Transportation Master Plan - Ottawa Confederation Line

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
The Transportation Master Plan identifies the transportation facilities and services that the City of
Ottawa will implement to serve a projected population of 1.14 million people by 2031. It sets
direction for the City’s day-to-day transportation programs, and provides a basis for budget
planning. It supports the Ottawa 20/20 growth management strategy and the City’s Official Plan,
which guides the City’s physical development.
This plan will come to life through mechanisms such as long-range financial plans, mid-range
implementation plans, annual budgets, program development, area and corridor transportation
studies, design or practice guidelines, and Community Design Plans. The need to update this plan
will be reviewed in conjunction with a similar assessment of the City’s Official Plan, which is
required every five years. Over the intervening time period, readers seeking a current statement of
City transportation policies must consult the record of Council decisions in addition to this plan.
Current and Future Conditions
Transportation system overview. Ottawa’s transportation system includes walking and cycling
facilities, conventional and specialized bus services, Transitway and O-Train rapid transit lines, a
road network and parking facilities. City-owned transportation facilities are complemented by
freeways owned by the Province of Ontario, and by roads, interprovincial bridges and multi-use
pathways owned by the federal government. There are also international and general aviation
airports, intercity rail and bus stations, two ferries and a freight yard.
Current travel patterns. During the morning peak hour in 2005 (origin destination survey),
about 62% of Ottawa residents traveled by automobile compared to about 21% by transit, 9% by
walking, 2% by cycling and 6% by other modes. Transit ridership has seen continuous growth
since 1996, and Ottawa residents take transit, on average, 100 times annually—more than
residents in any city of comparable size in North America. While average household auto
ownership increased by 10% from 1995 to 2005, the number of daily trips per person declined
slightly
Future travel patterns. Population and employment are expected to grow by about 30% and
35% respectively by 2031, with urban communities outside the Greenbelt projected to
accommodate 68% of new residents and 42% of new jobs. As a result, the overall demand for
morning peak hour person-trips on Ottawa’s transportation system will grow by 38%. In view of
this growth, this plan strives to minimize the future need for new and widened roads while
avoiding levels of congestion that would have unacceptable implications for Ottawa’s quality of
life. It sets an ambitious transit modal split objective for 2031 of carrying 30% of motorized
person-trips in the morning peak hour, a rate significantly greater than the 23% figure observed in
2005. Transit will carry 51% of motorized person-trips to and from Ottawa’s Inner Urban Area
TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN
NOVEMBER 2008
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