First meeting of the pedestrian advocacy group

The first meeting of the new pedestrian advocacy group took place on January 11, 202 at City Hall.

On the agenda:

1. Choosing a group name.
2. Pedestrian memorials (like the cycling ‘ghost bikes’)
3. Reviewing the letter to the coroner on pedestrian issues in Ottawa
4. Brainstorming of high-level goals
5. Brainstorming “quick fixes” for the next year
6. Choosing a meeting frequency

Many of the agenda items are still in discussion (including the group name).

Two members volunteered to look into signage ideas for the pedestrian memorials.  The website streetmemorials.org was mentioned as a good example of what has been done for pedestrians.

Many high level ideas came out of the brainstorming session including (but not limited to):

• lower speed limits in the downtown core
• scramble intersections
• identifying emerging issues with a pedestrians angle (such as Lansdowne)
• creating a “Vision Zero” mandate
• no more right turns on the red in the downtown
• addition of red light / photo radar to problem intersections
• lobbying for a permanent staff member dedicated to pedestrian issues within the city

Some of the “quick fixes” included:

• Identifying crosswalks for leading pedestrian intervals (LPI)
• Coordinating our efforts with other stakeholders (cycling, transit)

Obviously, there are more ideas than one small group can accomplish in one year.  At the next meeting, there will be a vote to decide which projects to tackle.

It was also noted that some members should attend meetings for the cycling and transit issues so that we are aware of any projects that have overlapping goals. (For example – getting to and from new stations on the LRT).

The next meeting will be in February (date to be decided) at City Hall.