Councillors seek $16.7M for cycling
Committee says money needed to bring system up to speed with council-approved strategy
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Council...213/story.html
BY PATRICK DARE, THE OTTAWA CITIZENOCTOBER 27, 2009 11:43 PM
OTTAWA — City officials, concerned that not enough is being done to promote cycling, are recommending $16.7 million be spent in 2010 to upgrade the city’s system.
The cycling capital projects being considered include:
- A new corridor for cyclists and pedestrians along the Sawmill Creek stormwater facility between Hunt Club Road and Walkley Road;
- Bike lanes on Heron Road, Prince of Wales Drive, Carling Avenue, Johnston Road, Trim Road, Limebank Road, Fernbank Road and 10th Line Road; and
- Shared pathways for cyclists and pedestrians on Industrial Avenue, the Ottawa River Parkway and Alta Vista Drive.
Two councillors pushing for the projects say that Ottawa has fallen behind on building its cycling network. The city has a plan, but it’s too often treated as optional, they say, a piece that can be tossed out during budget talks.
“We’re spending hundreds of millions on new roads,” said River Councillor Maria McRae, chairwoman of the transportation committee. “We’re looking for a balance. Otherwise there’s no point in having a cycling strategy. We’ve fallen very far behind.”
Councillor Christine Leadman, vice-chairwoman of the committee, said the city lists pedestrians and cyclists as top priorities in all its planning documents, but fails to follow through.
“We don’t support our own policies,” said Leadman. “It’s easy to cut, but it shouldn’t be.”
The Kitchissippi councillor said cycling should be encouraged, especially in the central part of the city where there’s no room to build new roads. However, she said many cyclists don’t feel safe mingling with vehicle traffic on the roads.
The capital spending is to be part of the proposed 2010 budget for the transportation branch of the city released at noon today, a move that will add to the property-tax increase expected at the city.
McRae says the stimulus program should mostly cover costs for capital cycling projects, where costs are shared with the federal and provincial governments. There are modest costs on the operating budget for a safety program, a cycling map and two new staff members to run pedestrian and cycling programs.
McRae said even if the city must spend money on these cycling projects, they pay off with less road congestion and air pollution, healthier citizens and less wear on roads.
She says expanding the cycling network would also strengthen Ottawa’s image as a green city, a perception that many visitors to the city already remark on.
Ottawa officials are looking to cities like Portland, Oregon, as examples of how expansion of the cycling network can boost participation. In 1992, Portland had just over 130 kilometres of bikeways and about 2,850 daily trips by cyclists. Portland has expanded its bikeway network to 440 kilometres and, by 2008, daily trips exceeded 16,000. Six per cent of residents in Portland travel regularly by bicycle.
Ottawa’s cycling plan, adopted by city council, aims to move from an estimated 4,500 cycling trips daily in 2001 to 12,000 trips daily by 2021.
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