Hamilton and other municipal governments will be encouraged or forced to contribute to the climate actions announced last week by the province. The Wynne government action plan provides new funds and powers to cities but also pushes them to effectively contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions especially in relation to transportation – the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario.
The wide-ranging provincial strategy will change parking rules, require planning decisions to be climate-friendly, and force cities to expand safe cycling infrastructure and plant more trees. It will also allow municipalities to expand green regulations, require electric-vehicle charging stations, and establish “low emission zones” and other congestion management bylaws.
The five year provincial plan responds to growing public concern about the impacts of climate change such as extreme weather. “When my grandchildren ask me what we did to help our planet, I want to be proud of what we accomplished,” declared Premier Kathleen Wynne in announcing the plan.
It has generally received positive reviews including from a coalition of urban environmental organizations who say it “will help set the stage for building the cities of tomorrow.” The group includes Environment Hamilton whose executive director, Lynda Lukasik, pointed particularly to increased support for cycling.
“Many city residents would love to cycle instead of drive, but they will only do so if they know cycling is safe for themselves and their family,” said Lukasik. “This plan earmarks over $150 million to create safe cycling networks and infrastructure [and] this is great news for everyone because it will also reduce traffic congestion.”
The province says it will “require commuter cycling infrastructure to be considered for all road and highway construction projects” and major transit corridors. It promises that “commuter cycling networks will be established across Ontario, targeting routes with high-commuting volume such as between residential communities, major transit stations and employment areas,” and that there will be “more cycling facilities in urban areas, including grade-separated routes and cycling signals.”
The new plan will require cities to include climate change mitigation and adaption in their official plans, and Queen’s Park proposes to put those in all environmental assessment and to “make climate change a provincial interest, which would ensure climate change is taken into consideration when planning decisions are made.” Cities will also be able to “require installation of electric vehicle charging stations in surface parking areas” and will get provincial monies to double tree planting and implement transportation demand management plans.
“The plans will be designed to help increase walking, cycling, carpooling, telecommuting and flex-work schedules, thereby reducing overall fossil fuel consumption, traffic congestion and transportation emissions,” says the action plan. “The number of trees to be planted within the boundaries of urban municipalities will be doubled from one million to two million, with funding for irrigation where appropriate.”
Transportation accounts for more than a third of Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions “with cars and trucks responsible for more than 70 per cent and the remainder caused by aircraft, rail, marine and off-road vehicles, and the totals have been rising with population growth and people living farther from their workplaces. The climate plan
Besides providing assurances that “green projects will get matching provincial funding, with a focus on demonstrating the best cost-per-tonne reduction,” the plan also promises to “continue to invest in social-housing retrofits, including energy-efficient windows and thermal insulation on piping, boiler replacements, and other mechanical systems.”
To help ensure the economic uplift from transit projects like Hamilton’s LRT, the province will eliminate minimum parking rules from municipal zoning bylaws “in transit corridors and other high-density, highly walkable communities” over the next five years.
“Minimum parking requirements are a barrier to creating complete, compact and mixed-use communities,” the plan explains. “Instead, bylaws will encourage bike lanes, larger sidewalks, and enhanced tree canopies.”
This philosophy appears to run counter to Hamilton council’s plans to build two new parking garages – downtown and at the west harbour – at an expected cost of over $40,000 per vehicle space. That range of costs has been often cited as a major obstacle to intensification projects along major transit lines.
Supporting density is a strong thread running through the provincial climate plan which points out that “compact, mixed-use and pedestrian-oriented city designs can decrease transportation emissions per household by 24 to 50 percent, compared to conventional suburban neighbourhoods.”
Ontario achieved the Kyoto target of a 6 percent emissions reduction by 2012 primarily by shutting down coal-fired electricity facilities. It’s now aiming to achieve 15 percent by 2020 and 37 percent by 2030 – substantially above the current Canadian targets set by the Stephen Harper administration.