The City of Ottawa is inviting residents to have their say on the Transportation Master Plan, as well as the way the City manages garbage, recycling, and food waste.
An important document, the Transportation Master Plan will guide the City’s transportation decisions and networks to 2046. Phase 3 consultation launched in December 2021 and included a draft policy document of 69 policies and a robust list of potential active transportation projects. A copy of the draft policy document is available for review on the project website.
Following the truck convoy protest and the resulting State of Emergency and unrest in the City of Ottawa, the Transportation Master Plan Open House – originally scheduled for February 15th – was postponed along with several other engagement opportunities.
The public, who engaged in the different feedback mechanisms but expressed interest in extending the timeline for participation, requires ample time to engage on the significant policies and projects. Therefore, the City is delaying the original approval date for Part 1 of the Transportation Master Plan, from Q2 2022 to Q1 2023. This extension will allow sufficient time for staff to complete consultation and review all feedback.
Both the surveys and the online tools remain open, with the Transportation Master Plan team continuing to review all comments and submissions received. A virtual Public Open House will be rescheduled for Tuesday, March 29th at 6:30 p.m. Residents are encouraged to visit the project website to register and learn about future engagement opportunities.
In addition to the Transportation Master Plan, the City of Ottawa would like to hear what residents have to say about its vision of being a zero-waste city. Achieving this vision is made difficult since more than half of what we throw in the garbage could either be recycled or composted.
The City needs a plan that can stand up to challenges such as climate change and rapidly-growing landfills. Previous engagement with the public on the Solid Waste Master Plan has indicated that residents would like to see progressive, collective, and innovative action. Residents shared creative ideas for the City to explore as part of their planning process. After analyzing that input, the City is now asking for feedback on a short list of options for the plan. Other questions include how far, how fast, and at what cost residents would like Ottawa to move towards a zero-waste future.
The options explore themes such as:
- Green bin use in multi-residential properties
- How we manage garbage and recycling in parks
- New and creative ways to reduce and reuse (such as repair cafes, lending libraries, community swaps, and food waste reduction initiatives)
- How to improve our recycling programs
- The role of technology and innovation
- Turning waste into renewable energy
- Financial considerations
- New promotion and education initiatives
Visit the plan’s website, where you can share your thoughts by completing a survey or participating in an online workshop or even learn more via participation in a virtual information session. Those without access to a computer can complete the survey over the phone by calling 613-580-2424, ext. 25550.
The draft Waste Plan was expected in Q2 2022. However, potential changes in waste management policy at the federal and provincial levels could have a significant impact on the Waste Plan. To allow for a fuller accounting of these factors, the draft plan is expected in early 2023, with the final Waste Plan to be tabled at Council in Q2 2023.
Feedback from this engagement series will aid in the development of the Solid Waste Master Plan – which will outline how garbage, recycling, and household organics will be managed over the next 30 years. This feedback from residents will help create a waste management system we can all feel good about – one that serves your needs while protecting the environment for future generations.