Ottawa's transit committee has passed a motion that will not force any residents of Roman Avenue to leave their homes.
The committee says while they will not expropriate the homes on Roman Avenue -- a west Ottawa street that backs onto a section of the Queensway -- residents who want to leave the neighbourhood can ask the city to purchase their houses.
City staff will now try to resolve the issue by asking the province to convert one lane of the Queensway to a bus-only lane between Bayshore and Queensway station.
City staff had previously recommended that the city's transit committee endorse a proposal to demolish 25 houses on the street, a move staff said would be the cheapest way to complete the western Transitway.
Residents of Roman Avenue, though, were at Ottawa City Hall Wednesday afternoon to fight to save their homes.
"It's devastating," Roman Avenue resident Barry Dickman told CTV Ottawa.
Councillors heard from more than 20 delegations Wednesday afternoon, asking that they tread lightly through the community and take more time to consider the issue.
The transit committee will revisit the issue in one month.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Chris Day
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