Latest news with #TimTierney
Ottawa Citizen
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: Fix the hazard of vanishing traffic-lane markings
Article content Disappearing lines are dangerous Article content Thank you to Coun. Tim Tierney for explaining why highways have become so dangerous, especially in the rain after dark on a busy, multi-lane highway such as the Queensway. The paints that have been substituted by federal fiat for those used formerly are not fit for purpose since the lines disappear rapidly. Article content Article content Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) contribute to destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects life on our planet, and must be managed. Canada played a lead role in securing international agreement, the Montreal Protocol, on action to protect the ozone layer. VOCs are also a hazard in the human environment. What is most important to the welfare of citizens is their control inside residences, offices and other buildings, where concentrations are higher and people are exposed for longer. That is managed without creating other hazards. Article content The simple-minded federal approach to highway paints has failed to take account of the resulting hazards to citizens. It also fails to deal with the relative importance of emissions from highway paint and from the combustion of gasoline and especially diesel fuel, that dominate the emission of VOCs from the use of roads. Until we all switch to EVs, sound environmental practice requires analysis of the the whole system, not just one side of the coin. The federal government has created a hazard to the health and welfare of citizens. It should re-evaluate. Article content Article content A big thank you to Coun. Tim Tierney for his enlightening piece on the short life of traffic lane markings. Like other drivers, I have long wondered about this fast-fading phenomenon and have dreaded driving at night, when the lines are entirely invisible. Article content Coun. Tim Tierney has done something surprising and praiseworthy. All politicians are front and centre when the cameras gather at festivals, at community centre openings, at special cause celebrations. I rarely see them posing when new sewers are finished, or potholes filled, or weed-choked playing fields finally cleared. Article content But those are the things we actually hire local politicians to take care of. It's the basic infrastructure of the city, the things we need and rely on daily that matter most.
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ottawa's construction season kicks off today. Here's what you need to know about road projects this summer
Construction season officially kicks off in the City of Ottawa today, with several projects planned for the spring and summer to fix up roads and improve infrastructure. Public Works and Infrastructure Committee Chair Tim Tierney will be joined by councillors this morning for an event to launch the 2025 construction season on Bank Street and outline the city's new construction safety campaign. The Bank Street Renewal is one of several construction projects underway across Ottawa. The work on 2.8 kilometres of Bank Street, between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue, includes the full reconstruction of the road and the sanitary sewer, storm water and watermains. There will also be new cycle tracks, the introduction of full height and mountable curb medians and new street scaping. The work will see Heron Road close between Bank Street and Alta Vista Drive starting June 1, and the current Bank Street lane reductions between Riverside Drive and Collins Avenue continuing through the summer. The 2025 City of Ottawa budget included millions of dollars for Ottawa's transportation networks, including $184.6 million for road, water and sewer projects, $69.5 million for road resurfacing, $34.8 million for transportation bridges and structures and $14.2 million for sidewalks and pathways. Other construction projects this summer include: Laurier Avenue between Bronson Avenue and Bay Street for resurfacing work Resurfacing Rothesay Drive, March Hurst Road, Thomas A. Doland Parkway and McElroy and Queensview drives Resurfacing work on Merivale Road, between Viewmount Drive and Meadowlands Drive Resurfacing Cedarview Road, from Fallowfield Road to Lytle Road Crews resurfacing Eagleson Road, from 250 metres south of Perth Street to Fallowfield Road Resurfacing work on Walkley Road between May and October New watermains, sewers and associated road rehabilitation on Greenfield Avenue and Main Street Construction also continues this summer on the rehabilitation of the Mackenzie King Bridge, between Elgin Street and Nicholas Street. In 2024, the City of Ottawa spent $600 million on bridge renewals, road rehabilitation, road resurfacing work, culvert renewals and replacements and traffic calming measures. Highway construction Motorists are also being warned of construction on Highway 417 through the spring and summer. The Highway 417 westbound on-ramp from southbound Pinecrest Road and the westbound off-ramp to Richmond Road are closed for Stage 2 LRT work. The ramps are scheduled to reopen in August. Starting May 20, there will be lane closures and lane changes on Hwy. 417 between Island Park Drive and Kent Street for work on the median. The traffic changes include lanes shifted to the outside to allow for median construction, 'periodic daytime (off-peak) and nighttime lane closures,' and the closure of the eastbound right lane at Kirkwood Avenue.
CTV News
25-04-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Council to discuss extending paid parking periods in parts of downtown: Ottawa councillor
Ottawa city council will consider charging for street parking until 9 p.m. in the evening in parts of downtown, councillor says. City council will discuss extending paid parking only in the areas with the most demand, Beacon Hill-Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney told 580 CFRA Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron Friday afternoon. 'People might come downtown, but park in a spot, especially during the day, and they'll sit there all day long. That's taking a way from local businesses,' he said. Tierney notes that the discussion is an effort to bring a more financially viable parking model that benefits local businesses, and people who want to buy something downtown without having to wait all day long. He compares people who park all day long, versus 'a senior who wants to buy brussels sprouts,' for example, and leave quickly. 'Well, those spots are always full,' Tierney said. Currently, residents are allowed to park for free on weekdays after 5:30 p.m. The proposal will go to public works on May 22, where council will discuss a so-called 80 per cent occupancy problem. Meanwhile, the City of Ottawa has placed a no stopping sign in the area of 260 Dalhousie St. in the ByWard Market, leaving small business owners upset, as it's a busy area. There used to be parking spots along the stretch of the road in the busy area of the ByWard Market. In a statement to CTV News Ottawa Thursday the city said that the changes are necessary, citing OC Transpo's upcoming New Ways to Bus. 'The changes to the allocation of road space on Dalhousie Street are required to both accommodate safe and efficient transit operations associated with OC Transpo's upcoming New Ways to Bus network service change, as well as to mitigate existing transit service reliability concerns along this important corridor. None of these changes include bus parking,' said Katrina Camposarcone-Stubbs, public information officer, Transit Services. 'South of Murray Street, 'no-parking' regulations will be expanded on both sides of Dalhousie Street to accommodate safe and efficient transit vehicle right turns from eastbound Murray Street to southbound Dalhousie Street. This new transit movement is required as a result of a routing change to OC Transpo Route 9 included in the New Ways to Bus network change. 'Between St. Patrick Street and Murray Street, existing parking along the southern segment of the area is being reallocated to provide a dedicated southbound left-turn lane. This change will allow southbound traffic to bypass stopped left-turning vehicles to reduce delays to both transit vehicles and general traffic.' Currently, on-street parking signage and road pavement markings are being updated on Dalhousie Street, she adds, noting that they will be completed prior to the implementation of the New Ways to Bus network. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy
CTV News
25-04-2025
- Business
- CTV News
City of Ottawa expects to save $10 million on fuel, natural gas after federal carbon tax removed
The elimination of the federal carbon tax could save the City of Ottawa millions of dollars on fuel and natural gas this year. The Liberal government reduced the carbon price for consumers to zero as of April 1. In response to an inquiry from Coun. Tim Tierney, staff say the 2025 City of Ottawa budget was based on a federal carbon tax rate of 21.4 cents per litre from January to April, and a rate of 25.4 cents per litre from April to December. Ottawa's natural gas budget was based on a federal carbon tax of 15.25 cents per cubic metre from January to April, and a rate of 18.11 cents per cubic metre from April to December. City Treasurer Cyril Rogers says the updated 2025 budget shows the city could save $10.5 million following the removal of the federal carbon tax. The savings include $7.2 million in savings on fuel for OC Transpo, $1.9 million in savings on natural gas for municipal facilities and $1.5 million in savings on fuel for municipal vehicles and buildings. 'It is important to note that the 2025 budget is based on pricing and volume consumption,' Rogers said. 'The savings identified above assumes the 2025 budget volume consumption is the same and does not account for higher fuel and natural gas volume consumptions driven by the above normal and harsh winter season from January to April.' A report on the 'actual fuel savings realized' by the city will be presented to the finance and corporate services committee later this year. Rogers adds any savings will be used to offset 'other operating deficits' in 2025, including winter operations costs for public works 'due to the harsh 2025 winter season.' Ottawa motorists saw gas prices drop 20 cents a litre on April 1 as the federal government lifted the consumer carbon tax on fuel prices.
