Ottawa 2020

Transportation Master Plan

Chapter 4 - Managing Transportation: The Keys to Success

In order to meet the strategic directions of the Transportation Master Plan, the City must take deliberate and timely action in four key areas:

  • Land use planning — Shaping development patterns to support transportation goals
  • Transportation demand management — Influencing why, when, where and how people choose to travel
  • Transportation supply management — Maximizing the efficiency of existing systems to reduce the need for new infrastructure and services
  • New infrastructure and services — Expanding the system to support development and improve service levels for all modes

The remaining sections in this chapter discuss these "keys to success".

4.1 Land Use Planning

Urban land use and transportation systems strongly influence each other. The Official Plan recognizes this relationship and emphasizes development of compact, integrated land uses to encourage a shift from automobile travel to walking, cycling and public transit use.

As discussed in Chapter 2, transit is a critical focus for the City. Land use strategies that support transit use can be applied at several planning levels, from the city as a whole to smaller communities to individual sites. Achieving a 30% peak hour transit modal split by 2021 will require careful coordination of land use and transportation initiatives, and the adoption of appropriate and complementary strategies at each level.

Mixed-use development nodes (i.e., compact areas that include several land use types) are a building block in the foundation of a transit-supportive environment. Mixed-use developments — when appropriately grouped and supported by complementary measures such as increased land use density, walking and cycling connectivity and access to high-quality transit service — enable people to accomplish several purposes with a single trip, and make transit a more attractive choice for peak period travel.

For detailed land use policies, the reader is referred to sections of the City’s Official Plan dealing with urban land use designations, rural villages and the design criteria applicable to new developments. Key aspects of those policies are summarized below.

The City will:

  1. Focus on compact, mixed-use development at strategic locations to reduce the need to travel by:
    1. Designating and providing policies for Mixed Use Centres, Mainstreets and the Central Area so residents may be able to satisfy many daily needs locally
    2. Focusing rural development on Villages, where community services such as schools, shopping and libraries may be conveniently situated
  2. Implement Community Design Plans for Villages and Urban communities that:
    1. Indicate pedestrian and cycling requirements, and linkages to greenway systems, neighbouring communities and transit facilities (if appropriate)
    2. Indicate transit routes, if appropriate
    3. Incorporate supporting strategies such as streetscape improvement and traffic management measures
    4. Ensure that developments on transit routes face the street and provide frequent pedestrian linkages into the development
  3. Review development proposals to ensure that:
    1. Sidewalks are provided on arterial and collector roads
    2. Road networks in new developments facilitate efficient transit routing and enable all dwellings to be within 400 metres walking distance of a bus stop
    3. Transportation impact studies include an assessment of pedestrian, cycling and transit requirements in addition to roads and parking
    4. Development at transit stations meets a number of requirements including:
      1. Reduced parking requirements within 600 metres of a rapid transit station
      2. Higher densities near the station (also guides the zoning by-law)
      3. High-quality access to and between buildings, and through parking lots
      4. No large parking areas between the street and building
      5. Clear, direct access to transit stops and stations
    5. Walking and cycling links to public areas are clearly defined
    6. Developing communities are designed around a road network that supports direct, convenient walking and cycling routes
  4. Encourage compact development by reducing the land area used for parking through:
    1. Opportunities for shared parking among land uses
    2. Opportunities for partnerships with the private sector to provide parking structures rather than surface parking lots

Next: 4.2 - Transportation Demand Management