An Ottawa councillor wants the city to explore more options to keep commuters moving this fall as public servants head to the office four days a week, including allowing right turns on red lights at some downtown intersections. The City of Ottawa and OC Transpo are expecting an additional 65,000 trips a week into the downtown area this fall from public servants and post-secondary students returning to school. Council has approved a $29 million plan to boost transit service, including increasing frequency on O-Train Line 1 and new Express routes into the downtown and Tunney’s Pasture. “I think we’re all very hyper aware that it’s going to be hell,” Coun. Tim Tierney told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with guest host Andrew Pinsent. “We all know that, but it’s about how much hell and making sure that there’s enough buses.” He notes OC Transpo continues to add diesel and electric buses to its fleet, adding, “everything is trending in the right direction.” Tierney will introduce a motion at the Aug. 26 council meeting to ask staff to review downtown intersections to allow right turns on red lights to make sure traffic flows. “I see many spots where there’s no right turns on red and I’ll sit there going, ‘There’s literally no traffic here,’” Tierney said Wednesday morning. “Maybe this is an opportunity where they could readjust things. We have, you know, over 100 intersections alone in the downtown area that have restricted right turns or no right turns on red. Maybe during certain hours those have to adjust.” Tierney says pedestrian safety must be the priority for the city, but there may be opportunities to adjust the no right turns on red light rules. As part of the plan to deal with the influx of commuters downtown this fall, the City of Ottawa is adjusting no-stopping and no-parking zones on several downtown streets. During the last council meeting on July 15, Coun. Catherine Kitts warned she believed “September is going to be hell for commuters, particularly in the east end.” Kitts supported the 48-point transit and transportation plan, Kitts said she didn’t think the initiatives are “sufficient to address the scale of the challenge that we’re facing.” “I still do not think our transportation network can handle what is coming.” Tierney says the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Police Service need to have “all hands-on deck” to adjust to traffic patterns this fall.. “We’re prepared, and here’s the plan. I think they’re going to have to evaluate on a regular basis,” Tierney said. “Use AI technology, which we’re already starting to do for intersection and light control.” Tierney told Newstalk 580 CFRA he has been speaking with the Ottawa Police Service about the back-to-school rush, and making sure drivers aren’t speeding through school zones and blocking intersections.
