By Sylvie Grenier
For over 40 years, the Region and then the amalgamated City of Ottawa have adopted policies to give priority to pedestrians when planning decisions are made. This was re-iterated once again in October with the adoption of the City’s new Official Plan. In spite of these policies and the recent public-realm plan for the ByWard Market which promotes pedestrian-friendly spaces, the City made the ByWard Market this summer a real challenge for pedestrians and wheelchair users.
There is a simple principle that should be applied to meet the needs of pedestrians and wheelchair users. It is basically the same one transportation engineers apply to move vehicles from point A to B: provide a direct, safe, efficient, comfortable route with as few obstacles as possible. Every time it is necessary to step over a curb or around an obstacle, it is a hardship for pedestrians and users of wheelchairs and strollers.
This summer, the City gave permission for many restaurants to have patios occupying all of the sidewalk, thereby requiring pedestrians and wheelchair and stroller users to change direction and level, and to walk on the street alongside moving vehicles. New patios were installed on ByWard Street, which was once lined with fruit and vegetable stalls and heavily used by pedestrians. But the combination of patio, street signs and over hanging vehicle bumpers left very little room for wheelchair and pedestrian movement. Furthermore, street barriers to close streets to accommodate patios, A-frames everywhere and fallen e-scooters contributed to the hazards faced by pedestrians and wheelchair users.
These are only a few examples. In spite of policies favouring pedestrians and regulations requiring a clear two-metre walking width in the Market, it is obvious to pedestrians and wheelchair users that the City thinks of them as second-class citizens and that the City’s priority is to subsidize private interests over public interest by privatizing public space at little or no cost to the users.
The Market needs an overall community vision in place of the vision as an entertainment district. It needs to shift direction away from a monoculture of bars and restaurants that is forcing fashion, specialty and food retailers to relocate elsewhere, making the Market a less interesting and desirable place to come to during the daytime.
Hopefully, this overall planning framework will get developed in the near future to address the many issues facing the Market. With any luck, it will be integrated with the heritage plan currently being developed to eventually make the Market a unique and diversified mixed-use area that is truly pedestrian friendly.
Sylvie Grenier is a member of the LCA Planning Committee and the LCA Liaison for the ByWard Market renewal effort