Transportation Master Plan Update

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Logo for the Transportation Master Plan Update shows a circle with the cardinal arrows (east, west, north, south) and graphic representations of different modes of transportation: walking, cycling, light rail, car and bus.

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.

  • Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report and Draft Vision & Guiding Principles now posted

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    3 months ago


    A summary of the results of the first phase of public engagement on the TMP Update is now posted. You can also view the draft Vision & Guiding Principles that were developed based on the input we received. Both documents are available for viewing in the Document library section of the website.

  • How are we updating the Transportation Master Plan?

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    8 months ago

    The Transportation Master Plan, together with the accompanying Ottawa Cycling Plan and Ottawa Pedestrian Plan, is the City’s blueprint for transportation growth management policies, and the planning, funding and implementation of its walking, cycling, transit and road networks over the next several decades.The update is being undertaken now for two primary reasons:

    1. The Transportation Master Plan is critical to support the review of the new Official Plan, which is currently underway and has a goal to make Ottawa the most liveable mid-sized city in North America.
    2. An update is needed given changes to travel trends in Ottawa since 2013. A new Origin-Destination Survey will capture any changes in travel behaviour following significant investments in active transportation, the opening of O-Train Line 1 and the arrival of new travel options (e.g., car sharing).

    The process to update the Transportation Master Plan, which will include many opportunities for in-person and online public input, will occur in four phases over the next two-and-a-half years, with the full Transportation Master Plan update planned for Council approval by April 2022.

    This timeline is necessary to coordinate with the Official Plan review, and to conduct a new regional travel survey (also known as the Origin-Destination survey) that will be used to identify trends, develop forecasts, and set targets and priorities to serve Ottawa’s future population and employment for the next 20 years. The plan will aim to recognize and address specific groups of people who are typically at risk of exclusion in transportation planning.

    In addition, emerging issues for the future of transportation in Ottawa will be considered, such as new technologies (e.g., autonomous vehicles), shared mobility (e.g., bicycles, cars and scooters), and potential regional bus and rail service.

  • The Ottawa Cycling Plan and Ottawa Pedestrian Plan are also being updated!

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    8 months ago

    The Ottawa Cycling Plan and Ottawa Pedestrian Plan are long-term strategy documents that accompany the Transportation Master Plan. They set the direction for policies, programs and infrastructure to encourage more people to walk and cycle more often, in support of the objectives of the Transportation Master Plan. Updates to these Plans are a separate project that is closely coordinated with the Transportation Master Plan update.

    The updates will build on and strengthen the existing strategic directions in the 2013 Ottawa Cycling Plan and Ottawa Pedestrian Plan. Work will address pedestrian and cycling facility design guidance, winter maintenance priorities, and implementation policies to create no new deficiencies when streets are built or reconstructed. The update process will also include reviewing and updating the priority cycling and pedestrian infrastructure projects considering new links, connections to rapid transit stations, crossings of barriers such as highways and waterways, and improvements in rural areas.

    Public engagement on the updates to the Ottawa Cycling Plan and Ottawa Pedestrian Plan will occur alongside Transportation Master Plan public engagement activities.

  • Notice of Commencement

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    8 months ago

    Transportation Master Plan Update Environmental Assessment Process

    The City of Ottawa is undertaking a review and update of the Transportation Master Plan, Ottawa Pedestrian Plan, and Ottawa Cycling Plan. The update is being conducted in accordance with the requirements of Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment, which is an approved process under Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act.

    The TMP is the roadmap for the planning and operation of the City’s walking, cycling, transit and road networks over the next several decades. This Transportation Master Plan Update is an opportunity to create an inclusive, affordable, and well-organized transportation network that supports the new Official Plan’s goal of making Ottawa the most liveable mid-sized city in North America.

    For the first round of engagement, until January 24, 2020 the City of Ottawa invites residents to fill out an online questionnaire to share what is important to them and how our transportation system can move us in the right direction for decades to come! Residents will also have an opportunity to provide input through additional engagement activities over the course of the two-and-a-half-year project.

    Public engagement is a key component of the Transportation Master Plan Update with opportunities for public and stakeholder involvement at each phase of the study. Times and locations for engagement opportunities will be announced over the course of the project. Comments are welcome at all times through the project website or by contacting the City of Ottawa’s Project Manager.

    Visit www.Ottawa.ca/TMPUpdate today for more information on the project and to fill out the questionnaire.

    If you have any comments or questions or wish to be added to the TMP Update mailing list, please contact:

    Robert Grimwood, P.Eng.
    Senior Project Manager, Sustainable Transportation

    Transportation Services Department, City of Ottawa
    110 Laurier Ave. West, 4th Floor
    Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 1J1
    (613) 580-2424 x28757
    robert.grimwood@ottawa.ca
    TMPUpdate@ottawa.ca