Hoping everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving weekend. This week Councillor Gower shares information on vehicle ownership in Stittsville and the variance in numbers from 2011 to 2024; the 9RunRun is taking place on October 19 and is celebrating 15 years – come out to support our First Responders; the new provincial policy changes for urban boundary expansion; provides a synopsis of the October 10 Transit Commission meeting; informs of the zoning amendments for 2 Pretty Street to accommodate residential development; and, residents and planners can now visualize zoning changes with Ottawa’s 3D Digital Twin Map
New data on vehicle ownership in Stittsville
Earlier this summer I shared a series of posts about the 2022 Origin-Destination study that tracked how transportation patterns are changing in Ottawa post-pandemic. I asked the City’s transportation planners if they could provide more specific information for Stittsville.
Comparing 2011 to 2022, we’re seeing a big reduction in the percentage of households with two or more vehicles, and a big increase in the share of households with only one vehicle. The data also shows there’s a stark difference in vehicle ownership between apartment households and ground-oriented households. Nearly 1/3 of apartment dwellers do not own a vehicle, and only 13% have two or more vehicles. (see graph above). You can see more information and charts here…
P.S. So far nearly 450 people have completed our Stittsville transportation corridor survey. If you’ve already participated, thank you! If you haven’t done the survey yet, there’s still time: glengower.ca/transportation
9runrun celebrates 15 years!
Stittsville welcomes the annual 9runrun races for the 15th year this Saturday, October 19. This year’s event features a 15km run, a 10km run, a 5km run, and a kids 1km run. Hundreds of participants will be walking and running in support of the First Responders Foundation.
The event takes place on Abbott Street west of Stittsville Main, at Village Square Park, and along the Trans Canada Trail towards Jinkinson Road. Please be aware and expect delays if you are driving in this area on Saturday morning.
- Abbott St. West between Stittsville Main and West Ridge Dr. will be closed 7:00am-11:00am.
- West Ridge Drive between Beverly and Eliza Street will be closed intermittently 8:00am-10:30am.
- Travelling on West Ridge Drive there may be delays approaching Abbott Street.
This is a great event and residents are invited to come cheer on the runners throughout the morning. More info…
New provincial rules for urban boundary expansion
Here we go again. Another round of provincial policy changes is affecting Ottawa’s ability to plan for future growth in the suburbs. Up until now, urban boundary expansions could only happen during an Official Plan update, about every 10 years or so. Starting October 20, the new process will allow private landowners to request that their land be added to the urban boundary at any time. The new process lacks clarity for landowners and for municipalities. I’m really worried that Ottawa is going to be on the losing end with a policy that is so open to interpretation. Read more…
Recap of Transit Commission on October 10, 2024
Lots of updates at last week’s Transit Commission meeting. I’ve posted a summary here.
Topics included:
- Update on the Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) program
- Upcoming LRT maintenance and east extension testing
- Ridership update
- Fare compliance initiative
- Spring launch for New Ways to Bus
- Improving real time information
- New customer engagement series
- New Para Transpo minibuses
- Bus operator recruitment
- Health & safety
Dashboard: I’ve also updated my monthly dashboard of OC Transpo ridership and reliability data. You can find that here: https://www.glengower.ca/octranspo/
Zoning By-law Amendment proposal for 2 Pretty Street
The municipal land at 2 Pretty Street has been included in an application to consider zoning amendments for six City-owned sites to accommodate residential development, which will include affordable housing. These sites have been identified as part of the Housing Accelerator Fund initiative to “Accelerate Disposal and Preparation of City-owned Lands for Housing.” Proposed amendments will permit townhouses, stacked townhouses or a low-rise apartment up to four storeys in height, up to about 10 units. More info…
New 3D Digital Twin zoning map
This innovative map is designed to transform how residents and planners visualize zoning changes across Ottawa. With the 3D Digital Twin Map, users can view both the proposed new Zoning By-law zoning and the current (2008-250) Zoning By-law zoning. This dual-view feature ensures that you can easily compare and understand the proposed changes. This map is the first release from the City’s Digital Twin Project, with future iterations to be integrated into the upcoming new Zoning By-law. Explore the map here…
Get in touch! Écrivez-nous!
If we can help in any way, please email me at glen.gower@ottawa.ca or leave a voicemail at 613-580-2476. Please call 3-1-1 if you require immediate assistance. – Councillor Glen Gower