City Announces New Plan for Safer Streets

Over are the days of cars ruling the roads, as the City of Ottawa has just put a red light on their 50 year-old practice of automotive domination. On October 7, the Transportation committee unanimously backed The Complete Streets Implementation Framework, keeping the interests of pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users in mind on our roadways, and creating safer, healthier, and more sustainable transportation for all.

The transportation committee’s motivation lies in the creation of streets that are for moving people of all means, not just cars. These changes will make it easier and more accessible to cross the street, walk to shops, bike to work, and reduce carbon footprint and traffic congestion.

“Complete streets are about moving people, not just cars,” says Graham Saul, Ecology Ottawa’s Executive Director, adding that “it’s about time we had a framework that reflects the interests of all users.”

Although The City agreed to take on a complete streets policy in 2013, they’ve only now agreed on a plan detailing how to make this happen. Information on how moving across Ottawa will actually be changing is still vague, but a recent press release promises that “if you walk, cycle or take public transit you will no longer be left out of the traffic engineer’s design formula.”