Planning Committee

BE IT RESOLVED that Staff work with The Ottawa Hospital and Bike Ottawa to investigate options to improve cycling connections between the Trillium Line Station, the internal Road A bi-directional cycling facility, and the Hospital’s main entrance.

WHEREAS accessibility advocacy groups, community associations and individual residents have identified significant accessibility issues pertaining to the proposed design of the parking garage for the new Civic campus, as well as how the proposed plan for the parking garage creates accessibility challenges for the hospital proper; and WHEREAS the report reads, “[a] south side LRT ‘portal’ is being contemplated for providing access to pedestrian connections underneath Carling Avenue to the Station on the north side. Furthermore, the possibility of a pedestrian overpass to connect the Station to the fourth-floor of the parking garage is also an option of consideration”; and WHEREAS the report reads, “[a] weather protected, enclosed walkway on the roof of the parking structure will link the LRT station to the main hospital building with opportunities for ‘moving sidewalks’ to lessen the distance travelled”; and WHEREAS The distance of travel from the LRT station to the main entrance is ~500 metres using the “Highline” and 540 metres outside on the sidewalks, with the means of access yet to be finalized, and for a person who may have physical limitations due to poor health or some degree of disability, and who are able to only travel at 2 kilometers per hour, that is a 15-minute journey; BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to engage in discussions with the Ottawa Hospital to address the resolution of key issues in respect of accessibility including, but not limited to: Reviewing

WHEREAS the construction of the proposed parking garage at Dow’s Lake will disrupt and eliminate multiple active transportation routes, including the Trillium Multi-Use Pathway and the current Multi-Use Pathway through Queen Juliana Park; and WHEREAS this location is an important active transportation, connecting such active transportation routes as Sherwood Drive, the Trillium MUP, the Arboretum MUP, the Rideau Canal Western MUP and the Madawaska-Fifth-Flora Footbridge-Clegg bicycling route; and WHEREAS a transformation of Carling Avenue that will provide more space and protection for active transportation is planned for the coming decade; and WHEREAS the communities around the Dow’s Lake site for the parking garage have high active transportation modal shares; and WHEREAS the City of Ottawa seeks to increase the overall modal share of active transportation in our city; and WHEREAS the success of any transportation plans to and around the proposed Civic campus is predicated on increased levels of active transportation; and WHEREAS Preston Avenue between Carling Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive currently offers no infrastructure for bicyclists; and WHEREAS Preston Avenue between Carling Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive currently offers no buffer between the sidewalk and the roadway; and WHEREAS Preston Avenue between Carling Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive currently has sufficient space for five lanes of traffic, a painted median, a cement media and a slip lane; and WHEREAS

WHEREAS the proposed development of the new Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital, including the development of the parking garage, is expected to cost at least $2.8 billion; and WHEREAS analysis of other hospitals recently constructed have yielded much higher costs; and WHEREAS the Province of Ontario has indicated potential commitment of $2.1 billion in funding, which may not meet new costs for hospital construction and even under the best scenario leaves $700 million to be raised locally; and WHEREAS parking revenues are projected to provide $300 million; and WHEREAS construction costs have been increasing at much high rates than when the hospital was first contemplated; and WHEREAS it is expected that The Ottawa Hospital will be asking for funding from the City of Ottawa, but, as of now, that request has not been made and the city does not know how much will be requested; and WHEREAS healthcare is a matter of provincial jurisdiction and the City of Ottawa does not want to end up with a massive parking garage without a future hospital; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Ottawa request the Mayor to write to the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to request an assurance of provincial financing for the hospital and to further request assurance that construction of the hospital parking garage is backed by a guarantee to finance the building of the hospital so that Ottawa is not left with a garage without a hospital.

WHEREAS Motion No PLC 2021-50/7 was

WHEREAS the new Civic Campus for the Ottawa Hospital will be developed along major transit routes, and along significant active transportation routes; and WHEREAS many residents require accessible transportation links to healthcare services; and WHEREAS at recent stakeholder consultations, serious accessibility concerns with the proposed design of the parking garage at the new Civic Campus site were identified; and WHEREAS these concerns relate to movement to the site and through the site; and WHEREAS the Accessibility Advisory Committee has expressed an interest in reviewing this item; and WHEREAS staff have confirmed that this item is expected to come before the Planning Committee on the 10th of February, before the Accessibility Advisory Committee will have had a chance to provide feedback and advice from an accessibility perspective; and BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT this item is