Latest News
See the links below for the latest news about our city council’s environmental policies.
Planning committee adopts new rules for rezoned developments
By Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen
February 15, 2012
OTTAWA — Reservations remain about the city’s plan to take back some of the increased land value from major rezonings, a proposal its top planning manager calls a “culture change.” At a meeting of council’s planning committee on Tuesday, community representatives called for changes to the plan for “Section 37 guidelines” that allow the city to recover a portion of the increased land value from a rezoning in the form of community benefits. A developer, meanwhile, described the proposal as the city “having your cake and eating it too.”
Queensway expansion to occur in two phases
By Zev Singer, The Ottawa Citizen
February 14, 2012
OTTAWA — The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario plans to keep three lanes open in each direction during the expansion of Highway 417 between Nicholas Street and the split with Highway 174 in the east end.
During an information meeting Monday night at the Hampton Inn Ottawa Conference Centre, MTO officials said construction of the expansion — which is to take the 417 from three lanes to four in each direction in that stretch — would happen in two phases.
The first, starting this summer and continuing into 2014, will involve widening the outer portions of the highway. In the second stage, in 2014-15, traffic will be shifted outward to include the newly constructed sections to allow for completion of the widening towards the highway median.
City proposes plan to deal with traffic issues
Shuttles, bike racks among suggestions
By David Reevely, The Ottawa Citizen
February 13, 2012
Managing traffic for major events at Lansdowne will be a serious headache, but the city is ready to throw a lot of money and energy at it, according to a set of reports released Thursday.
The reports outline detailed measures for coping with big events, especially major concerts and big games at Frank Clair Stadium, including running shuttles from as far away as City Hall, Carleton University and the new trade show centre near the airport – all places with large parking lots that will be available in the evening.
Ottawa may have to expand urban boundary
By CBC News
February 8, 2012
The City of Ottawa may have to expand the amount of land it makes available for urban development by an additional 163 hectares. Last June the Ontario Municipal Board ordered Ottawa to expand its municipal boundaries by 850 hectares, about four times what the city had wanted.
Lansdowne should be car-free, Chernushenko says
By CBC News
February 8, 2012
Ottawa councillor David Chernushenko said he opposes the inclusion of three roads open to cars that are included in the latest plans of a redeveloped Lansdowne Park.
Ottawa deals with early pothole season: Crews fill between 130,000 and 180,000 potholes every year
By CBC News
February 2, 2012
Read more here.
Yes, the city is funding a Bixi expansion
By The Ottawa Citize
January 26, 2012
City staff to look at options for rail to Orleans
One day before the LRT vote, councillors debate where might get rail next
By Metronews Ottawa
July 13, 2011
One day before council is to vote on a $2.1 billion light rail plan, city councillors got into a verbal dust-up Wednesday morning over what areas of the city should be studied for rail transportation next.
Mayor Jim Watson said that the location for the next rail project won’t be decided until the first project has been started.
“It’s great to dream about the next phases, and it’s great to see council very enthusiastic about wanting the route further east, further west and further south, but let’s get phase one done first, and then we’ll start working on the following phases,” he said.
Council is set to vote on the $2.1 billion LRT line from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Station on Thursday.
City reveals more cost-cutting measures for light rail
By Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen
July 13, 2011
OTTAWA — A cheaper downtown tunnel route isn’t the only measure city staff have come up with to keep Ottawa’s light-rail project at its $2.1-billion price tag.
Revised plans for stations, including reduced platform lengths, and, in at least one case, putting off some costs until a later date are among ways the project has been changed in order to meet its budget.
$5.5M Invest Ottawa plan gets green light
By Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen
July 13, 2011
OTTAWA — City council is going ahead with a $5.5-million economic development strategy for boosting investment in Ottawa and keeping key employers in town.
Council on Wednesday approved a city staff report that recommends the creation of Invest Ottawa and a major events attraction office through Tourism Ottawa.
Invest Ottawa is to try to attract new business to Ottawa, and is to focus on particular sectors including green energy …
Bike lanes earn rave reviews on first morning commute
By Kristy Nease, The Ottawa Citizen
July 12, 2011
The inaugural commute for Laurier Avenue’s segregated bike lanes was the picture of civility on Monday morning, with a fleet of neon-clad support staff, bicycle police and cyclists lining up at their special green pads for nearly every red light at the Kent Street intersection. Of course, no one riding a bicycle opposed the route, and they all said they hope to see more such lanes opened in Ottawa in the years ahead.
LRT bidder OK with local content rule
Firm says 25 per cent provision ‘customary’ and reasonable
By LEE GREENBERG, The Ottawa Citizen
July 11, 2011
A controversial rule forcing one-quarter of Ottawa’s new light-rail transit cars to be locally made will not prevent foreign companies from bidding on the project, says one of the businesses hoping to win the deal.
Alstom, a French-based transnational with expertise in both power generation and transmission as well as rail manufacturing, says the province’s 25 per cent “Buy Canadian” provision is reasonable and in line with other jurisdictions.