and participated in all public meetings and workshops.
Over 80 interest groups were invited to workshops held on November 17 and 18, 2004 to launch the project, identify key issues and challenges, and to record innovative solutions and ideas.
With assistance from City staff, the NCC held two subsequent public consultation sessions, on November 23 and 24, 2005. Previous participants were invited and notices were placed in the daily newspapers. The objective was to present the draft Pathway Network for Canada’s Capital Region: 2006 Strategic Action Plan, and to provide a forum for discussion. A questionnaire was made available at the consultation sessions. The questionnaire and the full draft report were also available on the NCC web site. The City provided links from the City web site to the NCC web site. The advice received during the consultation assisted in the refinement of the report text and the mapping of proposed pathways. City staff also provided the NCC with relevant comments received during the consultation on the Greenspace Master Plan and the draft Ottawa Cycling Plan. The NCC prepared a consultation report in June 2006 recording comments and responses.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no recommendations for the City to implement specific projects nor any direct financial implications
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Copies of the report, Pathway Network for Canada’s Capital Region: 2006 Strategic Action Plan, have been circulated to all Members of Council and are on file with the City Clerk.
DISPOSITION
Planning and Growth Management Department will advise the National Capital Commission of this resolution by letter.