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Traditionally, assessing transportation impacts meant assessing the impact on automobile delay only. More recently, professionals have started to criticize this approach and have identified the need to consider the ‘level of service’ of non-auto modes to support the design of complete streets that meet the needs of all street users. In fact, many municipalities are now mandating the assessment of the multimodal impacts. However, the tension between providing vehicle capacity and developing a street that provides safety and comfort for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users often remains a challenge.
In 2015, the City of Ottawa adopted the first made-in-Canada Multimodal Level of Service (MMLOS) Guidelines, which provided a step-by-step methodology for determining the level of service for different modes, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, trucks and automobiles, in addition to target levels of service within different policy contexts. This tool was developed within the City of Ottawa Complete Street Framework to provide a quantitative tool for assessing design alternatives.
MMLOS analysis has since been applied to most City of Ottawa transportation planning and operational studies for both municipal and private developer projects. Recently, the City initiated a MMLOS Guideline Update to improve the tool’s value in informing decision-making and reflect new Ottawa Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan Policy directions. As the second iteration, the methodology has been updated to reflect new design guidelines and standards, new policies and new best practices, in addition to knowledge gained from several years of practical MMLOS application. The Update provides a detailed overview of how multi-modal level of service indicators are to be used to support multi-modal travel in municipal projects and the transportation impact assessment process. The Update also includes a new Public Realm Level of Service Tool and Design Checklist that incorporates the “healthy streets” approach, in addition to a new refined excel tool and a new Design Decision Making Framework developed to assist in assessing alternative complete street designs.
This presentation will provide an overview of the City of Ottawa’s new 2024 Multimodal Level of Service Guideline Update, including the new Public Realm tool, the new refined excel tool, and the new Design Decision Making Framework.
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