June 26 Newsletter 2020

June 26, 2020 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

Wateridge Town Hall

Join us this Monday, June 29 at 7:30 pm for a Wateridge Village virtual town hall with all three levels of government in Ottawa-Vanier. The Honourable Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament for Ottawa—Vanier, Lucille Collard, Member of Provincial Parliament for Ottawa—Vanier, and Rawlson King, municipal councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe, will provide an update on the situation within their respective governments and answer the community's questions regarding COVID-19. Sign up now: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvfuGhpzMuHtSXDW8Ffiwz_KU9Tr9DJLUT

OC Transpo returning to full summer service on Sunday, June 28

OC Transpo will resume full summer service starting Sunday, June 28, to give more travel options as more customers begin using transit once again. OC Transpo will reinstate all bus routes except for special school services, and return service frequencies to normal summer service levels. Ensuring more space for customers on buses and trains remains a key part of OC Transpo’s recovery plan to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Service improvements, including new trips, schedule adjustments and bus stop changes at stations, will also be implemented on June 28.

The return to normal summer service will reinstate approximately 95 per cent of pre-pandemic service levels, restoring greater frequencies on most routes.

Bus stop changes at stations

Bus stop changes will be implemented at Blair, Lincoln Fields and Place d’Orléans stations. These changes will reduce platform crowding and group together routes with similar destinations to simplify customer options. Consult station signage or octranspo.com for more information about changes to boarding locations.

No need to pay on Canada Day

Transit service will be no-charge all day on Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1. There will be no Canada Day celebrations downtown this year and events will be held virtually. Buses will run on a Sunday schedule. Night service will begin at 11 pm on routes N39, N45, N57, N61, N75 and N97. O-Train Line 1 will operate on a reduced weekday schedule, with increased evening service until 1 am. Line 2 bus service will operate on a Saturday schedule, with increased service in the evening until midnight.

Special service to recreational destinations

Summer weekend service will return on route 139 to Petrie Island starting on Saturday, June 27. Buses to recreational destinations will run every 30 minutes during the day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until Monday, September 7. Summer weekend service to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum will begin when those museums open.

Construction and detours

Construction projects are ramping up this summer and will affect several routes. Customers on the following routes should give themselves extra travel time and check octranspo.com for the latest service updates:.

• Routes 12, 14, 15, 18 and 19 may experience delays to service along Rideau Street and Montreal Road due to construction between North River Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.

Rideau Street Renewal and O-Train Line 2 closure

Rideau Street will remain closed between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street until the end of the year. Routes 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 114, as well as overnight routes, are detoured away from Rideau Street. Most bus service is being relocated to Mackenzie King Bridge.

O-Train Line 2 remains closed until 2022 for the Line 2 expansion. Line 2 bus service operates every 12 to 15 minutes. Buses serve each O-Train station plus South Keys, Walkley and Heron Stations, as well as Gladstone and Preston.

Customers are reminded to give themselves additional travel time when travelling on routes impacted by the Rideau Street closure or on Line 2 buses.

What we’re doing to keep you safer

To prepare for increased ridership and the return to normal seasonal service levels, the following health and safety measures are now in place:

• Mandatory cloth masks for customers and employees
• Protective shields around the operator cabs at the front of conventional buses
• Return to front-door boarding to allow for more space for customers
• Touchless fare payment options, including with Presto and ParaPay
• Hand sanitizer dispensers at stations
• Masks and face shields for Para Transpo operators
• Limit of one customer per trip on Para Transpo while ridership remains low
• Around-the-clock cleaning and sanitizing of vehicles and stations
• Reminders not to use transit if you’re sick

Customer Service Centre

The Customer Service Centre in the Rideau Centre will reopen on Monday, June 29. Hours of operation will be from 11 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday, and 11 am to 6 pm, on Sunday. New health and safety measures will be implemented for the safety of customers and employees. When possible, please avoid the line and take advantage of these alternatives when loading or buying a new Presto card: Prestocard.ca, the Presto App, ticket machines at O-Train stations, as well as Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations. EquiPass, Community Pass and Access Pass discount applications can also be submitted by mail or by fax.

For more information on transit services, visit octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.

Starting Monday, June 29, 2020, due to an increase in traffic, as a result of the city’s reopening, the City will resume the enforcement of parking in excess of posted time limits, including 15-minute, one-hour, two-hour, three-hour and six-hour zones. Parking control officers will issue warning notices to vehicles that are parked longer than the posted time limit.

Officers will begin to issue tickets on Monday, July 6. Until further notice, parking control officers will not enforce overtime parking on streets without signs.

All other parking restrictions remain in effect, including no-stopping zones, no-parking zones, fire routes, accessible parking spaces and rules around sidewalks, driveways and fire hydrants. Parking restrictions continue to be enforced in areas with Pay and Display machines.

COVID-19 Resources for First Nations, Inuit and Metis Community Members

Ottawa Public Health has launched a new webpage that highlights COVID-19 Resources for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Community Members. The resources listed on the site include information developed by Ottawa Public Health, in addition to information from local, provincial and national Indigenous organizations. Several of the resources are available in various Indigenous languages.

Seed and Soil Home Garden Project

Are you looking for a way to increase your food supply with a home garden? 

The City of Ottawa’s Human Needs Task Force and Just Food are partnering to provide seeds and soil to 3000 households, open to all residents in Ottawa. Home gardens are a great way to grow your own food, stay active, and support positive mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Who can get a seed and soil package?

• Open to ALL residents in Ottawa. (First week was open to people living with lower income or whose income was affected by COVID19).
• Must have access to a personal yard (can be small).
• Given out by registering on a first-come, first-served basis.

Click here for more information and to register: https://justfood.ca/garden2020/

Connecting public transit between Gatineau and Ottawa

The Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), in partnership with the City of Ottawa, will start public consultations today on the options to link Gatineau’s future rapid transit system to Ottawa’s transit system.

Following presentations to Gatineau, and Ottawa City councillors in May, residents from both cities are now invited to review and comment on the work completed to date. The consultation, in the form of a questionnaire available on sto.ca aims to determine which of the two corridor options for the tram integration into downtown Ottawa is the most appropriate:

• On Wellington Street
• A tunnel under Sparks Street.

Read more information and have your say here: http://www.sto.ca/index.php?id=838&L=en&source=sto_mobile

Towing

The City regularly receives concerns and complaints related to towing services, particularly about:

• Billing,
• Business practices,
• Safety on the road
• Safety at accident scenes
• Alleged illegal activities

Although the City regulates towing services through limited provisions found in the Traffic and Parking By-law, there is no business licensing or regulatory regime for the towing industry. We are reviewing if regulations are needed for towing companies, tow truck drivers and storage yards in Ottawa.

We’re looking for your input on regulatory options for towing services. Your contribution will help determine which issues we focus on and how we could address them.

Please share your experiences and opinions through the survey, discussion forums and questionnaires on Engage Ottawa. There, you will also find information and updates about the review.

Fill out the survey here: https://engage.ottawa.ca/towing-regulations-review?tool=survey_tool&tool_id=towing-services-regulatory-review-survey1#tool_tab

Road Closure

On: Queen Mary Street

From: Vanier Parkway

To: Vera Street

Duration: 7 pm, Friday, June 26^th, 2020, to 6 am, Monday, June 29^th, 2020