1 Report to/Rapport au : Transportation Committee Comité des transports November 27, 2012 27 novembre 2012 Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe, Planning and Infrastructure/Urbanisme et Infrastructure Contact Person / Personne ressource: Bob Streicher, Acting Manager/Gestionnaire par intérim, Transportation Planning/Planification des transports, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance (613) 580-2424 x 22723, [email protected] CITY WIDE / À L’ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE Ref N°: ACS2012-PAI-PGM-0260 SUBJECT: JOINT STUDY TO ASSESS CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURES ON THE NATIONAL CAPITAL GREENBELT – STUDY REPORT OBJET : ÉTUDE CONJOINTE VISANT À ÉVALUER LES EFFETS CUMULATIFS DES INFRASTRUCTURES DE TRANSPORT SUR LA CEINTURE DE VERDURE DE LA CAPITALE NATIONALE – RAPPORT D’ÉTUDE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS That the Transportation Committee receive this report for information. RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT Que le Comité des Transports prenne connaissance de ce rapport. BACKGROUND The purpose of this study undertaken in partnership with the National Capital Commission (NCC) was to identify projects within the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and other transportation projects that have emerged since the completion of the TMP that could have an impact on the environmental integrity of the federal Greenbelt lands. By examining the cumulative effects of the construction of this infrastructure on the Greenbelt lands, a framework now has been established to ensure that the associated Environmental Assessments (EAs) that require federal approval will move forward more expediently. 2 One of the NCC’s mandates is to protect the Greenbelt. Current practice has been that the NCC only comments or provides input on projects that are identified in its Greenbelt Master Plan (GBMP). The NCC is currently updating the GBMP and the results of the joint study will be reflected in the new plan. The City is equally interested in protecting the Greenbelt and has set out policies in the Official Plan as such. Furthermore all City-initiated transportation studies follow the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act and therefore must address natural, social, transportation, and financial impacts. The study’s scientific findings (Document 1) informed a discussion with the NCC on which transportation projects require environmental mitigation measures or relocation due to environmental impact. Of the 30 projects, 17 will proceed with normal federal approvals processes, eight will proceed with conditions attached, and five require significant further dialogue with the NCC on how the project is implemented. These five projects will the subject of a Letter of Understanding to guide future discussions in continued recognition of the important relationship between the GBMP and the TMP. DISCUSSION The guiding principles of this study, as agreed to by the City and the NCC, were as follows: Assess cumulative effects of existing, planned and reasonably foreseeable transportation projects on Greenbelt lands; Promote integrated and cohesive environmental and transportation decision- making for the Greenbelt Master Plan and Transportation Master Plan; Assess cumulative effects of 2008 TMP proposals an in addition the Albion Road Bypass, Lester Road widening, Leitrim Road realignment and Carling Avenue cycling lanes projects; Examine road transportation and transit infrastructure proposals with sustainability in mind to maintain and enhance conservation of the Greenbelt; Examine how transportation infrastructure could be managed while seeking to minimize encroachment and landscape fragmentation of the Greenbelt; and Establish an integrated planning framework to guide the City and NCC in their Transportation and Greenbelt Master Plans. Thirty transit and road projects were identified in the Greenbelt over the planning horizon to 2031, including one Provincial and one Federal project as shown in Document 2. Both macro-scale and micro-scale analyses were completed to examine the effects associated with individual projects as well as the combined effects of projects within a defined unit. The Greenbelt as a whole, Landscape Management Units, Core Natural Areas (CNAs), Natural Area Linkages (NALs), Supporting Ecological Features and Cultivated Landscapes covering all the Greenbelt except for the Airport lands, were assessed. While descriptive definitions of these areas can be found in the study, it should be noted that CNAs are considered to be irreplaceable ecological features of the Greenbelt, providing a variety of ecological services and NALs are considered important 3 for maintaining ecological connectivity between CNAs within the Greenbelt and natural areas outside of the Greenbelt. As such, cumulative effects on CNAs and NALs are considered to be of greatest importance to the ongoing ecological integrity and community benefit of the Greenbelt as a whole. The key findings of the analyses were that eight projects are likely to generate cumulative effects on CNAs which include: Changes to ecological form resulting from loss of area and increased edge; Reduced connectivity occurring through weakened connections between the CNAs and natural areas outside the Greenbelt; Reduced resilience occurring due to increased road density and increased vehicle movements resulting in indirect effects (e.g., noise, dust); Reduced tranquility in the CNAs for community uses; Pine Grove Forest LMU is likely to experience cumulative effects to the greatest extent, with noticeable changes across most measures and indicators; Stony Swamp CNA is most likely to experience cumulative effects to the greatest extent, with noticeable changes in most measures and indicators that are applicable to CNAs; The results of the macro and micro scale analyses were used to categorize each of the 30 projects into two categories: Category 1 projects are those that require additional consideration by the City and the NCC in order to avoid and/or reduce the potential for cumulative effects on the Greenbelt, with avoidance of effects being a prime guiding principle. Category 2 projects are those that have a lower potential for generating significant adverse cumulative effects on the Greenbelt, and could proceed subject to EA completion, mitigation and compensation measures, and NCC FLUDA process. The City and the NCC reviewed the categorization of projects with consideration for other qualities of the projects, such as their contribution to transportation needs and the potential impacts to communities of not proceeding and the work completed on each project to date. The result was a final list of projects and their categories as set out in Document 3. The study provides a management plan for the treatment of the 14 Category 1 and 16 Category 2 projects along with suggested supporting activities to further minimize adverse cumulative effects. For the Category 1 projects the NCC has characterized projects as “approved” (but with conditions) and “not approved”. Based on a draft Letter of Mutual Understanding to be signed between the City and the NCC, the following five projects will be assigned to Category 1 (not approved): Hope Side Road extension (Richmond Road to Moodie Drive); Hope Side Road extension (Moodie Drive to West Hunt Club Road at Highway 416); Leitrim Road realignment south of the airport; Leitrim Park and Ride lot; and 4 North South LRT Maintenance and Storage Yard. These Category 1 projects are not acceptable to the NCC as currently defined and will require special avoidance measures such as realignment or relocation. For example, it has been agreed to by the City and NCC that with respect to the Hope Side Road projects, an acceptable option may be the widening of Richmond Road/West Hunt Club Road between Hope Side Road and Highway 416, and that this project will be included in the NCC’s Greenbelt Master Plan. This is being done in order meet the guiding principle of preventing fragmentation, improving landscape connectivity and fully considering Greenbelt connectivity during transportation infrastructure planning exercises. These projects will be discussed further with the NCC through a joint working group. The Leitrim Park and Ride lot and the North South LRT Maintenance and Storage yard will be dealt with through the Transportation Master Plan. The City will also inform the NCC ahead of time about any new studies located in the Greenbelt. Eight Category 1 projects will require identified mitigation measures and are approved with conditions: Hunt Club Road Extension (Hawthorne to Hwy 417); Hunt Club Road Innes Road-Walkey Road Connection east of Highway 417; Ottawa Road 174 Widening; New Crossing of Rideau River (Fallowfield Road to Leitrim Road); Chapel Hill Park and Ride; Leitrim Road (River to Realignment); Lester Road Widening (Airport Parkway to Bank Street); and Cumberland Transitway The one remaining Category 1 project and 16 Category 2 projects will go through standard City and NCC processes. Implications for Transportation Master Plan update Based on revised housing and employment projections for 2031, the TMP update currently underway will continue to recommend the need for transportation infrastructure crossing the Greenbelt consisting of a combination of new transit facilities, and widened or new roads. RURAL IMPLICATIONS Although the City’s transportation policies have a strong emphasis on transit, with a City-wide transit modal share target of 30 per cent, additional