NCC Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park Plan [Kichi Zībī Mīkan] | In Progress

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by ElieB

Boy you're jaded. Did anyone say anything about shrubs? Have you even looked at the plans? Re-naturalization is very small portion of these proposals. The big points are about place-making, activation, new paths and connections to the waterfront. Maybe you just find it offensive that watefront uses should prioritize nearby residents over the convenience of commuting from Kanata.

Paths don't make places.

New connections are good and needed, but without some things along the waterfront that aren't trees and shrubs, the only "animation" will be the hostile mother geese in the spring, the occasional beaver, and the star attraction, angry pedestrians, pole-walkers, and bikers cursing at each other.

[Horus]

From today's Citizen -

Poilievre asks minister to derail idea of reducing lanes on parkway
DON BUTLER, OTTAWA CITIZEN
Published on: April 4, 2016 | Last Updated: April 4, 2016 6:57 PM EDT

The former Conservative minister for the National Capital Commission wants his Liberal successor to kibosh any plans to reduce the number of lanes along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.

Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre, who was responsible for the NCC from February 2015 until the former Conservative government’s defeat last October, made the request in a letter to Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly, the minister now responsible for the NCC.

In his letter, Poilievre noted one option in an NCC concept plan for the proposed Sir John A. Macdonald Linear Park would reduce the parkway to just two lanes from four between Carling Avenue and Island Park Drive.

He pointed out that more than 9,300 vehicles use the parkway daily.

“This is a vital route for Ottawa commuters coming into the core from Nepean, Bells Corners, Kanata, Barrhaven and Stittsville,” his letter says. “It allows people in the west end to avoid the over-subscribed Highway 417 between Pinecrest Road and downtown.

“Please insist that the National Capital Commission maintain four lanes as part of all its future planning for the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway,” Poilievre’s letter concludes.

However, there was no indication Monday that Joly shares Poilievre’s alarm.

In an email, Joly’s spokesman, Pierre-Olivier Herbert, noted the NCC is currently conducting public consultations on the linear park’s future.

“Minister Joly is supportive of this process which seeks to collect ideas and comments from National Capital Region residents on a variety of options,” Herbert said. “We strongly encourage local residents to participate in these consultations and contribute to the decision-making process.”

If endorsed by the NCC, any reduction in lanes along the parkway likely wouldn’t occur for a decade or more – years after Ottawa’s new light rail transit system has been extended to the Bayshore Shopping Centre.

While Poilievre agreed the LRT will likely reduce the number of motorists who use the parkway as a commuter route, “the benefits of that reduction should go to reduce travel times for people who continue to use their cars,” he said in an interview.

“If any point of the parkway were reduced from four to two lanes, that would produce bottlenecks along that route and obviate many of the benefits of having light rail transit along that path.”

Instead, he said, the NCC should use the construction of the LRT “as an opportunity to reduce travel times for people in the west end.”

Poilievre argued there are better ways to expand the available riverfront property for the linear park. One would be to realign the parkway slightly to the south and bring its east-west lanes closer together, he said.

“There are large portions of the parkway with huge wasted green space between the lanes. I’ve never understood what use that land is serving right now. It’s nice to look at, but nobody can make any use of it.”

The linear park, he said, is “a great idea. I just think it can be accomplished without reducing access for motorists into the core of the city.”

[MoreTrains]

Ha! Skippy, what a dope. By the time they are ready to reduce the lanes the 417 will also have been widened from the 416 to Carling. So his argument is invalid.

If the NCC wants it to be a linear park, make it a linear park. If not, lets develop it or make it into a legit highway.

[zzptichka]

They can make linear park on the median. Look, there is plenty of space.

[J.OT13]

For the first time ever, I actually agree with Poilievre; Parkway should stay 4 lanes however, final decision should be based on the results of the consultations. Government shouldn't just impose their vision without proper dialogue.

[lrt's friend]

While Poilievre agreed the LRT will likely reduce the number of motorists who use the parkway as a commuter route

LRT does not typically reduce the number of motorists using a particular road. That is a highly optimistic statement.

What you are hoping for is to improve travel times by transit and therefore curtail future growth of motorists.

[acottawa]

Speeds on that section of highway are pretty ridiculous (which will get worse when the buses are gone). If they aren't going to reduce the number of lanes they should properly engineer it as a freeway (or put axle-breaking speedbumps down).

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Speeds on that section of highway are pretty ridiculous (which will get worse when the buses are gone). If they aren't going to reduce the number of lanes they should properly engineer it as a freeway (or put axle-breaking speedbumps down).

I'm less a fan of speedbumps and more a fan of sharp 75-degree doglegs.

[MarkR]

Originally Posted by Horus

From today's Citizen -

"This is a vital route for Ottawa commuters coming into the core from Nepean, Bells Corners, Kanata, Barrhaven and Stittsville,” his letter says. “It allows people in the west end to avoid the over-subscribed Highway 417 between Pinecrest Road and downtown."

While it certainly is being used as such, it was never designed to be a 417 by-pass. (We're seeing the same thing happen with the airport parkway, turn a road designed for one thing into trying to meed the demands of car commuters.)

It still amazes that the NCC goes on about riverfront access while they enable a mini-expressway along the river...

[NOWINYOW]

Reducing the parkway to two lanes is not going to make the area any more pedestrian friendly.

Unless the NCC decides to allow growth of a vibrant waterfront (retail, restaurants etc) the walk along the Ottawa river will be attractive to only a tiny fraction of the populace for maybe 7 months of the year.

There is a long stretch of green along Dow's Lake and up towards Hog's Back. If people really want a peaceful walk along a waterfront, without the noise of traffic, it's there at Dow's Lake. Strangely enough, it's rare to see people enjoying that tranquility.

[Marcus CLS]

Originally Posted by MoreTrains

Ha! Skippy, what a dope. By the time they are ready to reduce the lanes the 417 will also have been widened from the 416 to Carling. So his argument is invalid.

If the NCC wants it to be a linear park, make it a linear park. If not, lets develop it or make it into a legit highway.

Hey! I agree with skippy not a dope! The parkway is just fine and reducing the wasted green space in the middle makes total sense to me.

Sorry I agree to disagree.

[Admiral Nelson]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

For the first time ever, I actually agree with Poilievre; Parkway should stay 4 lanes however, final decision should be based on the results of the consultations. Government shouldn't just impose their vision without proper dialogue.

Would you elaborate as to why you disapprove of lane reduction proposal?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Admiral Nelson

Would you elaborate as to why you disapprove of lane reduction proposal?

Traffic to Gatineau. In the evening rush hour, even coming from the west to turn left on the Champlain Bridge, there is a huge line-up. Reducing the parkway to two lanes (even with a turning lane) would turn the Parkway into a parking lot every pm rush hour.

I think the straighter alignment and removed bus lane over the lrt tunnel will be enough to improve the busiest part of the Parkway (for pedestrians, cyclist and drivers).

The Parkway is an important commuter route. If they want to add more grass, they can bring the lanes closer together everywhere else and/or move the roadway south.

[Aylmer]

Well it seems to me that the obvious solution is to just add a long left-turn lane. The second westbound lane is just a waste of space, imo.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Traffic to Gatineau. In the evening rush hour, even coming from the west to turn left on the Champlain Bridge, there is a huge line-up. Reducing the parkway to two lanes (even with a turning lane) would turn the Parkway into a parking lot every pm rush hour.

I think the straighter alignment and removed bus lane over the lrt tunnel will be enough to improve the busiest part of the Parkway (for pedestrians, cyclist and drivers).

The Parkway is an important commuter route. If they want to add more grass, they can bring the lanes closer together everywhere else and/or move the roadway south.

Let's see where all the traffic on parkway comes from.
Eastbound cars can get on the parkway from:
1) 1-lane Carling offramp
2) 1-lane Woodroffe
This is it. Neither is super-busy even during rush hour.

1 lane is more than enough to handle all traffic. Only longer left turn lane on Island Park is needed.

[OTSkyline]

I think we should leave the parkway as-is. Like it or not it's a major route used by many to commute and get around the city. If Ottawa was a concrete city with very little green space or parks, I could see why we would push for this but the city is already abundant in open fields and green space and this and that, why does everything have to be green space here?

The other point is just that. What is currently there along the river? Nothing.
If there were things like basketball, tennis courts, playground, marina, decks, a beach, ANYTHING to actually liven up the waterfront and give people reason to visit and cross the parkway to access the site, then sure! But right now, as it is, there is nothing there... Just green space and 1 trail along the river. Seems to me that if "access" to that 1 trail is what's most important, we could fix it by better planning a few key pedestrian crossings to connect the west side and that trail, not cutting down a main road in the city just for the sake of it.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

I think we should leave the parkway as-is. Like it or not it's a major route used by many to commute and get around the city. If Ottawa was a concrete city with very little green space or parks, I could see why we would push for this but the city is already abundant in open fields and green space and this and that, why does everything have to be green space here?

This is where the NCC's confusion about what the parkways or for creates problems. If it is a freeway for commuters then fine, it should be treated like a freeway; there should be shoulders, barriers, rumble strips, bridges and underpasses for pedestrians, proper interchanges, etc. and there is no reason why the LRT couldn't run in the median (saving hundreds of millions).

If it is not a freeway for commuters but a tourist attraction (it does rank 12th among Ottawa attractions and has a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor) then traffic should be moving at recreational speeds both to enhance the visitor experience and increase safety and reducing the number of lanes would help that process.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by acottawa

This is where the NCC's confusion about what the parkways or for creates problems. If it is a freeway for commuters then fine, it should be treated like a freeway; there should be shoulders, barriers, rumble strips, bridges and underpasses for pedestrians, proper interchanges, etc. and there is no reason why the LRT couldn't run in the median (saving hundreds of millions).

If it is not a freeway for commuters but a tourist attraction (it does rank 12th among Ottawa attractions and has a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor) then traffic should be moving at recreational speeds both to enhance the visitor experience and increase safety and reducing the number of lanes would help that process.

This sums it up well. Decide what you want to do with the roadway, and then build it appropriately.

[McC]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

What is currently there along the river? Nothing.

some people -- me included -- think that the river itself is something worth seeing.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

Well it seems to me that the obvious solution is to just add a long left-turn lane. The second westbound lane is just a waste of space, imo.

But then you might need a kilometer long left turning lane. At this point, might as well keep the eastbound 2 lanes with a regular left turning lane. And at that point, might as well keep the whole Parkway 4 lanes.

Traffic will only increase, even with the ORT. No use in reducing the capacity of our road network, especially not for a few extra acres of grass.