Less Car

Modernizing Orleans: Integrated Transportation and Zoning for a Sustainable Future

This post is an overview of my feedback on the latest drafts of the city of Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan and Zoning Bylaws. There are additional pages (linked below and in the relevant sections of this page) that complement the analysis on this page.

Table of Contents (click to expand)
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This is BAD.

This document outlines key principles and strategies for shaping a more sustainable, equitable, and liveable Orleans by integrating transportation network upgrades with modernized zoning policies. It draws upon the comprehensive analysis previously conducted, focusing on actionable steps for cycling infrastructure, bus service enhancements, and the foundational principles guiding this transformation.

1. Priority Corridors for Safer Cycling Infrastructure

See Cycling Infrastructure in Orléans, Ottawa: Status and Opportunities for an in-depth analysis of the reasons to prioritize this.

To make cycling a safe, convenient, and viable option for everyday trips in Orleans, significant investment is needed to create a connected All Ages and Abilities (AAA) network. Based on identified gaps, connectivity needs (especially to LRT stations, schools, and commercial areas), and the principles of safe street design, the following main and arterial roads should be prioritized for permanent, protected cycling facilities (e.g., cycle tracks, separated pathways):

  • St. Joseph Boulevard: Identified in the Orléans Corridor Secondary Plan (OCSP) for revitalization as a pedestrian-oriented main street. Integrating high-quality cycling infrastructure is essential to its success and connection to Place d’Orléans station. Proposed cycle tracks are noted.
  • Orleans Boulevard: A significant north-south connector within Orleans, identified as lacking dedicated safe cycling facilities.
  • Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard: Another major east-west route connecting neighbourhoods and providing access to a future LRT station. Gaps in safe cycling infrastructure need addressing.  
  • Innes Road: A major east-west commercial and commuter corridor currently lacking safe cycling facilities along significant stretches. Connecting residential areas to retail hubs and future LRT access points is crucial.  
  • Tenth Line Road: A key north-south artery connecting multiple neighbourhoods and future LRT access (Place d’Orléans). It currently lacks dedicated, safe facilities, making cycling feel unsafe for many potential users.  
  • Trim Road: Serving the eastern part of Orleans and the terminus LRT station, providing safe cycling access is vital for first/last mile connections. Multi-use pathways exist along parts, but continuity and AAA standards along the entire corridor are needed.  
  • Charlemagne Boulevard: Similar to Orleans Blvd, this circular route requires safety upgrades to become part of a functional cycling network.
  • Brian Coburn Boulevard: While possessing some multi-use pathways , ensuring AAA standards and safe connections across intersections along its length is important, especially as southern areas develop.  
  • Connecting Routes to Schools & LRT: Beyond major arterials, specific attention must be paid to creating safe routes connecting residential areas directly to all elementary and secondary schools and the four new LRT stations (Jeanne d’Arc, Convent Glen, Place d’Orléans, Trim). This involves upgrading local collectors and pathways identified in the TMP Active Transportation project lists.  

Key Implementation Considerations:

  • AAA Design: Facilities must be suitable for users of all ages and abilities, meaning physical separation from traffic on busier roads.  
  • Network Connectivity: Projects must prioritize filling critical gaps to create a cohesive network, not just isolated segments.  
  • Intersection Safety: Designs must incorporate protected intersections or other measures to minimize conflicts.  
  • Year-Round Maintenance: Key commuter routes within this network require inclusion in the winter maintenance program to enable year-round cycling.
The start of a connected, distributed bike network, for the western part of Orleans (Maps link).

2. Plan for Enhanced Bus Service Frequency and Coverage

See Improving Transit in Orléans: Toward a Walkable, Transit‑Oriented Community for a comprehensive look at the ways for and reasons to expand transit across Orleans in an equitable and manageable way.

To complement the LRT investment and provide viable alternatives to driving for more daily trips, OC Transpo service within Orleans requires significant enhancement based on the following plan:

  • LRT Feeder Network Redesign: Prioritize another look at existing bus routes to identify gaps in function for efficient, direct routes connecting residential neighbourhoods to the four new LRT stations. Minimize transfer times and optimize schedules for seamless connections.  
  • Implement Frequent Transit Network (FTN) Standards: Key feeder routes and potentially major crosstown routes (like St Joseph Blvd and Innes Road) should operate at FTN standards – service at least every 15 minutes, all day, seven days a week – to provide convenient, schedule-free service.  
  • Restore and Implement Transit Priority Measures: Re-evaluate and implement transit priority measures (dedicated lanes, signal priority) on key corridors like Innes Road, Tenth Line Road, and Orleans Boulevard, reversing previous plans to remove them. This is crucial for maintaining bus speed and reliability, especially during peak hours.  
  • Introduce Community Loops/Shuttles: In lower-density areas or areas further from main corridors where frequent fixed-route service is inefficient, pilot and implement neighbourhood-focused community shuttle buses or on-demand transit services. These can connect residents to local amenities (shops, community centres) and transfer points for LRT/frequent routes, improving accessibility for shorter, local trips.  
  • Improve First/Last Mile Access: Coordinate bus stop locations and service planning with investments in safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure to ensure easy and safe access to bus stops and LRT stations. Ensure stops are accessible, sheltered, and well-lit.  

3. Rethinking Zoning in a Modern Context in Ottawa

Our city faces overlapping crises of housing affordability, fiscal strain, and car dependency. The new Zoning By-law is a generational opportunity to address these challenges at their root. Here is a summary of the problem and our proposed solution, see the full essay here: Choosing Our Future: Why a Comprehensive, City-Wide Approach to Zoning is Essential for a Thriving Ottawa.

The Problem: Our Current Model is Unsustainable

  • A Fiscal Time Bomb. Our low-density suburban model does not generate enough tax revenue to pay for its own long-term infrastructure maintenance. This leads to higher taxes and service cuts for everyone.
  • A Housing Affordability Crisis. By restricting most of our city to single-family homes, we have created an artificial scarcity of housing, limiting choice and driving prices to unsustainable levels.
  • Sterile, Car-Dependent Neighbourhoods. Residential-only zoning creates “monocultures” that lack vibrancy, local amenities, and community hubs, forcing residents to drive for every daily need.

The Solution: Allow Our Neighbourhoods to Evolve

  • Embrace Gentle Density. Allow a greater diversity of housing types like duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and small walk-up apartments in all neighbourhoods. This increases supply, provides more housing choices for residents at all stages of life, and makes more efficient use of our existing infrastructure.
  • Create 15-Minute Communities. Allow low-impact, neighbourhood-serving businesses (like a corner store, a small cafe, or a local daycare) within our residential areas. This creates vibrant, walkable communities where daily needs can be met locally, reducing car dependency.
  • Act with Urgency & Equity. A slow, piecemeal approach will not solve our problems in time. A comprehensive, city-wide change provides a clear and fair rulebook for everyone, preventing speculation in “chosen” areas and ensuring all neighbourhoods have the opportunity to evolve.

Our Call to Action for the City of Ottawa

To build a more affordable, resilient, and vibrant city, we ask the Zoning By-law review team to:

  1. Eliminate our most restrictive residential zones. Get rid of the N1 (and potentially N2) zones and establish a more permissive zone, like N3, as the default for all neighbourhoods.
  2. Make mixed-use the standard. Integrate permissions for low-impact, neighbourhood-serving commercial uses (the ‘-c’ suffix) directly into all residential zones city-wide, rather than applying it to a few select properties.

The goal here is not to legalize chaos. Instead, we want to decriminalize evolution. These changes will not transform our city overnight. They will, however, make it possible for our communities to gradually adapt over the coming decades to meet the needs of all residents.

4. Guiding Principles for Orleans’ Modern Transportation and Zoning Systems

See Zoning in Orleans – Tying Zoning Principles into Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan for a more detailed analysis of how these two sets of policies and priorities tie into each other so well.

Based on the analyses conducted, the modernization of Orleans’ transportation and zoning systems should be guided by the following core principles to address current challenges and achieve long-term goals:

  1. Prioritize Sustainable Mobility: Transportation planning and investment must explicitly prioritize walking, cycling, and public transit over single-occupancy vehicles to meet mode share (>50% sustainable trips by 2046 ) and climate goals (100% reduction in transport GHG ).  
  2. Integrate Land Use and Transportation: Zoning bylaws and transportation network planning must be developed and implemented concurrently and cohesively. Land use decisions must support sustainable transportation, and transportation investments must enable compact, mixed-use, walkable communities.  
  3. Design for People, Not Just Cars (Complete Streets): Streets must be designed as safe, comfortable, and accessible public spaces for people of all ages and abilities, whether they are walking, cycling, taking transit, or driving. This requires reallocating space where necessary.  
  4. Focus on Network Connectivity: Investments in walking, cycling, and transit must focus on creating complete, connected networks that link origins and destinations seamlessly, rather than isolated facilities or routes.  
  5. Enable 15-Minute Neighbourhoods: Zoning must allow for and encourage a mix of housing types and local amenities (shops, services, schools, parks, employment) within walking and cycling distance of residents, reducing the need for car travel for daily needs.  
  6. Manage Parking Strategically: Parking policies should be reformed to manage demand rather than solely accommodate supply. This includes reducing or eliminating parking minimums, exploring parking maximums, and considering pricing strategies, especially near transit stations, to reduce the incentive for driving and free up land for better uses.  
  7. Ensure Equity and Accessibility: Transportation and land use decisions must consider the needs of all residents, regardless of income, age, or ability, ensuring equitable access to opportunities and affordable mobility options.  
  8. Promote Health and Safety: Planning decisions should actively promote public health through active transportation and improve safety for all road users, aligning with Vision Zero principles.  
  9. Build Climate Resilience: Infrastructure design and land use patterns must consider climate change adaptation (e.g., heat mitigation via tree canopy , stormwater management) alongside GHG reduction.  
  10. Commit to Ambitious Implementation and Monitoring: Achieving transformative change requires dedicated funding aligned with stated goals, strong political will, and robust monitoring to track progress and adapt strategies as needed.  

By adhering to these principles, Orleans can leverage the current updates to its transportation and zoning frameworks to build a truly sustainable, accessible, and thriving community for 2046 and beyond.