On January 23rd, Ecology Ottawa will be hosting a public forum on sustainable transportation and the future of public transit in Ottawa. The purpose of this event will be to raise awareness about issues and options that are currently on the table with regards to the light-rail pilot and other sustainable transit initiatives (including those that facilitate non-motorized travel) so as to encourage residents to participate in discussions surrounding the city’s Transportation Master Plan.
The discussion will be led by a five-member panel consisting of municipal councillors (like Christine Leadman and Alex Cullen who chair the city’s Transportation and Urban Transit Committees) and representatives from local interest groups like Friends of the O-Train and Citizens for Safe Cycling. It will consist of a five minute intervention by each panellist and a one hour discussion moderated by CBC radio host Adrian Harewood who will also be taking questions from the audience.
Ottawa city council recently approved a $2 billion provisional transit plan. Many of this scheme’s components would require broad modifications to the Transportation Master Plan that it released earlier in the year. These include proposals for a Cumberland transitway and tunnel that would allow buses to bypass the city’s downtown core. Since it is still accepting input on the future of the city’s transportation network through the Beyond 20/20 planning process, we feel that now is the time for residents’ voices to be heard. To emphasize its environmental focus, our forum will be held at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-certified building. Since this venue has a limited seating capacity, we are particularly focused on attracting the city’s transportation-oriented groups and leaders. Above all else, the panel will aim to build stronger ties and a framework for future collaboration between stakeholders and community organizations. We are seeking out co-sponsors to ensure such broad-based participation. Given its past advocacy in this area, we would greatly appreciate your group’s endorsement and support.
Ecology Ottawa is a volunteer organization committed to making our city the green capital of Canada. We believe that residents want sustainable communities and care about issues like public transit, green-space, climate change, waste disposal, renewable energy, and recycling. We are working with different stakeholders to raise awareness about and ensure that such issues are and remain at the forefront of City Hall debates.
For further information about this discussion or our organization, please do not hesitate to contact Mateusz Trybowski at (613) 252-2970 or transportation@ecologyottawa.ca