Table of contents
- Open Streets
- Ottawa's New Official Plan
- Cycling trends 2020 - 2021
- Ottawans Cycle Year-Round
- Ottawa's Public Bike Parking Program
- Bicycle Donations
- Ontario's E-Cargo Bike Legislation
- Construction Detours
- Chief William Commanda Bridge
- Revert Reds
- "People First" Neighbourhoods
- Pedal Poll
- Bike Share
- Ottawa's New Civic Hospital
- Putting bicycles to work
- Bike Ottawa's AGM 2021
- Bike Ottawa in the News
Cover Photo: People on bicycles passing through Queen Juliana Park at sunset. The park, 100's of trees and active transportation routes are slated to be removed for the construction of the new Ottawa Civic Hospital and its car parking garage.
Note: This report includes aggregated and de-identified data from Strava Metro. Any persons or organizations wishing to use any portion of this report should contact Bike Ottawa for permission.
Open Streets
Councillors creating space for active transportation during COVID-19 pandemic
Like in 2020, some urban councillors, Jeff Leiper, Catherine McKenney and Shawn Menard, were successful in creating open spaces for residents in 2021. They collaborated to create seasonal popup bike lanes along Carling Avenue from Sherwood Avenue to Cambridge Street South. Safety cones were installed to separate the right lane from the rest of the traffic on the Avenue.
Jeff Leiper’s efforts from 2020 when a section of Byron Avenue from Golden Avenue to Woodland Avenue. was closed to through traffic, continued in 2021. However, it was reconfigured as one-way for car traffic with a wide active transportation lane delineated with flex posts.
Shawn Menard was able to continue with pop-up active transportation lanes on the Bank Street bridge.
Additionally, in June 2021, the Downtown Bank “Open Street Project” began. This project included the closure of Bank Street from Friday evening to Saturday night, between Slater Street and Catherine Street.
National Capital Commission's Active Use Program
In 2021, the National Capital Commission (NCC) once again ran its Active Use Program. This included the Gatineau Park parkways, the Queen Elizabeth Driveway, the Sir George-Etienne Cartier Parkway, and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. The program included regular closures of these parkways to cars and providing additional space for active users with momentum built from the need for COVID-19 measures in 2020.
Each year, the NCC conducts an evaluation based on monitoring done by electronic counters, NCC monitors, and solicited feedback through an online survey. In the past, one challenge posed by the program has been maintaining access to the park for users who may need to arrive at Gatineau Park by car, for lack of any other transportation like e-bikes, electric scooters or shuttle buses. In response to feedback from the 2020 season, the NCC added additional access to parkways in Gatineau Park and also allowed access to 21 parking lots in the Park. Based on the results of the 2021 survey, these changes seem to have reduced some of the public’s concerns about maintaining accessibility.
The feedback on the program continues to be very positive with over 95% of users reporting being satisfied with their visit and in favour of continuing the program.
Ottawa's New Official Plan
2021 was a big year for planning in the City of Ottawa and in November 2021, Council approved Ottawa’s New Official Plan, after a two-year process that began in March 2019. The New Official Plan is intended to define Ottawa’s growth for the next 25 years and will implement the City’s Strategic Plan related to land use along with providing direction for many of the city’s other plans that have impacts on cycling in the city, including the Infrastructure Master Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, and the Parks and Greenspace Master Plan.
The New Plan is organized around “5 Big Moves”:
- Growth Management
- Mobility
- Urban and Community Design
- Climate, Energy, and Public Health
- Economic Development
"Active transportation networks should be linked to rapid transit facilities and there need to be funds allocated towards these networks that are commensurate with the modal share targets"
Bike Ottawa is pleased to see that included within the Plan is the goal that most trips within the city be taken through sustainable transportation means by 2046 and that mobility remains an important component of the master plan. However, thoughtful policy is needed to accomplish these goals. These policies need to prioritize the needs of the city’s most vulnerable street users, including people walking, biking, and using mobility devices. Active transportation networks should be linked to rapid transit facilities and there need to be funds allocated towards these networks that are commensurate with the modal share targets. Additional incentives towards active transportation and congestion should be implemented such as congestion pricing and encouraging the use of e-cargo bikes.
Looking forward to 2022, there will also be ongoing opportunities for Bike Ottawa to provide feedback on the new Transportation Master Plan. The finalization of Phase 1 of the TMP is set for early 2023.
Cycling Trends 2020 - 2021
Ottawans Cycle Year-Round
Our 6th season of Ottawa’s Winter Maintained Cycling Network (WCN) concluded in 2021. The network initially started with approximately 40km of cycle lanes, cycle tracks, and pathways in 2015. The network on the map below is now close to 50km, equalling roughly 2 kilometres added to the network per year.
Bike Ottawa asks: “why is there even a winter cycling network?” We don’t have a winter driving network. It is just a given that streets and roads for cars are part of a transportation system. So, if the goal of Ottawa’s new official plan approved by council in 2021 is to have a majority of trips made by active and public transportation and the declaration of a climate emergency, why are we not designing all cycling infrastructure for year-round use (not painted lanes) and then budgeting to ensure this transportation system is accessible to residents in all seasons?
It was announced at Bike Ottawa’s 2021 AGM that City staff would continue to use painted bike lanes instead of relying on safe segregated infrastructure to try and stretch the meagre cycling infrastructure budget. Besides extensive research proving there is no safety improvement with painted bicycle lanes, they also disappear under snow and ice for many months of every year.
This season we saw great improvements on sections of the network with maintenance starting soon after a snowfall began. Salt and grit were also applied to NCC canal pathways that had historically become unusable for much of the winter due to ice buildup and supposed environmental regulations preventing such materials from being applied.
"The City clears 12,900 lane kilometres of roads for cars, 2,300 kilometres of sidewalks, but only 50 kilometres for bicycles"
However, with the network not having expanded much at all since its inception, and reoccurring issues like not having appropriate equipment on the network like snow blowers to widen pathways, ice crushers to remove ice accumulation or using a brush and brine method instead of plowing and adding less effective and more environmentally impactful rock salt, we can only surmise that the network is not prioritized in the budget as we would like to see. Remember, the City clears 12,900 lane kilometres of roads for cars, 2,300 kilometres of sidewalks, but only 50 kilometres for bicycles.
Winter Maintenance Quality Standards Review
In April, Bike Ottawa provided feedback to the City as part of the review of the winter maintenance quality standards. The interim maintenance service guidelines of clearing the network within 4hrs are excellent and we recommend that this be made permanent, however, with all facilities cleared to full width and to a bare pavement standard.
Bike Ottawa also believes gender equity should factor into our new standards like in Sweden. Instead of prioritizing drivers that do not expend physical energy, prioritizing those that need winter maintenance the most such as children and parents walking or cycling to school, daycares, seniors residences, access to public transportation, then cycling facilities. Equal access does not mean prioritizing private vehicles.
We have also met with local councillors and city staff to express our concerns about sections of the network in the east end that are impossible to maintain as the roads consist of painted lanes. Temporary changes using quick-build materials to make these facilities easier to maintain in winter are reasonably cost-effective and could be carried out fast (think pin curbs on Laurier Avenue), but there has been no momentum to implement these changes.
Winter Cycling Network Missing Links
As Ottawa’s Winter Cycling Network has not undergone any substantial expansion since it was created in 2015, members of Bike Ottawa’s Data Working Group analyzed city-wide data from the Strava app to identify places where the network could be expanded quickly and easily. We identified places where people ride a lot in the fall but can’t in the winter because of lack of maintenance, or places where people already ride a lot in the winter that could benefit from more predictable maintenance. Findings included:
Summary of locations of high unmet need:
- Experimental Farm
- Pleasant Park Road
- Sawmill Creek Pathway
Summary of locations of high winter usage:
- Hog’s Back Road and Brookfield Road
- Byron Avenue west of Churchill Avenue
- Booth Street
Locations with a high percentage of trips made by women:
- Main Street north of Lees Avenue
- Sherwood Drive
- Carleton University (Campus Ave, Library Road, and path from Bronson)
Legality of winter maintenance
Can the City do better when it comes to clearing for bicycles in winter? It certainly can, and it might be encouraged to pick up the pace at improving conditions for residents after a Supreme Court ruling was recently handed down stating that municipalities are liable for the negligence of winter maintenance. The decision was based on a case where snow clearing left banks between parking and the sidewalk, resulting in personal injury. Canada’s highest court clarified that this was an operational decision, not policy, and therefore, snow removal was subject to the court’s review.
Ottawa's Public Bike Parking Program
On April 7, 2021, Ottawa’s Transportation Committee approved the city’s new Public Bike Parking Strategy that gave the green light to start the rollout of Ottawa’s Public Bike Parking Program. The launch of this program is a breath of fresh air for residents using bicycles to get around their city. Inadequate facilities at anyone’s destination are a barrier to using a bicycle as transportation. With this new program, Bike Ottawa hopes residents will have good, accessible and secure locations to lock up bicycles in the future.
Typically, bike parking facilities in Ottawa were funded from car parking revenue. The Province permitted redirecting funds to install “post and ring” bike racks along city streets. Other city-installed racks also included a pilot project launched in 2014 that led to trialling several facilities in commercial districts. Bike parking in Ottawa has often been haphazard, and requests for new racks or repairs had to go through several city departments, making installation of new racks difficult.
City of Ottawa's strategy for this program: "ensure Ottawa’s bike parking facilities are accessible, convenient, and accommodate all types of cyclists"
Enter this new strategy that will drive this program to “ensure that Ottawa’s bike parking facilities are accessible, convenient, and accommodate all types of cyclists. Bike parking supply will be optimized by using data to inform planning, implementation and maintenance, and a Public Bike Parking Program would be created to coordinate administration and implementation”, says the City of Ottawa.
Placement of bike parking will include secure and non-secure facilities with a focus on several points: security - keeping your bicycle safe from being stolen; convenience - racks close to the entrance of buildings and services; and winter maintenance - another step to ensure bicycles are used as year-round transportation.
As the program rolled out in 2021, data collection/management measures were prioritized. By the end of 2022, it was expected that there would be a fully developed and implemented approach to handling abandoned bikes. Following that, initiatives related to event bike parking, wayfinding and business collaborations will be in place sometime in 2023.
Bike Ottawa has been advising City staff on aspects of the program, such as bike rack design. Because let us remind everyone: there are MANY poor bike rack designs out there! We wanted to ensure that racks used in the program did not damage bicycles and permitted residents using urban bicycles that might have racks, baskets or crates to lock their bikes securely by the frame. We also wanted to ensure that residents could secure non-typical bicycles like tricycles, cargo bikes or other custom designs for those with disabilities.
Bicycle Donations
Re-Cycles is a not-for-profit bicycle recycling and DIY shop that accepts donated bikes inspects and repairs, and sells them at affordable prices to the community. The re-Cycles mission is centred on putting more bikes on the road, all while reducing waste by recycling bikes and bike parts and offering the community low-cost access to a fully equipped bike repair shop.
2021 was a busy year for re-Cycles, with over 675 bikes donated, 320 bikes scrapped for recycling and 329 donated bikes refurbished and made ready for sale. As we saw since the start of the pandemic, demand for bikes was high and re-Cycles sold over 301 bikes to residents.
Re-Cycles also partnered with Ottawa Community Housing to distribute 75 bikes to residents in need and is looking to donate 75 bikes again in 2022. They are actively seeking donations of kids’ and adult bikes for this program as well as volunteers interested in helping out with this initiative.
The 2021 season also saw re-Cycles move to a new location at 445 Catherine Street and restart their DIY service after a brief halt during the height of the pandemic. Anyone interested in donating bikes are encouraged to drop them off at the shop. Re-Cycles is always looking for more volunteers - all are welcome and no experience is necessary!
Ontario's E-Cargo Bike Legislation
In May of 2021, Bike Ottawa provided feedback to the Province of Ontario concerning Bill 282 - Moving Ontarians More Safely Act.
There were some positive changes for road safety concerning people on bicycles, including required reporting of “dooring” collisions. Other parts of the act were geared toward the regulation of e-bikes. Bike Ottawa recommended changes to the act that would not negatively impact those with particularly designed e-bikes already in use, such as e-bikes being used by families, businesses and organizations such as Cycling Without Age.
"Instead of a program that focused on restrictions, we would have hoped to see a program that also encouraged the use of e-cargo bikes and their expansion as a mobility solution for individuals, families and businesses"
Around the same time, we also provided feedback to the province about Ontario Regulation 141/21, Pilot Project - Cargo Power-Assisted Bicycles. The province would not permit the use of e-cargo bikes except in municipalities that signed on to participate in this pilot project. Instead of a program that focused on restrictions, we would have hoped to see a program that also encouraged the use of e-cargo bikes and their expansion as a mobility solution for individuals, families and businesses instead of a program discouraging their use like an e-cargo bike complaint system, for example.
We suggested the province and municipalities promote the use of these bicycles for businesses by setting up a micro-hub distribution system that would encourage the use of more efficient e-cargo bikes for deliveries in dense urban environments instead of large trucks that are awkward to use by drivers and take up valuable space when they are parked and offloading.
Construction Detours
If getting around Ottawa as a pedestrian, using a bicycle or another accessibility device, “Sidewalk Closed”, “Bike Lane Closed” or “Walk Your Bike” signs are all too familiar. We are often left asking, how is it so easy and convenient for drivers to get around construction zones with well-laid out temporary traffic lanes, good signage, and sometimes flag people when the road is reduced to one lane, but everyone walking, using a bicycle or mobility device is left to fend for themselves?
These construction blockages (and service vehicles) blocking active transportation infrastructure are not just inconveniences. Because people use physical energy to move, they need the most direct route through construction zones. In the odd instance a detour is set up, it will likely involve impractical distances and poor wayfinding signage, leading most people to ignore the detour and put themselves in danger by walking into car traffic. That’s if they have the physical ability. Sadly, those with mobility issues might be forced to end their trip altogether.
“When construction sites impact transportation corridors, safe detours need to be provided for cyclists”
The dangers for those trying to get around construction sites outside of a car were highlighted in a peer-reviewed study from the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers found that construction sites in Canada led to a much greater risk of injury to those using a bicycle to get through the area reinforcing that “when construction sites impact transportation corridors, safe detours need to be provided for cyclists.”
In 2021, there was some movement to improve safe passage for vulnerable road users around construction sites in Ottawa. Bike Ottawa worked with Kitchisippi Ward councillor Jeff Leiper to submit an official inquiry to the Transportation Committee in October to ask city staff what rules, guidelines and policies are in place to protect vulnerable road users. Staff came back in February of 2022 with an answer that will allow Bike Ottawa to advocate for improvements.
Concurrently, some changes were being made to the Road Activity By-Law and road cutting regulations that could improve conditions for those walking, rolling or using a bicycle around construction zones. Bike Ottawa provided feedback advocating for changes where residents would be provided with safe, accessible and direct passage around construction sites (and around service vehicles).
Some of the changes related to the Road Activity By-Law include staff undertaking a review of 311 protocol, implementing a traffic management inspection team, a review of Ontario Traffic Manual Book 18 - Cycling Facilities, contract specifications for pedestrians, and finally, a revamp of the 2009 Guidelines for Cycling Facilities in Construction Zones.
While these proposed changes are encouraging, we need a shift that goes beyond equal access to the road by all users. We should be prioritizing those that are the most vulnerable.
Chief William Commanda Bridge - A True Active Transportation Link?
The old Prince of Wales Bridge, renamed the Chief William Commanda Bridge in 2021, was slated to be refurbished as an active transportation link between Gatineau and Ottawa. Even with the bridge no longer being used by trains and fenced off, the number of people that use the bridge with it closed off gives us an indication of how popular this crossing will be!
During the recent bike boom, we have all experienced deficiencies in our overcrowded multi-use pathway system, with those walking and cycling having differing needs. When one of the proposed plans for the bridge included cantilevered decking on either side of the bridge, Bike Ottawa proposed a more cost-effective design that would serve for year-round recreation and active transportation.
In summer, the main 5.0m surface of the bridge would function very well for a proper bi-directional mobility lane for passing and side-by-side riding, and a 3.0m cantilevered deck on the down-river side would provide space for those walking.
In winter, the main bridge surface could be left snow-covered and groomed for both styles of cross-country skiing, mirroring what the SJAM Winter Trail (now renamed Kichi Sibi Winter Trail) currently maintains. Since it is physically separated, the cantilevered deck could be plowed of snow to support those users needing a cleared surface.
Bike Ottawa figured this plan would fit well with the National Capital Commission’s “Capital Pathway Strategic Plan 2020” which includes the Chief William Commanda bridge as a “cleared pathway,” extending the Trillium pathway to Alexandre-Taché. In the end, it was decided the bridge would remain a lower-capacity mixed-use active transportation link for three seasons and then transition to recreational space during the winter. However, we are hopeful that funding might be found in the future to add the cantilevered section and make this important link truly attractive for all users, for both recreation, and transportation.
Revert Reds
Many may not know what a revert red is, especially if you are not from Ottawa or are a child using the city’s cycling facilities. Revert reds happen when a cyclist triggers a sensor to change a traffic light at an intersection. However, suppose the cyclist, anticipating a green light, rolls off from the sensor too soon. In that case, the traffic light for opposing traffic switches back to green from red - potentially leaving the cyclist in the middle of an intersection with oncoming traffic. Or, the cyclist will just not get a green light and will be forced to run a red light when there is a break in car traffic. There are more than 1,000 revert reds currently active in the city. Ottawa traffic engineers consider them a safety feature.
In December 2021, Councillor Jeff Leiper introduced a motion at the city’s transportation committee to end the use of revert reds, arguing that they posed a danger to cyclists and other pedestrians. The motion was ultimately defeated by a 7-4 vote from councillors after they heard from city staff who cited potential negative impacts on traffic congestion and emergency operations.
The committee called instead for an education campaign and the use of an “amber lock”, a feature which would ensure that the opposing traffic signal stays red for five seconds, giving cyclists more time to cross the intersection. The city plans to program the amber lock at 215 intersections by March 2022.
Councillor Leiper brought up his motion to end revert reds again at City Council on January 26, 2022. The Council agreed to collect more data and report to the transportation committee in 2023.
Bike Ottawa has been a strong advocate against revert reds and is asking for a safe systems approach as traffic engineers do with road infrastructure for cars. In our most recent open letter to the City Council, we explain how eliminating revert reds can make our streets safer and more livable for pedestrians and people using active transport.
Interestingly, the Road Safety Action Plan adopted by City Council in 2020 notes that “there is recognition that a human error on the roadway should not lead to death or serious injury, and that road traffic systems must be designed accordingly.”
Ottawa's people-first neighbourhoods
In 2021, Bike Ottawa continued to provide feedback on two exciting developments to make sure that active transportation remains a priority as our city continues to expand and densify.
Gladstone Village is a proposal by the Ottawa Community Housing to build a new subdivision at 993 Gladstone Avenue. The development would include new streets, sidewalks, pathways and 18-storey and 9-storey towers which would accommodate 338 mixed-income residential units, along with commercial spaces alongside an LRT station.
With the first phase planned to start later in 2022, the Gladstone Village development is expected to be fully completed in the summer of 2024.
Since early planning in 2019, Bike Ottawa has been involved since the creation of the secondary plan and provided feedback on how to make Gladstone Village a true 15-minute neighbourhood, emphasizing the need for a robust active transportation network for the future. We recommended creating wide segregated cycleways to accommodate bike traffic, designing safe streets, and building a proper crossing at the busy Trillium pathway and Gladstone crossing, prioritizing vulnerable road users over car traffic.
The LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan was approved by the National Capital Commission in April of 2021. The plan is a 35-year project to transform LeBreton Flats into a complete urban community, with residential and retail buildings, parks and plazas, and major public buildings, such as a new Ottawa central library.
Most importantly, the plan’s mobility strategy will prioritize active modes of transport, along with a "Vision Zero '' approach that seeks to eliminate traffic collisions causing serious injury and fatalities. The plan proposes to do so by using a “filtered permeability” design approach, which will offer safer and direct connecting routes exclusively for active modes of travel, such as trails weaving into and across the site and pedestrian and cycling-only bridges and underpasses over and under the O-Train line.
To slow traffic and create safe and inviting public spaces, streets within LeBreton will also be woonerf-style shared streets ‒ narrower, curbless and traffic-calmed.
Construction began in LeBreton Flats soon after the plan was approved. The first public project, the LeBreton Flats pathway, opened to the public in December 2021. The pathway features two segments totalling about one kilometre including one section as a multi-use pathway, and the other section, a much-preferred segregated facility separating those walking from those on bikes. Linking the Ottawa River Pathway to the Pimisi and Bayview LRT stations, the 3-season pathway serves as a keystone active transportation connection to and through LeBreton Flats. The pathway will be turned over to recreational use in the winter as part of the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail.
One of the guiding principles of the LeBreton master plan is to “Create Connections”. Speaking to blogger Hans on the Bike, Katie Paris, the NCC director in charge of the project, said that “the new LeBreton Flats pathway serves to create connections through and to LeBreton Flats, welcoming people back to an area that has largely been inaccessible to the public for decades.”
Pedal Poll: who is cycling in Ottawa?
Researchers, advocates, and governments need to know who is cycling and where in order to make informed decisions about where to direct advocacy and investment to make a difference. That’s why Velo Canada Bikes, Canada’s national cycling advocacy organization, conducted the first annual nationwide Pedal Poll in June 2021. Over 1000 volunteers performed a count of people riding bikes in 14 pilot communities across Canada, including Ottawa. Over 50 volunteers in Ottawa counted 7353 people on bikes during the week of June 1-6, the highest number of volunteers of any community in Canada.
Volunteer counters recorded the perceived age, race, and gender of people biking to help researchers and advocates understand where different groups may have less access to cycling than others. In nearly every community, there were more men than women cycling. Volunteers also counted fewer children and more people perceived as White cycling than would be expected based on their fraction of the population. In Ottawa, 87% of people counted were perceived to be White, while only 70% of the population is White according to census data. These results highlight that more needs to be done to make cycling safe and accessible for all people.
Check out Pedal Poll’s summary report or the full research paper for more information on the results.
Where is Ottawa's Bike Share?
On April 7, 2021, Ottawa’s Transportation Committee heard the results of a report prepared by Stantec to study bike-sharing in the city, following a recommendation from Councillor Shawn Menard in June 2020.
The report looked into the past history of bike-sharing in the city, trends in other municipalities, and the costs of implementing such a program.
Firstly, the report found that various companies and agencies have set up bike share programs over the years. However, these were often geared towards seasonal tourists instead of focusing on residents, and didn’t provide enough stations and bikes to integrate well into the larger transportation system.
The report also looked at bike-sharing in other municipalities ‒ but studied it as a source of revenue instead of a service to residents like any other public transportation. In doing so, many enormously successful bike share programs in major Canadian cities were disregarded, such as successful publicly-funded year-round bike sharing in Toronto and Vancouver and Montreal’s seasonal Bixi bike program. While not launched at the time of the report, even Quebec City introduced a bike share program in summer 2021 with a fleet entirely composed of e-bikes and fully integrated into the public transportation system.
"The report looked into the program as a cost to residents instead of an investment with many benefits"
Finally, the report looked into the program as a cost to residents instead of an investment with many benefits. It was treated as a money-generating proposition for the City. Asking for $4M in startup funds for 700 bikes made the program unattractive to the staff since the goal was for the program to be revenue-neutral through user fees and sponsorships. The report did not view this program as any other transportation system that receives public funding and did not consider other benefits such as boosting ridership on our light rail and buses as part of a multi-modal system.
Council ultimately decided to accept the staff recommendation not to go forward with a bike-share program, denying Ottawans a crucial component of a sustainable transportation system ‒ for now. Staff were directed by the committee to go back to the drawing board and present other options in the near future. If bike-sharing is successful in many major Canadian cities, the same should be possible in Ottawa.
Ottawa's New Civic Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital is planning a new campus on Carling Avenue next to Dow’s Lake, with the NCC’s original decision for Tunney’s Pasture being overturned.
Tunney’s Pasture had originally been selected as the best location as it was adjacent to public transportation, it would not impact a heritage site, destroy green space and the site was already a “sea of parking”.
Over the course of 2021, the Master Site Plan for the hospital was submitted for review by the NCC and the City of Ottawa and was available for public comment on the City’s Engage Ottawa website. In October 2021, the City Council voted to approve the Master Site Plan.
After the City of Ottawa released the Transportation Impact Assessment and Mobility Study for the new campus, Bike Ottawa provided feedback to the city on the draft plan before its approval.
While the Master Plan does highlight the importance of active transportation, the city prioritizes motor vehicles throughout the current plan. Concerningly, the plan requires the removal of the Trillium multi-use pathway (MUP) currently running from Carling Avenue to Prince of Wales Drive with the alternatives being travelling along Carling Avenue to Preston Street, or along an on-site pathway intended for pedestrian traffic. This will be a serious loss to integrating the MUP system in this area and could create additional pedestrian-cyclist conflicts or put cyclists in dangerous positions on the busy streets of Carling and Preston.
Putting bicycles to work...
Bike Ottawa's AGM 2021
Bike Ottawa held its Annual General Meeting on November 15th, 2021. The AGM was held virtually as a result of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Melissa and Chris Bruntlett were the keynote speakers. The couple are urban mobility activists and authors of the book Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality, which investigates how the Netherlands became such a bike-oriented country. Originally Vancouver-based, in 2019 the couple and their two children moved to Delft in the Netherlands and since then have published their second book, Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives.
Melissa and Chris were also interviewed on the CBC Ottawa Morning show before they participated in the AGM. During the interview, Melissa and Chris spoke positively of their experiences living in Delft and noted that in the city 80% of journeys are made by foot, bicycle, or transit. They compared the experience to living in Vancouver, where cycling seemed to be making a statement, whereas in the Netherlands, 84% of the population cycles at least once per week. Cycling there is so ubiquitous that there isn’t a separate term for “cyclist”.
"Cycling safety means children are given much more freedom to travel throughout the city on their own"
The couple pointed out that routine cycling is made possible through the construction of safe and separate cycling infrastructure. They also noted how improving cycling safety means children are given much more freedom to travel throughout the city on their own.
Melissa also stated that it is important to make planning decisions with equity in mind. For the past 50 years, transportation planning decisions have been made to prioritize car commuters. However, this excludes those who cannot own or cannot operate a vehicle and ignores what are known as care trips. These are the trips taken within the city, such as to purchase groceries, pick up children from school or take a sick relative to the doctor, which are predominantly carried out by women. Cycling infrastructure should be planned with both commuting and care trips in mind.
The main message the couple had is that we can’t give up on making these changes to our cities, that solutions to these planning problems exist and that it’s a matter of finding creative ways to translate that to the public and to political leaders and to have them understand what we’re losing out on by not making these changes.
The main message the couple had is that we can’t give up on making these changes to our cities, that solutions to these planning problems exist and that it’s a matter of finding creative ways to translate that to the public and to political leaders and to have them understand what we’re losing out on by not making these changes.
Bike Ottawa in the News
CBC to interview Mellissa and Chris Bruntlett, keynote speakers at Bike Ottawa AGM 2021
Bike Ottawa urges city to invest in better plan for Pretoria Avenue cycling route
Cargo e-bikes could be banned under proposed Ontario bill
New technology will end 'scary' red reverts at hundreds of Ottawa intersections
'Red revert' intersections here to stay despite concerns for cyclists' safety
City puts up fight in Coun. Leiper's quest to axe 'revert red' traffic signals
City kickstarts new bicycle parking plan, hits brakes on bike sharing
City won't roll out bike-sharing program any time soon
Temporary bike lane opens on Carling Avenue
Advocates hopeful Ottawa’s new intersection guidelines will improve road experience for all
Colonel By reopens to cars, prompting cyclists, pedestrians to ask why
Bikes, e-scooters could be permanent fixtures on city's trains: report
Pellerin: What if snow-clearing prioritized sidewalks and stairs first?
Barrier installed on Gatineau entrance to Prince of Wales Bridge
Orléans man, 80, admits he wasn't wearing glasses in fatal collision with cyclist
Is getting around the Tri-Cities by bike stressing you out? There’s an app for that
Open Data for SDG 3: health and well-being
Bike Ottawa part of COP26 coalition - bicycles fight climate change