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Access ByWard

EnviroCentre is a non-profit organization that helps people reduce greenhouse gas emissions through cost-effective investments in more energy-efficient homes, lifestyles, and transportation habits.

What are they doing?

EnviroCentre proposes to build a partnership with the ByWard Market Business Improvement Area (BIA) and the City of Ottawa to develop Canada’s first Transportation Management Association (TMA) for a mixed entertainment, tourist, and retail district. According to a recent study commissioned by the BIA, almost half of the people who come to the Market live in the downtown Ottawa area, while nearly a quarter of year-round attendance is attributed to tourists. These are two demographics that could easily benefit from improved transit, shuttle services and incentives, as well as being two relatively convenient audiences to reach with targeted social marketing and education. Parking availability and traffic congestion are consistently the most significant concerns identified by members of the BIA, frustrations also expressed by their clients and patrons. These concerns can be addressed from an environmental sustainability perspective to the short- and long-term benefit of both businesses and consumers. An effective TMA would develop stakeholder-driven solutions to safety issues like pedestrians crossing streets through slow-moving car traffic, as well as traffic congestion concerns like intersections that are often blocked by a steady stream of foot traffic at designated crosswalks.

The primary goals of the ByWard TMA would be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced in the Market by automobile traffic and idling. This would be accomplished while improving access to the Market and addressing ongoing concerns with parking and traffic congestion as they affect shoppers’ ability to patronize the area’s shops and services. The successful development of this TMA would also provide a local example of an effective means to manage transportation that could be followed by other local commercial and industrial areas around Ottawa.

This TMA would be unique in several ways, most notably in that the ByWard Market is composed primarily of small businesses, while most TMAs are organized by large organizations with many employees. The experience and research developed over the course of this project will contribute to broadening the body of knowledge with regard to developing similar associations across Canada.

Where can you find more information?

EnviroCentre Website

Date modified:

2010-02-03

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