River Ward City Councillor Maria Mcrae's Report to Hunt Club Community Organization 18 June 2007

Airport Parkway Lighting

Construction has started regarding the installation of streetlights along the west side of the Airport Parkway from Brookfield Road to Hunt Club Road. The work, commencing with the underground cabling, pole installation and energizing the lights, will take place over the next four months.

Reminder about the New City-wide Give-Away Day

As reported previously, Council approved a city-wide Give-Away Day to be held on Saturday, June 23, 2007 with a rain date on Sunday, June 24, 2007. This new one-day program lets residents place their unwanted household goods at the curb for their neighbours to pick-up for free. The intent of the program is to help residents reuse household items that otherwise might end up in local landfills. Residents are asked to place items they would like to give away at the curb after 9:00 a.m. and retrieve the items if they have not been collected by 4:00 p.m. that same day. This is a great way to dispose of items that you may no longer want - which someone else may need.

Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP)

In May 2007, the Integrated Road Safety Program laid 594 charges for failing to stop for stop signs and tailgating. The stop sign running initiative resulted in the laying of 532 charges, and 62 tickets were issued to drivers following the vehicle ahead too closely.

This month, the City of Ottawa's Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP), through its Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), is focusing its attention on motorists exceeding set speed limits in construction zones and impaired driving.

Provincial legislation allows for the doubling of fines for motorists caught exceeding posted speed limits in construction zones when workers are present. The Ottawa Police Service will be applying this legislation with a zero tolerance approach. In Ottawa, between 2004 and 2006, 468 collisions occurred in construction zones resulting in one fatality and 86 injuries. Three construction workers were actually struck by motorists while on the job, leaving one of them with life-altering injuries.

The consequences of speeding in construction zones goes beyond the safety of the work crews. The majority of collisions involve vehicles colliding with other vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Construction zones present many obstacles for road users. That's why it is imperative to slow down and proceed safely through construction zones, always remaining cognizant of work crews, pedestrians and other vehicles.

In addition to our focus on construction zone safety in June, impaired driving will also receive close attention. In 2006, 393 impaired driving-related collisions occurred on Ottawa roads. These collisions resulted in 194 injuries, 21 of them serious, and eight deaths. 81 percent of the impaired drivers were male and 26 percent were between the ages of 16 and 25.

Community Safety and Crime Prevention Meeting

I would like to thank those who attended my Community Safety and Crime Prevention Meeting held at the Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centre on Monday, May 28, 2007.

I received a great deal of feedback from this meeting. Residents of River Ward continue to explain the importance of the face-to-face discussions with those involved in keeping our communities safe and protected.

Talkin' Trash

I held my first ever Talkin' Trash event on Monday, June 11, 2007 at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre. I am happy to report that it was a wonderful success.

Those who attended the public forum were very excited to hear about the City's Partnership with the Fiasco Energy Group and their Plasma Waste Conversion Pilot Project at the Trail Road Landfill. City Staff ware also on hand and made a wonderful presentation about the City's new Compost Plus Program that will begin in the early Fall of 2008. This presentation was also well received.

Seniors Ride Free on OC Transpo on Wednesdays in July and August 2007

OC Transpo will be offering free rides to seniors this summer as part of a promotion to encourage them to try transit. Every Wednesday in July and August, seniors aged 65 and older can ride transit for free.

The "Seniors Summer Special" is designed to reach seniors who haven't taken transit lately, to encourage them to try transit for shopping trips, to get to appointments or just visit friends. The program will emphasize the fact that most vehicles are fully accessible, all feature priority seating at the front, and close to 700 buses - the majority of the fleet - are air-conditioned for a comfortable ride in the summer heat.

Senior riders will not be required to show any ID unless requested by the operator or fare inspector, in which case they must be prepared to show some form of ID indicating their age -especially those who may be mistaken for someone younger than 65. The offer includes all bus routes and the O-Train, but does not include Para Transpo service.

This initiative is part of a 2007 transit awareness program which, in addition to the free-ride incentive, includes: awareness of seniors' travel needs on the part of bus operators; awareness and sensitivity on the part of fellow riders; and easy access to information and travel planning assistance for new riders.

By identifying one day a week for the free service, other service providers - including the city's recreation department, or shopping centers - will be able to time other seniors-oriented programs to coincide with the transit incentive.

The 2007 transit awareness program is one of several City initiatives coordinated within the Seniors Agenda, which is one of the priority projects contained within the Community and Protective Services' (CPS) Strategic Plan. CPS has been collaborating with Transit Services, other City branches, and community organizations such as The Council on Aging to address transportation, housing and communication priorities as they pertain to seniors.

Environment Week

Canadians celebrated Environment Week from June 3-9, 2007.

The City of Ottawa is moving forward to transform our city into the best it can be and a big part of that is caring for where we live. Here are just a few examples of recent actions the City has taken towards protecting our environment:

City Wins Provincial Award

The City's Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP) campaign, "Speeding Costs You Deerly," has been recognized as the Province's top traffic safety initiative for 2006. The Ontario Government presented the 2006 Road Safety Achievement Award to the campaign team on - including representatives from two City Departments (Public Works and Services and Ottawa Public Health) and Ottawa Police Services.

The campaign ran from October to early December 2006. It involved creative billboards, radio ads, paid television public service announcements, media coverage and roadside signs, encouraging motorists to be aware of deer and reduce speeds to increase reaction time. In addition, Ottawa Police Services conducted increased enforcement in high deer incident areas.

This IRSP campaign involved a partnership between Ottawa Police, Ottawa's Public Health and Public Works and Services Departments, and community partners - including CAA North & East Ontario, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, OPP and Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. The campaign's promotion was designed and implemented by the City's Client Services and Public Information Branch.

The long-term IRSP goal is to reduce traffic fatalities or serious injuries by 30 per cent by the year 2010. The Program helps to better integrate the three E approach (Engineering, Education and Enforcement) and thereby increase their effectiveness and impact in the delivery of various City-led initiatives that aim to improve road safety.

City of Ottawa Satisfaction Survey

On May 29, 2007, the City of Ottawa released the full results of a scientific Decima survey and subsequent focus groups of residents' priorities and satisfaction with City services. Survey results were presented to City Council on the morning of the 29th as part of Council's transformation discussions.

The release included information on key issues including City priorities, civic pride, vision, and satisfaction with the city's fiscal management. Highlights of the report include:

The results of the survey are helping to better inform Councillors on the views of residents as they continue in a series of strategic planning sessions. These sessions are intended to allow Council to be better positioned to create a multi-year budget and begin a transformation process that will result in improved service delivery, new Council governance, and financial stability for the City of Ottawa. Full results of the Decima survey can be found online on www.ottawa.ca.

9-1-1 Children's Achievement Awards

It was my pleasure to participate in a ceremony to praise nine outstanding young members of our community at the 9th annual 9-1-1 Children's Achievement Awards on May 11, 2007. We honoured several boys and girls for their courage in facing difficult situations. In each case, the children thought clearly and acted responsibly.

Established in 1998, the Children's 9-1-1 Achievement Awards recognizes children, who use the service effectively. The City continues to educate residents of all ages on how and when to use 9-1-1. They encourage everyone to use 9-1-1 in any situation where a fire, medical emergency or crime-in-progress jeopardizes the safety of people or property.

Spring Cleaning the Capital Results

Approximately 750 projects and 47,274 participants who registered! Thanks to everyone who contributed to this year's successful Spring Cleaning campaign!

Fall Cleaning the Capital will take place between Saturday, September 15 and Monday, October 15,2007. Details will be available in August for fall registration.

West Nile Virus Control Program

The Public Health branch implemented its 2007 West Nile virus control program starting the week of May 14, 2007.

As in previous years, the 2007 control plan consists of:

Residents are asked to call 613-580-2424, ext. 26138 to report dead crows, ravens and blue jays.

For additional information on the West Nile virus and the City of Ottawa's 2007 West Nile virus control plan, please contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744, or visit the City website.

Enhanced Graffiti Management Strategy

City Council approved an enhanced Graffiti Management Strategy aimed at keeping Ottawa a clean, safe and beautiful city on May 23, 2007. The updated strategy will take effect in 2008 and builds upon lessons learned from the Orleans Graffiti Management Pilot Project, best practices from other municipalities, and responds to specific gaps identified by Council and citizens. Several initiatives under the new strategy include:

The City's Graffiti Management Strategy has been in operation since 2003, with a current budget of $585,000 per year. As a result of Council's approval of the enhanced Graffiti Management Strategy, Council will consider the total funding request of $1.9 million during the 2008 budget deliberations.

If you see graffiti, please feel free to contact my office. If you see graffiti vandalism happening, it is considered a crime in progress and can be reported by calling 9-1-1.

Police Enhance Response to Disorderly Youth in Parks and Open Areas

Ottawa Police Service's West and East Divisions and other City partners have introduced an integrated strategy to deal with an increasing number of complaints from residents and businesses regarding overnight disturbances in Ottawa.

A team of Neighbourhood Officers (NHOs) has been identified to coordinate and respond to complaints about night-time youth activities at a growing number of the West end's 450 parks and East end's 368 parks. The various complaints include noise, unauthorized entry to outdoor pools, drinking, drug trafficking, prostitution, and vandalism."

These NHOs will be working in partnership with the City of Ottawa's By-law Services and Corporate Security and Transit Security. The integrated approach will heighten information sharing between the partners and ensure the efficient deployment of appropriate resources to the right location.

The coordinated response will allow Ottawa Police to respond primarily to complaints involving alleged criminal activity, disorder and threats to public safety. Police will also be increasing bicycle patrols in parks during the summer months.

By-law Services will focus their efforts on proactive patrols of problem parks and by enforcing violations of City by-laws such as noise complaints and restricted access to parks between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

This year, OC Transpo and other City employees will be acting as the "eyes and ears" to monitor activity. These partners are in our community and have access to communication with Ottawa Police Service and By-law.

In addition, the City of Ottawa People Services Division are continuing with the Youth on the Move Program. The City's Youth on the Move Program is a multi-facetted program with teams of two outreach workers who will focus on working with teens to direct their energy towards more productive and healthy choices. Although they will not be enforcing by-laws, they will liaise with Police and By-Law to identify problem areas. The outreach workers will be in place, either on bicycles or on foot from the end of June to the end of August in our parks.

There are also a number of key improvements that have been made to address the challenge of disorderly youth. For example:

The public can play a key role in this strategy by reporting crime and disorder problems. There is a wide array of resources available to the public to "Make the Right Call!":

Have a Wonderful Summer

I would like to take this time to wish you and your family a happy and restful summer.