Highway 174

[MaxHeadroom]

Wow, typical City of Ottawa crappy arterial design = Make it wider on the existing alignment and put a crapload of traffic lights on it. Level crossings for pedestrians. Add one HOV lane in each direction so you have one general traffic lane and one HOV lane. Keep the existing signalized crossings which are prone to accidents instead of building overpasses for vehicles and pedestrians alike.

Is this the City of Ottawa's way of thumbing it's nose at Rockland and communities east?

[waterloowarrior]

Funny that the HOV lane ends as soon as you reach the Ottawa/UCPR border. Curious how the 1+1HOV approach will work and how often there would be lane change opportunities. Anyone know of higher speed roads with similar configurations? Chemin D'Aylmer is the closest I can think of, but there's no median barrier, I think the highest speed limit is 70, and there are a lot more entrances.

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Funny that the HOV lane ends as soon as you reach the Ottawa/UCPR border. Curious how the 1+1HOV approach will work and how often there would be lane change opportunities. Anyone know of higher speed roads with similar configurations? Chemin D'Aylmer is the closest I can think of, but there's no median barrier, I think the highest speed limit is 70, and there are a lot more entrances.

Beyond that it is time for an adult discussion on HOV lanes.... like really... how many people are encouraged to carpool because of the HOV lanes? It's probably a number very close to zero.

I drive to and from Kanata every day and I'd be surprised if HOV usage is 1% of total traffic.... and again, that's mostly filled with people who would be driving together anyway.

Or is this really part of the master plan to use HOV as a "revenue tool"??

[MaxHeadroom]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Anyone know of higher speed roads with similar configurations?

The only one I can think of is the Barnet Highway in BC between Burnaby and Port Moody. Speed limit is 80, but the HOV lanes are only in effect during rush hour, minimum two occupants, and not segregated like the 400 series HOVs.

[Mr.Flintstone]

I find the proposed alinement's for the LRT interesting.

Though they were going to use the bus lanes that are already at Blair but building a tunnel also works

At Montreal Rd, it going to go up and over the highway then down the middle. Never seen that before.

I hope that Orleans town centre station isn't actually happening


Like the realignment at trim. Removing the lights and creating an overpass.


I assume this is just preliminary. Just suggestions?

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Funny that the HOV lane ends as soon as you reach the Ottawa/UCPR border. Curious how the 1+1HOV approach will work and how often there would be lane change opportunities. Anyone know of higher speed roads with similar configurations? Chemin D'Aylmer is the closest I can think of, but there's no median barrier, I think the highest speed limit is 70, and there are a lot more entrances.

That HOV configuration east of Trimm is ridiculous.

Whoever designed this road should pull their head out of their rear end.

[1overcosc]

Okay, so the weirdest thing just happened.

The province is going to pay for 174 widening.. but only within Clarence-Rockland.

The Ontario government announced today it will spend $40M to cover 100% of the cost of 4-laning the highway from Canaan Road (Ottawa's eastern border) to Landry Road at the eastern end of Rockland's built up area with construction starting in 2019.

That means we'll have a 4 lane freeway from the split to Trim, narrowing to a 2 lane road from Trim to the municipal border, then a 4 lane arterial from the border to the end of Rockland.

WTF?

[Norman Bates]

It's the common sense revolution strikes back!

[rocketphish]

Ontario gives $40M to widen Rockland's County Road 17
No money promised yet to upgrade two-lane section within Ottawa city limits

By Kate Porter, CBC News Posted: Jun 16, 2016 6:12 PM ET Last Updated: Jun 16, 2016 6:12 PM ET



Ontario's transportation minister has announced $40 million to widen a nine kilometre section of County Road 17 through Rockland, but the city councillor for neighbouring Cumberland warns the stretch of highway within city limits needs to go ahead at the same time.

The provincial money would go toward making a nine kilometre stretch, from Landry Road to Canaan Road at the edge of the boundary with Ottawa, a four-lane road.

That project is pegged at about $107 million, according to a related City of Ottawa study, and construction would be expected to start in 2019.

"The squeaky wheel gets the oil, so we're getting some oil today and we're quite happy about it," said Guy Desjardins, mayor of Clarence-Rockland.

Desjardins had been pushing for the four-laning, along with Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MPP Grant Crack, because he was concerned about safety on the busy two-lane road east of Ottawa.

At an estimated 25,000 vehicles on it per day, Desjardins said it was just a matter of time before the road would see a serious collision.

The widening would also help Rockland residents who work or shop in Ottawa, said Desjardins, while boosting economic development of the town if it leads to more people coming to Rockland.

A line in February's Ontario budget mentioned money might be forthcoming for Rockland's portion of the road, but until Thursday there had been no funding committed.

But the Ottawa city councillor for the Cumberland ward that borders Clarence-Rockland says it doesn't make sense to start widening the section of road in Rockland, and work west.

"What's going to happen is you're going to have a four-lane road in Rockland, cramped down to a two-lane road through Cumberland, and back up to a four-lane road in Orleans," said Stephen Blais.

That would create two bottlenecks equivalent to commuters trying to make their way through the "split" where highways 417 and 174 meet, suggested Blais.

"Maybe that's what Rockland residents want but somehow I doubt it."

Blais argues the best plan is to start from Trim Road, which will eventually be the end point for light rail, and work east. The city has an environmental assessment to create high-occupancy vehicle lanes in each direction, to encourage transit, said Blais.

But the city has no money to four-lane its section of road between Trim Road and city limits and the province has not announced any funding for it. That idea has also had vocal critics in Cumberland for years.

Ontario's transportation minister was non-committal about when that middle piece of road might be addressed.

"We're here today to talk about this nine kilometres stretch. I anticipate that we'll continue to have those conversations, that continue to demonstrate progress, continue to work with our partners to get it right," said Steven Del Duca.

"It's not lost on me that there are requirements for additional transportation infrastructure in the united counties, in Ottawa, and beyond in eastern Ontario."

Mayor Desjardins hopes that with Liberal governments at the provincial and federal levels, both in the midst of announcing infrastructure funding, the money will eventually come to do the whole road.

"We can't have just four lanes stopping at Canaan," said Desjardins. "And we'll just keep pushing and asking for it."

"As long as I'm in the office, I will keep asking."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/country-road-17-widen-1.3638456

[waterloowarrior]

Can't announce the Ottawa section yet, they need to spread out the funding press conferences over the next 700 or so days until the writ is dropped.

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Can't announce the Ottawa section yet, they need to spread out the funding press conferences over the next 700 or so days until the writ is dropped.

LOL!!!

But I've become so damn cynical that wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[eternallyme]

Hasn't Blais showed obstructionism and contempt for those beyond the city limits? That could be a big reason in that he is himself responsible.

[IntoTheCore]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Hasn't Blais showed obstructionism and contempt for those beyond the city limits? That could be a big reason in that he is himself responsible.

He was pushing the idea of tolling 174 for out-of-towners three years ago:

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/the-toll-of-two-municipalities-1.1304060

[DubberDom]

Originally Posted by IntoTheCore

He was pushing the idea of tolling 174 for out-of-towners three years ago:

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/the-toll-of-two-municipalities-1.1304060

That was probably the smartest thing he ever proposed!

[MaxHeadroom]

Build a NEW highway and toll it, fine. Tolling an existing road is unfair and doesn't solve any problems.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom

Build a NEW highway and toll it, fine. Tolling an existing road is unfair and doesn't solve any problems.

True. In a perfect fair world we should toll every car entering the core during rush hour, not just from the East.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

True. In a perfect fair world we should toll every car entering the core during rush hour, not just from the East.

Once Phase 2 of the LRT is complete, I say we should take a page from London's book and put a "ring toll" around the entire CBD. That and a tax on weekday daytime parking, as well. Use the money from both to fund transit, preferably operating costs which could really use the boost.

[DubberDom]

Residents file appeal over 174 widening through Cumberland Highway widening

Widening highway 174 through Cumberland would affect the character of the village, such as nearby Old Montreal Road, said residents at a 2015 public consultation.

Orleans News

By Brier Dodge

Members of the Cumberland Community Association (CCA) are asking the province to take a closer look at future plans to widen highway 174 through Cumberland.

Members of the CCA’s 174 working group filed an appeal to the provincial minister of the environment and climate change about the highway widening, which would see the two lane road through Cumberland expanded to four lanes.

They have asked the minister to require a higher level of assessment for the project, called an individual environmental assessment or a part two order.

A study looked at widening highway 174 and Prescott-Russell County Road 17, and proposed three alternatives to get vehicles from east of Ottawa into the city. The study identified the widening of highway 174 through Cumberland as the preferred choice.

“Our view is the study was still too small, and there needs to be a greater plan for eastern Ottawa,” said Euan Swan of the 174 working group. “There’s no growth north because the river’s there, the growth is to the south and father east. So we would have liked to see a bigger study area and a bigger vision of how it’s all going to fit together.”

A 2015 meeting about the highway widening got heated, with many residents speaking out about concerns for the overall character of the village, and also their own driveways and access where a median down the road and traffic lights would be installed.

Swan said it makes sense to widen the road between the split and Trim Road. Rather, it’s largely the part of the plans east of Trim Road that CCA members are concerned about.

“There’s a huge problem of people who commute into Ottawa to work, and they need a solution because the 174 is beyond it’s capacity,” he said. “We’re very sympathetic to those people, but at the same time, the future is perhaps light rail going father east … you widen (the road) and then you’ll just get more cars rolling down it slowly.”

The appeal to the minister outlines what CCA members feel are technical shortcomings to the study that was done and their opposition of the highway widening as the best solution for eastern Ottawa.

It asks for the criteria weighting that was used to be re-evaluated, the scope of the EA to be expanded to include a “big picture” transportation plan and an alternative solution to road widening.

In the city’s transportation master plan, the highway expansion isn’t scheduled until after 2031.

The CCA members submitted their appeal before a July 4 deadline to the minister.

Brier Dodge is a reporter-photographer with the Orléans News and Ottawa Metroland Media publications. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-...al-over-174-widening-through-cumberland/

[1overcosc]

^ They are right about needing a bigger vision for the whole region.

When's the province getting back to us with the Eastern Ontario version of Places to Grow? They said they would start making one a while ago now...

[AndyMEng]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

^ They are right about needing a bigger vision for the whole region.

When's the province getting back to us with the Eastern Ontario version of Places to Grow? They said they would start making one a while ago now...

Seems to me like the highway needs to follow Willhaven and then Baseline, and leave the shoreline of the Ottawa River out of it. Make that a heritage route and be done with it!