For years, entire communities - including schools, neighbourhood organizations and associations, businesses, families, friends and individuals - have taken up the Spring Cleaning the Capital challenge and worked together to keep Ottawa clean, green and litter-free.
Spring Cleaning the Capital is a great opportunity for high school students to add to their Community Involvement Program volunteer hours, and for family and friends to work together on community cleanup projects.
Registration is quick and easy. Select a cleanup location in River Ward. Cleanup locations can be on public property or an area in your neighbourhood requiring tidying up after the winter months. Once you have chosen a location and put together your spring cleanup team, register your project online at Ottawa.ca/clean or by calling 3-1-1.
Register on or before Monday, April 14, 2008 for a chance to win Early Bird prizes. Spring Cleaning the Capital participants who submit completed cleanup reports by Saturday, May 31, 2008 are also eligible to win one of many prizes donated by our generous Spring Cleaning the Capital sponsors.
Cleanup starter kits are available to registrants upon request while quantities last and include disposable vinyl gloves, garbage bags, leaf-and-yard waste bags and tips to assist your cleanup project.
During 2007, over 60,000 volunteers completed nearly 1050 registered cleanup projects during both Spring and Fall Cleaning the Capital. Register today to join the Spring Cleaning the Capital team and clean our community.
With your help, Spring Cleaning the Capital 2008 can be the best yet! Please call my office at 613-580-2486 if you have any questions.
If you did not have a chance to attend the meeting and are interested in helping beautify your community, I encourage you to contact 311 to sign-up for a free graffiti removal kit. The kit includes all the materials needed to clear graffiti from smooth surfaces. Please note that these kits must be used for removing graffiti on City of Ottawa property. This also includes Canada Post Mailboxes, as they are located on the City rite-of-ways. If you are interested in purchasing products to remove graffiti from your residential or business property, I encourage you to call my office for more information at 613-580-2486.
This long-term plan speaks to Council's four transit priorities, as outlined in the November 21, 2007 motion that I tabled at the joint Transportation and Transit Committee, of building a downtown transit tunnel, completing the Transitway, implementing rapid transit using the Cumberland Transitway alignment and implementing light rail transit to the southeastern growth area.
In a public consultation launched in Fall 2007, residents were asked to provide their input on transportation issues through a variety of mediums. Participants expressed a number of priorities including a transit system that is more efficient, convenient, reliable and comfortable. A strong interest was also expressed in the use of a downtown tunnel to reduce congestion.
In an effort to ensure residents have the opportunity to be involved in this process, the City will be accepting comments on the four options through a variety of venues, including public open houses and online at Ottawa, ca.
Community feedback will be included in an April 16, 2008 report where staff will table the recommended transit network and the approach for phasing of the projects to a joint meeting of the Transit and Transportation Committee. Another round of consultations will then take place on this recommendation. The final report will be discussed at the May 21, 2008 joint meeting of the Transit and Transportation Committee, and will rise to Council on May 28, 2008 for a final decision.
An investigation was initiated at each intersection to identify potential hazards that may have contributed to the high number of collisions. During the course of this investigation, three factors were identified requiring special consideration: the layout of Hunt Club Road, which is unique across the City; the proximity of the three intersections and its impact on traffic operations; and the fact that this roadway serves multiple users.
The outcome of this preliminary assessment demonstrated that these intersections should be assessed using a corridor approach, given the multifunctional characteristics and traffic operations of this facility, rather than reviewing each intersection in isolation.
Under the conditions described above, staff have decided to conduct an In-Service Safety Review (ISSR). The ISSR is an independent and formal process conducted by a team of road safety experts who, based upon experience and expertise, provide opinions on safety issues from the perspective of all road users. This in-depth engineering study will assess the safety performance of the road and identify cost-effective recommendations that will improve road safety and operations for all road users.
The study area on Hunt Club Road comprises from the Airport Parkway (ramps) to Albion Road. The length of the corridor is approximately 1.2 km. As well, it includes about 100m of adjacent roads.
I will keep you updated about this study.
Daytime concentrated street sweeping in downtown Ottawa is set to begin April 14, weather permitting, and will last about a week. Motorists parking downtown should pay special attention, as parking restrictions will be in effect on selected streets. This will allow crews to complete work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Drivers should watch for temporary "no parking" signs posted prominently in these areas. Vehicles parked where temporary "no parking" signs are posted could be ticketed and towed to nearby streets. This applies to all vehicles, including those with on-street parking permits.
While street sweeping is underway, there may be some noise and dust. Your patience is appreciated.
March Initiative
The City of Ottawa's Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP) puts the brake on
aggressive driving in March by focussing on drivers who run red lights and tailgate as
part of its monthly Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP).
In 2006, 843 reportable collisions occurred on Ottawa roads due to drivers running red lights. These collisions resulted in two deaths and 362 injuries - 13 of them serious. Tailgating is also a serious issue on Ottawa roads. In 2006, tailgating caused 4,364 rear-end collisions - the most frequent type of collision accounting for one-third of Ottawa's collisions overall. These collisions resulted in two deaths and 1,407 injuries - 35 of them life-threatening.
Green Partnership Program grants are available to local community associations, service clubs, non-profit groups, local Business Improvement Areas and community groups to improve and beautify their communities and environment through greening and cleaning projects.
Two funding levels are available. For projects on City-owned property, applicants may receive up to $20,000. For publicly-owned and accessible property, up to $10,000 is available. Funding must be matched by the applicant in either financial or in-kind contributions. Major Hallmark projects that take a highly innovative approach to cleaning and greening city property may be eligible for increased funding.
The funding application deadline is April 15,2008. Applications are reviewed as received with funding awarded on an ongoing basis. Approved projects must be completed by December 31, 2008.
Green Partnership Program application forms are available at Ottawa, ca/green and at all City Client Service Centres. For more information on the Green Partnership Program, please contact my office at 613-580-2486.
River Ward East
Hunt Club, Ridgemont, Riverside Park
Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visit Displays
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Presentations and Q&A
Location: Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centre 3320 Paul Anka Drive
(corner of Paul Anka and McCarthy)
The following organizations will be in attendance:
Ottawa Police Service " Ottawa Fire Service
City of Ottawa By-Law and Regulatory Services
City of Ottawa Public Works and Services, including Surface Operations
Neighbourhood Watch
Canadian Real Estate Association - Residential Marijuana Grow Operations and
Home
Buyer protection
Enter to win a ride-along with me and Police Chief Vernon White. Certain restrictions will apply