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Transportation Equity Community Conversations Page 2 Transportation Equity Community Conversations Acknowledgements First and foremost, we would like to thank the Algonquin people for graciously allowing our presence on their unceded, unsurrendered territory. The Healthy Transportation Coalition (HTC), HealthBridge and City for All Women Initiative (CAWI) would like to thank the contributors to this consultation. We thank Fathiya Warsame for coordinating the community conversations and the members of the facilitation team: Sylvie Amizero, Trevor Haché, Jessica Lambert, and Gada Nohra. We also thank Jessica Lambert for her work as author of this report. We express sincere gratitude towards the 12 Ottawa community organizations that brought people together for a community conversation in their spaces. These organizations include Harmony House, Cornerstone Housing for Women, Centretown Women in Action (Centretown Community Health Centre), Rural Issues Collective, Immigrant Women’s Services Ottawa, St. Joe’s Women’s Centre, The Well, United Sisters and Safe People (Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre), Maison D’amitie, Collective Kitchen (Lowertown Community Resource Centre), Queerios (Western Ottawa Community Health Centre) and Vanier Community Service Centre. Finally, we would like to thank the City of Ottawa for its commitment to implementing the Equity and Inclusion Lens in City initiatives, particularly in updating the Official Transportation Master Plan in 2019. It is the hope of all the participating organizations that this report will contribute to ensuring Ottawa’s transportation system meets the needs of the full-diversity of Ottawa residents. Funding for this consultation was provided by the Status of Women Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Transportation Equity Community Conversations Page 2 Contents Acknowledgements........................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4 Summary of Recommendations ...................................................................................... 6 Purpose of this Consultation ........................................................................................... 8 Methodology and Limitations .......................................................................................... 8 Findings ............................................................................................................................ 10 Themes by Equity-Seeking Groups ...................................................................................... 10 Themes by Order of Voted Priority ....................................................................................... 13 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 18 References ....................................................................................................................... 19 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 20 Appendix A .............................................................................................................................. 20 Workshop Agenda – Considerations for Inclusion ............................................................. 20 Appendix B .............................................................................................................................. 21 Citizens Agenda for Transportation Equity ......................................................................... 21 Appendix C .............................................................................................................................. 23 Community Conversation Summary Reports ...................................................................... 23 Transportation Equity Community Conversations Page 3 Introduction Ottawa is at a cross-roads with its transportation infrastructure with the arrival of Light Rail and enhancement of multi-modes of transportation. Investing in efficient and accessible transportation has the aim of benefiting everyone. However, without paying specific attention to hear all voices, some people and communities will be left behind. This report aims to inform transportation actions and improvements that will contribute to a city for all. From April 2018 to August 2018, transportation equity community conversations were hosted by 12 organizations to help us answer the question “How can Ottawa become a leader in transportation equity and mobility justice?” The Healthy Transportation Coalition and HealthBridge partnered in this work with the aim of informing the application of an equity lens in the 2019 revision of the City of Ottawa Transportation Master Plan and related transit decisions. City for All Women Initiative (CAWI) joined this undertaking as part of their work to apply an intersectional gender lens (GBA+) to city decision making (Status of Women Canada, 2018). Toward this end, the City of Ottawa Equity and Inclusion Lens was applied in the design of the consultation, selection of facilitators and participants, and the analysis of findings. For those of us without Participants in the conversations included representatives cars, public transit is an from the equity-seeking groups identified in the Equity and essential service. Inclusion Lens (see “Themes by Equity-Seeking Groups”, -The Well participant p. 10). It was noted that for many people living on low- incomes and for those without a car, public transit is an essential service. Participants expressed challenges faced in accessing services, doing grocery shopping and avoiding isolation when public transit was not easily accessible. Participants in all conversations told us transit fares were It is hard on families to high, which resulted in their using transit less often. Some afford public transit immigrant women shared that they were not aware of when their cost of discounts and passes available to them and found transit housing is so high. -Safe People participant fares unaffordable especially with large families. Many felt the EquiPass was positive, but the fare was still too high. For those participants who don’t qualify for EquiPass/Fare, the regular fares were considered inaccessible. Free transit options were of interest, looking to the City of Calgary’s fare-free zone and its sliding scale for transit as promising practices. Transportation Equity Community Conversations Page 4 Ideas were shared as to what needs to be addressed to make transit more friendly and accessible. Young women Since I have to make from low-income neighbourhood spoke of not feeling safe in multiple stops in taking the bus at night. They along with many others, also caring for my family, the length of waits spoke of the importance of having affordable housing in between buses is close proximity to Rapid Transit. People with disabilities and really a challenge. women who provide care for families shared struggles in Often, the time on my using transit when elevators or automatic doors at transit transfer isn’t enough. stations don’t work and when one or more buses pass them - IWSO participant by as there is no room for their wheelchair or stroller. For people who make multiple connections or travel long distances between connections, the duration of the transfer gave them little time between buses to make their connection. At the same time, it was suggested increasing the accuracy of the phone app would help in knowing wait times. Access to multiple forms of transit was key for the diversity of communities engaged. Rural and suburban residents, including LGBTQ youth, spoke of the challenges of accessing services for after school activities and jobs when there is limited or no access to transit. For low-income neighbourhoods, walkability could be improved with increased cross-walks, shade trees and safe short-cut pathways to transit. People with disabilities, older adults and women with families emphasized the need for better snowplowing of sidewalks, where rural communities spoke of better snowplowing of roads where there are no sidewalks. Many conversations emphasized the need for improved bicycle infrastructure, preferably infrastructure that creates a road and bike path separated by a barrier. A consistent comment typically made in the community conversations was an appreciation that the facilitators came to them. Many groups stated that there is a barrier for them to get to City Hall for consultations, We are grateful that you came to us to get our financially and psychologically. For further work on opinions and that you transportation equity, a consultation that engages equity- are taking a diversity of seeking groups and goes to where people are most people into account. comfortable is key for ensuring the Transportation Master - Queerios participant Plan benefits everyone. - Transportation Equity Community Conversations Page 5 Summary of Recommendations There are many actions the City of Ottawa can take to move towards becoming an example for transportation equity. Broken down into the main themes identified by this consultation process, here are some actions concluded from participant suggestions, an analysis of this project, and other CAWI and HTC work: 1. Increase Affordability of Public Transit a. Lower the cost of the EquiPass fare to be on par with the seniors pass. b. Create a monthly
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