1. ROADS AND CYCLING ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2007 ANNUAL REPORT AND 2008
WORKPLAN ComitÉ consultatif sur les routes et le
cyclisme – rapport annuel de 2007 et plan de travail 2008
|
Committee recommendations
That Council:
1. Receive the 2007
Annual Report of the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee as detailed in
Document 1; and
2. Approve the objectives contained in
the 2008 Workplan, as detailed in Document 2.
recommandations du comité
Que le Conseil :
1. reçoive
le Rapport annuel de 2007 du Comité consultatif sur les routes et le cyclisme,
tel que décrit dans le Document 1; et
2. approuve les objectifs qui sont
présentés dans le Plan de travail 2008, tel que décrit dans le Document 2.
Documentation
1.
Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee report dated 16 April 2008
(ACS2008-CCV-RCA-0002).
2. Extract of Draft Minutes, 16 April 2008.
Report to/Rapport au :
Comité des transports
and Council / et au Conseil
16 April 2008/ le 16 avril 2008
Submitted by/Soumis par : Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee/Comité consultatif
sur les routes et cyclisme
Contact
Person/Personne ressource : Stephanie Brown Bellefeuille, Advisory Committee
Coordinator
City Clerk’s Branch/Direction du greffe
(613) 580-2424 x 16760, stephanie.brown@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT: |
ROADS AND CYCLING ADVISORY
COMMITTEE 2007 ANNUAL REPORT AND 2008 WORKPLAN |
|
|
OBJET : |
Comite consultatif sur les routes et le cyclisme – rapport annuel de
2007 et plan de travail 2008 |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the
Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee recommend that the Transportation
Committee recommend Council:
1. Receive the
2007 Annual Report of the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee as detailed in
Document 1; and
2. Approve the objectives contained in the 2008 Workplan, as
detailed in Document 2.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité consultatif sur les routes et le cyclisme recommande au
Comité des transports de recommander à son tour au
Conseil:
1. de recevoir le Rapport
annuel de 2007 du Comité consultatif sur les routes et le cyclisme, tel que
décrit dans le Document 1; et
2. d’approuver
les objectifs qui sont présentés dans le Plan de travail 2008, tel que décrit
dans le Document 2.
City Council, on 6 December 2006, reconfirmed its governance structure. This included the advisory committees, and the requirement for each to complete a workplan outlining proposed projects and activities for the upcoming year. The workplan is to identify each and every activity the Committee plans to undertake in the upcoming year, whether they have a budgetary impact or not. Each item should be identified with a brief description of the project or activity.
The Lead Department Representatives are to provide the Committee with information on the departmental workplan and priorities, where the workplans of the Committees tie into that workplan, and where the Committee can assist the Department. The Lead Department Representative will also advise on what staff and/or financial resources are available as part of departmental priorities.
There was no funding approved for the advisory committee 2008 workplans.
DISCUSSION
The attached 2007
Annual Report, prepared by the RCAC’s Vice-Chair, reviews the Committee’s 2007
activities and accomplishments. It was approved by the Committee at their March
18 meeting.
The attached 2008
Workplan is a reflection of the Committee’s on-going goals and some newer
initiatives planned for 2008. It was approved at their February 26 meeting.
The mandate of the Roads and Cycling Advisory
Committee is to provide advice and guidance to Ottawa City Council and its
Departments, on issues, policies and programs, which reflect the City’s
commitment to a variety of travel modes, and that achieve the appropriate
balance in a way that contributes to our City’s overall quality of life, and
that have an impact on a citizen’s ability to travel in Ottawa.
CONSULTATION
PUBLIC WORKS AND SERVICES
The
Department concurs with the 2008 Workplan and 2007 Annual Report, prepared by
the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee, and acknowledges the value to the
Department in terms of providing comment and advice from the citizen's
perspective on various projects. Some
additional items, over and above those indicated in the 2008 Workplan, may be
brought forward to Committee, as they arise throughout the year. A potential example would be in regard to
the current update of the City’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan,
if details on these updates become available during this year. Of note, staff already undertake some of the
activities listed in the workplan, such as the Safe Rides to School, and
Bicycle Parking. In such cases staff
will coordinate these activities with Committee, as much as possible, to avoid
any unnecessary duplications of effort.
The City’s 2008 Operating Budget does not provide funding
for advisory committee work plans. This
includes the RCAC’s 2008 Work Plan items.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – Roads and Cycling 2007 Annual Report
Document 2 – Roads and Cycling 2008 Proposed Workplan
Document 3 – Roads and Cycling Terms of Reference (on file with the City Clerk)
DISPOSITION
City Clerk’s Branch staff will forward the
recommendations approved by the Transportation Committee to City Council for
ratification.
Document 1
RCAC Annual Report 2007
This is an overview of the Roads and Cycling
Advisory Committee’s (RCAC) activities for 2007.
Our page on the City of Ottawa’s web site is
http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/mayor_council/advisory_committees/cycling/index_en.html
The
mandate of the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee is to provide advice and
guidance to Ottawa City Council and its Departments, on issues, policies and
programs, which reflect the City's commitment to a variety of travel modes, and
that achieve the appropriate balance in a way that contributes to our City's
overall quality of life, and that have an impact on a citizen's ability to
travel in Ottawa. The goal of the Committee
is to give advice to provide a liveable and environmentally friendly city that
is accessible and safe to commute by bicycle, motor vehicle and other methods
of road transportation, and where such means is an integral part of a publicly
supported and balanced transportation system.
The Committee will specifically advise on transportation issues related
to cycling, traffic safety (including education, area and neighbourhood traffic
management including traffic-calming) and other transportation-related policies
and programs.
A
number of informative presentations by city staff were made to the committee
again this year. Topics included the
2006 Collision Statistics Report, an update on the Beyond 2020 plan, and a
revisiting of the Rack ‘n’ Roll program with an idea to extend it to full year,
which was not recommended due to the expected increase in maintenance of the
racks in winter weather and likely low usage rates. A member of the public, Paul Clark, also came in to the May
meeting to express his concern that no city staff had been able to guarantee
that the Richmond Road/Bayshore/Queensway widening and transitway extension
project will have wide curb lanes or bicycle lanes. City staff present at that meeting committed to following up on
this issue.
In
September, Innes Ward councillor Rainer Bloess came in to talk with us as the
regular bi-monthly RCAC meeting was held away from our usual meeting place at
City Hall, in Orleans. He is a fairly
avid cyclist, and cycling advocate.
During a very interesting and informative discussion, his advice to us
regarding the best way for citizens to encourage the city to commit resources
to cycling infrastructure is to get in contact with and influence their
councillors. Regarding the Ottawa
Cycling Plan, he suggested that one way to work towards its acceptance would be
to emphasize its advantages to all road users, not just cyclists.
Regarding
the OCP, RCAC has again been following its progress throughout 2007 towards
being tabled and accepted by the Transportation Committee and Council. Progress has been slow again this year, but
there were reasons for optimism by fall that it would happen by spring.
A
half-dozen motions were brought forward at committee meetings this year, and
all but one passed. In January, two
motions recommending that the city continue to support cycling safety and
promotion until the end of July, and change the timetable of issuing yearlong
cycling safety and promotion contracts to begin in August rather than January,
carried. At the May meeting, we were
informed that Envirocentre would be the new vendor for cycling education in
2007. RCAC also passed a motion
recommending an exemption from GST and PST on the purchase of bicycles. In November, the government of Ontario
announced a PST exemption on bicycles under $1000, helmets, and other safety
equipment.
Again
in 2007, some RCAC members attended public consultations on road reconstruction
projects to represent the committee’s interests, and reported back to the
committee. Terry O’Shaughnessy went to
a public seminar regarding the reconstruction of Bank Street between Billings
Bridge and Walkey Road. James McLaren
volunteered to represent RCAC at a Rideau Street Urban Design study.
1. Examine the progress of the capital projects outlined in the Transportation Master Plan
Activities
Continue review of Transportation Master Plan to determine progress of capital projects, with particular focus on the Ottawa Cycling Plan.
Output
Report and recommendations on the progress of Transportation Master Plan Capital Projects.
Background
In 2003, the Council approved the 20/20 Transportation Master Plan (TMP). This plan outlined a number of key capital projects that were needed in order to achieve the goals outlined in the TMP. The goal of this proposal is to examine the progress of the capital projects outline in “Annex A Required Infrastructure Projects” of the TMP, make recommendations and report to the Transportation Committee. (Ongoing)
2. Bike
Bylaws (Including Harmonization of Zoning and Traffic Bylaws, with Respect to
Bicycles)
Report and recommend to staff and council on the traffic and parking bylaw harmonization process, and zoning regulations, as they apply to cycling infrastructure and facilities.
Reports and recommendations on by-laws and zoning regulations.
This will be a new area of focus for the Committee.
3. Safe Ride To Schools
Meet with particular schools and or school boards with general recommendations for better cycling (i.e., more safety audits, more secure bicycle parking)
Meeting with school officials, and where necessary and applicable, and a report with a recommendation on this particular issue, with the intent of examining other such areas of concern around the City (or ‘safety audits’).
The issue was originally raised between the RCAC Vice-Chair and Councillor Gord Hunter’s office, with respect to the Greenbank Road Rail Overpass Issue. It has since raised the interest of all such areas to the members of RCAC. (Ongoing)
4. Roads and Cycling Safety
and Education
Maintain, assess and provide advice on all City programs relevant to roads and cycling safety and education.
· Creation and examination of reports and recommendations seeking to improve cycling safety, education and promotion.
· Action plan to be developed by members Ullyatt and O’Shaughnessy.
(On-going).
5. RCAC Outreach/Promotion Initiative
Build relationships with various community, resident, and other-type organizations by attending general meetings and/or speaking to community leaders with the objectives of:
Create/update master contact list of community, resident and other-type organizations.
(Ongoing)
6. Issue an Annual Report to
RCAC from the Sub-committee(s)
Produce an annual report on sub-committee activities to RCAC (November 2008).
Draft and distribute for the information of RCAC.
(Ongoing)
7. Cycling Awards Review
Review process of cycling awards and similar practices, and consult with staff.
Meet to discuss the above.
(Ongoing).
8. Roads
Form a committee to respond
to specific initiatives, e.g., Public Action
Committees (PACs) of major road reconstruction projects (i.e., Bank and
Wellington Streets), LRT, pathway construction, etc.
(Ongoing).
Monitoring reports and recommendations to City and Council.
(Ongoing).
Monitoring reports and recommendations to City and Council regarding the proposed 2008 municipal budget.
(Ongoing)
ROADS AND CYCLING
ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2007 ANNUAL REPORT AND 2008 WORKPLAN
Comite consultatif sur les routes et le cyclisme – rapport annuel de 2007
et plan de travail 2008
ACS2008-CCV-rca-0002 CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA
VILLE
In response to questions from Councillor Cullen, Rob Orchin, Manager of Mobility and Area Traffic Management, confirmed the Cycling Plan would be coming forward to the Agricultural and Rural Affairs and Transportation Committees in May 2008.
At Councillor Cullen’s
request and the Committee’s direction, Richard Hewitt, Deputy City Manager,
Public Works and Services, agreed to delay the Cycling Plan to allow
consultation with the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee. Accordingly, the report to Standing
Committee would rise in June 2008 with the advisory committee’s feedback
intact.
That the Roads and
Cycling Advisory Committee recommend that the Transportation Committee
recommend Council:
1. Receive the 2007
Annual Report of the Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee as detailed in
Document 1; and
2. Approve the
objectives contained in the 2008 Workplan, as detailed in Document 2.
CARRIED