City of Ottawa - Accessibility Spotlight - Nominations open for the 2025 Accessible Ottawa Award

 

Nominations open for the 2025 Accessible Ottawa Award

The City of Ottawa is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Accessible Ottawa Award.   This year, we are introducing the Accessible Ottawa Award to celebrate the outstanding contributions of Ottawa’s businesses, organizations and residents who are dedicated to removing barriers and advancing accessibility throughout our city. This award highlights the vital role of accessibility and universal design in creating an inclusive community, recognizing those who go above and beyond to champion equitable rights and inclusivity for people with disabilities.    Each year, the Accessible Ottawa Award will honour one individual and one organization that has made significant contributions to enhancing accessibility and improving the lives of persons with disabilities in Ottawa. Recipients will receive the award at the annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities event held at City Hall on or around December 3.  You can complete nominations for the award either online or by downloading a nomination form from the Accessible Ottawa Award webpage. The submission deadline is Friday, October 3 at 11:59pm EST.   Please visit the ottawa.ca to learn more about the nomination eligibility terms and criteria, as well as to submit a nomination on behalf of a business/organization or individual.

City of Ottawa - September Road Safety

 

September road safety: pedestrians, cyclists and intersections

It’s back to school time, a time when our most vulnerable road users can find themselves the victim of a serious collision. Each month the City of Ottawa Road Safety Action Plan’s communication efforts focus on specific areas that are determined based on trends in data collected for fatal and major injury collisions. Educating the public and building awareness is one of the ways we try to make our streets safer for all road users. The themes for the month of September are pedestrians, cyclists and intersections. Pedestrians: our must vulnerable road users

Young children walking home from school may not always be paying attention to what’s going on around them. That makes it all the more important for you, the motorist, to be on the lookout for their safety. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 153 collisions involving pedestrians that resulted in a fatality or major injury. Motorists: Be alert for pedestrians Pay attention when making a right or left turn at an intersection Slow down when driving through school areas and residential areas Watch for Community Safety Zones. Fines are doubled in these areas. Yield the entire width of the roadway at pedestrian crossovers, or school crossings where there is a crossing guard Pedestrians: Remove headphones; put away cell phones or other electronic devices when crossing the street. Use your full attention so you’ll be able to see, hear and respond safely to what is happening on the roadway. Cross at marked crosswalks or traffic signals, not in the middle of the block where there's traffic or between parked cars. Cross when traffic has come to a complete stop. Make sure drivers see you before you cross. Watch for traffic turning at intersections or entering and leaving driveways. At a traffic signal, cross at the beginning of a “Walk” light. Do not cross once the “Don’t Walk” signal begins to flash or once the solid “Don’t Walk” is displayed. Wear bright or light-coloured clothing or reflective strips when walking in dusk or darkness. Parents and caregivers: Teach and reinforce the proper techniques for crossing the road safely with your child. Stress the importance of walking on the sidewalk, or where there are no sidewalks, of walking facing traffic as far away as possible from the travelled portion of the road. When waiting to cross the street, stop before the edge of the sidewalk. In many areas, the City of Ottawa has built infrastructure called pedestrian crossovers. These are designated areas where pedestrians have the right of way when crossing the road. Vehicles must stop for pedestrians who are crossing and wait until the pedestrian has completely crossed the road before continuing.  Pedestrian crossovers are much like crosswalks. They are found at intersections, roundabouts and midblock, often where a pathway intersects a road.  All road users have a responsibility to keep our roads safe for everyone. As a driver, regardless of what kind of vehicle you are driving or riding, you need to: Watch for and prepare to stop at pedestrian crossovers. Wait until the pedestrian has completely crossed the road (curb to curb) before proceeding. Vehicles must not pass any other vehicle within 30 metres prior to a pedestrian crossover. Cyclists must dismount and walk their bike across the road. As a pedestrian, to stay safe, remember these tips:   Wait for traffic to stop. Try to make eye contact to ensure the driver sees you. The City has more information about pedestrian crossovers online or you can watch this pedestrian crossover video. Cyclists are road users too

As summer vacation draws to a close, motorists are likely to encounter more young children riding their bikes as well as adults who are cycling along our roadways. Riding responsibly is the key to keeping yourself safe. Make a point of avoiding motorists blind spots. Stay back and stay safe. The City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario both have extensive information on how to keep yourself safe while cycling.  Between 2019 and 2023, there were 62 collisions in Ottawa involving cyclists that resulted in a major injury or fatality, and an additional six involving e-bikes. Even one incident is too many.   Motorists have a responsibility to keep cyclists safe and should:  Follow the rules of the road at all times.  Bicycles are considered vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act, so treat them as you would any other vehicle on the road but remember that they are more vulnerable to serious injury in the event of a collision.  People who ride bicycles are not obligated to use bike lanes or pathways and are permitted to cycle on all roads in Ottawa except the Transitway, Highways 416, 417 and Regional Road 174 (to Orléans).  Motorists are prohibited from driving or parking in all designated bicycle lanes.  When passing a cyclist, the Highway Traffic Act requires that you leave a safe distance between your car and the bicycle. Extra passing distance should be given when slippery road conditions exist.  Cyclists are permitted to ride in the centre of a lane when they feel it is too narrow for a motor vehicle to pass them, or if they feel their safety is compromised.  Slow down or avoid puddles when passing cyclists.  Cyclists can ride on either the paved road, paved shoulder or unpaved shoulder in rural areas.  Drivers of larger vehicles should be cautious of blasting a cyclist with winds when passing, especially on dusty roads.  Cyclists  Follow the rules of the road at all times  Do not ride on sidewalks Remember that pedestrians have the right-of-way on multi-use pathways Be bright at night! Use a headlight, taillight, reflectors and light-coloured or retro-reflective clothing so motorists can see you.  Motorists may not anticipate a cyclist, so ride defensively.  Know where blind spots are so you can stay out of them. Stay in front or at the rear of the vehicle where you are visible.   Where possible, ride in a straight line and avoid dodging between parked cars, into bus bays or around obstacles.  Know where you are going and look ahead to position yourself in the correct lane. Intersections: safety at a crossroads

Whether you’re a pedestrian on a sidewalk, or a cyclist or motorist driving along the street, at some point everyone’s paths will cross. It will likely happen at an intersection.   With everything coming together at intersections, it’s important for everyone to pay attention, whether the intersection has stop signs, pedestrian crossover signs, traffic signals or is a roundabout.   Between 2019 and 2023, 54 per cent of all fatal or major injuries that occurred in Ottawa happened at or near an intersection.   Here are some tips to keep everyone safe when using an intersection.   Motorists   Do not stop in crosswalks since that forces pedestrians into traffic   When turning, always check for cyclists, e-scooters and pedestrians, especially on one-way streets; while vehicles can only travel in one direction, pedestrians can travel both ways   Between 2019 and 2023, 26 per cent of collisions resulting in fatal or major injuries to pedestrians involved a left turn movement. When making a left turn, watch for motorcycles in the opposing lane – their speed and distance can be hard to judge.    Only proceed through an intersection if the way is clear and you have plenty of time for the turn; don’t rush and watch for pedestrians crossing in the crosswalks.  Make full stops at stop signs and red lights – no rolling stops   Be aware of vulnerable road users in your vehicle’s blind spot   Before proceeding through an intersection, make eye contact with other road users who may not see you   Sound your horn to alert other road users who may not see you    Cyclists   Ride defensively, as vehicles can’t always see you well    Never stop in crosswalks since that forces pedestrians into traffic   To cross at a crosswalk or traffic signal, dismount and walk your bike across   Signal your turns or if you are stopping   Make full stops at stop signs and red signals– no rolling stops   When stopped near a truck, you may be in the driver’s blind spot; assume the driver does not know you are there and move out of the blind spot   Before proceeding through an intersection, make eye contact with other road users who may not see you, especially if they are turning your way; if the car’s windows at tinted you can look at the driver’s location in the car to catch the driver’s attention   Be visible in lowlight conditions with:   A white light at the front of the bike   A red rear light or red rear reflector   Two strips of white reflective tape on front forks (each strip to be 125 millimetres by 25 millimetres)   Have a bell or horn on your bike and use it to alert road users near you, though keep in mind drivers may not hear it  Pedestrians   Cross in the marked crosswalk and keep your eyes on the road; don’t look at your phone or be otherwise distracted   Before proceeding through an intersection, make eye contact with drivers who may not see you, especially if they are turning your way; if the car’s windows are tinted you can look at the driver’s location in the car to catch the driver’s attention   Learn where a vehicle’s blind spot is and stay out of it   Make yourself visible at dawn, dusk and after dark by wearing light-coloured clothing or something reflective or carry a small light   Visit these web pages from the City and the province of Ontario for more safety tips  The City of Ottawa continues to make improvements to the safety of our roads and pathways with an emphasis on protecting vulnerable users – pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The City’s 2020-2024 Road Safety Action Plan guides these engineering, education and enforcement initiatives. But even the safest transportation network requires that everyone follows the rules of the road for their mode of transportation.  For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram

City of Ottawa - Cleaning the Capital Registration starts August 15

 

Registration begins August 15.  Let's keep Ottawa clean and green! Join the thousands of community volunteers helping keep Ottawa clean and green this fall! Register your litter cleanup project for the Cleaning the Capital Fall campaign by September 30th and then get cleaning between September 15 and October 15!  NEW this Fall: Standard cleanup kits This fall, Cleaning the Capital is making it easier and faster for participants to pick up their cleanup kits. Standard cleanup kits will be made available for pickup at participating City facilities between September 2 and October 12, 2025.  These kits include large gloves and garbage bags and will be offered in a variety of sizes.    You do not need to wait for a kit pickup notification email – you may collect your standard kit(s) at any time during the designated pickup timeframe.   To receive a standard kit, registrants will be required to provide the following details to staff at the pick-up location:  Registration code  First and last name  Number of volunteers participating in their project  Attention school groups: Cleaning the Capital staff will prepare custom cleanup kits for large school groups with 100 or more participants. These kits are individually packed and will include the appropriate number of gloves and bags based on your school’s group size.  You will receive a confirmation email when your kit is ready for pickup.   Tips for planning a successful litter cleanup project: Choose a public space to clean:  You can choose to clean up litter at a City park or green space, roadside, or shoreline. Check out the interactive map to ensure there are no other cleanups registered at your desired project location.  Register your cleanup project:  It helps staff keep track of the areas that have been cleaned across the city. Don’t forget to save the six-digit registration code provided in your confirmation email.  Pick up a cleanup kit (if required) between September 2nd and October 12th: Keep your registration code handy – you'll need to provide it to staff at the kit pick-up location.  Review the instructions for proper disposal of Cleaning the Capital waste/litter on ottawa.ca/clean prior to your planned cleanup project:  A reminder that Cleaning the Capital does not provide special pick-ups at residential curbsides for collected waste/litter.  Ensure safety first!  Share the general safety tips with your cleanup team.  Leave the leaves – pollinators need them!  Leaves should be left in open spaces that are maintained by the City, including parks, and in all naturalized and natural areas.  Submit your online cleanup report by October 31, 2025.  You will require your registration code to submit the report. Remember: The ward with the highest number of reported cleanup projects *WINS* The Great Ward Cleanup Challenge – so make your cleanup efforts count by submitting your report!   High school students: Need volunteer hours?  Cleaning the Capital is a flexible opportunity for students to earn their community involvement hours while making a positive impact in their community. Please review Student Volunteer Hours on ottawa.ca/clean for more information.  Fall 2025 Cleaning the Capital - Important dates

August 15, 2025:                                       Registration opens  September 2 - October 12, 2025:           Cleanup kits available for pickup at participating City facilities September 15 - October 15, 2025:         Cleaning the Capital Fall campaign  September 30, 2025:                                Last day of registration October 31, 2025:                                     Deadline to submit your online cleanup report  For more information on the Cleaning the Capital campaign, please visit ottawa.ca/clean.  Thanks for keeping Ottawa clean and green!

City of Ottawa - Cycling in the City - August 2025

 

Cycling Route Planning in Ottawa: Avoid Sidewalks

Many cyclists assume that the route they use for driving will also work for biking, but high-speed roads often lack safe cycling infrastructure. As a result, some people ride on sidewalks which is illegal in Ottawa unless clearly marked as a shared facility. Pedestrians always have priority in these areas and cyclists risk being fined.    Sidewalk riding is unsafe for a number of reasons:   Drivers expect slow-moving pedestrians on sidewalks, not fast-moving cyclists.   Sidewalk riding endangers pedestrians, especially in narrow areas.   A better option is to plan routes that avoid major roads that lack cycling infrastructure. Some tips for this are:    Take parallel residential streets: these tend to have lower vehicle speeds and be more comfortable.  Safe crossings: Use Google Maps Streetview to preview bridges or underpasses over rivers, highways, or arterials to find a route you are comfortable with.   Parks & pathways: some multi-use paths connect neighborhoods and avoid busy roads. Check Geo Ottawa or the City’s cycling map to see which ones allow cycling.     If you must use a sidewalk, walk your bike until you reach a safer route.   Some route planning tools that might help you are listed here: Transit App, Bike Ottawa’s Route Planner, Cycling Guide App, City of Ottawa’s GeoOttawa (enable “Active Transportation” layer), and paper maps available at libraries and community centres.

Smyth Road at Riverside Drive, Cycling Safety Improvement Project

With the recent pavement markings added, the Smyth Road cycling safety project at Riverside Drive has been completed. The intersection of Smyth Road and Riverside Drive was previously identified through the Cycling Safety Review of High-Volume Intersections. This project extends cycling facilities along Main Street and the McIlraith Bridge, to east of the Riverside Hospital Campus, and makes improvements to the intersections to reduce vehicle conflicts. Some minor additional works will be completed as part of the current construction on the hospital campus; this will include additional signage and pavement markings at the intersection and is currently anticipated for 2026.

Carling Road Safety - Bridge Removal

In July, a notable cycling safety concern along Carling Avenue was addressed on the approach to Kanata. A former CN Rail line crossed Carling Avenue on a bridge in this location since the early 1900s. With the rails removed in 2014 and the City acquiring the corridor in 2021, the bridge was recently removed as the first part of a cycling safety and connectivity project in this location. By removing the bridge and its abutments, the City has eliminated the pinch point and provided continuous paved shoulders along this segment.   A subsequent phase of this project will reconstruct the intersection of Carling Avenue and the entrance to the Shirley’s Bay federal campus. The reconstructed intersection will connect the Watts Creek Pathway south of Carling Ave to the former Beachburg rail corridor which will be repurposed into a multi-use pathway. This new multi-use pathway will extend along the rail corridor from Carling Avenue to Celtic Ridge Crescent. Look out for future updates on this project.

Bank Street Active Transportation Improvements – Public Consultation Coming This September

A large segment of Bank Street is currently under construction as part of a renewal project between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue. At the southern end of this segment, additional safety and connectivity improvements for residents walking and cycling are being considered between Kitchener Avenue and Johnston Road. The City has developed a functional design that includes new dedicated cycling facilities along Bank Street and the bridge, improved crossings of the  on and off-ramps at the Bank Street loop near Ledbury Avenue and the Home Depot, and a more direct pedestrian link via a ramp and stairs down the embankment to the Banff-Ledbury community. The design  focuses on enhancing safety and connectivity to Greenboro Park and Ride and surrounding amenities such as South Keys. These changes aim to improve comfort and safety while working within the constraints of the existing infrastructure.   An in-person public consultation is planned for September 2025 and on Engage Ottawa (webpage live in September); stay tuned to your local Councillor’s newsletter (Ward 16 and Ward 10) for details on how to find out more and share your feedback.

City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight - July 2025

 

AccessAbility Day 2025 Summary

On May 29, hundreds of dignitaries, staff and members of the public gathered at Ottawa’s City Hall to celebrate the 22nd annual City of Ottawa AccessAbility Day, which happens annually during National AccessAbility Week.  National AccessAbility Week started in 1988 to celebrate Canadians with disabilities and to raise awareness about accessibility and inclusion. This year, the biggest highlight was our keynote speaker, Rick Hansen, during which he provided an engaging account of his lived experiences as a person with a disability. The event also hosted a resource fair, showcasing accessibility-related projects and initiatives from across the City of Ottawa. Some of the highlights included the new Para Transpo bus, a traffic signals display with Accessible Pedestrians Signals push buttons and information about Inclusive Recreation programs, including integration and day programs.  AccessAbility Day 2025 was a celebration of the collective efforts and action of Council, staff, the Accessibility Advisory Committee and community advocates with lived experience who work tirelessly to identify and remove barriers throughout the City of Ottawa. If you missed it, you can watch the event, including Rick Hansen’s keynote address, on the City’s YouTube channel.  As part of the event, it was also announced that Ādisōke, the new Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada joint facility, recently achieved pre-construction certification through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification program. This recognizes that accessibility was integrated from the earliest phases of design and planning. The project team remains committed to achieving post-construction certification, which will ensure that accessibility is verified and maintained once the building is complete.  Federation of Canadian Municipalities Tour On May 30, the City of Ottawa and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) partnered to provide a tour showcasing accessibility advancements in the design of public spaces as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual Conference.  Councillors and municipal leaders from across the country participated in this guided tour, which highlighted how accessibility-related feedback from the community can be integrated into infrastructure design. The tour showcased various accessibility-related projects, including the new tactile plates recently installed on the Mackenzie King Bridge as part of a pilot project. These plates act as a visual and tactile separation between the pedestrian space on the sidewalk and the bike lanes, ensuring a higher level of safety and accessibility.  Please stay tuned for updates to the City’s Accessibility Design Standards and opportunities to provide your feedback in the future.   The TD Summer Reading Club During the summer months, Ottawa Public Library staff work to engage children, including those with disabilities, with literacy and learning through our summer reading initiative and library programs.   Reading in all forms is a critical life skill, and our libraries have resources and supports to ensure that each child can participate accessibly and reach the end of the summer feeling proud of their skills and reading accomplishments.  When a child joins the summer reading club, they are offered a bilingual reading notebook, which is also available in Braille or large print.  Additional accessible and inclusive considerations, as recommended by the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), are incorporated into our offered programs, such as adapting existing materials, providing coloured glue and left-handed scissors, offering accessible seating, and ensuring our instructors wear auditory devices when presenting.   To request accessibility-related accommodations to participate in any Ottawa Public Library program, please fill out the accessible services request form.  Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Review  The City of Ottawa is reviewing its Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan and is seeking your input.  The Community Safety and Well-Being Plan advances safety and well-being at the community level in seven priority areas: Discrimination, Marginalization and Racism Financial Security and Poverty Reduction Gender-based Violence and Violence Against Women Housing Integrated and Simpler Systems Mental Well-Being Youth Social Development These priorities were developed through community engagement and data analysis. Based on ongoing engagement, data and research with the community, these priorities still maintain relevance and importance for the City.     What safety and well-being issues matter most to you or your community? We invite you to share your thoughts through our online survey on Engage Ottawa, available until August 19, 2025.    Please feel encouraged to share this opportunity through your networks.    To learn more about the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan priorities and stay informed, visit and subscribe to the Engage Ottawa page.  For questions or feedback, please contact: CSWB/SBEC@ottawa.ca.

Monthly fare capping with Presto available August 1

Beginning August 1, enjoy monthly fare capping with your Presto card!    How does it work?   Load funds to your Presto card and tap your card as usual to pay per ride. When you take enough trips to reach the price of a monthly pass, your charges for that month will be capped and the rest of your trips for that month will be free.  For Senior, EquiPass, and Community pass holders, monthly fare capping on your Presto card offers you the flexibility of monthly savings without the upfront cost.   For example, if you are not sure how many trips you will take in a given month, don’t worry about buying a monthly pass at the beginning of the month. Just load your card with funds to pay as you go. If you only ride a few times, you’ll only pay for each trip. If you end up taking many trips, you won’t pay more than the price of a monthly pass!

Para Transpo Talk: August 19 to 21

Join OC Transpo for a Para Transpo Talk event celebrating summer and accessible transit! We’ll be out at the following locations in August: Tuesday, August 19, at Bowesville Station: 10 am to 2 pm and 6 to 9 pm Wednesday, August 20, at Hurdman Station: 10 am to 2 pm and 6 to 9 pm Thursday, August 21, at Tunney’s Pasture Station: 10 am to 2 pm and 6 to 9 pm Para Transpo Talk is a series of customer engagement events that are open to all Para Transpo customers, their families, companions and support persons. Everyone is welcome, no matter how often you use Para Transpo.   This time, we’ll be chatting about accessibility and navigating the O-Train. Have questions about how to make the train a part of your trips? Staff will be available to answer questions and provide interested customers on tours of stations or the O-Train.