Cycling in the National Capital Region

[RTWAP]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

At least today, the city is building new arterials with bike lanes, and the MTO is planning to eliminate the free-flow ramps on interchanges like Woodroffe.

Is 'free-flow' what happens when you exit 417 WB for Woodroffe SB? I like that exit. It seems to be magical. The speed of the ramp is matched well with the speed of the traffic so merging is effortless. And people exiting Woodroffe SB for 417 EB make holes in the Woodroffe SB traffic.

It's not bike friendly though. But there is a dedicated bike path a short distance away.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

There is a culvert like this underneath autoroute 50 near Allumettières, linking St-Joseph blvd with the high school near the Robert-Guertin Arena. Not too long ago I read in Le Droit that they were trying to close it because it was an excellent place to be assaulted or jumped by hooligans.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by harls

There is a culvert like this underneath autoroute 50 near Allumettières, linking St-Joseph blvd with the high school near the Robert-Guertin Arena. Not too long ago I read in Le Droit that they were trying to close it because it was an excellent place to be assaulted or jumped by hooligans.

There are a couple more on that side of the river, one going underneath the A-5 and another under St-Joseph with no issues. That part of Hull you mention is problematic and needs some zero-tolerance management – it feels like the freaking Bronx with the uncontrolled graffiti. It appears as if the hooligans "own" that space. Plus that whole A-50 stretch into Montcalm was a huge urban mistake, like the product of some Montreal concrete mafia's profit-making schemes with the MTQ

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

That is too bad, for sure. Several of these corridors have perfectly corresponding paths on the north and south sides of the highway, but nothing to join them together.

I wonder what kind of dollars we'd be looking at to retrofit something like that now, and where the priorities would be. (My vote would probably be Bilberry-Rocque Park, which gives a direct N-S connection to Belcourt; followed by Vineyard-Youville).

Unfortunately, these links were not even identified in the cycling plan, and all links across the 174 are still dependent on busy shoulderless overpasses on Jeanne-d'Arc, Orleans Blvd and Champlain.



Even crossing of Innes has been neglected and no pathways actually cross it (those green lines are all on busy feeder roads) despite the fact that numerous schools and shopping areas are located on the on the other side , which are shared by both sides of the community. In short, the planning for bicycle accommodation in new communities is still a joke, in fact, it has even gotten worse.

[Radster]

Originally Posted by harls

There is a culvert like this underneath autoroute 50 near Allumettières, linking St-Joseph blvd with the high school near the Robert-Guertin Arena. Not too long ago I read in Le Droit that they were trying to close it because it was an excellent place to be assaulted or jumped by hooligans.

Yes, and the other reason for them wanting to close it is because it is now useless thanks to the bike path on Allumettieres Blvd.

[waterloowarrior]

NCC is going to partner with the Dutch embassy to bring a cycling expert over here to speak with local mayors and have a public session as well.

[Radster]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

NCC is going to partner with the Dutch embassy to bring a cycling expert over here to speak with local mayors and have a public session as well.

See this is the problem, Ottawa seems to just be relying on the NCC too much to make Ottawa biker friendly... The NCC has a nice network of SCENIC MULTI-PURPOSE PATHS throughout Ottawa, which is great and all, but we need the city of Ottawa to take the lead on building cycling lanes on the streets, independent of the NCC. Maybe, one day, the city will realize this.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I think the standard for 80 km/h arterial roads should be bike lanes PLUS a multi use pathway beside it. I used the bike lanes on Innes a lot when I lived in Orleans and there were lots of other commuters who do. It would benefit a lot from a pathway on the north side though, from Blackburn Hamlet to Blair. (The NCC is working on a meandering gravel path along Green's Creek but it won't be great for commuters). Conroy Road between Hunt Club and Walkley has this configuration.

Conroy is only 60 km/h though unless it changed recently (although I think that is a bit low considering its design with modest access points but not controlled access, 70 km/h would be more reasonable, and the portions below would apply).

But I agree, new suburban arterial roads (i.e. not a mainstreet arterial) with a justified 70 or 80 km/h speed limit should be bike lanes + multi-use pathway, with both completely plowed in the winter to allow for year-round use. The width should be wide enough to safely allow bikes separation from traffic going up to 80 km/h, including in the winter months. If the justified speed limit is 50 or 60 km/h (50 would be rare for a suburban arterial), the turning movements and pedestrian frontage might be too much for a multi-use pathway, although it should definitely still have bike lanes.

As for future mainstreet urban arterials - which would normally have a 50 km/h speed limit - "Share The Road" signs might be sufficient with a wider curb lane, due to greater turning movements and lower operating speeds.

Also on the winter cycling subject, I don't like how the bike racks disappear in the winter from the buses, since if anything the use could increase as people try winter cycling but can only manage it for a part of the route. I could understand from a storage perspective, but it should attempt to be workable.

At a minimum, the season should be extended (to something like April 15 - November 30 with extensions possible in years that there is no snow at the start of December), since it is rare for snow to be on the ground on November 1 in Ottawa.

[TransitZilla]

An interesting report has been posted on the city's web site.
http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2009/12-02/ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0212%20IPD.htm

M E M O / N O T E D E S E R V I C E

To / Destinataire
Chair and Members of Transportation Committee/Président et membres du Comité des transport
File/N° de fichier:

ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0212

From / Expéditeur
John L. Moser
General Manager/Directeur général,

Planning and Growth Management Department/Service d’Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Richard Kilstrom, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance

(613) 580-2424 x 22653, [email protected]

Subject / Objet
Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (DOUDS) – Mobility Overlay/

Stratégie d’esthétique urbaine dans le centre-ville d’Ottawa (SEUCVO) – Renforcement de la mobilité
Date :


October 26, 2009
Le 26 octobre 2009

The purpose of this memorandum is to advise Council of the commencement of work on a mobility overlay for the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (DOUDS), and secondly how this work will address direction given by Council during approval of the Cycling Plan with respect to the study of segregated bicycle lanes in the downtown core.

DOUDS was approved by Council in 2004 as an action-oriented strategy to improve urban design and the public realm in the core of Canada’s capital. It contains some 40 strategies that could be addressed over two decades. Council initiated its first DOUDS steps with its approval of the award-winning Escarpment Area District Plan in 2008.

As part of the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel project (DOTT), Planning and Growth Management staff have established an Urban Design Working Group with their counterparts at the National Capital Commission with the goal of determining how the interrelationships between pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists can be improved in the downtown core once the project is implemented. With three underground LRT stations and a reduction in the number of surface buses from approximately 2600 to 600 daily, the opportunities for improving the downtown street environment are unprecedented.

To examine these possibilities, the Working Group will lead the creation of a mobility overlay for DOUDS. This overlay study will examine whether or not one-way streets can be restored to two-way traffic, as well as identify requirements to widen sidewalks and provide cycling lanes separated from regular traffic. It is anticipated that as the on-street environment improves for pedestrians and cyclists, opportunities will also improve for downtown LRT stations to attract more riders walking or cycling to and from the stations.

When Council approved the Cycling Plan in July 2008, the downtown component of the plan was conceptual in nature as neither the Transportation Master Plan nor the downtown tunnel alignment yet had been approved. It is anticipated that the DOUDS Mobility Overlay will refine the conceptual cycling routes, and in particular examine the appropriate locations for east-west segregated cycling routes per Council direction. The study will also examine similar opportunities for north-south segregated cycling routes. While the study work is ongoing a pilot project featuring east-west segregated cycling lanes in the downtown core will be implemented in 2010.

This study will be led by Richard Kilstrom, Manager, Policy Development and Urban Design. Integral to the success of this initiative will be public consultation and building upon the success of the Transportation Master Plan process, wherein a peer review panel of experts from other cities will be engaged.

Should you have any questions regarding this memorandum please contact Richard or myself.

John L. Moser

General Manager

So it looks like we could see segregated lanes downtown as early as next year!

[Dado]

They've been very quiet as to where this pilot project will be located. Albert and Slater have to be out of the running. I also can't see a pilot project on Laurier, Queen or Wellington; maybe after the pilot project but not for the pilot itself. It has to be somewhere where no one is going to kick up much of a fuss...

So that settles it: it'll be on Sparks west of the pedestrian mall.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Dado

They've been very quiet as to where this pilot project will be located. Albert and Slater have to be out of the running. I also can't see a pilot project on Laurier, Queen or Wellington; maybe after the pilot project but not for the pilot itself. It has to be somewhere where no one is going to kick up much of a fuss...

So that settles it: it'll be on Sparks west of the pedestrian mall.

Once the tunnel is done, both Albert and Slater, and the Mackenzie King Bridge, should have segregated bus lanes.

Laurier and Queen would be most suitable right now probably for a cross-downtown route, as they have the least traffic.

[Ottawan]

As someone who used to bike accross downtown frequently (throughout my undergrad degree lived near Hintonburg and worked in the ByWard Market), I have acutely felt the need for the improvement of east-west biking through the CBD.

What I would like to see sometime down the line (ie, when transit is underground) is a full lane on either Albert or Slater dedicated to a two-way physically separated bikeway. This is the safest and quickest way for bikes to move accross downtown.

Here are a few examples of physically separated lanes:







What I don't think is helpful downtown is this:


While on-road bike lanes are extremely useful on suburban arterial roads (Think Hunt Club Road), they are no good in a situation such as that above (only through downtown Ottawa we have much busier roads), where doors could open at any time, cars are trying to cross the lane at every intersection to make a turn, or enter a turning lane/fire access/loading zone. Certainly this is the only type of lane that will be able to be created by 2010.

[waterloowarrior]

from Coignaud, René <[email protected]>
subject NCC: Conference on The Hague's (Netherlands) cycling promotion initiatives ~ CCN: Conférence sur les initiatives de promotion du cyclisme de La Haye (Pays-Bas)


Hi,

The National Capital Commission (NCC) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands invite the public to attend a presentation on how the city of The Hague has become a world leader in bicycle transportation.

Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer of the National Capital Commission (NCC), and His Excellency Wim Geerts, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will host the event. The evening’s key note speaker will be Ms. Inge Molenaar, The Hague’s leading expert in cycling infrastructure, who has helped transform The Hague into a bicycle-friendly city. Ms. Molenaar will share her city’s best practices, lessons learned and will answer questions about The Hague’s challenges and successes.

Admission to the event is free.

WHEN: Monday, December 7, 5 pm to 7 pm
WHERE: Christ Church Cathedral Hall
420 Sparks Street, Ottawa

For more details:
http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16300-20449-131707&lang=1&bhcp=1

[umbria27]

Originally Posted by Ottawan

As someone who used to bike accross downtown frequently (throughout my undergrad degree lived near Hintonburg and worked in the ByWard Market), I have acutely felt the need for the improvement of east-west biking through the CBD.

I've often wondered why they wouldn't just put a grade separated bikeway right down the middle of Sparks street. Bikes and pedestrians mix a little better than bikes and automobiles, and it's one east-west route across the downtown that seems underused.

[TransitZilla]

I was at the open house last night at the Greenboro Pavillion for the Hunt Club Community to South Keys/Greenboro Transit Stations Environmental Assessment.

The EA is recommending a bridge be built across the Airport Parkway to connect Cahill Dr West with South Keys station, via the existing underpass of the O-Train line. (Unfortunately a connection to Greenboro Station is not planned at this time).

More information is available at the following link, but the display boards are not online yet.
http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/huntclub_skeys/oh2_en.html

This is another footbridge project that is long overdue, connecting the neighbourhoods divided by the Airport Parkway, expanding the reach of the South Keys transit station, and providing a safe east-west cycling connection all the way from Hawthorne to Riverside that avoids Hunt Club.

Funding is in the draft 2010 budget.

[eternallyme]

Another thing I would do is significantly expand the Sunday Bikeday programs.

1) The season should be lengthened to start in early May and end in late October.

2) It should run all day on Sundays from about 8 am to dusk (6 am to dusk in the summer in Gatineau Park).

3) The Ottawa River Parkway where the Transitway is concurrent would have the eastbound lanes converted to 2-way bus operation on Sundays during the timeframe.

4) In addition to Sundays, it should also run on all statutory holidays (especially useful on Canada Day during the daytime to attract cyclists downtown!).

[RTWAP]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Another thing I would do is significantly expand the Sunday Bikeday programs.

1) The season should be lengthened to start in early May and end in late October.

2) It should run all day on Sundays from about 8 am to dusk (6 am to dusk in the summer in Gatineau Park).

3) The Ottawa River Parkway where the Transitway is concurrent would have the eastbound lanes converted to 2-way bus operation on Sundays during the timeframe.

4) In addition to Sundays, it should also run on all statutory holidays (especially useful on Canada Day during the daytime to attract cyclists downtown!).

I can't say I support that. Blocking off that road for large blocks of time is not a good way to build support for bikes. Better to convert one direction to bike use and the other for bi-directional vehicular traffic.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by RTWAP

I can't say I support that. Blocking off that road for large blocks of time is not a good way to build support for bikes. Better to convert one direction to bike use and the other for bi-directional vehicular traffic.

Except for the Ottawa River Parkway, all the parkways affected are 2 lanes wide, and have to be completely closed to traffic.

As for the Ottawa River Parkway, that might work too - it needs to be bi-directional for sure in some form, but traffic congestion needs to be monitored. (The detour onto Richmond Road for buses slows the routes down way too much)

[waterloowarrior]

The NCC cycling presentation is tonight at 5 pm.. 420 Sparks Street (unfortunately I can't make it).

[waterloowarrior]

dutch cycling presentation slides... good stuff, hopefully there were some councillors/transportation planning staff in the audience. west side action has a few key points as well http://westsideaction.blogspot.com/2009/12/den-hague-experience.html