Somerset Ward Coun. Catherine McKenney is proposing a number of measures the City can take–immediately or otherwise–to improve cycling safety in Ottawa.

The councillor, who erected a ghost bike display at City Hall following the death of a cyclist last week, has tabled a notice of motion to discuss road safety issues at the next council meeting, June 12.

“It was an emotional week, as you all know, for the cycling community and many others,” McKenney said, when she introduced the motion Wednesday morning.

The proposed motion calls on the City to adopt “Vision Zero” policies in the upcoming Official Plan, with the aim of eliminating road deaths in the Capital.

The measures would include things like building segregated, protected bike lines on any roads in the city’s official bike network whenever they are constructed, reconstructed, or resurfaced.

McKenney’s motion also calls for several immediate changes, including changing the priority of all traffic lights in the city to place the safety of pedestrians and cyclists first, before giving priority to public transit and then to traffic flow. McKenney also wants the City to immediately eliminate “revert reds” and “beg buttons” at intersections and ban right turns on red lights wherever bike lanes are present.

“Revert reds” are light patterns at intersections which will throw up a red light on a main street to allow for right turns from a side street. However, if the vehicle waiting to turn clears the sensor before the green light is fired on the side street, the brief red light on the main street reverts to green.

Beg buttons are the buttons pedestrians have to press to trigger a “walk” signal at intersections.

McKenney is also requesting the city erect flex stakes on all bike lanes in the city’s cycling network within three weeks of the motion’s adoption and then work on a plan to convert those lanes to segregated lanes within one year.

This notice of motion follows a silent bike ride and protest outside City Hall, where more than 200 cyclists and advocates rode up Laurier Ave. to Marion Dewar Plaza, to demand better cycling infrastructure in the city.

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper also tabled a notice of motion Wednesday, recommending the Finance and Economic Development Committee hold the one-time federal gas tax transfer as a reserve dedicated to cycling infrastructure improvements.

His motion will also go before Council June 12.