NEWS ARCHIVESMay 1, 2009 City maps out plan for downtown transit tunnel City Staff released their vision for the downtown portion of the City’s proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, and now it is up to Council to get on board. The Staff Report released recommends the preferred path for the tunnel and the location and layout of the LRT stations. The project includes 12.5km of track, linking Tunney’s Pasture station to Blair station with 13 transit stations along the route. This includes a tunnel from Lebreton Flats to the University of Ottawa, with four proposed underground stops at Lyon/Bay, O’Connor/Metcalfe, the Rideau Centre and the University of Ottawa. Surface locations are also planned at other points along the route. The cost of the Tunney’s Pasture to Blair network is estimated at $830 million; this price includes the 3.2km downtown tunnel estimated at $600 million. The City recently applied for funding from the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. I am encouraged by the work City Staff have done and I anxiously await the opportunity to debate and discuss the merits of their proposal. This is a major civic-building exercise for the City and its residents and a substantial financial investment; we need to ensure the steps we take and the plan we develop is the correct choice. Starting with the downtown core is the appropriate step, and I believe the proposed station locations are correct. A new downtown stop that serves as the primary hub near the intersection of Rideau, Wellington and Colonel By will have a significant and positive influence on this area. The Staff Report will be discussed at the May 6 Transit Committee meeting, and will then be considered by Council on May 27. The public will have an opportunity to comment at an open house being held in June. The study is expected to wrap up in January 2010. The start of construction is anticipated for 2012 and could take four to five years to complete. For more information on the downtown transit tunnel,
please visit
www.ottawa.ca/tunnel. Please submit your comments to my office by e-mail at
Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca or by phone at
613-580-2476. Safety improvements on Abbott Street East The concern expressed by residents regarding the speed and traffic safety on Abbott Street East resulted in the City undertaking an Area Traffic Management study of the street. Working with my office, a number of improvements will be taking place this spring to provide a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Abbott St. E. has been selected to participate in the school zone pilot project aimed at raising awareness in school areas to ensure drivers take extra precautions. The school zones will be clearly delineated by two sets of school area signs indicating where they begin and where they end to ensure successful police enforcement. These zones have proven extremely popular in other residential communities. Traffic staff recommends Abbott St. E. have a speed limit of 50 km/h and part of Shea Road have a speed limit of 60 km/h. In addition there will be school zone speed limit restrictions at Sacred Heart High School and École élémentaire catholique Jean-Paul II. This will result in a 40 km/h speed limit on school days between the hours of 7-9:30am and 2-5pm. Traffic will also be managed with pavement markings used to visually narrow the road to encourage slower travel speeds and reduce other aggressive driving behaviours. These measures are also inexpensive to implement, provide buffer areas for pedestrians, and will not affect the response time of emergency vehicles. The plan is incremental whereby the painted medians could be replaced with physical measures to increase effectiveness. The traffic department has also reviewed the intersection
of Abbott St. E. and Granite Ridge Drive and have recommended an all-way stop be
installed. Public Meeting on proposed basketball court The Stittsville District Lions Club have partnered with the City of Ottawa to build an outdoor basketball court for the Stittsville community. City Staff and the Lions reviewed a number of potential sites in the community, and are now confident in the selected location for the court in the northeastern area of Alexander Grove Park, which would replace the existing single basketball hoop. Please join us at a public meeting to discuss this
proposal on May 21 at 7pm at the Lions Hall located at 1339 Stittsville Main
Street. Reduce the risk of the H1N1 flu As many of you are now aware, swine flu has taken a prominent position in our local, national and international news. Dr. Isra Levy, the City’s Medical Officer of Health, and Ottawa Public Health (OPH) are responding to this important health issue. OPH has formed a workgroup with representatives from epidemiology, communicable disease, outbreak management, health emergency planning, communications as well as all OPH senior managers. OPH has also opened up lines of communication with partners at the provincial, national and international level in order to stay abreast of new cases, advisories and directives. Dr. Levy has informed City Staff and the public that, to date, the H1N1 cases outside of Mexico have been mild. OPH will continue to monitor the situation daily and report any significant change to the public as it arises. The key message from OPH is geared toward mitigating the risk of you becoming infected. OPH advocates three simple precautionary measures you and your family can take. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds before eating, and after coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizer is just as effective; it kills over 99 per cent of viruses. Cough and sneeze in your upper sleeve or in a tissue, not in your hands, and stay home if you are sick. OPH has created a website dedicated to the swine flu,
which can be found at
www.ottawa.ca/health. I encourage you to refer to this website to get the
latest local information on the H1N1 flu. Tequila Sunrise will not be tolerated The Ottawa Police Service, in conjunction with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Carleton Catholic District School Board, wish to inform parents and guardians that the unsanctioned annual event, Tequila Sunrise, will not be tolerated. Tequila Sunrise poses a considerable nuisance for many residents, as students gather in community parks and neighbourhoods and drug use, excessive consumption of alcohol, mischief and general disturbances generally takes place. The Ottawa Police Service has informed my office that
Police will be addressing Tequila Sunrise and any other events with a strict
enforcement policy. Appropriate charges will be laid on any person where it is
warranted and parents will also be held accountable under the Parental
Responsibility Act for any damages caused by their children. P-art-icipate in the C4 Gallery The City’s Public Art department has launched a pilot project designed to inspire residents to see art in new and interesting ways. The C4 Gallery is a travelling art gallery that will be on display at neighbourhood community centres across the City, including the Goulbourn Recreation Complex. Public Art is calling on artists across the City to submit their entries to be included in the C4 Gallery. Submissions must be received by mail or by hand no later than June 19 at 3pm. Fax or e-mail submissions will not be accepted. Art objects must be appropriate for all ages, given the gallery is for public use. For more information, please contact Kristina Frangione by
phone at 613-244-3745 or by e-mail at
Kristina.Frangione@ottawa.ca Youth in Power; action today, results tomorrow The Ottawa Youth Commission (OYC) will be holding a conference at City Hall on May 22 aimed at discussing important issues affecting the youth in Ottawa. The forum will provide young people with an opportunity to talk to Councillors and City Staff about their vision for our City. During the conference, participants will have the opportunity to attend each of the following workshops, to discuss the issues of: transportation, recreation, the environment, and substance use/abuse. Upon registration, each participant will be placed in all four of the workshops. The conference will take place on May 22 from
8:30am-2:30pm at City Hall. For more nformation visit
www.ottawayouthcommission.ca. Always listening and acting on your concerns As your Councillor, I always welcome your keen input and ideas on how we can sustain and improve Stittsville. Please contact our office anytime by phone at 613-580-2476 or by e-mail at Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca. My ward office is located in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex, located at 1500 Shea Road. The hours of operation are Mondays 9-2pm, Wednesdays 3-8pm, Fridays 9-5pm, and Saturday 9-1pm. Please do not hesitate to pay us a visit, |