Transportation Committee

WHEREAS the STO tramway could potentially operate on the surface on Wellington Street in Ottawa; and WHEREAS Wellington Street is an iconic corridor that is steeped in Confederation history and where Parliament and the Supreme Court of Canada are located; WHEREAS the federal government is expected to contribute significant funding towards this interprovincial tramway project; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that should the tramway operate on Wellington Street, that the branding and livery of the tramway vehicles reflect the colours and symbolism of our country; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that City staff work with the STO on this proposed branding and livery, and that it be presented to the City of Ottawa’s Transportation Committee and federal partners for input prior to its procurement and implementation.

WHEREAS the City, the federal government and the provincial government have invested $6.7 billion in the City’s O-Train network with Stages 1 and 2; and WHEREAS the City is finalizing its planning work for Stage 3 LRT to Kanata-Stittsville and Barrhaven; and WHEREAS Climate Change is a concern that needs to be addressed by all levels of government; and WHEREAS the National Capital Commission is currently studying the construction of a new bridge to connect Gatineau and Ottawa; and WHEREAS a new bridge would likely induce an increase in vehicular traffic, therefore increasing the emission of greenhouse gases in our region; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Mayor Watson write to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to request that the federal government prioritize investments in transformative and sustainable transit projects like Stage 3 LRT to Kanata-Stittsville and Barrhaven and the STO Tramway rather than a sixth bridge.

WHEREAS the Changing of the Guard takes place on Parliament Hill every morning from late June to late August and has since July 2, 1959; and WHEREAS the parade is a cherished tradition for the Ceremonial Guard – comprised of members of the Governor General's Foot Guards, the Canadian Grenadier Guards and augmented by members of the Canadian Armed Forces from across Canada – and is an important event for our tourism industry; and WHEREAS the parade leaves Cartier Square Drill Hall on Laurier Avenue West and makes its way to Parliament Hill via its ceremonial route on Elgin Street and Wellington Street; and WHEREAS the STO Tram project proposes to use the Wellington Street corridor and to have a terminus station at Elgin and Queen streets, which might create some challenges for this cherished event; and WHEREAS the proposed terminus station is adjacent to the National War Memorial, the site where tens of thousands gather on Remembrance Day; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that STO be mandated to meaningfully consult, as part of the next phase of this project, with the Ceremonial Guard, the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada on the location of the terminus station at Elgin and Queen streets, as well as the preservation and coordination of the Changing of the Guard and its use of the Ceremonial Guard’s traditional route along Elgin and Wellington streets.

the benefit of the STO electric tramway project is not being disputed as it would provide improvements for interprovincial transit customers, reduce the number of STO busses operating on Ottawa streets and help both cities reduce GHG emissions; and Whereas the location of the STO tramway in the Nation’s Capital must be carefully considered from all aspects, not just costs, as it will have a lasting impact for many generations and factor into the image of our Capital City; and Whereas the STO tramway option on the surface of Wellington Street has many issues still to resolve with the federal government including requirement of additional property, consolidation of accesses, and funding; and Whereas of the two options presented by the STO tram report, a below ground option would mitigate all issues associated with a surface option and allow City streets to evolve as future visions are consolidated and plans take shape; and Whereas the Confederation Boulevard, which includes Wellington Street, is Ottawa’s most attractive route and is of strategic importance to the Capital City in terms of design and its role in other significant plans including: the Rideau/Wellington/Sussex Node; the Interprovincial Transit Loop vision, the Alexandra Bridge reconstruction, and security of the Parliamentary Precinct; and WHEREAS “The Loop” is a vision of an Ottawa-Gatineau transit loop served by buses or trains, which would provide convenient, daily transportation between the two cities and could

( on behalf of Councillor C. McKenney ) That the Rules of Procedure be suspended in accordance with Subsection 1(6)(c) of the Procedure By-law to consider the following motion in order to allow staff the opportunity to initiate the construction process in a timely manner, prior to the winter season.

( on behalf of Councillor C. McKenney ) WHEREAS Elgin Street is heavily used by motorized vehicles and cyclists; and WHEREAS a cyclist was hit and injured by a truck on Elgin Street in June 2020; and WHEREAS the 2020-2024 Ottawa Road Safety Action Plan calls for an integrated, comprehensive and proactive strategy for making our roads safer for all users and for continuing to advance toward zero fatal and serious injury collisions; WHEREAS Transportation Services would like to pilot the use of Qwick Kurb, a continuous rubber curbing lane separator system with plastic bollards or markers, which would be supplied by QMB Barrier, and can be redeployed elsewhere when traffic volumes are back to pre-COVID volumes; WHEREAS the estimated cost to install such a system on Elgin Street between Argyle Avenue and Isabella Street is $78,000 and $10,000 for winter maintenance for the 2020-2021 winter season; and WHEREAS the Elgin Street Renewal project (account # 906882) has funds available to fund this initiative; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Transportation Committee Recommend Council Approve that a temporary semi-permanent bike lane be constructed on the east side of Elgin Street between Argyle Avenue and Isabella Street and on the west side of Elgin Street between 35 metres north of Catherine Street and Isabella Street; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an evaluation of the Catherine Street and Elgin Street intersection take place in the months following the completion of the bike lane to rep