Documents obtained under Freedom of Information Act raise questions about recommendations of draft RMOC Transportation Master Plan

For immediate release: Thursday May 29, 1997

Documents obtained under the Municipal Freedom of Information Act raise questions about the reliability and recommendations of the draft RMOC Transportation Master Plan which regional councillors are scheduled to review and vote on starting at 9 am Friday March 30. The documents were recently obtained by Brett Delmage, president of Citizens for Safe Cycling (CfSC) and a long-time transportation researcher.

A press conference will be held at 8:45 am, Friday May 30, outside the Champlain Room (2nd floor) at RMOC Headquarters, 111 Lisgar Street to present the findings. The Transportation Committee is scheduled to start its meeting to review and approve the Transportation Master Plan following the press conference, at 9 am. The Transportation Master Plan (and RMOC's draft Official Plan) will direct how our transportation system and region will develop for the next 25 years.

"It's essential that this plan be based on facts, not necessarily what's been presented in the final report to political decision-makers. Almost $100 Million in transportation infrastructure is proposed to be built, based on the recommendations in the final draft of the report. For example, that includes wider roads, which will destroy neighbourhoods, increase air and noise pollution, decrease the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, and cost the taxpayer a bundle. What if they are really unnecessary? What if there are better, less costly solutions?"

Delmage cites one example of the report's "facts" which CfSC's research showed to be false. The report states that only 1.7% of trips are currently made by bicycle, and projects that cycling will play only a minor role in Ottawa-Carleton for the next 25 years, growing to 3% of all trips by 2021. However the low number of bicycle trips was based on a survey done in November 1995, "the coldest and earliest beginning to winter on record" according to the 1997 Canadian Global Almanac. Environment Canada figures obtained by CfSC confirm this, showing three times the normal amount of snowfall and an average temperature 3 degrees colder than normal. Information obtained under Freedom of Information show that the staff preparing the Transportation Master Plan had different figures that showed cycling trips during the pm peak hour were already 6% in the central area and 4% in urban centres in 1995, during more reasonable cycling conditions. Yet these were not included in the final report.

"In this one example, the report's recommendation to ‘increase' cycling trips to 3% over 25 years is clearly misleading," said Delmage. "What is the real agenda here? Can decision-makers trust the rest of the draft Transportation Master Plan's facts and recommendations before approving it?"

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Contact: Citizens for Safe Cycling 722-4454

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