Thanks for the Bike Ottawa article, Rocketphish. Lots of good info there. (And, it was interesting to see that they were not keen on the idea of spending so much money on this underpass.)
Bike Ottawa dug up the fact that it was only predicted to cost about $3.5M, when first proposed. This tells me that the Development Charges were set to cover about that amount. Since Development Charges are a one-time charge, I am amazed that staff are telling Councilors (who are blindly parroting it to the media) that the Development Charges for Kanata Centrum cover about 95% of the CURRENT cost. I don’t see how that can be, mathematically. Development Charges from other areas must be included – meaning that other areas are missing out so that this underpass can be (over) built.
The original estimate of $3.5M indicates to me that this was planned to be only two traffic lanes. Although there is definitely a component of inflation, it is the modern ideology of ‘Complete Streets’ that makes this such an expensive project now.
The Kanata Avenue ½ interchange was built AFTER this plan was created. This has allowed a large number of vehicles to exit the Kanata Centrum area and head east on the 417 – without needing to use Terry Fox. As indicated in the quote included in the Bike Ottawa article, the expectation was that vehicles would be using the Terry Fox – 417 interchange to go both east and west. Therefore, a convenient series of right-turns from the ‘mall’ onto south-bound Terry Fox would provide smooth traffic flow. (Notice that both east-bound and west-bound 417 on-ramps peel off to the right from south-bound Terry Fox.) With east-bound people leaving Kanata Centrum via Kanata, Bike Ottawa found that those turning onto Terry Fox from Roland Michener could be cleared in a single light cycle.
IF this underpass is built – something that I hope does NOT happen – it will still be dumping the vehicles into the intersection of Terry Fox and Didsbury/Roland Michener. Instead of queuing on Roland Michener, in the double left-turn lanes, vehicles will be sitting on Didsbury waiting for an opening to turn right onto Terry Fox. When Terry Fox has the green light, there may be few openings, and then, when those turning left from Roland Michener have the green there will be few openings because of the two turn lanes.
Where else can traffic go, traveling to the west? If a vehicle is heading west from Kanata Centrum, it could take the proposed underpass and travel along Earl Grey W – through the three STOP signs – to Didsbury W; but then it still needs to go through the intersection at Didsbury and Campeau. It might be easier to simply cross Terry Fox on Campeau by exiting Kanata Centrum at Herlihey.
All-in-all, there are far better ways for the City to spend money. $28M here, $19M at Baseline and Greenbank. That’s almost $50M of poorly spend money. Instead, my suggestion is to use the money to improve public transit. (Yeah, I highly expect that the changes at Greenbank will do almost nothing for transit. In my opinion, it is simply cramming in excessive bike infrastructure.)
If this money needs to go toward development around Kanata Centrum, build the LRT plus MUP underpass of Terry Fox; end Didsbury E at Earl Grey W (and rename the remnant of Didsbury E and Earl Grey W to either Roland Michener or Herlihey); elevate the LRT over Didsbury W and the Carp River; end the LRT line just east of Huntmar.
Of course, to actually build LRT for that distance would cost MUCH MORE than $50M – but what about building the structures and paving it for buses, in the meantime? Say, $15M for the (smaller) underpass, and $30M for one kilometre of elevated two-lanes. And, if that is too complex, then once the buses are under Terry Fox, have then deke up to the renamed Earl Grey W to get to Didsbury W to Campeau, so that the structure over Didsbury W can be built later without affecting the buses.
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