REVISIONS TO BOUNDARY OF URBAN TRANSIT AREA

Report to/Rapport au:

Transportation Committee/Comité des transports

and Council/et au Conseil

28 September 2005/le 28 septembre 2005

Submitted by/Soumis par: R.G. Hewitt

Acting Deputy City Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint intérimaire,

Public Works and Services/Services et Travaux publics

Contact/Personne-ressource: G. Diamond, Director/Directeur,

Transit Services/Service du transport en commun

842-3636 ext. 2271, Gordon.Diamond@transpo.ottawa.on.ca

SUBJECT:     REVISIONS TO BOUNDARY OF URBAN TRANSIT AREA

OBJET:          RÉVISION DES LIMITES DU SECTEUR DE TRANSPORT URBAIN

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Transportation Committee recommend that Council approve the revisions to the boundary of the Urban Transit Area detailed in this report to be effective on January 1, 2006 to provide for the provision and funding of transit service in expanding areas of the City.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des transports recommande au Conseil d’approuver les révisions apportées aux limites du secteur de transport en commun urbain détaillées dans le présent rapport, pour entrée en vigueur le 1er janvier 2006, afin d’offrir et de financer des services de transport en commun dans les secteurs en expansion de la ville.

BACKGROUND

The Urban Transit Area (UTA), defined by by-law, sets out the area within which regular transit service is provided and within which a tax levy to contribute to the costs of transit service is applied.  The UTA encompasses the urban parts of the city, generally from Kanata to Orléans and as far south as South Nepean and Riverside South.  Council and the former Regional Council have approved revisions to the boundary of the UTA from time to time to keep pace with the growth of the urban area.

At its meeting of July 11, 2001 Council approved a report entitled Financing Methods – Funding City Services, which recommended that “properties . . . be automatically included in the Urban Transit Area as they receive the defined level of transit service.” Staff identified the areas to be added to the UTA through the normal development approval and transit planning processes, but the by-law to define the UTA needs to be approved by Council.

The boundaries of the UTA were last updated in 2002 following the approval of a report by Council at its meeting of December 12, 2001.  Since that time, new urban development has been approved and is now under construction.  These new areas will receive transit service as they are built and need to be added to the UTA so that they share in the funding of the cost of operation of the transit system.

DISCUSSION

Since the boundaries of the Urban Transit Area were last updated in 2002, development has been approved in six areas.  These areas are recommended for addition to the UTA and are shown on a map (Attachment 1).

The six areas are:

·     An area in northern Kanata, now served by Routes 60 and 160;

·     The Kanata West development area, to be served by Route 96 and new routes from 2006 as streets are completed and houses are constructed;

·     An area in southern Kanata, now served by Route 169 and new routes as streets are completed;

·     An area in southern Nepean, to be served by Routes 77, 170 and 186 and new routes as streets are completed and houses are constructed;

·     An area in southern Gloucester, to be served by Route 144 as streets are completed and houses are constructed; and,

·     An area in southern Orléans, to be served by Routes 20, 21, 22, 27, 32, 35, 131, 135 and 137, as streets are completed and houses and stores are constructed.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

The recommendations in this report do not affect the rural areas of the City.

CONSULTATION

Consultation on expanding transit service into developing areas is conducted through the normal Transplan consultation process, as described in the Transit System Management Policies report, approved by Council at its meeting of June 22, 2005.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The expansion of the Urban Transit Area has no immediate financial implications.  Rather, it increases the number of properties over which the net costs of operating transit service are shared.  Any operating cost increases to serve the new areas of the UTA would be recommended in the budgets for 2006 and subsequent years.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 – Proposed boundary of Urban Transit Area

DISPOSITION

Upon approval of this report, a by-law will be prepared for enactment at a subsequent meeting of Council.  That by-law will replace the current by-law.

ATTACHMENT 1