Wow I love migraines 🥲 especially ones that just pop out of nowhere. Surprise!

(Okay, I probably could have seen this one coming but I was in denial... I am stupid.)

It looked like clouds fell from the sky into the Ottawa River last Thursday afternoon, enveloping cities on both sides, plus the Alexandra Bridge. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Bank Street is about 1.3Km. Imagine how good bus lanes would be for transit service, not just on the 6 & 7, but every route that connects to them.

strongtownsottawa.ca/bank

Okay CTA. This is a good sign.

Graph showing the hours where the bus lanes would be in effect going Northbound for the pilot before and after Menard's motion, which cut down the hours by 33% (1 hr of the 3hrs)

Graph showing the hours where the bus lanes would be in effect going Southbound for the pilot before and after Menard's motion, which cut down the hours by 33% (1 hr of the 3hrs)

For reference this is what the "data collection" motion did to the hours of the bus lanes. Certainly doesn't just seem like "collecting data" to us...

Describing gutting the hours that the bus lanes will be in effect by 33% (2 of the 6 hours) as "cleaning up a few things around data collection in particular" is certainly a very interesting way to tell the public/other councillors what you're trying to do...

Please contact your local councillor.

Unfortunately, Ottawa falls into the 'service cuts' part of the Venn diagram.

Transit Committee– April 9, 2026 YouTube video by Ottawa City Council

Today Ajay of @bettertransitottawa.ca had a wonderful delegation at Transit Committee about the decision to cut back on the already watered down Bus Lanes on Bank Street pilot. We highly recommend watching it!

www.youtube.com/live/p09lCEc...

It has taken more than 4 years to get a 'pilot project' passed, which actually won't start until next year, and really all that 'pilot project' does is change some signs — we're supposed to be impressed that such a feat was even possible.

I'd like to know this too! What's exactly at stake here??

I think at this stage being open about why this was pulled at the last minute would do a lot to help appease us in the public who were blindsided by this.

"more at stake" — Were all the stakes not exposed and accounted for in council? If not, why not? Stakeholders unknown, or standing in the shadows? If so, why?

Motion brought forth to council by Councillor Menard, which sought to restrict the bus lanes on Bank Street from 3 hours in each peak direction to 2 hours.

Disappointment at council today. Council just passed a motion from Councillor Menard for the Bank Street bus lane study which will restrict bus lanes even further from staff's proposed 3 hours to 2 hours. This means we will get no data about how parking affects bus flow in the area.

It is profoundly demoralizing to watch this City Council prattle on and on about the dismal state of transit in this city, and then spit in the face of transit users at any and every opportunity that crosses their desks to actually do something about the fucking problem.

Sigh… this makes zero-sense!!!
Last-minute motion to reduce scope of sidewalks in Manor Park during integrated renewal - so baking in less pedestrian connectivity? In what world does this make any sense.
@strongtownsottawa.ca @toondreessen.bsky.social @otttransitriders.bsky.social
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The Glebe BIA has taken down their 2025 RETAIL MARKET & GAP ANALYSIS report that pro-Bank-Street-Bus-Lanes delegates were using to counter the BIA's own talking points, presumably for that exact reason.

Dead link: intheglebe.ca/wp-content/u...

Backed up copy: filebin.net/y3xt647u5dip...

I did a thread about this last week, so when you see this grown man throwing down like a toddler, I want you to remember he doesn't know anything, including the numbers his own market data is showing him. Also, a pub owner against bus lanes is nuts. Business owners are not intelligent, just lucky.

The illusion of consultation and “viewing all sides.” Sided there are going to be some negatives (loss of a few parking spots) but what is best for the city, as a whole? Bus lanes; it’s embedded in our OP, our goals and objectives. Just do it. Getter done. Do it now. Move faster. Be bold. 2/

Here’s my issue: this is obvious that it makes sense: there’s zero reasons to not implement this. Why does it take grassroots orgs, deputations, endless discussions, debates and reviews to implement good policy, make decisive leadership decisions. We are buried in bureaucracy for the sake of 1/

Graph showing the cancellations and trips removed from the schedule since January over time. Last week had a major drop in missing trips

Notice something special about last week? Last week had far fewer cancellations than other days. They even brought back the 255 trips cut from the schedule back in January. Almost no bus shortage

How's this possible? This was because last week was March break, so no school routes were running.

A page from the Glebe BIA Retail Market and Gap Analysis Final Report. The highlighted section says " The analysis concluded that even if on-street parking were removed along Bank St, there would still be parking available on side streets and in the parkades; however, the businesses who participated in the study perceived there to be an inadequate supply of parking. The study posited that the perceived lack of parking is likely due to the underutilization and lack of awareness about the existing parking garages, which cost the same or less than on￾street parking along Bank St."

Wow, whoever the Glebe BIA hired for their retail analysis really knows what they're talking about! They directly tell the BIA that the on-street parking on Bank Street is not needed for local businesses, and that there are plenty of available spaces around that are cheaper to use!

Dear Lise Guèvremont, While we are optimistic for the Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study, we believe the most recent public proposal does not go far enough to prioritize public transportation and move as many people as possible. The Centretown Community Association would like to make the following suggested changes to the Bank Street Transit Study: Bus lanes should be bi-directional whenever in use and the city should consider expanding the duration of active bus lanes. The number of 24/7 bus lane sections should be expanded. There should be more frequent use of transit priority signals throughout Bank Street. The definition of large events requiring bus lanes should be expanded to include events like 613flea and Ottawa Charge games. Signage should be improved to direct drivers to the 2nd Avenue parking garage. As OC Transpo faces reliability and confidence issues, we need to prioritize fast and reliable public transit. Bus lanes are a great way to reduce operating costs, speed up travel times, and increase the number of people that will ride the bus. We would also love to see the city lean into the pilot project aspect of the Bank Street Transit Study. Once implemented, we believe the project should be reviewed within the first six months with consideration taken to increase bus lane durations and to expand bus lane locations, including into Centretown. As the busiest bus corridor in the city, we need to be maximizing the efficiency of bus travel to ensure traffic flows smoothly and reliably. A reminder that the City’s own data collected outlined that 77% of respondents want more space for people outside of private vehicles on Bank Street. Thank you, Robert Dekker CCA President

The Centretown Community Association has sent a letter suggesting changes and improvements to the Bank Street Transit Study.

As the busiest bus corridor in Ottawa, Bank street needs to prioritize moving people over cars.

The businesses on Bank are fighting the reality of their own data because they drive, and assume everyone else does too. They're wrong, based on their own report. And it is just about time we stopped letting business slow down our transit system because *they* don't want to walk for five minutes.

apropos of nothing i feel like if you're like "i have a week to get this thing done" and then you get a migraine in the middle of said week you deserve to give yourself the option of an extra day. since fuck migraines

That's awesome!!

❌ No funding
❌ No pathway or incentive for parent councils, schools, or communities to create a School Street.

Instead of reducing danger for kids walking and biking to school, Ottawa seems determined to protect the higher risk of the status quo. That’s not safety—it’s ossified thinking.

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Third party would need to fund, accept liability to close roads in front of schools during pick-up and drop-off times: City The City of Ottawa says neither city staff nor the Ottawa Police Service have the resources to manage a proposal to close roads to vehicle traffic in front of schools during pick-up and drop-off times...

Why is Ottawa dragging its heels on School Streets? Ottawa knows the benefits.

✔️ The city has acknowledged the 2024 EnviroCentre implementation study
✔️ Many councillors voiced support for a funded program in the 2022 School Streets Ottawa survey

And yet..

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www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...

We celebrate clever people creating clever graphics to make clever points to help cities make more clever city-building decisions.

An OC Transpo #6 bus in a bus lane. Inside of the bus there are multiple people, each with a text showing what they're going to be doing. They say "Grabbing a bite to eat", "Going to Lansdowne", "Getting a haircut", "Bought groceries", and "Can finally fit on the bus". The final one was a user in a wheelchair. Beside the bus there is a single person in a truck in the regular travel lane. Pointing to him it says "Just driving through". They have a thought bubble coming out from their head saying "That bus lane is going to ruin local business!".

An amazing member of ours put together this graphic that really encapsulates perfectly the situation on Bank Street.

There is only so much space available, and we must use it as efficiently as possible. Parking isn't that.

Please sign up to delegate on March 30th in favour of bus lanes!

The Glebe BIA had a report done about the area.

We think this image perfectly encapsulates the reason for hesitancy by the business owners to get rid of parking.

While 86% of the respondents who come to shop said they get there by means other than driving, 94% of the owners said they drove.