Transportation Master Plan Update

Moving in the right direction
Ottawa has grown into a city of one million residents. Over the next 25 years, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.4 million. With that kind of growth, we need to revisit how people, vehicles and goods move through our city.
As we set the vision for our updated Transportation Master Plan, we have important decisions to make as individuals and as a city. While some might be easy, others will require more thought. We need to have thoughtful and meaningful discussions to ensure Ottawa becomes the most liveable mid-sized city in North America.
Transportation decisions affect all of Ottawa’s residents and businesses. No matter if you walk, drive, cycle, bus, take the light rail transit or scoot, whether you ship products or have them delivered, or whether you own or share a car, how people and goods move through the city affects you. All the choices we make moving forward will require some give and take. Tell us what’s important to you and how our transportation system can move us in the right direction for decades to come.
Stay involved!
Sign up for updates on the many upcoming opportunities for public and stakeholder engagement at each phase of the master plan update.
Moving in the right direction
Ottawa has grown into a city of one million residents. Over the next 25 years, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.4 million. With that kind of growth, we need to revisit how people, vehicles and goods move through our city.
As we set the vision for our updated Transportation Master Plan, we have important decisions to make as individuals and as a city. While some might be easy, others will require more thought. We need to have thoughtful and meaningful discussions to ensure Ottawa becomes the most liveable mid-sized city in North America.
Transportation decisions affect all of Ottawa’s residents and businesses. No matter if you walk, drive, cycle, bus, take the light rail transit or scoot, whether you ship products or have them delivered, or whether you own or share a car, how people and goods move through the city affects you. All the choices we make moving forward will require some give and take. Tell us what’s important to you and how our transportation system can move us in the right direction for decades to come.
Stay involved!
Sign up for updates on the many upcoming opportunities for public and stakeholder engagement at each phase of the master plan update.
-
Approved Transportation Master Plan – Part 1
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe Transportation Master Plan – Part 1 was approved at the City Council meeting of April 26, 2023. The staff report, supporting materials and recordings of the Transportation Committee and Council meetings can be found on the City’s website.
Part 1 included the TMP Policies, Active Transportation Projects and Networks, and Transit and Road Project Prioritization Frameworks for TMP Part 2, development of the Capital Infrastructure. The document library on this website contains these documents.
The next step is the development of the TMP Capital Infrastructure Plan, including additional public engagement on travel patterns and trends, transit and road projects, and network investment scenarios. Please continue to watch this project website and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.
-
Special Meeting of the Transportation Committee
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkStaff will bring forward Part 1 of the TMP Update at a Special Meeting of the Transportation Committee on Monday, April 17th. The staff report and supporting materials are available on the City’s website. Pending the approval of committee, the staff report will rise to Council on Wednesday, April 26th.
For information on how to watch and participate in committee, please visit the City’s website.
Thank you to all participants in Part 1 of the TMP Update. The document library on this website includes reports on consultation results and changes to the materials following consultation.
The next step in the TMP Update process is the development of the Capital Infrastructure Plan (Part 2 of the TMP), including additional public engagement on proposed transit and road projects and network investment scenarios.
-
Updated TMP Part 1 is now posted
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkWe are releasing updated TMP Part 1 materials, refined based on feedback received from residents and stakeholders during TMP Phase 3 Public Engagement. The updated materials include the following:
- TMP Policies and “Highlights” document
- Active Transportation project lists and network maps
- Road and Transit Project Prioritization Frameworks for the TMP Capital Infrastructure Plan
Part 1 of the TMP Update will be finalized in the coming months as staff prepare to bring forward a report for approval to a special Transportation Committee meeting and Council in April.
Thank you to all participants in the TMP Phase 3 Public Engagement. Along with the updated materials, the Document library includes reports on consultation results and changes to the materials following consultation.
The next step in the TMP update process is the development of the Capital Infrastructure Plan (Part 2 of the TMP), including additional public engagement on proposed transit and road projects and network investment scenarios.
If you have any questions or would like to provide comments, you can always do so through tmpupdate@ottawa.ca.
-
Updated TMP Policies and Highlights now posted
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe updated TMP Polices document will guide our transportation decisions to 2046 and help Ottawa fulfill its vision of becoming the most liveable mid-sized city in North America. For an overview of the TMP Policies, a Highlight document is also available.
The TMP Policies were refined based on the results of the TMP Phase 3. A supporting report summarizes the changes to the draft Policies.
-
Updated Active Transportation Project List and Network Maps now posted
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe updated Active Transportation Projects List is available for viewing in the Document library section of the website.
You can also view the updated active transportation networks at the links below:
- Crosstown Bikeways Network
- Active Transportation Major Structures
- Rural Active Transportation Networks
Staff are currently working to update GeoOttawa to reflect the Active Transportation Project changes and this should be available shortly. Changes to the proposed projects are the result of additional work undertaken by staff as well as in response to feedback received from the public and are documented in this report. Summaries of the TMP Phase 3 and Phase 2 engagement, including active transportation topics, are available for viewing in the Document library.
-
Transit and Road Project Prioritization Frameworks now posted
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe TMP Capital Infrastructure Plan will identify transit and road projects that are needed to accommodate future travel demand and that should be included within the City’s ultimate future networks; transit options will be reviewed first, followed by roads. The transit and road projects in the Ultimate Networks will be prioritized for implementation using the proposed Transit and Road Project Prioritization Frameworks. The frameworks will be used to compare projects of the same type – i.e. to prioritize new roads and road widening projects relative to one another, and to prioritize transit projects relative to one another.
The Transit and Road Project Prioritization Frameworks were developed based on Official Plan objectives, TMP Policies, and the frameworks from the 2013 TMP. They were also reviewed and refined based on the results of the TMP Phase 3 engagement. A Consultation Summary Report presents the results of engagement on the prioritization frameworks and changes to the frameworks following the Phase 3 engagement.
-
“As We Heard It” report
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThank you to everyone who participated in the recent consultations on the Transportation Master Plan (December 2021 to April 2022). The TMP Team has been working to review the comments and feedback received. The following three documents provide summaries of the input received:
- “As We Heard It” report on the draft TMP Part 1 – Policies.
- “As We Heard It” report on the proposed active transportation candidate projects and rural active transportation network
- A “Question and Answer” document from the Open House on March 29, 2022
As part of finalizing the TMP Part 1 – Policies and the active transportation projects in Q1 2023, we will post a separate document that shows the changes. A separate report will document the results of the June 2022 consultation on the draft road and transit project evaluation frameworks.
-
TMP Consultation on Road and Transit Project Evaluation Criteria
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkCLOSED: This discussion has concluded.Part 1 of the TMP, released in draft in December 2021, proposed sets of evaluation criteria (Policy 8-1 and Policy 9-2).
The City is now expanding on these proposed criteria and are inviting the public to provide feedback on the methodologies that will be used to score future road and transit projects in Part 2 of the TMP, the Capital Infrastructure Plan. Highest scoring projects will be prioritized for implementation and lowest scoring projects will not be pursued.
The proposed evaluation criteria can be found at these links.
Road Project Evaluation Criteria
Transit Project Evaluation Criteria
You can view an FAQ on the evaluation criteria here.
-
Evaluation Criteria Consultation FAQ
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe evaluation frameworks address the prioritization of projects of the same types – i.e. evaluating new roads and road widening projects relative to one another, and evaluating transit projects relative to one another.
When will residents be able to provide input on the allocation of funding between different project types?
- Within the TMP Part 2, the City expects to develop two or three alternative network investment scenarios to meet future travel demand. These scenarios will consider the City’s climate change, mode share objectives, as well as affordability. The network investment alternatives would feature different levels of funding for different project types.
- The alternative network scenarios will be shared with the public once the Origin-Destination Survey has been completed and the City has analyzed future travel needs.
In the Roads evaluation framework, why is “Mobility Needs” weighted so much higher than “City Building”?
- The framework is designed to identify the new road and road widening projects critical for access to development and congestion reduction (i.e. mobility needs). If a project does not meet a mobility need, it should not be constructed.
- Once the mobility need is established, projects will rank better or worse based on their ability to support key City Building objectives, including their impact on natural systems, support for transit and healthy streets, and impact on equity.
- Projects that provide access to new development are expected to score the highest.
- Projects will score higher on the congestion metric if the corridor is already congested today, compared to projects that address anticipated future congestion.
What else is new in the Roads evaluation framework, compared to the 2013 TMP?
- The framework includes a minimum threshold. Not all candidate road projects are expected to be included in the Ultimate Network.
- We are proposing a separate evaluation process for complete street enhancements to existing roads. In the last TMP, there were only a few road projects that were of this type, as most complete street projects were intended to be implemented as part of other projects (such as road renewal). In the new TMP, we expect to consider more of these types of projects as stand-alone initiatives.
Why isn’t there a scoring rubric for complete street enhancements to existing roads?
- Before presenting a detailed scoring rubric with weightings, we would like to test the framework against a list of sample projects.
- The TMP team will be working on the scoring rubrics and a list of sample projects in the coming months. In the meantime, residents are welcome to provide feedback on the proposed bullet points in the Road Project Evaluation Framework document (pages 4-5).
- What is new within the transit project evaluation framework, compared to the 2013 TMP? The framework is designed to identify the transit projects that are most critical to encouraging mode shift, attracting new riders and improving service for existing riders.
- A a new type of equity metric for transit projects is proposed: expected number of transit riders using the corridor/project who live in an (Equity) Priority Neighbourhood.
- A new category of projects, called “isolated priority measures” has been added, focused on specific intersections or bottlenecks.
Is there overlap between some of the criteria such as Ridership Growth and Service Improvement?
- There is some “double counting” in the framework – projects that score highly on Ridership Growth are also expected to score well on Service Improvement and Major Destinations & Economic Development. However, we think all three criteria are required as they capture slightly different aspects of a project’s value.
- For example, Service Improvement captures the number of existing riders who will benefit from a project, while Major Destinations & Economic Development focuses on the need to provide high-quality transit service to destinations that support economic development and regional services.
Why are you consulting on this aspect of the TMP Part 2 now?
- It is important to get public feedback on the project evaluation frameworks before bringing them to Council for approval, since the evaluation frameworks will lead to the prioritization of different projects across the City.
- The TMP team would like to get Council approval of the project evaluation frameworks in Q1 2023 at the same time as the TMP Part 1 policies are approved, before applying the approved evaluation frameworks in Part 2. This is similar to the approach used for the new Official Plan, where the evaluation framework for expansion lands was considered by Council and approved before it was applied.
- The City is exploring how the project evaluation frameworks could be used to inform the next Development Charge Bylaw update.
- This component of the TMP Part 2 does not rely on the Origin-Destination Survey. The proposed evaluation frameworks are based on the new Official Plan and draft Transportation Master Plan policies.
- Establishing the evaluation frameworks now will help us set up our tools and models for efficient analysis within the TMP Part 2, once the Origin-Destination Survey is complete.
When will you be consulting on the other aspects of the TMP Part 2?
- Public engagement on Origin-Destination Survey results and existing travel patterns is expected to occur in Spring 2023.
- Public engagement on project priorities and proposed road and transit networks is expected to occur in Spring 2024.
-
TMP Open House Update
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkOn March 29th, 2022 the Transportation Master Plan Team hosted a Public Open House.
Thank you to all residents that participated in this important discussion that will help guide our transportation decisions and networks to 2046.
The slide presentation that was presented at the Public Open House is now available here.
The TMP policy has created a Q&A document from the Public Open House and it can be found here.
Don’t hesitate to let us know at tmpupdate@ottawa.ca if you have any questions.
Who's listening
-
Manager, Business and Technical Support Services
Email TMPupdate@ottawa.ca -
Phases of engagement
-
June 2019
Transportation Master Plan Update has finished this stageTransportation Master Plan and the associated Ottawa Cycling Plan and Ottawa Pedestrian Plan Scopes of Work approved by Transportation Committee and Council.
-
Phase One - Transportation Master Plan Directions - December 2019 to January 2020
Transportation Master Plan Update has finished this stagePublic engagement on existing conditions, vision and guiding principles.
-
Phase Two - Policy connections - February to October 2020
Transportation Master Plan Update has finished this stagePublic engagement on TMP priority issues identified in Phase 1, new mobility, pedestrian and cycling policies and priorities, and equity considerations. An online tool will also allow residents to identify missing links in the pedestrian and cycling networks.
-
Phase Three - The path forward - Winter to Spring 2022.
Transportation Master Plan Update has finished this stagePublic engagement on policies and the Active Transportation projects.
-
Part 1 Completion – Spring 2023
Transportation Master Plan Update has finished this stageTMP Policies and Active Transportation Projects approval by Transportation Committee (April 17) and Council (April 26)
-
Phase Four - Travel Patterns and Mobility Needs - Fall 2023
Transportation Master Plan Update is currently at this stagePublic engagement on Origin Destination Survey results and future travel demand.
-
Phase Five - 2024
this is an upcoming stage for Transportation Master Plan UpdatePublic engagement on draft Capital Infrastructure Plan and investment scenarios
-
Part 2 Completion
this is an upcoming stage for Transportation Master Plan UpdateTMP Capital Infrastructure Plan approval by Transportation Committee and Council
Videos
-
Click here to play video Transportation Master Plan Update – Phase 2 The City of Ottawa is updating the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to review the ways in which people, vehicles and goods move through our city – and how this can be achieved responsibly and sustainably for all. Closely tied to the TMP Update is Ottawa’s Active Transportation Plan, a new plan that will combine the Ottawa Pedestrian Plan and the Ottawa Cycling Plan into one and guide the policies and actions for the development of the city’s pedestrian and cycling network. Starting the week of September 21 and until October 23, 2020, the public is invited to fill out an online questionnaire as part of the Phase 2 of public engagement for the TMP Update. For this phase of engagement, the public is invited to provide input on: the Active Transportation Plan; what a fair and equitable transportation system looks like; and, new technologies that could change the way we move around the city.
Document library
-
TMP Policies March 2023.pdf (19.6 MB) (pdf)
-
TMP Policy Highlights March 2023.pdf (13.9 MB) (pdf)
-
Transit and Road Project Prioritization Frameworks March 2023.pdf (746 KB) (pdf)
-
Active Transportation Projects March 2023.pdf (3.95 MB) (pdf)
-
Rural Active Transportation Network Mar 2023.pdf (1.02 MB) (pdf)
-
Crosstown Bikeway Network March 2023.pdf (1.21 MB) (pdf)
-
Active Transportation Major Structures Map March 2023.pdf (2.25 MB) (pdf)
-
Prioritization Frameworks Consultation Summary Report Mar 2023.pdf (709 KB) (pdf)
-
Changes to the Policies and Projects March 2023.pdf (475 KB) (pdf)
-
Active Transportation Plan Online Engagement Summary Report (14.1 MB) (pdf)
-
Transportation Master Plan - Draft Part 1 Policies (25.7 MB) (pdf)
-
As We Heard It Report – Active Transportation Supplement.pdf (733 KB) (pdf)
-
As We Heard It Report – TMP Policies.pdf (1.28 MB) (pdf)
-
Transit Project Evaluation Framework.pdf (647 KB) (pdf)
-
Road Project Evaluation Framework_06.06.22.pdf (582 KB) (pdf)
-
How Candidate Projects Were Selected.pdf (204 KB) (pdf)
-
Healthy Streets within the TMP.pdf (332 KB) (pdf)
-
Climate Change and Transportation Discussion Paper.pdf (3.59 MB) (pdf)
-
Transportation Master Plan Memo June 30, 2021 (110 KB) (pdf)
-
Phase 2 Summary Report (4.03 MB) (pdf)
-
Phase 2 - Display Boards (11.7 MB) (pdf)
-
New Mobility Discussion Paper.pdf (27.9 MB) (pdf)
-
Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report (1.8 MB) (pdf)
-
Draft Vision & Guiding Principles (471 KB) (pdf)
-
Transportation Master Plan Update Overview (1.2 MB) (pdf)
-
Notice of Commencement (497 KB) (pdf)
-
Transportation Master Plan Update - Scope of Work approval (June 2019)
-
2013 Transportation Master Plan
-
Transportation Master Plan Schedule Update Memo (91 KB) (pdf)
-
TMP Q&A - June 7 2022-AODA.pdf (424 KB) (pdf)