The city’s transportation committee approved two motions Wednesday that could change the way people get around in Ottawa.

Coun. Clive Doucet introduced a motion calling for segregated bike lanes on city streets, suggesting that separate bike paths could help improve safety for cyclists.

“I hope to see Ottawa becoming much safer,” Doucet said Wednesday. “We’ll hopefully have an east-west dedicated lane through the centre of the city, which we don’t have now. I mean talk to my staff, who come to work down Gladstone and have to share the lane with a bus — pretty scary.”

The committee agreed that a study is needed to examine whether segregated bike lanes will actually make cycling in the city safer.

Committee members also voted to close three side streets to traffic in Vanier in an attempt to draw more shoppers to Montreal Road.

The Quartier Vanier Merchants Association called for the street closures, which would limit access to Emond Street, Cody Avenue and the north end of Olmstead Street to at Montreal Road.

Both motions have to be approved by city council before they move forward.