2. city-wide consultation process for proposed transit cuts

processus de consultation publique à l’échelle de la ville concernant les coupures dans le service de transport en commun

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS AS AMENDED

That Council approve that specific recommendations for transit cuts arising in future budgets be considered by Council after a city-wide consultation process has taken place that includes concepts for the City’s overall vision, improving the modal split and customer service as well as efficiency.

RecommandationS MODIFIÉ du Comité

Que le Conseil approuve que des options précises en ce qui concerne les coupures dans le service de transport en commun découlant des budgets à venir ne soient présentées par le Conseil qu’une fois qu’un processus de consultation publique à l’échelle de la ville aura eu lieu, comprenant des concepts en vue de la réalisation de la vision générale de la Ville qui améliorera la répartition modale et le service à la clientèle ainsi que l’efficacité.

DOCUMENTATION

1. Transit Committee report dated 1 February 2010 (ACS2010-CCS-TTC-0004).

2. Extract of Draft Minutes, 17 February 2010 (distributed separately)

Report to / Rapport au:

Transit Committee

Comité du transport en commun

and Council / et au Conseil

1 February 2010 / le 1 février 2010

Submitted by / Soumis par: City Council / Conseil municipal

Contact / Personne-ressource : Diane Blais,
Committee Coordinator / Coordonnatrice de comité,

City Clerk and Legal Services / Direction du greffier et des services juridiques

580-2424, ext. / poste : 28091, Diane.Blais@ottawa.ca

City Wide / À l'échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2010-CCS-TTC-0004

SUBJECT: CITY-WIDE CONSULTATION PROCESS FOR PROPOSED TRANSIT CUTS

OBJET: PROCESSUS DE CONSULTATION PUBLIQUE À L’ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE CONCERNANT LES COUPURES DANS LE SERVICE DE TRANSPORT EN COMMUN

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Transit Committee consider the following motion, for recommendation to Council:

That specific options for transit cuts arising in future budgets must be presented only after a city-wide consultation process has taken place that includes concepts for the City’s overall vision, improving the modal split and customer service as well as efficiency.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité du transport en commun examine ce qui suit, pour recommandation au Conseil :

Que des options précises en ce qui concerne les coupures dans le service de transport en commun découlant des budgets à venir ne soient présentées qu’une fois qu’un processus de consultation publique à l’échelle de la ville aura eu lieu, comprenant des concepts en vue de la réalisation de la vision générale de la Ville qui améliorera la répartition modale et le service à la clientèle ainsi que l’efficacité.

BACKGROUND

City Council, at its meeting held on 25, 26 and 28 January 2010, considered the following motion from Councillor Doucet (Motion 82/31) and, through Motion 82/32, referred same to the Transit Committee.

MOTION NO. 82/31

Moved by Councillor C. Doucet

Seconded by Councillor C. Leadman

WHEREAS cuts to transit services have an immediate and complicated effect on the community; and

WHEREAS transit cuts should be made as part of an overall vision of where transit is going in the city; and

WHEREAS the efficiency cuts do not necessarily translate into better customer service;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that specific options for transit cuts arising in future budgets must be presented only after a city-wide consultation process has taken place that includes concepts for the City’s overall vision, improving the modal split and customer service as well as efficiency.

MOTION NO. 82/32

Moved by Councillor A. Cullen

Seconded by Councillor R. Chiarelli

That Motion No. 82/31 be referred to the Transit Committee

REFERRAL CARRIED

CONSULTATION

This item will be advertised in the local dailies as part of the Public Meeting Advertisement on Friday preceding the Transit Committee Meeting.

Transit Services

Staff support the process implemented for the 2010 Budget. Staff proposes the following sequence of decision points and consultation (on the basis that future years will use the same budget process as was used for the 2010 budget):

- Draft budget prepared for consideration by Transit Committee:

o Details include any staff-recommended service changes related to budget reductions;

o Summary of overall effects on ridership, access to service, and efficiency;

o Budget document available to the public through ottawa.ca; and

o Delegations at committee meeting.

- Concurrent with each year’s draft budget, Transit Services prepares, for consideration of Transit Committee, the Marketing Plan for the next fiscal year and the annual refresh of the longer-term Tactical Plan. These are, in effect, companion pieces to the draft budget. They provide both a descriptive context for the raw numbers of the budget tables and a further opportunity for public discussion on transit services.

- The Draft Budget prepared for ABF Committee based on Transit Committee direction:

o Details any service changes required to meet Transit Committee budget decisions;

o Summarizes overall effects on ridership, access to service, and efficiency;

o Makes Budget document available to the public through ottawa.ca; and

o Holds no specific public consultation at this interim phase.

- Draft budget prepared for Council based on ABF Committee decision:

o Details any service change required to meet ABF Committee budget decisions;

o Summarizes overall effects on ridership, access to service, and efficiency;

o Makes Budget document available to the public through ottawa.ca and octranspo.com;

o Launches consultations through ottawa.ca, octranspo.com and at Councillors’ budget meetings, a summary of which, is prepared for Council by staff; and

o Receives delegations at Committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Sequencing the consultation in this way allows Transit Committee and ABF Committee to maintain control of the budget recommendations to Council, while giving an opportunity for transit customers and other residents to provide their input at all steps of the budget process.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

Rural transit customers and other rural residents would have the same access to information and the same ability to provide comment as all other customers and residents.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal/risk management impediments to the implementation of this Report’s recommendation.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications associated with the implementation of this Report’s recommendation.

DISPOSITION

The recommendation of the Transit Committee will be forwarded to Council.

CITY-WIDE CONSULTATION PROCESS FOR PROPOSED TRANSIT CUTS

PROCESSUS DE CONSULTATION PUBLIQUE À L’ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE CONCERNANT LES COUPURES DANS LE SERVICE DE TRANSPORT EN COMMUN

(Referred by City Council at its meeting of 27 January 2010. / Reporté par le Conseil lors de sa réunion du 27 janvier 2010.)

ACS2010-CCS-TTC-0004 CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE

Councillor Doucet advised that he had a minor amendment to the wording of the Motion and the Committee considered the amended version as follows :

Moved by C. Doucet

That the Transit Committee consider the following motion, for recommendation to Council:

That specific recommendations for transit cuts arising in future budgets be considered by Council after a city-wide consultation process has taken place that includes concepts for the City’s overall vision, improving the modal split and customer service as well as efficiency.

CARRIED, as amended