OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 14, 2023 /CNW/ - Three active transportation research and planning projects across the Ottawa region will go forward thanks to an investment of $150,000 from the Government of Canada. Announced by Minister Jenna Sudds, these projects will support the development of active transportation projects for pedestrians and cyclists in Ottawa.
This investment will help create an action plan for safe and inclusive active transportation in the Glebe and Central Ottawa. Funding will also support research for accessible paved pathways in Manotick and determine the feasibility of implementing a School Streets Program in Ottawa.
Thes investments are part of Canada's National Active Transportation Strategy, which aims to create and improve pathways, bike lanes, and pedestrian bridges all over the country. It's a big step towards healthier living and creating tight-knit communities, making a better-connected Canada for us all!
"Investing in active transportation is investing in healthy and connected communities. These three projects will ensure future active transportation are safe and aligned with existing infrastructure. This investment will help create a safe and inclusive community for Ottawa residents."
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
"Investing in active transportation is investing in healthy and connected communities. Creating and improving pathways, bike lanes, and pedestrian bridges gives Canadians more opportunity to get outdoors, get active, and get around our city safely. These four projects will ensure future active transportation are safe and aligned with existing infrastructure, creating a safe and inclusive community for Ottawa residents."
The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development,
"We at the Glebe Community Association are grateful for the support of Infrastructure Canada's Active Transportation Fund. With it we've done something we understand is truly unique in Canada – a community association working with global leaders in transportation planning, to create our own Active Transportation Plan. Our plan, once finalized, will put residents at the centre of guiding how our community will grow, and embrace active transportation and mobility in the coming years."
John Crump, President of the Glebe Community Association
"The Manotick Culture, Parks and Recreation Association is a volunteer community association committed to improving the lives of those in the community. Having support from the Infrastructure Canada Active Transportation Fund allows for the planning needed to create clear and safe pathways in and through a local park that is central to the Manotick Community. These pathways will most certainly improve accessibility for all and encourage community members to get and stay active for years to come."
Darlene Donnelly, Director, Manotick Culture, Parks and Recreation Association
"The Ottawa School Streets Feasibility Study will determine the feasibility of implementing a School Streets Program in Ottawa. School Streets Programs are proven to increase active transportation rates and reduce traffic in school zones and can contribute towards municipal and provincial greenhouse gas reduction targets. School Streets are a substantial opportunity for Ottawa to be a leading example for active transportation programming in Canada."
Lisa Gander, Project Lead, EnviroCentre
- The Government of Canada is investing $150,000 through the Active Transportation Fund (ATF). Funding will be used to support a series of three active transportation research and planning projects across the Ottawa region, including:
- Active Transportation Planning in the Glebe and Central Ottawa: the Glebe Community Association will create an action plan to make the Glebe a safer and more inclusive bike and pedestrian friendly neighbourhood that is well connected to other communities in central Ottawa.
- Accessible Paved Pathways in Centennial Park, Manotick Ontario: the Manotick Culture Parks and Recreation Association will work with the City of Ottawa to study an extension and improvement of the current pathway network within the park to increase walkability and bikeability and to improve community accessibility.
- Ottawa School Streets Feasibility Study: EnviroCentre, on behalf of the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority, will conduct a feasibility study to assess the conditions for a local implementation plan and rollout of a School Streets Program, which would create a car-free safe space for students and families to walk, bike, scoot, play and interact as they arrive to school and depart each day.
- The EnviroCentre and the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority are providing a combined $14,000 towards the Ottawa School Streets Feasibility Study project.
- Active transportation refers to the movement of people or goods powered by human activity, and includes walking, cycling and the use of human-powered or hybrid mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters, e-bikes, rollerblades, snowshoes, cross-country skis, and more.
- The Active Transportation Fund is providing $400 million over five years, starting in 2021, to make travel by active transportation easier, safer, more convenient and more enjoyable, in support of Canada's National Active Transportation Strategy.
- Canada's National Active Transportation Strategy is the country's first coast-to-coast-to-coast strategic approach for promoting active transportation and its benefits. The strategy's aim is to make data-driven and evidence-based investments to build new and expanded active transportation networks and to create safe environments for more equitable, healthy, active and sustainable travel options to thrive.
- The Active Transportation Fund complements Canada's strengthened climate plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. The plan commits the federal government to providing permanent federal funding for public transit in support of making clean and affordable transportation options available in every community.
- Active transportation infrastructure provides many tangible benefits, creating good middle-class jobs, growing the economy, promoting healthier lifestyles, advancing equity amongst vulnerable Canadians, cutting air and noise pollution, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in safer active transportation infrastructure is key to ensuring people of all ages and abilities can access jobs and services and connect with their communities.
- The Government of Canada is investing $14.9 billion over eight years in reliable, fast, affordable, and clean public transit. This funding includes $3 billion per year in long-term, predictable federal public transit funding which will be available to support transit solutions beginning in 2026-27.
- Since 2015, the Government of Canada has announced an unprecedented investment of over $30 billion in thousands of transit projects in communities from coast to coast to coast.
Backgrounder: Supporting Ottawa to Get its Move On
Active Transportation Fund
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/trans/index-eng.html
National Active Transportation Strategy
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/trans/active-strat-actif-eng.html
Strengthened Climate Plan https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html
Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html
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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
(media only), please contact: Micaal Ahmed, Communications Manager, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-598-3920, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Glebe Community Association, Mark Redwood, Email: [email protected], Phone: 613-883-5500; Natalya Martynova, Communications Manager, EnviroCentre, 613-889-1401, Email: [email protected]
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