Special Update - Last chance to tell city staff you’re frustrated by Orléans South's congestion issues | April 5th 2025
- Catherine Kitts
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
The long-awaited Transportation Master Plan (TMP) - Part 2 is out and this is it – your last chance to make your voice heard in the City’s final phase of consultations before delegations at committee.
This is the document that will rank and prioritize transportation investment city-wide for the next 10-20 years. As you know, I have been very vocal about the urgent need for transportation infrastructure in Orléans South to support our rapidly growing community.
While I am pleased to see that the Cumberland Bus Rapid Transitway ranks highly in the document (2nd in priority out of 14 transit infrastructure projects), I remain concerned that Orléans South is still not being prioritized as highly as it should be for road infrastructure.
Road projects are categorized in two phases. The first phase of projects is meant to be completed in the next 10 years, and the second the next 20. The widening of Brian Coburn (from Mer Bleue to Tenth Line) ranks 5th out of the top 9 road priority projects in phase 1. But the widening of Brian Coburn from Navan to Mer Bleue, is in phase 2 - meaning that section will not be addressed in the next 10 years.
It is my belief that the growth of Orléans South is still being underestimated. Brian Coburn should rank higher, not only to unlock congestion capacity and support development but to convert this roadway into a complete street - meaning safe active transportation infrastructure and the ability to make bus stops accessible. We deserve a greater share of infrastructure investment to catch up from the last decade of underfunding. I am hopeful that with your help, there is still time to make changes.
Other important east-end projects that are included in the TMP are:
- a new Innes-Walkley connection (Phase 1)
- Navan Road wideneing - Blackburn Bypass to existing Renaud, includes urbanization (Phase 2)
- Transit priority measures at the intersections of Innes and Orleans Blvd, Jeanne d'Arc, Tenth Line
- Urbanization of Tenth Line - Harvest Valley to Sweet Valley
- Mainstreet improvements for St Jospeh Blvd
- Old Montreal Rd widening - Trim to Famille Laporte (Phase 2)
- Urbanization of Rockdale - Buckland to Devine
- Active transportation projects included in Part 1 of the TMP
Also note that the Renaud Road Realignment that I fiercely negotiated with the NCC is already committed to and is moving ahead.
The City is hosting in-person and virtual public consultations in the coming weeks. Please show up and have your say. For the east-end, please mark these dates in your
calendar:
In-person:
Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Ray Friel Recreation Centre
1585 Tenth Line Road
Virtual:
Monday, May 5, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Please register here.
The surveys remain open until May 12, 2025. This is the final round of engagement. If we don’t act now, we risk being overlooked for another decade in favour of communities in the west and south ends of our city.
Survey #1: Interactive map-based survey on Transportation Master Plan road and transit projects in the priority networks:
Priority road projects
Priority transit projects
Survey #2: Questionnaire regarding road, transit and active transportation projects and priorities:
Make no mistake: I am making my concerns loud and clear. I need you to do the same.
While I always love hearing from you directly, do note that the best way to have your feedback on this issue captured at this time is to fill out the surveys above. Thank you in advance for your participation!
If you are wondering how these projects have been prioritized, City staff used a scoring system to classify projects. My concern is that the scoring criteria penalizes our community for the very things that make investment here most urgent.
Ongoing development works against us: The framework prioritizes projects that open up brand new development lands rather than supporting communities like ours, where significant growth is already happening at a rapid rate.
Lack of rapid transit penalizes road projects: Because Orléans South doesn’t have existing BRT infrastructure, our road expansion projects don’t score as high. This is a catch-22 – we don’t have good transit because of inadequate infrastructure, and now we’re being overlooked for new investments because of it.
Industrial corridors are prioritized over residential communities: While freight and economic corridors are important, that should not come at the cost of ensuring people can move safely and efficiently in suburban communities like ours.
I have been fighting for Orléans South every step of the way, meeting with senior staff, the City Manager, and the Mayor to demand better.
These discussions happen daily—shaped by significant developments, including a recent bombshell inquiry that exposed historical gaps between housing growth and the complete streets transportation infrastructure meant to support it here in Orléans South. This has amplified the urgency to realign our planning priorities in advance of the next phase of the Transportation Master Plan update. Here are a few stories that covered my inquiry:
Ottawa Citizen: https://ow.ly/tbtY50UPliH
CBC Ottawa: https://ow.ly/MObl50UPliG
CityNews Ottawa: https://ow.ly/ILvm50UPliF
Radio-Canada: https://ow.ly/1StP50UPliI
Ward 19 had the highest engagement during TMP’s Phase 4 Engagement in the summer thanks to you. That level of participation has strengthened my ability to advocate for critical projects like the Cumberland Bus Rapid Transitway and the widening of Brian Coburn Boulevard, with several streets and roundabouts receiving the most engagement in the public feedback phase this past summer.
To read more, please click on this August 2024 CBC article here. I also have an Opinion Editorial in the Ottawa Citizen from when the TMP process first launched: Kitts: Ottawa's new transportation plan must not overlook South Orléans.
I have made it my mission to fight for our community, but the reality is: they need to hear from you, too. It's our last chance to be heard on this issue, let's not pass it up.
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