Mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney says her plan to increase OC Transpo service and build new bike lanes will help reduce commuter traffic on Ottawa's roads, pushing through her transportation plan on a day when thousands of motorists faced long delays due to construction.
A five-kilometre stretch of the Queensway is closed this weekend for the Rochester Street Bridge replacement, causing traffic delays on Carling Avenue, Baseline Road, Hunt Club Road, Catherine Street and other roads across the city.
"The plan I unveiled today is really a plan for everyone," McKenney told CTV News Ottawa shortly after unveiling his commitment to ease traffic, reduce commute times and reduce emissions.
"It's a plan to get you out of traffic. It includes a transportation plan; it includes better and safer roads; it includes cycling. It includes something for everyone."
In a news release, McKenney said the closure of Hwy. 417 for construction and the domino effect on the roads is a reminder of "why different travel options save us time and stress."
The campaign says McKenney's transport plan will make transport "more reliable and accessible", while their plan for safe cycling and building new cycling infrastructure will "free up our roads and make it easier for more people to cycle" as they move around the city. from Ottawa.
McKenney promised to increase transit ridership by 20 percent over the next four years and freeze transit fares, along with building 25 years of bicycle infrastructure over four years. McKenney's campaign says the bike infrastructure plan would be funded through a $250 million green bond, adding that it would be cost-neutral.
"Anytime you put more people on transit, of course you take them out of their cars, so that opens up space on our roads," McKenney said Saturday afternoon.
"Obviously, any time you put in cycling infrastructure, it's also an opportunity to improve the roadway, the surface of the road — just a little bit more than filling potholes. It really works to get people out of traffic and make the roadway safe and accessible for everyone."
Although McKenney's transportation plan includes new bike lanes, they say they will ensure that Ottawa's current roads are fixed for all transportation options.
"I would suggest that people want the roads they've already paid for fixed. The biggest complaint I hear from people is the condition of the roads, so fix the roads we have before we expand them further," McKenney said. .
"Ensure we're building a transport network for everyone – getting people out of traffic means getting more people onto public transport and building a transport network that works for everyone."
McKenney is scheduled to release a full campaign finance plan on Thursday. The two-term alderman said the financial plan would include a three percent property tax cap.
Mayoral candidate Mark Sutcliffe has pledged to spend an additional $100 million over four years to repair and clear snow from Ottawa's roads and multi-use paths.
Sutcliffe promised a "balanced approach" to transport. Sutcliffe also promises a web-based "pothole hotline" where residents can report potholes and proposes doubling city councilors' traffic calming budgets to $100,000 per department
The former broadcaster and businessman is also due to release his campaign finance plan next week.
Bob Chiarelli, another mayoral candidate, has pledged that no new construction projects will begin in his first year in office. The former mayor's campaign website says the savings would be spent on the "deplorable state" of existing roads.
"By canceling planned road projects like twinning Airport Parkway and Alta Vista Parkway, it will free up money to address the crumbling road system," Chiarelli says on his website.
"It doesn't make sense to prioritize new road infrastructure when we're investing billions in LRT and aiming for net zero greenhouse gas emissions."
