Rideau Street Renewal

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I can't speak to Rideau (though it seems like they've done quite a bit since April; remember there was underground work and watermain work completed by RTG as well).

But I see similar slow progress with pathway construction in my neighbourhood as a number of small pathways were dug up and re-built. (I'm talking several weeks to rebuild a 100m pathway). My only explanation for the slow process is the contractor is moving their resources amongst all the various projects they have on the go.

Yep. Lowest bid means you've got a contractor who has lined up a bunch of projects and is shifting resources from one to the next to maximize utilization and efficiency.

[YOWflier]

I don't know about this project specifically but I do know that the entire outdoor industry is (unusually) slammed this year. Seasonal business dealing with a shortened season. Shifting crews and equipment around is not just a lowest bid phenomenon. There are serious material shortages too.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Catenary

Yep. Lowest bid means you've got a contractor who has lined up a bunch of projects and is shifting resources from one to the next to maximize utilization and efficiency.

Makes sense in theory but in practice I'm not sure they are "maximizing utilization and efficiency"...

Take the case of one particular pathway that connects my neighbourhood to an adjacent one where my kids' school is located.

Signage went up to close the pathway in late July. It was dug up in the 2nd week of August. It was finally paved the Friday before Labour Day.

Then the day after Labour Day (the first day of school), they came back, saw cut and dug up the brand new asphalt at either end and installed new curbs and concrete with the TSWIs.

How does that construction sequencing make any sense? They could have done the concrete work first, and then paved without having to dig up brand new asphalt.

[J.OT13]

Update on Rideau Street renewal. They get into street trees and their survival around the half-way mark, but I'm not sure they explain how this project is different.

• Video Link

[OTownandDown]

Here's what happened:

1. City awarded contract to lowest common denominator.
2. LCD, to meet project schedule at first site meeting set up signage.
3. LCD f*cked off for three months, ignoring emails from City project manager.
4. Contractor, in a fit of hyperactivity one day (read: there was some extra asphalt from another job) went over and paved everything, to get the city off his back.
5. Under threat of not getting paid, LCD sent some juvies over to the path to cut out the asphalt and put in the TWSI plates.

I'm sure it's super 'great' work that 'definitely' won't buckle or pothole.

Originally Posted by bradnixon

Makes sense in theory but in practice I'm not sure they are "maximizing utilization and efficiency"...

Take the case of one particular pathway that connects my neighbourhood to an adjacent one where my kids' school is located.

Signage went up to close the pathway in late July. It was dug up in the 2nd week of August. It was finally paved the Friday before Labour Day.

Then the day after Labour Day (the first day of school), they came back, saw cut and dug up the brand new asphalt at either end and installed new curbs and concrete with the TSWIs.

How does that construction sequencing make any sense? They could have done the concrete work first, and then paved without having to dig up brand new asphalt.

[eltodesukane]

Rideau Street 2020 October 03

[Harley613]

That Chapters is getting really long in the tooth. It's sad to see it go from the first of it's kind in Ottawa with really unique features to just a worn down book store. I miss the atrium over Starbucks, the couches and the general excitement of it when it was new. I hope they gut it and turn it into an Indigo before it's too late.

[YOWflier]

It is looking a little worse for wear although it's always insanely busy when I go. It also has the city's only American Girl store... still unique in that regard at least.

[kwoldtimer]

edit

[JHikka]

Already excited for these extra wide sidewalks. Going to be fun in a summer post-COVID.

[J.OT13]

https://twitter.com/CapHistOttawa/status/1317094746838454272

vs June 2019. Can't find anything more recent.


https://www.railfans.ca/otrain/snapshot-updates/snapshot-for-rideau-june-9-2019

From Downtown Rideau BIA:


https://twitter.com/DowntownRideau/status/1317053845269368832

[kwoldtimer]

Is it terrible that there's a little voice in my head that keeps saying "lipstick on a pig"?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Is it terrible that there's a little voice in my head that keeps saying "lipstick on a pig"?

I'll reserve my judgement until it's complete, but so far it seems far better than what we had previously, but certainly not "World Class", which is a term I'm sure the Mayor will use at some point to describe it, just like his Chevrolet O-Train.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I'll reserve my judgement until it's complete, but so far it seems far better than what we had previously, but certainly not "World Class", which is a term I'm sure the Mayor will use at some point to describe it, just like his Chevrolet O-Train.

Oh, I think it will certainly look better. The street furnishings, however, were never Rideau's main problem.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Oh, I think it will certainly look better. The street furnishings, however, were never Rideau's main problem.

I was thinking more about the width of the sidewalks, greenery and cycling infrastructure, not the street furniture (which we haven't seen yet as far as I know).

If you're referring to the homeless population, addicts and dealers, the renewal won't help, just as the Rideau Centre and OAG expansions, Ogilvy Square and Confederation Line didn't do much in that regard. The proposed Salvation Army in Vanier, regardless of our personal opinions, will help Rideau Street by moving part of the problem a few kilometers east.

[Kitchissippi]

That Scotiabank building is such a disappointment. They had a chance to build something iconic on such a prominent corner. Instead they opted for something so bland that is not much different from what was demolished. It’s just a plain canvas for their logo

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

If you're referring to the homeless population, addicts and dealers, the renewal won't help, just as the Rideau Centre and OAG expansions, Ogilvy Square and Confederation Line didn't do much in that regard.

I was under the impression that moving the bus stops and shelters away from Rideau helped because those areas are easy for drug dealers to stand at for hours and easy for panhandlers to get a group of people all at once.

[OTownandDown]

I'm concerned that the go-cart racetrack a.k.a. the 'Very Realistic, and Totally Going-to-Use "Bike Path"' is getting a huge overdesigned treatment, similar to several other intersections around this city.

I know it's difficult to do something realistic with such a dense area. I'm just concerned.

I also know that when I bike up Elgin (as I actually do, no lie) and past the NAC, I won't be waiting at a the Chateau Laurier or Colonel By/Sussex light to cross to the north side of Rideau for 100m, to then have to cross to the south side again. I'll be using the hill, biking in one of those two traffic lanes to travel east on Rideau through that block. Just reality. Some confirmation that this is what's going to happen would have been nice from the designers.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I was under the impression that moving the bus stops and shelters away from Rideau helped because those areas are easy for drug dealers to stand at for hours and easy for panhandlers to get a group of people all at once.

There has definitely been an improvement since the bus shelters were spread out and the Rideau Centre expansion was completed. I actually have high hopes for that stretch. Unfortunately I doubt that the AC Marriott will get built anytime soon, but that would have been another big improvement.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

I'm concerned that the go-cart racetrack a.k.a. the 'Very Realistic, and Totally Going-to-Use "Bike Path"' is getting a huge overdesigned treatment, similar to several other intersections around this city.

I know it's difficult to do something realistic with such a dense area. I'm just concerned.

I also know that when I bike up Elgin (as I actually do, no lie) and past the NAC, I won't be waiting at a the Chateau Laurier or Colonel By/Sussex light to cross to the north side of Rideau for 100m, to then have to cross to the south side again. I'll be using the hill, biking in one of those two traffic lanes to travel east on Rideau through that block. Just reality. Some confirmation that this is what's going to happen would have been nice from the designers.

That's perfectly fine, but obviously most people don't want to bike on busy roads. This cycle track is just a part of what will be a larger bikeway network, extending west along Wellington to the Portage Bridge and connecting to bikeways on MacKenzie, O'Connor and Bay. This segment is important to link the Market to the larger network.

From what I understand, there will also be a bikeway along Nicholas connecting Ogilvy Square to the Canal MUP just south of Laurier. That section on the south side provides a link to that bikeway. I think there's also opportunity to connect to build a Besserer or Daly bikeway to create a link to the east (since, again, most people won't want to bike on Rideau St).