1. Strategies to support the resumption of public transit

Stratégies en appui à la reprise du service de transport en commun

committee recommendations as amended

That Council approve the following:

1. That travel on OC Transpo be provided at no charge for the month of February to all users.

2. That residents who received refunds for their December bus passes be given the opportunity (with receipts) to buy back their December pass for use under the new rules.

Recommandations modifiées du comité

Que le Conseil les approuve les points suivants:

1. Que les déplacements assurés par OC Transpo soient offerts gratuitement à tous les usagers au cours du mois de février.

2. Que les résidents qui ont reçu un remboursement de leur laissez-passer d’autobus de décembre aient la possibilité (avec leur reçu) de racheter leur laissez-passer du mois de décembre afin de l’utiliser dans le cadre des nouveaux règlements en vigueur.

Documentation

1. Transit Committee report dated 10 February 2009 (ACS2009-CCS-TTC-0002).

Report to / Rapport au :

Council / Conseil

10 February 2009 / le 10 février 2009

Submitted by/Soumis par: Transit Committee / comité du transport en commun

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Rosemary Nelson

Committee Coordinator / Coordonnatrice du comité

(613) 580-2424 x21624, Rosemary.Nelson@ottawa.ca

City Wide

Ref N°: ACS2009-CCS-TTC-0002

SUBJECT:	Strategies to support the resumption of public transit

OBJET :	Stratégies en appui à la reprise du service de transport en commun

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

That Council approve the following:

1. That travel on OC Transpo be provided at no charge for the month of February to all users.

2. That residents who received refunds for their December bus passes be given the opportunity (with receipts) to buy back their December pass for use under the new rules.

RECOMMANDATIONS DU COMITÉ

Que le Conseil les approuve les points suivants:

1. Que les déplacements assurés par OC Transpo soient offerts gratuitement à tous les usagers au cours du mois de février.

BACKGROUND

On 9 February 2009, the Transit Committee received a verbal presentation from the General Manager of Transit Services, regarding the plan to return to regular service for OC Transpo. A copy of the presentation (Document 1) is held on file.

DISCUSSION

A number of Motions were considered during the meeting and these are reflected in the attached extract of Draft Minutes (Document 2).

CONSULTATION

The Committee heard from 13 public delegations on 9 February. The majority of concerns raised centred around the unfairness of the December refund policy for ticket and cash fares and the hardships (health; costs, et cetera) experienced by those who could least afford it.

Given the short timespan between the Committee and Council meetings, a draft of the Minutes, including the public depositions will not be available at the time this report rises to Council. However, this report includes at Document 2, an extract of all Motions considered by the Committee.

Members of Council received all public submissions and deputations received by the City Clerk’s office.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

To be provided by staff at Council on 11 February.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

The decisions involved in the approval of the Transit Capital Budget do not have any significant Legal/Risk Management concerns.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 – Transit Return to Service (held on file)

Document 2 - Extract of Draft Minute, 9 February 2009

(only Motions considered by the Committee).

DISPOSITION

The recommendations of the Committee will rise to Council on 11 February 2009. Any resulting follow-up by staff will be undertaken as directed by Council.

Document 2

Strategies to Support the Resumption of Public Transit

Stratégies en appui à la reprise du service de transport en

commun City Wide / À L'échelle De La Ville

Moved by R. Bloess

WHEREAS Section 16 of the City of Ottawa Act, 1999 (Schedule E of the Fewer Municipal Politicians Act, 1999, S.O. 1999, Chap. 14, as amended) provides that the City may establish one or more service areas and levy one or more special local levies under section 368 of the Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter M.45, as amended, in the municipal service areas for the purpose of raising all or part of its costs for public transportation service;

AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa imposes a property tax levy for the purpose of public transportation;

AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa, OC Transpo Service was on strike for 51 days, and no public transportation service was received;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the portion of the transit levy collected from Ottawa property taxpayers for the 51 days they had no access to transit service be returned to residents through an offsetting deduction in the transit levy portion of their 2009 property tax bill.

REFERRED TO 4 MARCH TTC MEETING

Moved by C. Doucet

WHEREAS it can take months to bring transit users volumes up to pre-strike levels;

AND WHEREAS costs for incentives must recognize losses from transit users who have decided to travel by other methods;

AND WHEREAS it is in the greater community's best interest to encourage transit use for environmental reasons, financial reasons by reducing the desire for road widenings and the travelling ease for those who must travel by private vehicle;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 7.5% fare increase planned to commence in April 2009 be deferred until July 2009.

REFERRED TO 4 MARCH TTC MEETING

Moved by C. Doucet

WHEREAS it can take months to bring transit users volumes up to pre-strike levels;

AND WHEREAS costs for incentives must recognize losses from transit users who have decided to travel by other methods;

AND WHEREAS express, community and senior bus passes purchased for the month of December will be valid until the end of April;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that regular bus passes purchased for the month of December be valid until the end of April for free transit.

REFERRED TO 4 MARCH TTC MEETING

Moved by C. Doucet

WHEREAS the planned incentives to welcome back transit users do not provide benefit to ticket or cash users;

AND WHEREAS it can take months to bring transit users volumes up to pre-strike levels;

AND WHEREAS costs for incentives must recognize losses from transit users who have decided to travel by other methods;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that travel on OC Transpo be provided at no charge for the month of February to all users.

CARRIED, with D. Thompson dissenting

Moved by M. Wilkinson

That as additional buses are made available that all express routes get limited service from the beginning, added to as buses are available, rather than providing full service on a few routes.

LOST

YEAS (2): R. Bloess, M. Wilkinson

NAYS (5): G. Bédard, C. Leadman, C. Doucet, D. Thompson, A. Cullen

The following Motion was going to be presented on behalf of Councillor Holmes by Councillor Doucet, but staff advised that what is called for in the Motion is already in place. The Motion was subsequently withdrawn.

WHEREAS enforcement of parking at unmetered spaces for longer than the prescribed limits will not take place until April 06 2009;

AND WHEREAS the downtown residential neighbourhoods have hosted most of the additional commuter parking during the recent strike, and continue to do so for Winterlude;

AND WHEREAS most of the residential parking permits are sold in the downtown;

AND WHEREAS this creates parking difficulties for residents who have purchased on-street residential parking permits and are not able to find locations to park;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 1/2 price residential parking permits continue until such time as enforcement commences on the unmetered parking locations.

Moved by C. Doucet

WHEREAS the Return to Service plan for transit aims to restore ridership levels by providing modest incentives to transit users;

WHEREAS one of the principle benefits of a U-pass initiative is increased ridership;

WHEREAS the student body at Ottawa University has already has approved of a pilot a cost of $125 per semester and is ready to;

WHEREAS a $125 U-pass would be the most expensive U-pass in the country;

WHEREAS a U-pass program will contribute to a guaranteed source of income and long term ridership;

BE IT RESOLVED that the City proceed with the pilot U-pass with as originally proposed at an annual cost of $125.

REFERRED TO 4 MARCH TTC MEETING

Moved by M. Wilkinson

That December and community passes and December senior passes be valid until the end of April for para transpo users as these passes are only used by occasional users.

REFERRED TO 4 MARCH TTC MEETING

The following Motion from Councillor Bloess had originally been submitted on 4 February, for consideration at today’s meeting. Following discussion, the councillor indicated he would withdraw the Motion.

That the Gatineau routes (8, 27, 40, 88, 105) be examined for redeployment in other areas such as Chapel Hill.

Moved by M. Wilkinson

WHEREAS due to the lack of express buses, residents have been asked to continue their carpool arrangements; and

WHEREAS carpoolers are providing a transit type service for those without express buses.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that carpoolers be permitted to use park and ride spaces until all service is in place.

REFERRED TO STAFF

Moved by M. Wilkinson

That residents who received refunds for their December bus passes be given the opportunity (with receipts) to buy back their December pass for use under the new rules

CARRIED

Moved by M. Wilkinson

That transfers between buses until full service is received be valid for a long enough period that does not have peak hour service in order to be able to use it once service resumes that day after the peak period."

REFERRED TO STAFF for inclusion on the 18 February Transit Committee agenda