Vision Zero Ottawa

We've allowed the spaces our children visit everyday to be taken away from them and devoted to motor vehicle chaos.

There is a better way and it starts with support and belief in school streets.

📷: La Place De L’Ange-Cornu, Permanent School Street in Montreal c/o @greencommunities.bsky.social

Courage Belongs at City Hall—Not in the School Crosswalk [2 minute read] city Priorities: No funding for school streets Every weekday morning at Ottawa schools, the same scene plays out: cars lined bumper‑to‑bumper around schools, drivers jockeying for p…

✅ School Streets are one tool to cut the school-zone chaos, making walking and cycling feel safe.

And yet.

❌ No funding or pathway for parent councils, schools, or communities.

Courage needs to come from city leadership - not kids crossing the street.

visionzeroottawa.ca/2026/03/06/c...

School Streets are already in the Transportation Master Plan.

We’re not lacking studies—we’re lacking leadership.

When will Ottawa stop moving slowly on safety and start moving boldly for kids?

🧵 4/4

Cities like Montreal, Kingston, Calgary, and Winnipeg have figured this out. Ottawa says it can’t spare resources, but admits a properly insured third party could run School Streets.

So why isn’t the city enabling that?

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❌ 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.

🧵 2/4

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..

🧵 1/4

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

Ottawa city councillor found guilty of impaired driving charges | CBC News Orléans East-Cumberland Coun. Matthew Luloff has been found guilty of impaired driving and having a blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit within two hours of ceasing to drive. A judge fined hi...

Today Cllr Luloff was found guilty of impaired driving. He chose to put people's lives (including his own) at risk in a gross lack of judgment.

How does a criminal conviction measure against the standard of the City’s Code of Conduct? @mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

One more day - Be a part of the joy!

Thank you to all ofthe community who advocated to make the core safe for people who walk, ride and roll. Together we will continue the effort to achieve the obvious. #4.

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American Economist Lant Pritchett proposed that changes to social norms generate 4 reactions:

1. First Perceived as Silly
2. Then Controversial
3. Then Progressive
4. Then Obvious

On No RTOR in the urban core, City council and staff are somewhere between (1) and (2)

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#ottbike #ottwalk

Ottawa's latest pedestrian fatality. We don't know the details. We know that this person has a family and community grieving a life cut short. We know that our city council and management have a road safety policy of accepting tragedy as inevitable. This tragedy is an outcome. Not an accident.

An infographic in a colorful whimsical style shows a parent and two children riding bikes through a meadow with tulips and flowers.

Kidical Mass Ottawa is getting ready for another season of joy, connection, and being the future we want to see.

Learn more about the movement and how you can get involved. Volunteers of every kind make this joyful event happen - we want to hear from you.

visionzeroottawa.ca/newsletter/

Screen capture of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee members, including the Bike Ottawa representative.

On February 26, 2026, Bike Ottawa delegated at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on the topic or right turns on red (link to video in post).

We encourage you to watch all the other delegations who had compelling arguments, data, and personal stories.

bikeottawa.ca/2026/02/27/r...

Public Works and Infrastructure Committee – February 26, 2026 YouTube video by Ottawa City Council

We spoke at PIWC to support Cllr Troster’s inquiry and advocacy on No Right Turns on Red in the urban core.

A flawed city staff report on RTOR shows that we have a lot of work to do in making the city safe to cycle, walk and roll.

Watch at 1:06:45

www.youtube.com/live/Q08A6s-...

Horrific. Just saw this on national news. I’d like to think city leaders will respond with steps to make Ottawa streets safer, but they just voted against some. #ottawa #autowa

Any driver movement responsible for any percentage of crashes with pedestrians or people on bikes is a percentage worth fixing.

That's the whole point of vision zero.

#SubSkeet.

YES. This is the whole point of Vision Zero. We shouldn't accept any deaths or serious injuries for the convenience of motorists. @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social

How citizen-led data tools are filling knowledge gaps about Ottawa's transit system Transit advocates are tracking service reliability for OC Transpo buses and trains to shed light on everyday realities.

Awesome to see the folks at @bettertransitottawa.ca getting the recognition that they deserve!

The passion is invigorating to see, and the tools are super useful as well!

ottawacitizen.com/news/citizen...

Check out their block tracker: bettertransitottawa.ca/tracker/blocks

Looking for some suggested language to email your councillor about prohibiting vehicular turns on red downtown?

We've got you: www.ecologyottawa.ca/suggested_la...

#RTOR #SafeStreets #OttCity #Ottawa

DUI was once a minor infraction. It took the efforts of MADD to make it both legally and socially unacceptable.

Today, distracted driving has become common - and increasingly tolerated - even though its consequences for human life are just as severe. It’s time we treat it with the same seriousness.

One of the more disturbing sections of the city's report on right turns on reds : they say that banning right turns on reds will lead to worse safety because drivers will be impatient and kill/injure people due to being inconvenienced.

We can't seriously be hiding behind this right?

Making Intersections Safer for Pedestrians Leading Pedestrian Intervals and No Turn on Red restrictions are common interventions that are often paired with each other to reduce the likelihood that motorists will crash with people walking.

"“Right turn on red restrictions are not standard practice when introducing leading pedestrian or leading bike intervals,” Gonthier said."👀👀👀👀👀 www.alexandriava.gov/transportati...

This is deeply concerning.

City staff recommending against making our streets substantially safer is irresponsible. The statistics don't even show the whole picture, as many near misses don't get reported.

Driving is a privilege, and it does not come before the lives and safety of our residents.

FAQs: Prohibiting vehicular turns on red downtown

Oh, and for some more information on RTOR (right turns on red—although left turns should be prohibited too), check out our FAQs. 4/3 #VisionZero #SafeStreets

www.ecologyottawa.ca/faqs_rtor

City-wide red light right turn ban creates ‘potential safety impacts’: Ottawa staff A blanket ban on right turns at red lights at intersections across the City of Ottawa could create “potential safety impacts, concerns and increased traffic congestion” and should be assessed on a cas...

@en.ottawa.ca staff’s thinking remains rooted in the bad old days—incidentally the same that produced #Ottawa’s unsustainable sprawl.

We’ve since realized that prioritizing a handful of drivers’ momentary convenience over everyone else’s safety is wrong. 1/3

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

I mean, we wouldn't want to implement a policy where we'd surpass Vision 20%. 🤔
#Ottawa #Autowa #VisionZero

Ottawa Staff on Right Turn on Red:
“They’re really stuck in 50s and 60s standards… how can I get that car through the intersection 30 seconds faster, and those 30 seconds could really make a difference to the life of a pedestrian”

Thank you @arieltroster.com

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

Vehicle emissions standards = livable cities + public health.

Canada has historically followed the U.S. on vehicle emissions.

But as the U.S. guts EPA rules, Canada must choose:
🇪🇺 Match the EU’s stronger standards, or
🇺🇸 Follow the U.S. down a path of unhealthy cities

Clean air is non-negotiable 🌍

Baby in stroller left with minor injuries after near-miss with driver in Kanata A stroller tipped over following a near-miss with a driver in Kanata on Thursday morning, leaving a baby with minor injuries.

A baby in a stroller was injured by a car driver, in the exact location where the Ford government forced the city to remove a speed camera.

I am so tired of how the provincial government is actively making our city less safe.

ottawacitizen.com/news/baby-st...

This poor family 😥. I'm glad they are (mostly) physically okay.

There's a reason this @tomflood.bsky.social graphic resonates with me and so many others.

Have you ever thought about how your last act might be a final push of the stroller to try and save your kid's life. I have. Far too often.